Stefan Santer

Great to see what Jan Thomas and his team at Startup Insider did with the new Investors Report 2024 for the DACH region! Anyone who wants to learn more about the German #venturecapital ecosystem and its investors, go get the report: https://lnkd.in/ehiVqmX6

53

2 commentaires

After 2000+ M&A conversations with SaaS founders from all over the world, I can say it's always the 🇩🇪 Germans who.. • Are redlining NDAs • Feel offended if I call them by their first name • Don't want to use GDrive as data room because of GDPR concerns • Will get millions on exit, but negotiate +-5k salary for the transition period • Want to get a valuation indication quickly, but are reluctant to share any data • Tell me passwords for documents via phone because they are afraid to send them • Can't provide basic SaaS KPIs because they use weird tracking/billing solutions nobody has ever heard of - just because they are hosted in Germany I know it is in our DNA to be overly cautious, pedantic and bureaucratic - and data privacy is important. But if you want to increase your chances of closing a deal, please calm down and just take it easy, okay? Life is good and nobody means you any harm 🌞 (Hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings, just trying to help)

459

88 commentaires

A must read for every founder (and investor) in B2B marketplaces. ⤵️ All credits to Fabrice Grinda + FJ Labs 👏🏽 https://lnkd.in/eB7uGzyH #firstdegree #founders #investors #whyrelationshipsmatter
#alwaysbelearning #sharingknowledge

1

🔸 🔶 🔸 AI is going vertical 🔸 🔶 🔸 In a new guest article for Gründerszene / Business Insider I talk about how vertical AI is revolutionizing the work environment: After genAI took the world by storm it has rapidly commoditized. To train an advanced LLM costs hundreds of millions of $$$. But the usage of LLMs has become commonplace. Now the AI world is turning vertical: How can genAI solutions successfully be deployed within industry verticals? Not on the surface but solving some of the tough industrial challenges in a substantially new way, driving an increase in productivity by a factor of 2-5? That has become a core area of interest for AI in 2024. Vertical AI is already making inroads into a number of core industries such as consulting, finance and healthcare but is also being used in less obvious sectors such as wind energy generation or sports. Over time it is likely to affect our work environment across all sectors. And - unlike earlier automatizations - it is going to affect mostly white collar rather than blue collar work. Welcome to a new and lasting technological disruption. Gründerszene, the leading online magazine for the startup scene in Germany (operated by Business Insider), got interested in the subject and has featured an article on the subject this week. Take a look at the online article following the link below (in German): https://lnkd.in/ecJcUwHK (the Gründerszene article as a pdf: https://lnkd.in/eimBKSQP)

111

5 commentaires

💥 Linkup annonces a 3M€ funding round to plug LLMs to high-quality content.    Much like the music industry before Spotify, AI applications today face hurdles in accessing quality content. In the early 2000s, people often turned to platforms like Pirate Bay to download music, but that came with legal risks, poor sound quality, and artists missing out on fair compensation. Similarly, today many AI tools depend on existing web frameworks like search engines and web scraping to collect information.   However, as the AI landscape evolves, these methods are proving less efficient and raising new concerns around legal compliance and fair use of copyrighted content.   Linkup aims to solve this problem by taking a new approach with premium content providers with both a legal and ethical consideration.   Delighted to support this top-notch team Philippe Mizrahi, Denis Charrier, Boris Toledano alongside Seedcamp, Motier Ventures, Kima Ventures OPRTRS CLUB and amazing BAs ! cc Sia Houchangnia, Nicolas Essayan, Christophe Raynaud, Noé Gersanois, Chloe Timsit, Alix François-Poncet, Axeleo Capital (AXC)

118

5 commentaires

If you are a founder or funder in Austin on Wednesday, November 6th, join us at Stubb's BBQ 🍖 to hear these six pitches from startups visiting from Switzerland: ​- Magnes AG offers a cutting-edge solution for monitoring walking patterns in patients with neurological disorders. Smart sensors embedded in sneakers collect data during daily activities, and AI generates reports and real-time feedback to prevent falls and freezing. ​- MYNERVA has developed a groundbreaking medical device combining AI and neurostimulation to artificially restore the sense of touch and decrease pain in patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy. ​- Authena advances supply chains with real-time technology, improving transparency, efficiency, and sustainability. Their eco-friendly IoT devices and AI analytics, developed with leading Swiss universities, offer single-unit visibility for tracking and actionable insights. ​- Auxivo AG, a Swiss exoskeleton spinoff from ETH Zurich, enhances worker safety with wearable exoskeletons that reduce physical workload and injury risk. The company has quickly established itself as a leading developer, launching multiple products in the market. ​- ORamaVR aims to transform global healthcare with advanced XR and deep learning technologies, addressing the urgent issue of inaccessible and unaffordable surgical care by modernizing outdated medical training systems. ​- Biosimo Chemicals specializes in sustainable chemical production using renewable resources and green chemistry. They combine bioprocessing with advanced catalysis to create environmentally friendly, scalable solutions. In partnership with FIESTA. https://lnkd.in/gi6q8ged

