Marc Brunssen

"We [Germany] are on the way to becoming a developing country...we’ve become a junk shop". - Theodor Weimer, CEO of Deutsche Börse. 😬 Everything seems totally normal and fine in Europe's largest economy. 😳 🤣 "Our reputation in the world has never been as bad as it is now. Never before." Well...I mean...come on...we at least know that's not true. It is Germany you're talking about after all. https://lnkd.in/eAzRyuXP 🇩🇪 🍺 🥨 #stocks #finance #banks #banking #money #business #tech #technology #innovation #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #vc #venturecapital

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Start-ups in Europe: a light at the end of the tunnel - finally!    This article by Nadine Schimroszik in Handelsblatt gives reason for hope for the tech ecosystem, as it summarises a development that has been tentatively emerging for some time: The number of new #start-ups in Germany is growing again, by 17 per cent, as shown by a comparison of the first quarter of 2024 with the same quarter of the previous year.   💡It is particularly interesting to see that most investments are being made in AI. An unmistakable sign that they continue to be a driver of innovation for the German startup ecosystem.   We recently came to a similar conclusion with my team, as part of our analysis of the German startup landscape. Our conclusion: more and more funding are being mobilised for ♻️ #Greentech business ideas that are based on AI-based technologies and have a positive impact on our planet. More info on our research at IRIS can be found in Startup Insider`s Investors Report 2024: https://lnkd.in/dU-5AMPz More info on Nadine’s insightful article here: https://lnkd.in/depicwGA

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Last night marked the highly anticipated Tesla „Robotaxi” event. Unfortunately, as expected, no significant new information was revealed. Here are my observations, which I also discussed with Handelsblatt's Thomas Jahn today (see first comment for link): - Elon Musk reiterated an autonomous future vision that has been presented by many others before. - Two new vehicles, Robotaxi and Robovan, were introduced, but specifics regarding timelines and technology were sparse. - For instance, it is unclear what technology will underpin Robotaxi; we can only assume it will involve FSD (Full Self-Driving). - No major advancements in FSD were reported. Tesla Models Y and 3 are set to receive unsupervised FSD in California and Texas by 2025, though details on exact locations, timing, and the extent of "unsupervised" remain vague. Regulatory approval also is still pending. - Robotaxi production is slated to begin “before 2027,” although Elon Musk acknowledged he is often too optimistic with deadlines. - Robovan is designed to accommodate up to 20 passengers, but how this aligns with Musk’s vision of comfortable and private mobility is unclear. Tesla stock has currently dropped by about 6.7%, indicating widespread disappointment with the event's disclosures. However, it is worth noting that Tesla's share price had increased approximately 45% from early April when the event was announced until yesterday.

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Preparing the future further and better...

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Germany's startup ecosystem is a powerhouse waiting to fully unleash its potential in driving digital and sustainable transformation. But how do we make sure this happens? The Startup-Verband, the voice of German startups, addresses this head-on with their bold new initiative, "Innovationsagenda 2030: Weltklasse Made in Germany" (link in comments). Here’s what resonates most with me: 🚀 A Regulatory Framework Built for the Future To foster real innovation, we need policies that allow startups to experiment, iterate, and scale swiftly. Flexible, forward-thinking regulations in areas like AI and Climate Tech could be the catalyst for Germany’s long-term global leadership. 🌟 Stronger Leadership & Collaboration The future of innovation depends on tighter collaboration between government, industry, and startups. Building partnerships that connect research with industry can ignite sustainable growth and cement Germany’s place as a global innovation hub. 💬 What do you think is the most crucial next step in shaping Germany's innovation landscape? Let’s discuss in the comments below! #Innovationsagenda2030 #Startups #DigitalTransformation #Germany2030

