Berlin’s AI just rocketed from $350M to $2.3B.

This is not Silicon Valley news. This is the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) reshaping startup dynamics — and it’s moving fast.

In this Startuprad.io Summer Wrap-Up 2025, we unpack:

– How Berlin’s open-source workflow AI became a unicorn and why enterprises are buying in now

🎙 Why listen?

What you’ll learn:

👉 If you learned something here, share this episode with a founder who needs it. Follow us on Spotify, subscribe on Apple, and check the blog for a full breakdown.

Episode: DACH Startup News – Summer Wrap-Up 2025

Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-news-july-and-august-2025-unicorn-surge-825m-hydrogen-win-fintech-shakeups

Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/iV1Gzz0zy_k

Timestamps

✉️ Work with us: [email protected]

Subscribe across platforms: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

Primary (title, early description, timestamps): DACH startup news, Berlin AI automation, EU hydrogen funding, German startup ecosystem

Secondary (description + show notes): N26 governance, defense tech Europe, tele-driving Germany, Stan index, European AI hub, EIC startup funding

What does it really take to move from a GenAI prototype to a production-ready system? In this episode, AWS AI Engineering Specialist Dennis Traub breaks down the hard truths behind scaling, securing, and monitoring AI systems — and why the future belongs to startups who learn how to productionize AI fast.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why most GenAI prototypes fail when pushed to production

AWS Startups is a proud sponsor of this week’s episode of Startuprad.io. Visit startups.aws to find out how AWS can help you prove what’s possible in your industry.

The AWS Startups team comprises former founders and CTOs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and mentors ready to help you prove what’s possible.

Since 2013, AWS has supported over 280,000 startups across the globe and provided $7Billion in credits through the AWS Activate program.

Big ideas feel at home on AWS, and with access to cutting-edge technologies like generative AI, you can quickly turn those ideas into marketable products.

Want your own AI-powered assistant? Try Amazon Q.

Want to build your own AI products? Privately customize leading foundation models on Amazon Bedrock. 

Want to reduce the cost of AI workloads? AWS Trainium is the silicon you’re looking for.

Whatever your ambitions, you’ve already had the idea, now prove it’s possible on AWS.

Visit aws.amazon.com/startups to get started.

• Guest: Dennis Traub, AI Engineering Specialist at AWS

Subscribe across platforms: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8

💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

Startups love GenAI. But most founders are using it unsafely — and exposing their team, their customers, and their legal risk without even realizing it.

In this episode of Startuprad.io, we sat down with Dennis Traub, AI Engineering Specialist at AWS, to unpack what safe adoption of Generative AI really means for founders, CTOs, and product leads.

Dennis introduces the “Artificial Intern” framework — a practical way for startups to implement GenAI without hallucinations, GDPR violations, or broken trust. He walks us through where to start, what not to do, and how to pick your very first AI use case.

AWS Startups is a proud sponsor of this week’s episode of Startuprad.io. Visit startups.aws to find out how AWS can help you prove what’s possible in your industry.

The AWS Startups team comprises former founders and CTOs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and mentors ready to help you prove what’s possible.

Since 2013, AWS has supported over 280,000 startups across the globe and provided $7Billion in credits through the AWS Activate program.

Big ideas feel at home on AWS, and with access to cutting-edge technologies like generative AI, you can quickly turn those ideas into marketable products.

Want your own AI-powered assistant? Try Amazon Q.

Want to build your own AI products? Privately customize leading foundation models on Amazon Bedrock. 

Want to reduce the cost of AI workloads? AWS Trainium is the silicon you’re looking for.

Whatever your ambitions, you’ve already had the idea, now prove it’s possible on AWS.

Visit aws.amazon.com/startups to get started.

📌 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why treating GenAI like a cofounder is a dangerous myth

• Guest: Dennis Traub, AI Engineering Specialist at AWS

Subscribe across platforms: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8

💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

What if every second leadership hire in your startup fails — costing you up to €250,000? In this episode of Startuprad.io, we uncover why so many startup executive hires flop and how diagnostic hiring is rewriting the rules of leadership selection.

What You'll Learn:

• Why more than 50% of startup VP and C-level hires fail within 18 months

Guest Spotlight:

Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/startup-executive-hiring-avoiding-costly-leadership-mistakes

Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/iDqQo48u0Ls

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why 50% of Startup Executive Hires Fail

02:15 – The €250K Mistake: What a Bad Hire Really Costs

05:40 – Gut Feel vs. Diagnostic Hiring Explained

09:10 – The First VP Dilemma: Resume vs. Readiness

12:30 – Founder Bias and Emotional Hiring Mistakes

16:50 – How to Use Behavioral and Cognitive Assessments

21:15 – Hiring for Startups in the DACH Region

26:30 – Patterns of High-Performing Startup Leaders

28:43 – Dominik’s Mission to Change Hiring in Europe

startup podcast, startup executive hiring, startup growth strategies, DACH startup leadership, venture capital insights, founder hiring mistakes, diagnostic hiring, scaleup leadership, B2B tech startups, startup burnout

What if the key to Europe’s energy independence lies in the batteries of yesterday’s electric cars? This isn’t science fiction—it’s Voltfang’s reality.

