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

By Startuprad.io™ – Europe’s Voice on Startups, VC, Innovation & GrowthBusiness Technology Investing

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

April 11, 2020Bitwala: The Berlin Bank Bringing Bitcoin to Banking
Bitwala is a Berlin challenger bank that lets people buy and sell bitcoin straight from a bank account. Benjamin Jones joins Jörn “Joe” Menninger on merging crypto and banking.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this matters for fintech: Bitwala sits at the intersection of banking and crypto — a challenger bank with digital assets built in. It's a template for how mainstream and crypto finance converge.
In this episode, we cover:
How Bitwala combines a bank account with bitcoin
Benjamin Jones on building a crypto challenger bank
Why merging banking and crypto matters
What regulated crypto banking requires
Where challenger banks and digital assets meet
Related fintech episodes: DACH News Sept 2025: N26 Crisis & a $2.3B AI Unicorn · 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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
37 min
April 06, 2020Hiring for Startups: Attracting Corporate Talent
How do startups lure talent away from big corporates? William Laitinen joins Jörn “Joe” Menninger on hiring senior people and convincing corporate professionals to make the leap.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this episode matters: Talent is the real constraint on scaling any startup, fintech included. William's playbook is about attracting the experienced people a young company needs to grow.
In this episode, we cover:
How startups attract corporate talent
William Laitinen on convincing professionals to leap
What senior hires need to say yes
Common hiring mistakes founders make
Building a team that can scale
Related episodes: Why Startup Exec Hires Fail — the €250K Mistake · Negotiate Like the FBI: Sales Psychology for Founders
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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
44 min
March 30, 2020German News March 2020: DACH Startup Funding
The March 2020 wrap-up of German startup news, with Jörn “Joe” Menninger covering the month's funding and highlights across the German-speaking startup scene.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this matters for fintech: Reading each month's rounds is how fintech watchers anticipate the next cycle. March 2020's figures show where DACH capital concentrated.
In this episode, we cover:
The month's biggest DACH funding rounds
Standout startups and sectors of March 2020
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 Dec 2024: €2.5B in Funding Highlights · DACH News March 2025: AI, VC & Fintech 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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
53 min
March 27, 2020Covid-19: Changes to German Insolvency Law
As Covid-19 hit, Germany changed insolvency law to give startups breathing room. This flash episode with Jörn “Joe” Menninger explains what the changes meant for founders.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this matters for fintech: Insolvency rules are corporate finance at its sharpest edge — who survives a cash crunch. The Covid-era changes reshaped the risk calculus for founders and their lenders alike.
In this episode, we cover:
What Germany changed in insolvency law during Covid
Why the rules gave startups breathing room
How insolvency risk affects founders and lenders
What it meant for cash-strapped companies
How finance and law intersect in a crisis
Related fintech episodes: Inside the €300M Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) · Andy Goldstein: Why European VC Needs a Reboot
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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
23 min
March 24, 2020Acomodeo: A Marketplace for Serviced Apartments
Acomodeo helps companies find serviced apartments worldwide. This episode with Jörn “Joe” Menninger explores building a global marketplace for corporate accommodation.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this episode matters: Marketplaces live or die on liquidity and trust — the same forces that power fintech platforms. Acomodeo shows how a B2B marketplace scales supply and demand across borders.
In this episode, we cover:
How Acomodeo connects companies with serviced apartments
Building a global B2B accommodation marketplace
Why liquidity and trust make or break marketplaces
How the model scales across markets
What corporate clients need from booking platforms
Related episodes: Moss CEO Ante Spittler on SME Finance Automation · Timify on Automating Appointment Scheduling
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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
26 min
March 19, 2020German News Corona Flash: DACH Startups, March 2020
A special Corona Flash edition from March 19, 2020, capturing how the pandemic hit DACH startups in real time — with Jörn “Joe” Menninger.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this matters for fintech: Shock events reprice risk instantly, and fintech feels it first. This real-time snapshot shows how the earliest pandemic days reshaped funding and founder priorities.
In this episode, we cover:
How Covid-19 hit DACH startups in mid-March 2020
What founders faced as the shock landed
How funding and priorities shifted overnight
Which sectors felt the impact first
What the flash captured about a market in crisis
Related fintech episodes: DACH News Dec 2024: €2.5B in Funding Highlights · DACH News March 2025: AI, VC & Fintech 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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
8 min
March 10, 2020 Ophigo wants to be the Airbnb of office space
This is a sponsored video by Ophigo
I had a list of five problems the real estate industry is facing and decided to take on one with Ophigo.
Valerio, CEO and Co-Founder of Ophigo – During his Startuprad.io interview
In this interview, Joe is talking to Valerio (https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerio-siviero-27a2ab96/), co-founder and CEO of Frankfurt-based proptech startup Ophigo (https://www.ophigo.com/).
We want to be there for the tenant, from start to finish.
Valerio, CEO and Co-Founder of Ophigo – During his Startuprad.io interview
The FounderIn the interview, we are talking to Valerio, who is originally from beautiful Milan. After stays in corporate jobs, as well as the COO of another startup – both in London – he decided to set up Ophigo in September 2018 in Frankfurt. Despite his name, Valerio is half German and a very European entrepreneur. He grew up in Milan, studied in Rotterdam and worked in London, before coming to Frankfurt. He is able to speak German with a Bavarian accent.