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Announcing State-of-Innovation #8 with Katharina A. F. Lowinski, founder of ryvr.me and former innovation manager with Volkswagen AG:  "How to innovate in a non-core business area – lessons from an innovator in the automotive industry"    In this episode Katharina shares her experience with building up a digital platform out of the core business of a leading automotive company. Short spoiler: when you burn for an idea, make sure to make the management excited about it, as you need them to sponsor your idea. Pick one person that likes your product and can help you raise your voice. It's also important that such a promotor can make sure you have access to resources and experts in the organization. Support is needed if you want to create something new.    What to expect from that Episode 🎙:  - What is the rational to innovate in a non-core business?  - Why it is important for a car manufacturer to think about mobility as a whole!  - How to keep the fire burning even in bad weather!    Online by May 14th. Stay tuned 😉   I talk to innovators from various industries on how they will innovate (in) the future. How are new opportunities discovered, how are decisions made on innovation, and how to successfully bring new products/services to markets. Find all episodes here:  https://lnkd.in/dMHju6Nu   #stateofinnovation #mobility #automotive #opportunitydiscovery #customercentricity #outcomedriveninnovation 

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𝗜𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗖? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. Michael Treskow from Eight Roads Ventures said recently on #startupland powered by deutsche-startups.de that we're already playing in the big leagues. But are we? Let's dive into some numbers. Germany's venture capital scene is booming, but how do we compare globally? 1. In 2022, Germany attracted €11.3 billion in VC investments. Impressive, right? 2. Yet, the US still leads with €150 billion. The gap is significant. 3. But here's a twist: Germany is closing the distance fast. Growth rates are higher than many expect. So, what's behind this momentum? → A strong startup ecosystem that fosters innovation. → Government initiatives supporting tech ventures. → A cultural shift towards embracing entrepreneurship. But challenges remain. The focus is now on creating an inclusive environment where diverse voices, especially from the HR sector, can thrive. To truly lead, we must leverage untapped potential, like the 50+ generation and women in STEM. Germany's VC landscape is evolving, and the future looks promising. Yet, we must continue pushing boundaries to maintain our upward trajectory. What are your thoughts on Germany's VC potential? Are we ready to lead globally?

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Wow - thanks Simon Walter, Magdalena Maier and Charlotte Niklahs for the program you've put together for the #management hive of #pakcon24! 🔥 How to set up a 10x innovation culture by Nina Michahelles, Sarina Hergarten, Alexander Böhm, Nils Wagner How to build and scale high-performing companies by Friederike Reuter, Stefan Roebel, Martin Sondenheimer, Magdalena Maier Strategy is broken by Sebastian Herzog, Isabelle Schnellbuegel, Paul Becker, Simon Walter AI: The Biggest Opportunity for the German Mittelstand? by Dr. Alexander Mrozek, Dr. Sebastian Walter, Anna Franziska Michel, Dr. Alexandra Deichsel Why Digital Transformations often fail - particularly in Germany by Miriam van Straelen, Marc Schiekofer, Cecilie Hohlbein Hegelund, Moritz Trutschel Venture Clienting - Success Factors of Startup - Corporate Collaborations by Arno Baltruschat, Dr. Sophie Chung, Stefan Schmautz, Anne Decker Last ticket drop: https://lnkd.in/duPQg3Wc

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Last week, WEPA Ventures partnered with WEPA Stiftung and WHU Institut für Familienunternehmen und Mittelstand for a unique gathering. We invited a selected group of family entrepreneurs, family officers, founders, VCs, and business angels to our office in Düsseldorf to discuss startup investments by family businesses and family offices. With every participant bringing valuable practical experience, the atmosphere was highly engaging and trustful. Alongside keynotes and panel discussions, we had lively debates that covered a wide range of topics. Here are my three key takeaways: 💡 Multiple Approaches to Investing: Most participants shared more than one approach to startup investments that is currently actively pursued by their organization. While there is certainly a bias due to the preselection of attendees, this signals a growing maturity of VC investments by family businesses and family offices in Germany. Notably, around 50% of participants manage more than 10 investments in their current role, which underlines this perspective. 💡Direct Involvement of Entrepreneurial Families: The discussions reaffirmed the critical role of direct family involvement. Ideally, entrepreneurial families are crafting investment setups that are attractive to both founders and VC co-investors, while maintaining the trust of their family peers or core organizations. Combining execution speed with the value brought by industrial networks or core business capabilities is key to being a valued investor in the early-stage VC ecosystem. 💡Feedback on Keynote about my PhD Research: The initial findings from my PhD research received positive feedback from other practitioners. You might say, "Didn’t you interview them in the first place?" True, but stepping away from interviewer role allowed me to share what I had derived from the research, and it was rewarding to hear that the abstraction and models resonated well. To everyone who participated and supported—you know who you are—thank you so much for the insightful discussions and your valuable input! We’ll continue to foster these exchanges. I’m also more than eager to hear more perspectives on this topic. If you’re interested in a chat, please feel free to reach out!

