+++ Ankerkraut +++ Coachwhisperer +++ The Green Deal Show +++ Trade Republic +++ Venture Capital +++
#StartupTicker
+++ #StartupTicker +++ Ankerkraut founders buy their company back from Nestlé +++ Coachwhisperer is insolvent +++ New startup show The Green Deal Show starts +++ Trade Republic replaces chatbots with people +++ 9 VCs with fresh capital for hot deals +++
What’s up New? In ours #StartupTicker we provide a compact overview of the most important startup news of the day (Thursday, April 16th).
#STARTUPLAND
STARTUPLAND: Founders. VCs. Visionaries
+++ Our fourth STARTUPLAND Conference will take place on March 10, 2027 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. A fascinating journey into the startup scene awaits you again – with lectures from successful founders, educational interviews and pitches that inspire. More about STARTUPLAND
#STARTUPTICKER
Anchor herb
+++ Back in trusted hands! Almost four years after exiting Nestlé, Ankerkraut founders Anne Lemcke and Stefan Lemcke are buying their company back from the food giant. Nestlé most recently held 95% of the spice Grownup, which was founded in 2013. “The goal is to develop the brand independently again in the future and to particularly build on its original identity and entrepreneurial roots: passion for spices, hands-on mentality and a close connection to the community,” say the Lemckes. It was agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction. Around 160 employees currently work for Ankerkraut. The team recently achieved “sales in the mid double-digit million range”. Nestlé is said to have put a three-digit million sum on the table for Ankerkraut four years ago. E-commerce has not been an easy business in recent years. This is also indicated by a passage in the press release about the buyback: “In view of the changed market situation, both sides are convinced that this decision gives the brand additional entrepreneurial scope in order to advance the future development of the company even more flexibly and quickly.” The latest news about Just Spices also fits in with this. The billion-dollar food giant Kraft Heinz recently announced that the busy spice company, which has been part of Kraft Heinz since 2021, would be closing its online shop. More about anchor herb
Coach whisperer
+++ Bankruptcy! The young SportsTech Coachwhisperer is bankrupt. Attorney Thomas Jacobs is appointed as the provisional insolvency administrator. The company from Jena, founded in 2021, positions itself as a “live communication system for sports”. The concept states: “The Coachwhisperer system is designed to increase team performance through improved delivery of instructions and feedback during training sessions.” In recent years, around 3 million euros have flowed into Coachwhisperer. The investors included bm-t Beteiligungsmanagement Thüringen and soccer world champion Julian Draxler. The football professional recently held around 21% of Coachwhisperer. By the end of 2023, setting up the company had already cost around 3.3 million. The team around the founders Philipp Zacher and Julien Then certainly needed additional capital to continue building Coachwhisperer. More about Coachwhisperer
The Green Deal Show
+++ This is where creators meet startups! The new startup show “The Green Deal Show” starts on YouTube on May 22nd. The new startup show is intended to offer “B2C startups with a sustainable business model a big stage”. It’s not about investments, but about “reach and visibility”. Four to five startups pitch their ideas per episode. Three episodes are initially planned. The startups in the first season include Sirplus, hey mela and moot. Changing influencers and creators (including Marie Nasemann, Doctor Whatson, Alexander Prinz) decide “which idea they want to make big with their community power”. The show, which is supported by Impact Hub Berlin among others, is hosted by Gen-Z presenter Magdalena Stefely. Sounds like an exciting alternative to “The Lion’s Den” and “The Millionaire Idea”. More about The Green Deal Show
Trade Republic
+++ Almost a countermovement to the current AI trend: The Berlin neobroker Trade Republic is investing millions in personal customer service. “Of course, the bot turnaround is not entirely voluntary: Trade Republic was not only threatened with damage to its reputation due to the poor service quality, but also trouble with the financial regulator,” writes Manager Magazin about the move away from chatbots. (Manager Magazine) More about Trade Republic
Venture capital
+++ Fresh capital for aspiring startups: All founders should remember names like futurepresent, amberra and backtrace capital. These investors have bulging cash reserves and are currently investing millions in up-and-coming startups. More in our overview
Startup Radar
+++ It’s time for new startups again! Here are some very fresh companies that everyone should know. Today we are introducing these young companies: Proposal Air, wavebird, Syntik, linqado and Qodia. More on the startup radar
#DEALMONITOR
Investments & Exits
+++ Synera raises 35 million +++ Connectome Health receives 2 million +++ Financial injection for Zell +++ IBB Ventures invests in Insellar +++ onyo takes over furnable. More in the deal monitor
What else happened recently? That’s always in the #StartupTicker
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