Ending up with a proptech startup was more a coincidence, than a proper plan. The proper plan always was to eventually found a company
Valerio, CEO and Co-Founder of Ophigo – During his Startuprad.io interview

“Potential IT applications rapidly exceeding our powers of imagination”[1]
DZ Hyp – Report Real Estate Market Germany 2019 / 2020
The StartupOphigo was founded only in September of 2018 in Frankfurt. None the less, they are well funded and are hiring. If you are interested in a job there, have a look here https://www.ophigo.com/careers.
Ophigo was set up with the help of Ampolon Ventures (https://ampolon.ventures/), which is the CVC arm of Wiesbaden based Areal Bank. The company focuses on office leasing, with less than 1000 square meters (approx. 10.000 square feet).
The company helps companies to search for spaces and helps the tenant along the whole process, longer than most real estate brokers.

The least amount you need to do is only to tell us your company’s name.
Valerio, CEO and Co-Founder of Ophigo – During his Startuprad.io interview
Valerio’s Recommended Readings (AL)The lean startup https://amzn.to/2TuOJcQ
How to win friend and influence people https://amzn.to/2x5jDkp
Blitzscaling https://amzn.to/32OgnFZ
Joe’s TipThe hard thing about hard things https://amzn.to/2Tjx4pt
Ophigo is a story of opportunity.
Valerio, CEO and Co-Founder of Ophigo – During his Startuprad.io interview
Further ReadingGerman vs German with a Bavarian accent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKF0HfSg_oo
CVC = Corporate Venture Capital: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_venture_capital

[1] https://www.dzhyp.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Dokumente/Ueber_uns/Marktberichte/DZ_HYP_Real_Estate_Market_Germany_2019_2020.pdf
The video interview: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/ophigo-wants-to-be-the-airbnb-of-office-space/
31 min
March 03, 2020German News Feb 2020: DACH Startup Funding
The February 2020 wrap-up of German startup news, with Jörn “Joe” Menninger covering the month's funding and highlights across the German-speaking startup scene.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this matters for fintech: Monthly deal flow is the pulse fintech operators read. February 2020'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 February 2020
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 Dec 2024: €2.5B in Funding Highlights · DACH News March 2025: AI, VC & Fintech 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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
18 min
February 11, 2020CrowdDesk: Funding-as-a-Service for Fundraising
CrowdDesk is a Frankfurt fintech offering funding-as-a-service for digital fundraising. This episode with Jörn “Joe” Menninger explores how it powers crowd-based capital raising.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this matters for fintech: Funding-as-a-service is fintech infrastructure for capital formation — letting others run compliant crowdfunding. CrowdDesk shows how digital fundraising becomes a platform.
In this episode, we cover:
How CrowdDesk enables funding-as-a-service
Why digital fundraising needs dedicated rails
What crowd-based capital raising requires
Where compliance meets crowdfunding tech
How the platform serves issuers and investors
Related fintech episodes: Andy Goldstein: Why European VC Needs a Reboot · Inside the €300M Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF)
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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
34 min
February 04, 2020German News Jan 2020: DACH Startup Funding
The January 2020 wrap-up of German startup news, with Jörn “Joe” Menninger opening the year with the month's funding and highlights across the DACH region.
Full article, links, and sources:
Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io
Why this matters for fintech: January's news is the leading indicator fintech watchers use to read the year. This roundup captures where DACH capital started 2020.
In this episode, we cover:
The funding and highlights opening 2020
Early-year deals across the DACH region
What the news signals for the year ahead
Which sectors drew the most interest
How founders should read the January tone
Related fintech episodes: DACH News Dec 2024: €2.5B in Funding Highlights · DACH News March 2025: AI, VC & Fintech 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.
Folge direkt herunterladen
This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio
---
© Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm
18 min

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

From the publisher's feed

FinTech Germany is Startuprad.io™’s podcast on fintech startups, banking innovation, payments, digital finance, embedded finance, AI in finance, and venture capital in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the broader European startup ecosystem.

Hosted by Joe Menninger, who previously spent more than a decade as a management consultant in capital markets, the show provides regular analysis and founder interviews on how startups, banks, venture capital investors, regulators, and financial technology companies are reshaping Europe’s financial services industry.

Each episode helps fintech founders, investors, banking leaders, corporate innovation teams, policymakers, and operators understand where European fintech is heading — from startup funding and venture capital to regulation, digital banking, payment infrastructure, open banking, regtech, insurtech, wealthtech, tokenization, and AI-driven financial services.

Topics regularly covered include:

• Fintech startups in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Europe

• Venture capital, startup funding, and fintech investment trends

• Digital banking, neobanks, open banking, and embedded finance

• Payments, payment infrastructure, wallets, and financial platforms

• AI in finance, credit analytics, risk management, and fraud detection

• Regtech, compliance automation, cybersecurity, and financial regulation

• Digital assets, tokenization, stablecoins, MiCA, and DeFi

• Insurtech, wealthtech, green finance, and sustainable finance

• Founder, investor, bank, and operator intelligence from Europe’s fintech ecosystem

FinTech Germany is designed for people building, funding, regulating, or analyzing Europe’s next generation of fintech startups, digital banks, payment companies, and financial infrastructure providers.

The podcast is part of the Startuprad.io™ network — Europe’s Voice on Startups, VC, Innovation & Growth.

Explore the European Startup Knowledge Graph:

[https://www.startuprad.io/post/knowledge](https://www.startuprad.io/post/knowledge)

Explore our AI / LLM visibility hub:

[https://www.startuprad.io/llm](https://www.startuprad.io/llm)

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Read show notes, founder interviews, and startup analysis:

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