Fabian Klein

Ep.17 Drop #20Angel 🎙 The one & only Philipp Moehring, Co-Founder of Tiny Supercomputer Investment Company, joined me in the hot seat for a rare public appearance 🔥 👉 Introducing Tiny Supercomputer Investment Company FUND III ✍ 👉 Higher valuations = higher expectations 💣 👉 Giving Founders the freedom to be extreme 🤪 👉 Your access gives you your price 💰 Some Founder References on Philipp: dennis müller (Amie): "More than most, pmoe is a cheerleader. The journey is already hard enough, some VC's make it harder by sending unsolicited articles with "seen this?". He's the opposite. always fun to brainstorm ideas with him. Differentiated intros relative to others." David Budde (trawa): “He‘s been a great sparring partner and has a ton of experience. I remember, the night before our Pre-Seed closing, we found a minor but important error in our cap table. Unsure what to do, we called Phil late that evening for guidance. To me, it‘s super important to know that I can reach my investors, if it actually matters, and that they‘ll be able to help! + he’s just a really nice guy.” Milos Rusic (deepset): “Phil is amazing! He was actively involved in assembling each of our funding rounds - even in the first round where he committed before we had settled for a lead investor. He actively helped to construct our favourite setup of lead investors for that initial round. He knows everyone and his support is not limited to great intros - he really helps founders to assess and identify which investor could be a right fit for them. 100% reliable, massive value for every company. What they do is really unique.” This was a special one to do, hope you enjoy 🍿 https://lnkd.in/gTRT_SmJ 20VC, #AngelInvesting, #technology, #podcast, #entrepreneurship, #VC, #Founder, #Investing

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DeepTech in Germany: World-Class Research, Weak Sales – Why Our Startups Struggle Germany’s startup scene is buzzing with innovation, especially in DeepTech – our home turf. Our country excels in research and engineering, delivering groundbreaking technologies that could lead global markets. Yet, despite all this potential, something critical is holding us back: Sales. I recently attended a gathering of 20 DeepTech startups. Many of the founders I’ve known for years, and their technologies are impressive – no copycats here, just pure innovation. But one thing was glaringly obvious: none of them had a strong sales strategy. Here’s what I observed: 1️⃣ Founders, often with backgrounds in engineering or research, were running sales themselves – without the expertise or network needed to succeed. 2️⃣ Some relied on outdated advice from Business Angels who didn’t understand modern business models and unintentionally hindered progress. 3️⃣ Many had pilot customers and awards but no real go-to-market plan or sustained customer success. This isn’t just a one-off issue. It’s a systemic problem for German startups. The Sales Gap: Why We’re Falling Behind Globally successful startups invest heavily in sales from the start. Look at these examples: • The Samwer Brothers built their empire on exceptional sales, even with copycat models. • Cisco’s founders handed over operations early to seasoned sales experts. • eBay hired a top-tier CEO to drive growth. • Facebook brought in Sheryl Sandberg to supercharge monetization. • And Amazon? Its genius isn’t just in tech – it’s in its sales model. What do these stories have in common? Sales was a priority. Strong sales teams are not optional; they’re essential. DeepTech in Germany: The Opportunity and the Obstacle Germany leads in engineering and DeepTech research. This is our strength, and our innovations are world-class. But without professional sales strategies, we won’t succeed globally – no matter how much growth funding we secure. The Real Challenge: Mindset Many DeepTech founders in Germany have a mindset problem. They come from research or engineering backgrounds and believe they need to control every aspect of their startup – including sales. But this is a mistake. Sales is a specialized discipline, and world-class startups know when to bring in the experts. To bridge the gap, we need founders who understand that technology alone isn’t enough. Sales is the bridge between the lab and the market. Conclusion: Sales is the Key to Global Success Germany has everything it takes to dominate DeepTech: top-tier research, excellent engineering, and innovative founders. But without a strong focus on sales, we’ll remain in the shadow of countries like the US, France, and the UK. Invest in sales. Let go of the “I’ll do it myself” mentality. Build a team that understands the market and can execute. Technology is the foundation, but sales is the lever that turns great ideas into global success stories.