20

🚨 We did it again! We've created the ultimate Side Event List for this week's SuperVentures & SuperReturn and TOA Berlin. Plus, we're giving away Tech Open Air tickets and guest list spots for the biggest VC Party, organized by Join Capital, EUVC , Isomer Capital and others. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦👇 What is the Superventure / SuperReturn conferene? How Amy Lewin would describe it: "SuperVenture is the Berlin conference where VCs go to fundraise and catch up with their LPs". Kinda like the definition! And let me say this! The Side Event's this week are on fire 🔥. Here are my top 3 + 1 event from the 45+ Event List: - Diversity Drinks at the stunning Fotografiska space. Networking with a purpose! Organized by Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, the Evangelistas, Out Investors and identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs - JOIN CAPITAL is doing it again, and is running the biggest VC Party this Wednesday. We have limited tickets available for FOMO Insider Subscriber. - Cherry Ventures & Felix Capital are coming together to run a networking event at the coolest flagship stores Berlin, at Highsnobiety - FOMO (fearofmissingout): HIT x Yoga meets Rooftop Session, Thursday, 8 am start. ​Amidst a busy week with Super Ventures, Super Return, and TOA, we're creating a sanctuary away from the typical networking and business noise. Link in the comments. Here’s how you can win: - 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 45+ 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: Subscribe to FOMO Berlin and comment below. - 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐂 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭: If you're in the VC, LP, EP, GP scene, comment below your favorite Berlin VC fund. - 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭: Comment below your favorite event and tag the event organizer & FOMO (fearofmissingout).

107

32 commentaires

Is data sharing between industrial partners in for a massive shift? "Manufacturing-X was launched as part of the Industry 4.0 platform, with the aim of promoting digital ecosystems and establishing an international standard for data exchange. It is an industry-wide initiative of the German government with various projects for different industrial sectors." In this article from SAP, Georg Kube gives a great example for when this kind of collaboration would be useful. If you need to find the CO2 footprint of a vehicle, you'll need to know the Carbon Footprint of even the smallest parts that you may not manufacture independently. That's why the X stands for exchange, are we ready for it? Companies have many reasons to be wary of open data sharing, but with the right infrastructure, those concerns can be eased. In the modern age, data is currency; and in decision-making, data is power. It’ll be interesting to see how opening some doors can make for a stronger manufacturing world. #Manufacturing #Data #Collaboration

5

🎮 Drake Star 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗤𝟭 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Strong momentum to start the year with multiple high-value deals in a sector that I am very familiar with (and therefore like a lot) after having advised several outstanding German gaming companies like InnoGames, Astragon and Exit Games/Photon on their transactions.  Our newest report analyzes investment- and M&A-activity for #Gaming and #Esports, including these and other insights:  🔵 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿: 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗤𝟭 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗤𝟮 with Embracer Group divestments. Large gaming fund raises in Andreessen Horowitz Gaming Fund II ($600M) and BITKRAFT Ventures III ($275M) and public markets have improved since bottoming out in October last year. 🔵 𝗠&𝗔 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲: 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝟰𝟳 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀, $𝟮.𝟰𝗕 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲). CVC Capital Partners / Haveli Investments acquired Jagex ($1.1B) and Take-Two Interactive picked up Gearbox Entertainment ($460M). Volume in the mid to small size deals increased significantly. 🔵 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸: 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ($𝟮.𝟰𝗕+ 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝟭𝟴𝟴 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀), reversing a downward trend in deal volume since mid-2022. The Walt Disney Company invested $1.5B in Epic Games, Build A Rocket Boy raised $110M and True Gamers raised $45M. 🔵 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 (𝟰𝟬%): Early-stage financings continue to be the major portion of total deals while mid- to late-stage deal activity remained low. For investments over the last 12 months, BITKRAFT, Andreessen Horowitz, Griffin Gaming Partners, Play Ventures, and vgames were top VCs.  For the remainder of 2024, we expect M&A activity to steadily increase, a growth in financings, an ongoing strong interested in #AI and #MixedReality, and a re-emergence of IPOs.  𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: https://lnkd.in/dXgTHCxh  Drake Star Digital Media team: Michael Metzger, Mohit Pareek, CFA 

