#StartupTicker
+++ #StartupTicker +++ STARTUPLAND: How setbacks provide new drive +++ On the way to becoming a unicorn: Black Semiconductor +++ StartupsToWatch: Flinn +++ Elena Ballesteros brings Voyager Ventures to Germany +++
What’s up New? In ours #StartupTicker we provide a compact overview of the most important startup news of the day (Friday, February 27th).
#STARTUPLAND: 19 days left!
STARTUPLAND – one day, unlimited opportunities.
+++ Our third STARTUPLAND Conference will take place on March 18th 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
Live in STARTUPLAND: Ulrich Schmidt and Lasse Diener (Aufinity Group, bezahl.de)
A strong team, well-known investors and a growing market – and still moments when everything suddenly starts to falter. In STARTUPLAND, Ulrich Schmidt and Lasse Diener talk about the development of the Aufinity Group, about calm growth – and about the phase in which the Wirecard bankruptcy hit the company unexpectedly as a black swan event. The focus is on the question of how startups deal with external shocks, what stability really means in uncertain times – and how setbacks can become the starting point for new drives. An honest look at resilience, long-term thinking and building a FinTech that has learned to emerge stronger from crises. Your topic in STARTUPLAND: This is how setbacks provide new motivation.
#STARTUPTICKER
Soonicorn: Black Semiconductor
+++ Soonicorn: Black Semiconductor is one of the German startups that could soon become a unicorn (valuation: 1 billion). The company, founded in 2020 by Daniel Schall and Sebastian Schall, takes care of optical data transmission. “The new chip generation overcomes previous limits of chip connectivity, increases computing power and efficiency, and thus has the potential to transform the industry,” the company said. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia recently supported Black Semiconductor with 228.7 million euros. In addition, Porsche Ventures, Project A Ventures, Scania Growth, Capnamic Ventures, Tech Vision Fonds, NRW.BANK and the existing investors are investing 25.7 million euros in the company. More about Black Semiconductor
Finn
+++ StartupsToWatch: Flinn. The Viennese startup, founded in 2022 by Bastian Krapinger-Rüther, Markus Müller and Hasib Samad, has set itself the task of automating compliance processes for medical technology manufacturers and the pharmaceutical industry. The young company’s investors include HV Capital, Cherry Ventures, Speedinvest, SquareOne and BHI – Bertelsmann Healthcare Investments from the USA. In recent years, around $30 million has already flowed into Flinn. The issue is currently moving to the USA. The potential there is huge. “We invested in Flinn because we are convinced that MedTech teams deserve a true user-first system of action, and Flinn is uniquely positioned to build it. There is a clear whitespace in the US market, and we are eager to partner closely with the team to help them break through and scale in the US,” says Tim Schneider, Partner at BHI. More about Finn
Voyager Ventures
+++ Here comes the Valley to Munich! The American early-stage investor Voyager Ventures, founded in 2021, is opening an office in Munich, as announced. Elena Ballesteros, most recently from Hitachi Ventures, is responsible for the on-site development. “Voyager’s decision to establish a location in Munich reflects Germany’s growing role as an innovation center for industry and energy,” said a press release. Voyager Ventures (Sarah Sclarsic and Sierra Peterson) recently announced the final closing of its second fund ($275 million). In recent years, the San Francisco-based lender has already invested in the German startups Annea (digital twins of wind turbines and solar systems) and Enapi (transaction broker for the EV charging industry). Further investments in this country are now expected to follow quickly. The investor is particularly interested in topics such as “energy production and distribution, advanced industrial manufacturing, critical materials, physical AI and computing.” Voyager Ventures currently has $475 million under management across three funds. More about Voyager Ventures
marketing
+++ 2026 is the year marketing stacks come of age. AI accelerates campaigns while making interchangeability more likely. That’s why the focus is shifting: away from “more output” towards better systems, cleaner data and clear workflows. More in our guest article
#DEALMONITOR
Investments & Exits
+++ SAP invests in HealthTech Avelios Medical +++ HealthTech Oska raises 11 million +++ AI startup foodforecast receives 8 million +++ HealthTech YOU(th) receives 4.5 million +++ Financial injection for MedTech Clee Medical. More in the deal monitor
What else happened recently? That’s always in the #StartupTicker
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