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WHU as a powerhouse for startups and scaleups in real estate 👨‍🚒👨‍🚒👨‍🚒 When analyzing the investment overview in the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management ecosystem for October, it becomes very clear that we have a lot of fast growing companies in the field of real estate: 🏢 GROPYUS raised €100 million (Late VC), co-founded by Philipp Erler, to push forward sustainable real estate solutions and smart building technology. ⚡ Enpal, a leader in renewable energy backed by WHU founders Viktor Wingert, Mario Kohle and Jochen Ziervogel, closed a €1.4 billion debt round to bring solar energy to even more homes. 🏡 Vamo raised €7 million (Seed), co-founded by Laurenz Ohlig and Falk Hantl, specializing in energy efficiency within the real estate industry. 🎉 McMakler, co-founded by Felix Jahn has raised another funding round to further strengthen its position as an innovative real estate agency And there is more investment news: 🌍 Mento Labs with WHU alumnus Markus Franke as CEO and co-founder, closed €10 million (Early VC), continuing to redefine fintech solutions for the everyday consumer. 🚀 iGenetic Diagnostics Pvt Ltd, co-founded by Madhusudan Sharma, has been acquired by Manipal HealthMap 💪 Manigo , co-founded by Stevan Bajic has been acquired by Invex Ventures In Praxi - WHU Alumni Association Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA WHU Entrepreneurship Roundtable

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🧐 Gen AI is more useful integrated into a learning experience than as a standalone coach. Or so Junto’s early experiments suggest… For those of you who missed the recent EdTech Fellowship meet up, Marion Trigodet has written up the insights from Junto’s Head of Product Allen Sanchez’s excellent lightning talk. Key takeways: 1. Stay focused on learner outcomes. They got extreme positive results by focusing on improving their core experience, supporting learners to practice role play before working with peers, rather than trying something totally new. 2. Listen to learners. Junto found a range of new use case and interaction methods through experimentation. e.g. practicing sales pitches, interacting with voice 3. Don’t overthink—measure what matters. They kept it simple and tracked engagement and utility which helped them focus and iterate quickly. 👇 Check out the full article: https://lnkd.in/eYxeHUWu And do share your own experiences. 🤝 We’ve also got some more meetups coming up, in London and online: links in the comments.

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🚨 Do startups born in tough times have an edge? 🚨 We found that crisis-founded startups exhibit unique growth patterns that set them apart from their stable-times counterparts. By examining young German firms from the Global Financial Crisis, we discovered that startups founded during the crisis faced fewer challenges in hiring—particularly attracting career starters. This suggests that entering the market during difficult times may offer unexpected advantages for new ventures. Policy implications: Supporting startups in tough economic climates can complement labor policies like short-time work schemes for established firms, that cause rigidities for labor market entrants. Thoughtful support for both new and established businesses may strengthen overall employment resilience. 🎉 We (Udo Brixy and I) are happy that this work has found a great home at Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal after a very constructive and targeted review process! Thank you to our editor and two anonymous referees! 🎉 Read more (in German): https://lnkd.in/dZrUFfpJ Read (and cite 😊) the full paper: https://lnkd.in/d32PXCzH #Entrepreneurship #Startups #CrisisManagement #Research #EconomicPolicy #LaborPolicy #Innovation Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal Rui Baptista BFH Wirtschaft Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung ZEW – Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung Universität Zürich | University of Zurich Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

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Germany's most entrepreneurial universities - Startups per 10000 students Source: Entrepreneurship Performance Deutscher Hochschulen 2023: Munich Impact Study, https://lnkd.in/e7_pM-C9 Method and data - Based on data from the commercial register via StartupDetector and the Dealroom platform, 27,988 startups founded in Germany between 2014 and 2022 were identified (of which at least one financing round was recorded for 4,305 startups). - Based on the information on the education and work experience of the founders on LinkedIn and Dealroom, the startup websites and search engine results, the startups were identified. The results, the startups were assigned to 296 German universities. - The number of startups assigned to a university was relativised with the respective number of students, number of employees and the university's budget (Data from the Federal Statistical Office) #startups #germany #universities P.S. German number format, e.g. 1.151 means 1151 startups per 10000 current students.