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🏆 We did it! Winning the first prize in the mobility category of the SZ-Summit award - and getting great inspiration on the subject: The world in transition - what to do? A big thank you to the UnternehmerTUM and Süddeutsche Zeitung for hosting us and the jury of Christine Heuwing, Dr. Frauke Goll, Jochen Engert, Matthias Ballweg, Ulrich Schäfer, Lisa Nienhaus and Jannis Brühl for seeing us at the forefront of #mobility innovation! It was a great honour for me to accept the award on behalf of the whole PULSETRAIN team! This kind of public recognition really motivates us every day to keep working hard and stay ahead! The summit not only celebrated innovation, but also highlights the broader challenges and opportunities for Europe's economy. 🚀 For those in a hurry, I will start with the conclusion: Europe has the ingredients for success! Exceptional talent, a culture of research and a strong academic foundation. But to realise this potential, we need to address the funding gap, foster a risk-taking mindset that starts in education and is nurtured in society, and build ecosystems that retain top talent. It's not just about creating start-ups - it's about creating future global leaders. If we rise to this challenge, Europe can solidify its position as a deep tech powerhouse. The time to act is now! 💰 We are underfunded! Our most important asset in the European Union, and in Germany in particular, is our talent pool: highly skilled and scientifically trained people. For Europe to truly innovate, we need to turn our talent into market-ready solutions, and that requires sustained investment. Helmut Schoenenberger highlighted that Europe needs to produce 5-10 new global market leaders every year to remain competitive with the US. The upside potential is already visible: All the trillion-dollar companies - Tesla, Amazon, Apple and others - are venture-backed, a testament to the critical role of risk capital in driving transformative innovation. Thomas Oehl pointed out that while there's reason to be optimistic about Europe's potential, scientific spin-offs - especially in hardware - remain critically underfunded. Vsquared Ventures, which just this year closed the largest deep-tech fund in Europe at €214 million, is helping to fill this gap. 👀 A mindset shift is needed! Hélène Huby drew a very precise parallel with the space industry, where the largest budgets are allocated to exploration. Innovation requires risk-taking, long-term thinking and a willingness to venture into uncharted territory. For Europe to lead, we need to embrace exploration as a core value, not only as a scientific endeavour, but also as a cultural and entrepreneurial one. Thomas Schulz pointed out, governments need to work hand in hand with industry to create an environment in which this talent can thrive and stay. We need to create compelling incentives through competitive salaries, supportive ecosystems and without overburdening taxes for workers and companies.

