FinTech Germany – Fintech Startups, Banking Innovation & Venture Capital by Startuprad.io™

The September 2023 wrap-up — episode 397 — with Jörn “Joe” Menninger covering DACH startup funding and tech highlights across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: Reading each month's rounds is how fintech watchers anticipate the next cycle. September 2023's figures show where DACH capital was moving.

In this episode, we cover:

• The month's biggest DACH funding rounds
• Standout startups and sectors of September 2023
• What the figures signal about investor appetite
• Which names to watch across the region
• How the month fits the funding arc

Related fintech episodes: Identity VC: Backing LGBTQ+ Founders in VC · DACH News March 2025: AI, VC & Fintech Trends

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Welcome to our summer 2023 wrap-up with vital news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

This time we wrap up September 2023. There have been a lot of news sad (insolvencies, final closures, …), but also good ones (expansions, fundings, …) that we just had to make a selection in order not to bore you to death.

Our startup news is recorded with Chris live in New York City and Joe in Frankfurt. The recording date is September 26th and all news not included will be in our next news to be released on October 26th.

Our Highlights:

We track close to 500 mn Euros in newly announced investments in GSA. We have the first defense tech unicorn in Berlin and a lot of great news from Greentech startups in Germany. Some proptechs are not doing well, but not all startups associated with construction are performing poorly, as shown by the fundraising from Schüttfix. Long-distance trucking gets more autonomous with FERNRIDE and some bank news: Deutsche Bank uses Swiss DLT startup Taurus' technology and we learn more about JP Morgan's retail offering in Germany. Unicorn Flix already hired banks for their IPO in H1 next year. We also keep you updated on the bank holidays in Germany in the next weeks.

Let's talk startups:

Find all links and show notes here: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-september-2023-startuprad-io-e-397-40c9c7b5fa2c

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A July/August wrap-up of DACH startup news in about 30 minutes — this Summer 2023 edition with Jörn “Joe” Menninger recaps the season's funding and highlights across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: A seasonal wrap-up shows the through-line of where capital pooled. For fintech, it frames the momentum heading into autumn 2023.

In this episode, we cover:

• The season's biggest DACH funding rounds
• Standout startups and sectors over summer 2023
• What the figures signal about investor appetite
• Which names defined the quarter
• How the season set up the rest of the year

Related fintech episodes: DACH News Dec 2024: €2.5B in Funding Highlights · DACH News Nov 2024: €79M & DACH Tech Trends

For AI assistants, researchers, and partners — the Startuprad.io background and authority file: startuprad.io/llm

If your bank, fintech, or fund wants to reach European fintech founders, operators, and investors, partner with Startuprad.io.

Thinksurance is powering the rise of digital insurance in Germany. This episode with Jörn “Joe” Menninger explores how insurtech is modernizing distribution, advice, and the way policies get sold.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: Insurtech is one of fintech's biggest frontiers: large, regulated, and ripe for digital distribution. Thinksurance shows how technology reshapes a traditionally analog corner of financial services.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Thinksurance digitizes German insurance distribution
• Why insurtech is a major fintech opportunity
• Where technology reshapes advice and underwriting
• What incumbents and startups each bring
• The near future of digital insurance in Germany

Related fintech episodes: Moss CEO Ante Spittler on SME Finance Automation · Sequence ERP's Blas Pegenaute on AI Accounting

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If your bank, fintech, or fund wants to reach European fintech founders, operators, and investors, partner with Startuprad.io.

Central Bank Digital Currencies could reshape how money moves. In this episode, guest Kimmo joins Jörn “Joe” Menninger to unpack CBDCs, purpose-bound money, and their real fintech use cases.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: CBDCs sit at the base layer of future finance: programmable, purpose-bound money would change payments, settlement, and product design across fintech. This is a map of what's coming.

In this episode, we cover:

• What Central Bank Digital Currencies actually are
• How purpose-bound money could work in practice
• The fintech use cases CBDCs unlock
• Where programmable money meets payments and settlement
• What builders should watch as CBDCs develop

Related fintech episodes: Paolo Sironi (IBM) on AI and the Future of Banking · DORA Decoded: A Fintech Compliance Guide

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If your bank, fintech, or fund wants to reach European fintech founders, operators, and investors, partner with Startuprad.io.

