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

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!

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This episode is perfect for listeners searching phrases like:

• “Best startup podcast 2025”

What if one platform could handle your startup’s banking, accounting, and invoicing—all automated?

In this episode of Startuprad.io, we talk to Blas Pegenaute, CEO of Sequence ERP, a Swiss fintech startup redefining what accounting software can do for small businesses and freelancers.

Blas shares his founder story—starting in nightlife, moving through hospitality, and eventually building an AI-driven accounting platform that now holds a FINMA license to act as a light bank.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• How Sequence ERP automates accounting with AI agents

🎙 Guest Spotlight:

💬 Like what you hear?

Guest Name: Blas Pegenaute, CEO of Sequence ERP

Key Resources:

• FINMA Overview: https://www.finma.ch/en/

Timestamps:

Ever wondered why so many AI projects fall flat—despite great teams and tools? It often comes down to one silent saboteur: your data architecture.

In this episode, we sit down with Stefan Opitz, Founder & COO of Codoflow, to explore how SMEs can build AI-ready infrastructure by rethinking data modeling from the ground up.

What You'll Learn:

• Why traditional top-down data modeling fails fast-growing companies

Guest Spotlight:

Emotional Close + CTA:

Guest Name: Stefan Opitz, Founder & COO at Codoflow

Relevant Resources:

• Codoflow Website

Timestamps:

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

📱 Give Us Feedback

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🔗 Dive Deeper and Be Ahead Of The Curve!

• DACH Startup Ecosystem 2025: The Ultimate Hub
  

What happens when an FBI-trained negotiation coach brings elite sales psychology into the startup world? You get a masterclass in influence, integrity, and investor persuasion.

Today’s episode of Startuprad.io features Matthias Bullmahn, a crisis negotiation expert, former Accenture executive, and storytelling coach — here to show founders how to negotiate like pros and scale without manipulation.

What You'll Learn:

• How to apply BATNA to investor negotiations and enterprise sales

Guest Spotlight:

Now It Is Up To YOU:

🚀Our Sponsor

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Guest Name: Matthias Bullmahn, Sales Psychologist & Strategic Communications Expert

Related Blog Posts on Startuprad.io:

• 🎙️ Mastering Startup Negotiation Tactics: Sales Psychology Meets FBI Playbooks

Relevant External Resources:

• Harvard Negotiation Project

Why do Europe’s startups scale slower than their U.S. counterparts? In this raw, revealing episode, Andy Goldstein uncovers what’s really holding back the European venture capital scene—and what we can do about it.

• How investor education can radically improve VC decision-making

Andy Goldstein, Managing Director Europe at VU Venture Partners and Co-Founder of the German Accelerator, is a serial entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and innovation catalyst. With decades of experience across the U.S. and Europe, he’s reshaping how VCs invest—and how startups scale.

Loved this episode? Help others discover it!

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Guest Name: Andy Goldstein, Managing Director Europe, VU Venture Partners

Relevant Resources:

• VU Venture Partners

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Introduction to Andy’s journey from IBM to VC

What happens when Europe's top startup operators become VCs — and use AI to disrupt billion-euro legacy sectors?

• 🔧 How applied AI is replacing legacy SaaS and transforming industries like logistics and procurement

Whether you’re a founder raising a seed round, an operator breaking into VC, or an investor looking to understand the future of industrial SaaS, this episode is for you.

👉 Struggling with small biz finances? Tide’s free account + up to €400 cashback makes it a no-brainer: tide.co/Podcastsde – use code STARTUPRADIO

Marton Sarkadi Nagy is a Partner at Visionaries Club, a Berlin-based venture capital firm managing €600M+ in AUM. With a background as the former growth lead at Tier, Marton brings operator DNA to VC. Visionaries Club backs early-stage startups that use AI, SaaS, and cybersecurity to tackle massive industrial problems — with LPs ranging from unicorn founders to multi-generational family businesses.

Love hearing real-world startup scaling, AI disruption, and VC philosophy?

🎧 Follow Startuprad.io on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, and share this episode with the boldest entrepreneurs in your network.

Guest Name: Marton Sarkadi Nagy, Partner at Visionaries Club

Blog Post: How Europe’s Visionaries Are Using AI to Disrupt Industrial Tech

Relevant Resources:

• Visionaries Club

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Welcome + Introduction