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Are We Failing to Prepare the Next Generation of Lawyers for the AI-Driven Future? In recent weeks, a curious development in Germany has caught my attention. The Justizministerinnenkonferenz (JuMiKo) in Germany recently decided against reforming the legal education system, opting to preserve the traditional approach despite the rising tide of technological change sweeping through the legal profession. As someone who has closely worked with students and „Referendare“ in the legal sector, I’ve seen firsthand their enthusiasm for digital transformation, #LegalTech and for navigation the increasingly digital and AI-powered landscape. It’s here that the book #TomorrowsLawyers from Richard Susskind comes to my mind. He argues, that AI is fundamentally reshaping the legal profession by automating routine tasks such as document analysis, legal research, and contract management. He highlights that in-house counsel will increasingly rely on AI tools to streamline legal workflows and provide strategic oversight, leaving lawyers to focus on more complex advisory roles that require human judgment and ethical decision-making. Despite this, Germany’s decision to maintain the status quo in legal education sends a worrying signal: that we are, perhaps, preparing our future legal professionals for a world that no longer exists. AI isn’t just looming in the distance—it’s here. Richard Susskind’s insight, that the profession is shifting from a “gatekeeping” role to one of advising and applying human judgment where technology cannot, rings true. However, if we continue to emphasize a classical, non-digital education, will the next generation of lawyers be able to adapt to their new reality? A study in Germany published in 2023 by „Bündnis zur Reform der juristischen Ausbildung e.V.“ based on an impressive survey of almost 12,000 participants underlines the urgent need for reform in education. I am happy to discuss this moderated by and in building up on Prof. Dr. Volker Römermann, CSP‘s presentation from last year at the German Legal Tech Summit powered by German Legal Tech Hub and Deutsche Messe AG in November. Do we really want to risk a generation of lawyers in Germany being unprepared for the inevitable digital transformation? Only time—and innovation—will tell. #ai #GermanLegalTechSummit #iurreform #continental #transformation #KI

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What are your thoughts for the German startup ecosystem in 2025? In my latest contribution to Business Punk, I shared some of my post November 6th thoughts on the topic [Link in Comments]. Here are my key takeaways: 🇺🇸 🛑 🇨🇳 The new #US administration will drive deregulation to strengthen its tech sector against #China's dominance. #Europe should closely monitor its global impact. 🇩🇪 📂 🤯 The German ecosystem faces structural challenges: #overregulation, a risk-averse culture, and a €30bn #fundinggap drive German success stories get capital outside the EU. 🚀 🧑‍💻 📈 Despite challenges, 2025 holds immense opportunities for German #entrepreneurs. The #earlystage ecosystem has shown resilience even during recessions, while emerging AI hubs like #Heilbronn, #Karlsruhe, and #Heidelberg are on a promising path forward. Personally, I think the transition towards #green economies and #cities has additional potential for the next generation of hidden champions made in Germany. #startup #politics #elections #innovation #tech

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Europe unfortunately is a combination of many individual capital markets, some bigger and some smaller, which is keeping the industry's growth modest and never really challenging the US. #vc #funding #startups #privatefunding #privatecapital #investmentstrategies #growth #deeptech #seed #startupcapital

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The whole #cariad case shows beautifully that if you can’t build software in-house you probably can’t outsource it. If you can’t build up a software organization and unleash its potential within our software focused world. You probably can’t create a company that does it. Especially if you hard wire it to the incapable structures within the parent company.

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Germany urgently needs new champions to become a world leader in climate protection and green tech. Often, even larger start-ups fail due to financing issues when trying to scale their business model. The scarcer the equity, the more crucial venture capital becomes. The Federal Government's DTCF | DeepTech & Climate Fonds aims to change this. Its mission: to offer promising tech companies a long-term growth perspective and accompany them on their journey to capital market maturity. Elisabeth Schrey is the Managing Director of the DTCF and a guest in my new episode of Facing Forward with... How does she view the transformation of the German economy, where are the greatest future opportunities? Her most important message: Courage overcomes crisis! Despite the economically tense situation, Germany and Europe have the foundations to create more unicorns. Stopping these efforts now would be the wrong path. Many thanks to Elisabeth Schrey for the great exchange!   #FacingForwardWith #innovation #VentureCapital #climate #DeepTech #transformation