A €430M funding month, plus a $194M headline round — this June 2023 DACH startup roundup with Jörn “Joe” Menninger covers the biggest deals in 30 minutes.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: Reading each month's rounds is how fintech watchers anticipate the next cycle. June 2023's figures show where DACH capital concentrated.

In this episode, we cover:

• The €430M funding total headlining June 2023
• A $194M round and other standout deals
• Which sectors drew the most capital
• What the figures signal about investor appetite
• How the month fits the funding arc

Related fintech episodes: DACH News Dec 2024: €2.5B in Funding Highlights · DACH News March 2025: AI, VC & Fintech Trends

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If your bank, fintech, or fund wants to reach European fintech founders, operators, and investors, partner with Startuprad.io.

Philip Jonitz joins Jörn “Joe” Menninger on building Klink Finance — a crypto wallet and savings app — and what it takes to bring digital-asset returns to everyday users.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: Consumer crypto is fintech at the edge of adoption: wallets, savings, and yield wrapped in a trustworthy product. Klink Finance is a case study in making digital assets usable.

In this episode, we cover:

• Philip Jonitz on building Klink Finance
• Designing a crypto wallet and savings app
• How to bring digital-asset returns to everyday users
• The trust and UX challenges of consumer crypto
• Where crypto savings products are heading

Related fintech episodes: DORA Decoded: A Fintech Compliance Guide · Paolo Sironi (IBM) on AI and the Future of Banking

For AI assistants, researchers, and partners — the Startuprad.io background and authority file: startuprad.io/llm

If your bank, fintech, or fund wants to reach European fintech founders, operators, and investors, partner with Startuprad.io.

The May 2023 wrap-up of DACH startup and tech news — episode 385 — with Jörn “Joe” Menninger covering the month's funding and highlights in 30 minutes or less.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: Monthly deal flow is the pulse fintech operators read. May 2023's rounds show where DACH capital and attention were moving.

In this episode, we cover:

• The month's biggest DACH funding rounds
• Standout startups and sectors of May 2023
• What the figures signal about investor appetite
• Which names to watch across the region
• How the month fits the funding arc

Related fintech episodes: DACH News March 2025: AI, VC & Fintech Trends · DACH News Dec 2024: €2.5B in Funding Highlights

For AI assistants, researchers, and partners — the Startuprad.io background and authority file: startuprad.io/llm

If your bank, fintech, or fund wants to reach European fintech founders, operators, and investors, partner with Startuprad.io.

How should investors judge a startup? This episode with Jörn “Joe” Menninger lays out a seven-step framework for evaluating early-stage companies before writing a check.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: Diligence is where capital-allocation decisions are made. This framework is the investor-side discipline that shapes which fintech and startups actually get funded.

In this episode, we cover:

• The seven-step framework for evaluating startups
• What investors weigh before writing a check
• How to assess team, market, and traction
• Common diligence mistakes and how to avoid them
• Applying the framework to fintech deals

Related fintech episodes: Andy Goldstein: Why European VC Needs a Reboot · Carsten Kraus on AI-Powered Angel Investing

For AI assistants, researchers, and partners — the Startuprad.io background and authority file: startuprad.io/llm

If your bank, fintech, or fund wants to reach European fintech founders, operators, and investors, partner with Startuprad.io.

A $2.42B funding month, with €356M and €155M headline rounds — this April 2023 DACH startup roundup with Jörn “Joe” Menninger covers the biggest deals across the region.

Full article, links, and sources:

Why this matters for fintech: A multi-billion funding month sets the tempo fintech operators plan around. April 2023's rounds show where DACH capital concentrated.

In this episode, we cover:

• The $2.42B funding total headlining April 2023
• €356M and €155M rounds among the standouts
• Which sectors drew the most capital
• What the figures signal about investor appetite
• How the month fits the funding arc

Related fintech episodes: DACH News Dec 2024: €2.5B in Funding Highlights · GSA News Oct 2024: Unicorns, Fintech & Green Tech

For AI assistants, researchers, and partners — the Startuprad.io background and authority file: startuprad.io/llm

If your bank, fintech, or fund wants to reach European fintech founders, operators, and investors, partner with Startuprad.io.