Today’s episode takes you inside the world of second-life EV batteries, where German climate tech startup Voltfang is repurposing used electric car batteries to stabilize power grids, decentralize energy systems, and replace coal-fired plants across Europe.

With a €15M funding round and partnerships with major players like Stuttgart Airport, Voltfang is scaling from humble camper van hacks to operating Europe’s largest second-life battery factory.

What You'll Learn:

• How second-life EV batteries can transform renewable energy storage.

Guest Spotlight:

Timestamps:

00:00 – Can Second-Life Batteries Replace Coal?

What if finance wasn’t a bottleneck but your secret growth weapon? Moss CEO Ante Spittler joins Startuprad.io to reveal how his Berlin fintech is helping over 5,000 SMEs automate spend, ditch spreadsheets, and scale smarter.

What You'll Learn:

• How Moss raised €180M and scaled to process €5B+ annually

Guest Spotlight:

Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/finance-automation-for-smes-how-moss-is-redefining-financial-operations

Moss Website – https://www.getmoss.com

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: Why Finance Automation Matters

02:10 – Ante’s Journey: From VC to Fintech Founder

06:30 – Fixing ERP & Receipt Chaos in SMEs

10:45 – Scaling in Regulated Fintech: Lessons Learned

17:00 – Layoffs, Leadership, and Fintech Winter

24:40 – Balancing Family Life as a CEO

30:15 – Moss’s User-First Design Philosophy

40:05 – The Future of AI-Driven CFO Tools

47:16 – Advice to Founders Scaling in Finance Tech

Your startup isn’t failing because of your tech or funding—it’s because people don’t feel your brand.

In this episode, Jakob Trpin, founder of Yesyesandtwo, breaks down why emotional branding is the hidden growth engine for startups. Discover how subconscious branding cues, human-to-human marketing (H2H), and internal culture alignment create trust and drive investor confidence.

What You'll Learn:

• How to connect emotionally with customers to outlast competitors

Guest Spotlight:

Blog Post: startuprad.io/post/emotional-branding-for-startups-how-to-win-hearts-not-just-markets

Relevant Resources:

• Startuprad.io Blog:https://www.startuprad.io/post/emotional-branding-for-startups-how-to-win-hearts-not-just-markets

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Why Emotional Branding Beats Loud Marketing 05:12 – The Invisible Language of Brands Explained 17:45 – Common Startup Branding Mistakes 35:20 – Human-to-Human: Moving Beyond B2B/B2C 48:05 – Closing Insights + Emotional Branding Playbook

What happens when Germany creates its second decacorn and the EU drops €10B to scale startups? This month’s news episode breaks it all down — from funding explosions in deep tech to the future of biotech, fintech innovation, and defense AI. The DACH startup scene has never been this hot.

What You'll Learn

• Why Helsing dethroned Celonis to become Germany’s top-valued startup

Startup Scene Pulse

We highlight the rise of Swiss innovation, Austrian startups, and eco innovation models across the region. Explore how corporate growth meets AI-driven defense tech, how digital transformation strategy shapes cloud infrastructure, and what growth investing looks like in 2025.

If you're a founder aiming for vision planning, an investor tracking vc investment trends, or just love hearing execution stories from unicorn builders, this episode is your new go-to.

Now it is up to you!

💌 Subscribe to our newsletter and podcast updates:

🔗 Follow Jörn “Joe” Menninger on LinkedIn:

📩 Work with us: [email protected]

This episode is perfect for listeners searching phrases like:

• “Best startup podcast 2025”

What if your startup pitch didn’t just inform — but moved people to believe? This episode reveals how the most effective founders use strategic storytelling to build trust, spark action, and secure funding.

What You'll Learn:

• Why most pitch decks fail to convert — and how to fix them

Guest Spotlight:

Whether you’re pre-seed, scaling, or pitching for your next round, this episode gives you practical frameworks, examples, and narrative power-ups you can apply immediately.

Rate Us:

Guest Name: Ehud Dror, Founder at Tailoring Your Story

Blog Post: http://startuprad.io/post/the-startup-storytelling-playbook-craft-narratives-that-win-investors-and-customers

Relevant Resources:

• Ehud Dror on LinkedIn

Timestamps:

Startups in the DACH region are heating up — from AI unicorns to VC mega-funds. In this monthly startup news roundup, we unpack the most important trends in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland’s tech ecosystem.

Learn how Parloa became Germany’s second unicorn of the year, how Quantum Systems secured €160M to dominate aerial AI, and how the EIB’s €70B initiative is reshaping venture capital in Europe. We also dive into Lyft’s FreeNow acquisition, biotech patent wars, the MiCA crypto license, and regulatory risks like the EU Data Act.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• What Parloa’s unicorn status reveals about AI-native SaaS

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🔗 Dive Deeper and Be Ahead Of The Curve!

• DACH Startup Ecosystem 2025: The Ultimate Hub