18

🚀 VOIDS second time in a row recognized as one of the most promising AI companies in Germany (& i almost missed the nomination again). 😅 We are selected as a leader in the space of AI #forecasting as part of the German AI Startup Landscape 2024 by the appliedAI Initiative GmbH. 👉 The leading institute for AI technologies in Europe evaluates the German landscape in the field of Artificial Intelligence annually. To be fair: Last year it felt "off" to be ranked among companies with hundreds of customers and employees. This year at least a little bit less off (😉), but as Johannes Mansbart would say: We are still at day zero. Much more important: Our team is now rock solid and the foundation of all our progress, bringing years of expertise from companies such as #Zalando, #Taxdoo, #SAP. Check out the WirtschaftsWoche article in the comments, showcasing the selected AI startups and their distribution in Germany. 👇

110

40 commentaires

Time to step up Germany 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 Corporations have pledged to invest €15bn in France at the “Choose France” summit — an annual event held since 2018 to facilitate foreign investments in the country. A large chunk of the money will be dedicated to AI. Microsoft stole the show after announcing its largest investment in France to date, a €4bn cash envelope to build more data centres — and expand existing ones — across the country by the end of 2025. The focus is on increasing the capacity of GPUs, which are needed to run large AI models. Amazon also announced that it’ll invest €1.2bn to further develop its French cloud and AI infrastructure. Quantum computing was also on the agenda. IBM pledged to invest €45m to expand the company’s research efforts in France. Up to 50 quantum researchers and engineers will be recruited in the country in the next year.

39

4 commentaires

6 months passed already after our successful House of Trust Event that took place in Davos with over 2500 Attendees, 60 Impactful Startups & Scaleups presenting, with over 400 Investors and 70 Sponsors & Partners involved! 6 months to go before we open the doors for the next House of Trust Event in Davos that will take place in January 2025! Our goal with the House of Trust is to become the next TED Talk Platform, where the most relevant world influencers, forward thinking pioneers, entrepreneurs and investors gather once a year, to not only speak but tackle actively the challenges of our time. Also if hosting such events is connected with a lot of effort, the most fulfilling part is to chat with someone months later who attended the event and hear the appreciation and the success stories through connections happened at House of Trust. So why don’t we do it more frequently? The challenges of our world should not be tackled just once a year. So we start gathering with the right people in a smaller, more intimate and exclusive way. That’s why we are excited about the upcoming House of Trust Summer Edition where we gather with 40-60 selected entrepreneurs, family offices, investors and forward thinking pioneers. Where real relationships on a personal level first can be build through a memorable and unique experience and then business relationships and deals can happen naturally. When: 9. and 10. August Where: Zurich & Stoos Lodge 🏔️🇨🇭 With: Patrick Matzinger, Manuel Linder, Dr Guenther Dobrauz-Saldapenna, Pascal Siegrist, Kevin Lütolf, Peter E. Braun, Valeriya Zaychuk, Leyla Baghirzade, Eduardo Carvalho, Gerald Hüsch Leadership, Antonio Ponte, Angelika Hernandez-Dorendorf, Lorenz Wiegand, Kinson Lo, Cassandra H., and many more… Looking forward to it! If you are keen to know more, want to share why you should be involved and receive an invitation, send me a private message with: HoT Summer Edition #housoftrust #network #event #switzerland #zurich #stoos #mountains #summmer #edition #membersclub #impact #health #longevity #web3 #ai #nature #experience #capital #familyoffice #investor #startup #connect #dots

55

14 commentaires

The "Trusted Investors Network", one European Commission’s new initiative just announced yesterday, reflect a sincere willingness to advancing deep tech innovations, crucial for enhancing the EU's competitiveness, especially against global tech leaders like the U.S. and China. The support for sectors such as artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and other emerging technologies aligns with efforts to boost environmental and social sustainability. By fostering innovation, the EU aims to build resilience in its industries while addressing environmental an social inequalities concerns. I believe that while this, as other European Commission’s initiatives are a positive step, there are some concerns about its approach, first and foremost the proof that it has worked in the past with likewiseinitiatives. We must accept nonetheless that there is nor political nor societal willingness in the EU to adopt more unregulated, fast-paced methods seen in the U.S., nor the state-controlled, top-down approach of China. These more measured, collaborative strategy may slow progress compared to its rivals, but it remains a more sustainable and socially aligned vision for Europe and will go anyway in the direction of a more homogeneous and unified innovation ecosystem. It's a matter of ensuring agility without compromising core values. And, hopefully, without losing the game. https://lnkd.in/dTBCN2C8

7

2 commentaires

Ambience Healthcare -- backed by OpenAI Startup Fund -- has spent the last 4 years meticulously creating the most capable foundation models for medicine. Ambience's AI operating system was designed to understand the differences across specialties, as well as important contextual factors that drive differences in documentation between settings of care -- such as reimbursement frameworks and prior authorization. #AI #Technology #Healthcare

31

1 commentaire

📣To all the tech builders in Munich: Join us for an event with TechItEasy on Tech Best Practices and Common Pitfalls! 🚀 TechItEasy is a series designed to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical professionals in startups, scaleups, and established companies. Join us at Antler’s Munich office on Nov. 21st for an evening of practical insights, led by TechItEasy panelists Johann Romefort and Andreas Katzig with special guest Juan A. Galán, Venture Partner at Antler and CTO at EQS Group and last but not least the one and only Laura Bonomini who is making it all happen! 🎉 💡 Some of the topics that will be covered include: code quality, strategies to keep growth sustainable and avoid tech pitfalls and tips on choosing the right tools for your team This session is designed for early-stage CTOs, tech leads, and team managers who want to deepen their understanding of best practices in tech development. Register now to secure your spot - In the comments.