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Now online: State-of-Innovation #8 with Katharina A. F. Lowinski, founder of ryvr.me and former innovation manager with Volkswagen AG:  "How to innovate in a non-core business area – lessons from an innovator in the automotive industry" 🚗   In this episode Katharina shares her experience with building up a digital platform 👩‍💻 out of the core business of a leading automotive company. Short spoiler: when you burn for an idea 💡, make sure to make the management excited about it, as you need them to sponsor your idea. Pick one person that likes your product and can help you raise your voice. It's also important that such a promotor can make sure you have access to resources and experts in the organization. Support is needed if you want to create something new.    What to expect from that Episode 🎙:  - What is the rational to innovate in a non-core business?  - Why it is important for a car manufacturer to think about mobility as a whole!  - How to keep the fire burning even in bad weather!    A very important question that we are discussing is "what exactly is the core business?", as that is the ultimate question to gain understanding on what a "non-core business" would be. Is a navigation service core or non-core for a car manufacturer? What about helping people arriving on time at a meeting in urban areas? What about helping people to organize a weekend trip with friends? There are many "jobs-to-be-done" where a car may play an important role. In all of these examples people cannot get the whole job done just by using a car. It takes planning, preparation, knowing how to execute a travel, monitoring, and knowing how to modify a travel or the mode of transportation. And not to forget about "the last mile" when finishing a travel (at the point of destination). A car manufacturer may decide if any of these jobs or job steps are considered "core business" or if that term only covers an existing product that currently generates revenues (e.g. car sales). Depending on how a company defines its core business (e.g. the existing line of products, or the core job that is being supported with different solutions) may change how innovation is being managed, focused and budgeted. In a nutshell: Innovating in a non-core business is first of all a question of how you define it, and then a question of how to create a mindset towards helping customers get their jobs done better;)    What do you think? Looking forward your comments 😀   Find the full episode here:  https://lnkd.in/dSGuPF6D   #stateofinnovation #mobility #automotive #opportunitydiscovery #customercentricity #outcomedriveninnovation 

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Dear LinkedIn community,   I left McKinsey end of August after 30 years which could not have been more exciting and rewarding.   It was a great time, I am endlessly grateful and the fact that I have been at McKinsey & Company for 30 years and McKinsey & Company has been in Germany for 60 years seems to me to be the right time, symbolically, to move on.   An incredible amount has happened in those 30 years: I started at McKinsey without a cell phone, laptop, email, Internet or Powerpoint and every presentation of a “slide” on the “overhead projector” was accompanied by the characteristic sound of the protective sheet being torn off... . Many of you will remember, maybe even miss it. Tesla was still the unit for magnetic flux density and it would take another 2 years until the first computer won against a world chess champion - autonomous driving was not yet in sight.   The rapid technological change in the 30 years since has made my work as a consultant all the more exciting for me as an engineer: Xenon light, ESP systems, flip phones, telematics, electrification, ADAS, autonomous driving, chiplets, ... are just a few keywords for the exciting topics that I was able to deal with. My “home” has always been the Advanced Industries and Automotive Sector at Mckinsey. I cannot imagine any other place which could have enabled me to leverage my passion for automotive in a professional context in such a diverse way. I had the enormous pleasure and honor to work with great clients, highly inspiring colleagues and in great teams. There are many, many things I am thankful for and many people I am deeply thankful to.   So, what’s next? Automotive will certainly play a role in my professional life accompanied by the topic of longevity where I want to engage as an investor and potentially also founder. But I will also use more time for other things I am passionate about and which have fallen short in the last three decades. Be prepared for updates to come … .

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I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be giving a plenary talk at the Electric Vehicle Production Days (#EPT) in Aachen on October 23rd and 24th for PEM Motion alongside Alexander Timmer, Partner at Berylls by AlixPartners 🗣️ Our topic: Germany’s Battery Production in Global Competition – Hard Shoulders or Fast Lane? 🔋   This year, the event is celebrating its 12th edition at the iconic Tivoli stadium, where we’ll dive deep into the latest challenges and breakthroughs in battery production and electric mobility. Together, we’ll explore the crucial question: Is Germany ready to lead the charge in global battery production, or are we at risk of falling behind?   With plenary speeches, eight parallel sessions, and plenty of networking opportunities, we’ll be discussing batteries, electric motors, fuel cells, raw materials, and recycling – all centered around the big question: How can we combine sustainability with economic efficiency in future mobility?   I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts and having great discussions! Curious too? 👉 Find all the information here: https://ept-aachen.de/ Looking forward to seeing you in Aachen! PEM RWTH Aachen University Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB #BatteryTechnology #GlobalCompetition #Sustainability #Innovation #EPT2024 #Networking #Innovation #EPT2024 #Networking

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