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What are your thoughts for the German startup ecosystem in 2025? In my latest contribution to Business Punk, I shared some of my post November 6th thoughts on the topic [Link in Comments]. Here are my key takeaways: 🇺🇸 🛑 🇨🇳 The new #US administration will drive deregulation to strengthen its tech sector against #China's dominance. #Europe should closely monitor its global impact. 🇩🇪 📂 🤯 The German ecosystem faces structural challenges: #overregulation, a risk-averse culture, and a €30bn #fundinggap drive German success stories get capital outside the EU. 🚀 🧑‍💻 📈 Despite challenges, 2025 holds immense opportunities for German #entrepreneurs. The #earlystage ecosystem has shown resilience even during recessions, while emerging AI hubs like #Heilbronn, #Karlsruhe, and #Heidelberg are on a promising path forward. Personally, I think the transition towards #green economies and #cities has additional potential for the next generation of hidden champions made in Germany. #startup #politics #elections #innovation #tech

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I want to hear what the startup ecosystem has to say When we stand together as startups we can be heard more clearly. The German Startup Monitor from Startup-Verband is online and we want to hear your opinion. The German startup ecosystem has achieved so much already, so many impressive people are building companies and creating solutions for our future. As startup association, we want to give visibility to your topics. We want to hear from all startups, from Kiel to Karlsruhe, from Dresden to Aachen and understand your needs. Help me, help us give your issues a voice! Link to the survey is in the comments

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Seize the opportunity to secure a wildcard ticket and pitch your startup live before over 50 of Europe’s top venture capitalists and industry leaders at Stage Two in Berlin on October 31, 2024! 🌍 Stage Two and FACE@RUB (Female Academic Entrepreneurs) by Ruhr University Bochum are seeking female-led teams! Three startups will be chosen by FACE to present a 2-minute pitch on stage on September 19 in Bochum. A jury will decide on the same day who will move on to the Stage Two competition in Berlin on October 31. The application deadline is August 25. To apply, you must: ✔ run a startup with at least one female founder, i.e hold a top management position (CEO, CTO or equivalent) in the startup ✔ be a viable investment case ✔ have not raised more than € 500,000 in equity capital or € 1,500,000 in grants prior to Stage Two ✔ be university-affiliated (e.g. alumni or participant of any acceleration program) This is your chance to #jointhetribe! Applications are now open. What are you waiting for? Check out the requirements and apply by August 25 via the link in the comments! #forourbeyond Worldfactory Start-up Center (WSC)

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🚀 UVC Partners: Driving Europe's Leading Deeptech Startup Ecosystem 🌍 Munich’s UnternehmerTUM stands out as a powerhouse in Europe’s startup scene, largely thanks to UVC Partners, a key player providing vital early-stage funding for B2B deeptech, climate tech, software, and mobility startups. 🚗 A Hub for Innovation and Growth📈 Founded within UnternehmerTUM in 2011, UVC Partners has grown significantly, helping to transform the funding landscape for European startups. 💰Initially starting with a modest €25 million fund, UVC Partners now manages around €400 million in assets and is currently raising its fourth fund, targeting €200-250 million. This impressive growth reflects the firm’s success in identifying and nurturing startups with the potential for world-changing innovations, such as space technology platforms and flying taxis. A Changing Funding Landscape💰 The shift in funding dynamics is stark. In 2012, deeptech companies across Europe received a mere €400 million. Fast forward to 2023, and German deeptech startups alone secured €1.6 billion, with the German government announcing a €1 billion fund for deeptech and climate tech growth-stage companies. UVC Partners has been at the forefront of this evolution, closing its third fund generation in 2021 with €260 million raised across two funds. Strategic Connections and Deep Expertise🤝 UVC Partners benefits from its close ties to UnternehmerTUM, leveraging a vast network of corporates, Mittelstand companies, universities, and government figures. This network provides startups with unparalleled access to industry leaders and policymakers, a significant advantage highlighted by many portfolio companies. “We have a unit called Value Creation that focuses on customer creation and knowledge,” explains UVC partner Benjamin Erhart. This unit taps into UnternehmerTUM’s business relations, offering startups tailored introductions to industry heavyweights when needed. Success Stories and Flagship Investments UVC Partners has a strong track record of successful investments and exits. Notable investments include: Flix, Isar Aerospace, Vimcar, FAZUA, Aleph Alpha, Reel The Future of European Deeptech🤖 UVC Partners' commitment to fostering innovation and connecting startups with essential resources has solidified its role in Europe’s leading startup ecosystem as an early-stage backer of B2B deeptech, climate tech, software, and mobility startups that are working on potentially world-changing innovations, reported Sifted. ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE 🌟 #VentureCapital #Startups #Deeptech #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #UVCPartners #TechFunding #MunichTech #ClimateTech #EuropeanStartups