52

5 commentaires

Excited to have been part of an insightful panel at IFA Berlin discussing the power of #VentureClienting — and how it’s bringing innovation to life! 🎙️ Moderated by Philipp Willigmann, alongside Fabian Dudek 🟩 (GlassDollar) and Mathias Weber (BSH Startup Kitchen), we dove deep into what makes venture clienting such a unique and practical approach for large corporations. Here are some of my personal takeaways... ✨ What is Venture Clienting? Venture clienting allows corporations to act as clients to startups, integrating their solutions into the business without the need for equity or full ownership. Unlike other models, it’s highly transactional, focused on leveraging startup tech for incremental improvements rather than transformative change. 🌍 Where does it work best? Mid-sized companies in industries like manufacturing, energy, and logistics tend to gain the most from venture clienting, where incremental improvements in processes & products add huge value without requiring full-scale ownership. Even for larger corporations like Deutsche Telekom, venture clienting can be a great tool to solve specific operational challenges or boost non-core areas through niche innovations. 📈 Best practices for success To make venture clienting truly effective, corporations need to establish clear evaluation metrics for laser-focused PoCs, ensuring a structured process that drives and measures real financial business value solving identified pain points. It’s also crucial to give startups access to internal resources and decision-makers early on to accelerate success. 🔮 The future of venture clienting? I expect venture clienting to evolve significantly in the coming years as a smart, fast, and low-risk way of leveraging the external ecosystem to increase efficiencies and complement expensive R&D. We’ll likely see more data-driven approaches using AI to assess startup solutions and greater cross-industry collaboration as corporations look to expand their impact of innovation beyond core. #VentureClienting #Innovation #Startups #IFA2024 #CorporateInnovation #DeutscheTelekom #StartupEcosystem hubraum

42

8 commentaires

Is the digitalization of Germany finally getting the catalyst it so genuinely needs? It might. At least the administration is getting fundamental technology and legislation ready. I just spent a day in Berlin in the company of the EUDI wallet infrastructure project by SPRIND - Bundesagentur für Sprunginnovationen. As it says on the project site, "Germany must be bold in its digitalization." And after today, they are undoubtedly off to an ambitious start. The key takeaway is that there is a willingness and ability to actually adopt and implement the new EU #eIDAS legislation. The ambitious "Funke" wallet competition is a clear indication of that. The more mundane observation is that Germany has a vast bootstrapping challenge to gain the necessary wallet uptake just a few years from now. 83 million people in 11,000 municipalities must get their ID cards ready for online use. Today, only 20% of the population has used their ID card online once or more. The rest must go through a convoluted process that, in most cases, will lead to a visit to a municipal office! And don't forget the only motivation that counts: The Germans need private and public services that accept the new wallet and its credentials. Will Germany finally get there? Your guess is as good as mine. But at Criipto, we are ready to board the German digitalization - gravy(?) - train!

32

🎙️Podcast alert: Had a great catch-up with Kai on 🤝𝑪𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒍🤝 this week (🇩🇪) After our first session last year, we again talked about the latest developments in the SaaS and M&A market. Topics we've covered: ➡️ Our approach with saas.group, ➡️ Where we stand and what our goals are, ➡️ Current SaaS and M&A market trends, ➡️ How to properly value a SaaS business, ➡️ Role of AI in SaaS and M&A, ➡️ And more... You can check it out on all relevant podcast platforms. Links to Spotify and Apple below: 🟢 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gn8RaVpD 🟣 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/g3kBWSBW Enjoy listening! 🙌 @ Kai, Anja + team: Thanks again for having me. Happy to speak again next year and see how good or bad my predictions were.

26

9 commentaires

I’m pleased to have contributed to Arianee’s position paper, "From A Production-Based to A Service-Based Economy: The Role of Tokenization in Decoupling Growth." This insightful paper tackles a topic close to my heart. This paper outlines numerous practical strategies for companies to progress on tackling overproduction while creating new economic opportunities. Thank you Arianee, Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel and of course my friend Francois Souchet for the opportunity to collaborate. #circulareconomy #technology #circularbusinessmodels #sustainability

18

1 commentaire