Tim Fronzek

The German Startups Association, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Berlin, represents the interests of startups in Germany. It requires that member startups demonstrate a highly scalable business model and strong growth potential. The association has over 700 startup members and works to provide a voice for startups in relation to politics, civil society, and the established economy. An analysis by Global Corporate Venturing shows that having a corporate investor doubles a startup’s chances of success and increases the exit multiple. CVC (Corporate Venture Capital), which involves equity investments from established corporations, offers advantages beyond capital. These benefits vary across different business stages: - (Pre-)Seed Stage: CVC provides market validation, domain expertise, and opportunities for co-development, helping startups refine products and build credibility. - Early Growth Stage: CVC facilitates client acquisition, market insights, and access to corporate infrastructure, making scaling more efficient. - Growth Stage: Strategic partnerships, operational efficiency, and international expansion are key benefits that help startups scale faster. - Late Stage: CVC helps startups prepare for exits, providing guidance in market strategies, risk management, and potential acquisition opportunities. While CVC brings many advantages, startups must evaluate potential trade-offs based on their cap table and business nature.

1

#leadership and #success requires difficult conversations. If you are going after that higher purpose and game-changing #innovation, hard talks are mandatory to make everyone on the team better. But the key is that the team knows it comes from the right place. At Energy Capital Ventures we know that no matter how difficult the conversations get, it all comes from the higher purposes of creating clean, safe, reliable, cost-effective #energy for all communities. #entrepreneurship #startups

32

6 Kommentare

🏅Congratulations to The Exploration Company & KoRo for featuring in Sifted’s 50: Germany! The ranking lists Germany’s fastest-growing startups in 2024 by revenue growth. 🇩🇪 🚀 The Exploration Company, part of our Seed portfolio since last year, came in 9th with an impressive 254.65% revenue growth. The company was founded in 2021 by French rocket scientist Hélène Huby, with the aim of democratizing space exploration, making it affordable, sustainable, and open. 🥜 KoRo also featured in Sifted’s ranking. The Berlin-based ecommerce startup has been part of our Venture portfolio since 2022 and aims to make high-quality food accessible to all at fair prices. In Sifted’s report (link in comments), KoRo’s CEO Florian Schwenkert gave more insights into the company's current growth and their experiences with the challenges and success of the past years. The ranking also identified the following trends: 💻 B2B SaaS is the most dominant vertical, followed by fintech and consumer tech  📈 Average funding is €139.6M, with average revenue of €35.8M  📊 The average two-year revenue CAGR is 162.08%  🌍 Berlin is home to the most companies, followed by Munich, Cologne, and Hamburg Congratulations to The Exploration Company and Koro, as well as all 50 featured startups! Here’s to further growth, innovation, and achievements. 👏 Head to the comments to explore the full leaderboard and see who’s shaping the future of the German startup ecosystem ⚡ Cc Hélène Huby, Artur Koop, Jon Reijneveld, Constantinos Calios, Florian Schwenkert

68

2 Kommentare

Proud to be one of the first believers with Climate Founders in kolum.earth! Carbon pricing like the European Trading System (EU-ETS) and supply chain pressure are in my opinion the two most powerful approaches for decarbonization. Cross boarder adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs) are the link to combine those approaches. The limitations of the EU-ETS are the regional limitation, that just a few industries are involved and the prices are not high enough yet. CBAM solves the first limitation in my opinion entirely, as it includes all suppliers from Non-European countries into the system. This is a huge step und creates pressure in the supply chain. Last year I was looking for a startup working in this field, as I believe it sits in a very important position in the supply chains of carbon heavy industries and can enable many other impactful solutions. Very glad that Helge Wieggrefe and Marius Sprenger decided to join our Climate Founders program and start Kolum. With their speed and know-how they instantly convinced me to be the best team in this space. Let‘s rock this together! Also very happy to work with fantastic investors like Christian Guba, Nicolaus Norden, Anna Alex, Thomas Gottheil, Markus Linder, Andrei Podlesnyi, Christian Peters and many others. https://lnkd.in/gmihdUJ5

54

6 Kommentare

Last year, we invested in Viktoria Lindner and Leonie Ellerbrock from Mindsurance through Robin Capital. Today, we are excited to announce our rebranding to Bloom and introduce our product and modules to the global market. The incidence of illness is rising, and we face a workforce shortage. Leave management is becoming increasingly critical, yet Europe lacks a comprehensive solution. While the U.S. has platforms like Cocoon, backed by prominent firms such as Index, Firstmark, and others, Europe has been without a similar innovation—until now. I am thrilled that we are launching this venture, poised to grow into a significant company. Congratulations to Viki, Leonie, and the entire Bloom team! Bloom's commitment to growth, transformation, and nurturing potential sets it apart. Let’s delve deeper into their unique approach: Health Commitment: As global health challenges intensify, Bloom's mission focuses on improving health management systems. Empowerment: Bloom equips organizations and their leaders with the knowledge to understand the impacts of #sickleave and #absenteeism on business performance. They provide tools for enhanced transparency and early predictions, empowering proactive management and instilling confidence in the future. Simplification: Bloom is dedicated to simplifying processes associated with leave, absence, and occupational #health management, ultimately enhancing the employee experience. World-Class EAP: Bloom provides a customizable Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that ensures access to high-quality healthcare services. Compliance and Empowerment: Bloom assists HR professionals and decision-makers keep up-to-date and compliant with labor and safety regulations. Bloom’s initiatives are focused on advancing workplace health management through innovative and supportive solutions.

12

1 Kommentar