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HR NOMAD News: 🚀 Crafting the Future - Mission, Vision & Values Workshop Recap! Earlier this month, 6 new startups at the K.I.E.Z. Künstliche Intelligenz Entrepreneurship Zentrum Accelerator in Berlin took a major step in shaping their future by attending our 3.5-hour interactive workshop on defining their Mission, Vision, and Values. 🚀 The workshop was not only insightful but also fun! Participants engaged in creative methods like building a company vision board and the exciting challenge of constructing a strong K.I.E.Z. tower out of sweets, where teams had to collaborate and decide whether to scale fast or secure. These exercises sparked both strategic thinking and teamwork in a playful, yet purposeful way. 🙌 Here are 5 key benefits of having a strong Mission, Vision, and Value Statement: 👀 Clarity and Focus: A clear mission keeps startups aligned with their core purpose, helping them prioritize effectively and avoid distractions. 🎯 Informed Decision-Making: Well-defined values serve as a consistent framework for making strategic decisions, ensuring alignment with the company's long-term goals. 🤝 Increased Team Alignment: A strong vision motivates the entire team, fostering a shared sense of purpose and unity toward common objectives. 🏷️  Brand Identity: Clearly defined mission and values help build a distinct brand identity, making it easier for customers, partners, and investors to understand and connect with your company. 🧲 Attracting Talent: A compelling mission and clear values attract like-minded talent who are excited to contribute to your company’s vision and long-term growth. We're thrilled to have helped these entrepreneurs lay a strong foundation for success. Stay tuned for more workshops where learning meets creativity, and startups get the tools they need to turn their vision into reality! Thanks Tobias Szarowicz, Stefania Casiraghi for making this possible. 🙏 #StartupSuccess #MissionVisionValues #HRNomad #KIEZAccelerator #Entrepreneurship #BerlinStartups #CreativeLeadership #TeamBuilding #hrnomad

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#Germany's Funded Startups Directory. You can view the list of startups funded in #Germany whenever you need it. Access the directory here https://lnkd.in/dc9emGbb #startup #startups #vc #venturecapital #investmentbanking #privateequity #managementconsulting #b2b #founders #entrepreneurs

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"Women are better at collaborating than their male counterparts," Dr. Robert Habeck - Germany's Vice Chancellor - smilingly admitted yesterday evening at the #GermanStartupNight in Lisbon as part of the Web Summit. This year, he attended with an all-female delegation—a first of its kind—joining the German ecosystem in Lisbon to highlight something we strongly believe at MotionLab.Berlin: collaboration between SMEs/corporates and startups is key to driving innovation and adopting the climate-saving technologies we urgently need. So if I had to end this post off with a call to action, then do check out our #hardtech and #deeptech ecosystem to find out how you can be matched with technological developments that suit your company needs and portfolio. 

