#Interview
“We could be much further ahead if the processes and regulations weren’t so cumbersome. Despite the new government, we hardly notice any acceleration in recognition, visa or official processes in everyday life,” says TERN creator Matthias Mauch.
The international one TERN Group would like to counteract the shortage of skilled workers with the help of AI. “Our specialists recruit highly qualified specialists from abroad and look after them from travel preparation to successful integration – everything from a single source,” promises the team around the founders Krishna Ramkumar and Avinav Nigam as well as Germany boss Matthias Mauch.
In an interview with deutsche-startups.de, TERN Germany maker Matthias Mauch looks back in detail on the past year.
2025 is just over. What was the highlight for you in the last few months?
Our biggest success was the Series A from TERN Group. As an AI health tech startup, we have now raised a total of $33 million to address the health emergency, especially in Germany. To do this, we made massive improvements to the product and further developed our AI framework – automatic document checks, CV parsing, language evaluation, identification verification. In this way, we create an opportunity for healthcare facilities to find new international specialists more independently without having to worry about all the paperwork.
What didn’t go well for you in 2025?
It’s clear: we could be much further if the processes and regulations weren’t so cumbersome. Despite the new government, we hardly notice any acceleration in recognition, visa or official processes in everyday life. This frustrates talent and costs us qualified people, who then prefer to go to Dubai, Qatar or the USA, where processes run in weeks and not quarters. They also offer tax breaks for foreign skilled workers. We have to explain again and again why Germany is still worth it.
Which project is at the top of your agenda in 2026?
In Germany, we will primarily promote the interaction of our digital platform and the provision of solutions for human care offerings in order to close structural gaps in the German healthcare system. AI is all well and good – unfortunately, without people it has little impact. This includes the further development of our AI recruiting platform, but also pilot projects for our “Hospital at Home” initiative; This is intended for older people who do not need long-term inpatient care. We also want to support the placement of skilled workers in other European countries in 2026.
What are your economic expectations for 2026?
I expect an economically tense year: clinics will have to make further savings while the shortage of skilled workers increases dramatically. According to PwC, around 1.8 million people will be missing from the German healthcare system by 2035? – and this curve doesn’t suddenly flatten. At the same time, competition for international talent is becoming tougher because countries like Saudi Arabia and Canada are recruiting aggressively. For us as TERN, this also means: The need for efficient, digital solutions is increasing. Anyone who recruits despite uncertainty in 2026 will have a massive advantage in 2028. So I expect a challenging but promising year.
What do you personally have planned for 2026?
In 2026 I want to spend more time in the countries of origin again – Delhi, Tunis, Amman. This is where it is decided whether talents choose Germany or another market. Above all, more communication in politics is required. At the same time, I would like to use my voice more clearly: We need to talk more openly about why Germany is heading towards a supply collapse without targeted labor migration, especially in care. And in terms of sport, I want to finish my next HYROX under 1:15.
Tip: You can find more reviews and outlooks in our Annual review.
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