September 01, 2025

DACH Startup News: Berlin AI Rockets, N26 Shakes & Europe’s Hydrogen Bet

21 minutes

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

At the same time, Switzerland locked in €825M hydrogen funding, and N26 faced its toughest governance test yet.

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 EU hydrogen funding marks a generational climate infrastructure play for startups

– What N26’s leadership shake-up under BaFin reveals about fintech governance in Europe

– How dual-use pivots (like Lilium’s defense strategy) are becoming survival moves in tough funding markets

– Why German tele-driving pilots and Bavarian endowment unlocks are more than policy headlines — they’re startup railways

– The rise of Europe’s Stan index (Qwant + Ecosia) and Pinterest’s Zurich AI hub

🎙 Why listen?

Because the future of European startups will be shaped at the intersection of technology, regulation, and capital flows. If you’re a founder, operator, or investor, this episode shows where the rails are being laid.

What you’ll learn:

– The DACH edge in AI: community + open-source + enterprise focus

– The real impact of hydrogen billions on startup runway

– Fintech’s compliance-first reality check

– The overlooked opportunity of dual-use & defense procurement

– How to spot policy-driven founder opportunities in Europe

👉 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

Host: Joern Menninger, Editor-in-Chief Startuprad.io

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

00:00 – Intro & why the roundup is split in 2 parts

05:26 – Berlin AI rockets to $2.3B

09:57 – Switzerland’s €825M hydrogen allocation

11:23 – EIC selects 40 startups & Stan index launch

14:27 – German economy dips into recession

15:15 – Defense pivots & tele-driving pilots

17:49 – Bavarian endowment unlock + Austrian founder wave

20:11 – Pinterest opens Zurich AI hub & wrap-up

✉️ 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

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By Startuprad.io – Europe’s Startup & VC Podcast Network