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You’re in corporate innovation and you’ve built a venture that cannibalized the core business. Should you get fired? 🙀 What if your venture took longer and more investment than expected to generate revenue? should you get fired then? 😮 Unfortunately, as Georg Baumgartner has outlined in his recent post, innovation (and venturing) activities are rarely closely aligned with the corporate strategy 😕 - The missing link is called innovation strategy and it helps in not getting fired for doing venture building! 💪 😁 In my course at WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), I just outlined to the students why an innovation strategy is crucial for targeted venture building - and the arguments hold for innovation professionals as well: 🎓 - A good strategy defines clear objectives and thus fosters a discussion of what you want to achieve with venturing: cultural change? diversification? additional revenue? - Unified Goals: A venturing strategy ensures that objectives of all the ventures are aligned and there are no conflicting goals - which is particularly important if you follow a portfolio approach - Resources: A good strategy outlines the way to get to the goal, including necessary budgets, team capacity and so forth. In the worst case, you see that your goal is not achievable with the resources you have - but i’d rather know that sooner than later - Management Support: A good strategy is an effective tool to obtain top management commitment and a great framework for communication and status updates - Room for “crazy ideas” and a defined playing field: An innovation strategy should provide enough freedom for creative thinking while also limiting the horizon in a way that productively limits the options - Finally: Venture Building might not be the right tool for all your innovation goals and a solid strategy will help you in defining what should be tackled with venture building and where other instruments are better suited 🤔 As a venture builder who has seen more than one venture fail because of a lack of strategy: By developing a comprehensive innovation strategy, you maximize the chances of success! And yes, venturing is a numbers game… 🔣 #Innovation #VentureBuilding #Strategy #CorporateInnovation #InnovationStrategy Picture: On my way to the lecture hall...

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🚀 Buying is the new recruitment + TURBO for development In today's fast-paced business world, German SMEs are finding success through strategic partnerships with startups, even on a smaller scale. 🌟 Let’s consider the example of “CarTech”, a Berlin-based startup that developed an AI-powered platform for optimizing used car sales. In 2024, Auto 1 Group, a major European used car trading platform, acquired CarTech. The integration of CarTech’s technology streamlined Auto 1 Group’s processes, improved pricing accuracy, and expanded its market reach across Europe. This successful acquisition played a pivotal role in Auto 1 Group’s transformation to dominant players Excited to explore similar opportunities for your SME? Join us at the Bright Future Event, where we'll dive into real-life examples of German SMEs teaming up with startups and the game-changing results they've achieved. Exited to meet: Andy Zurwehme (eROCKIT AG), Paulina Tsvetanova (CEO & Founder PAULINA‘S FRIENDS Couture) ,  Mathias Tholey  (NU Company, Schokolade) and many more.... But wait, there's more! I'll be sharing practical tips on how startup teams can seamlessly integrate into SME environments, fostering innovation and driving mutual success. Check out: www.spitze-bleiben.de Thanks Ulf Leonhard for organizing. Don't miss out on this chance to unlock the potential of collaboration and propel your business forward. See you at the event! ✨ #BrightFuture #SMEs #Startups #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #Management #HumanResources #Technology #Future

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You still haven’t considered trying #ChatGPT? 😲 Let me help you get started! ChatGPT and other LLMs are excellent sparring partners for creative work!   They help with:   1️⃣ Instant Access to Insights: Knowledge workers can quickly access relevant information and good practices, leveraging ChatGPT’s vast knowledge base to make real-time informed decisions. 2️⃣ Enhanced Problem Solving: ChatGPT empowers knowledge workers to tackle complex challenges, providing fresh perspectives and innovative solutions in their Scrum and product ownership roles. 3️⃣ Agile Anti-Pattern Recognition: ChatGPT assists Scrum Masters and Product Owners in identifying anti-patterns, fostering more collaboration opportunities. 4️⃣ Personalized Learning Experience: ChatGPT tailors its responses to individual knowledge workers, promoting continuous learning and growth in their agile practices. Please join the discussion via the comments!   Useful? Like / Follow / Repost

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Great to be there and discuss how to gamechange education in the age of AI!

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