We called our initial offering “Sales as a Service.”

Swen Wegner, CEO and Founder Mainstage Incubator

Mainstage Incubator helps startups to conquer EuropeWhether your startup is from India, Bangladesh, Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Korea, South Africa, or even New Zealand, you can start exploring the German and European Market with the digital program of Mainstage Incubator.

The FounderIn this interview, we are talking to Swen Wegner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/swenwegner/), Founder and CEO of Mainstage Incubator (https://www.mainstage-incubator.com/), which is a relatively new incubator headquartered in Frankfurt, in the heart of Europe. Swen is half Indian, half German, and spent parts of his life in both countries. He spent his time in India for example in Kerala (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala).

The interview was remotely recorded during a time of partial lockdown in Germany, due to Covid19.

In the past, he has worked for large multinational corporations, as well as small startups. He refers to a “founder you may know” to Emboled.io (we interviewed the founder Vishal Ray, at this time they were still called Acellere). You find both interviews, dating back to March 2019 below:

Affiliate LinksIs your startup in need of a bank account in Germany? Try our partner affiliate Penta http://bit.ly/3bdHX3d

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The Incubator As a pilot we positioned some Indian startups to German corporates.

Swen Wegner, CEO and Founder Mainstage Incubator

Mainstage Incubator is a distributed company. They have offices in Frankfurt, Germany, and India. They stared out, presenting Indian startups to German corporate customers. Now they help startups from all over the world to present themselves to German customers, to bridge the cultural gap.

Their goals are

To find clients in Germany, and from here in EuropeThe ultimate goal is to bring international startups physically to Germany, so they can expand all over Europe.Bring startup from Germany to IndiaThe Mainstage Incubator already signed partnership agreements with Argentina, Columbia, Japan Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and now the United States.

Apply here for the Mainstage IncubatorYou can apply to the Mainstage Incubator right here https://bit.ly/ApplyMainstage

The Video Interview is set to go live on May 5th, 19.00 Frankfurt Local time (18.00 London, 1 pm New York, 10 am San Francisco)

We are still experimenting with time zones. Let us know which publication time you like best in the feedback link at the bottom end of this post.

https://youtu.be/Djd8wp8gC10

We give the Indian startups hints on how to wrap up a meeting with a German corporate in 30 minutes with a sale.

Swen Wegner, CEO and Founder Mainstage Incubator

Here you find the audio-only podcast of our interview - Subscribe so you won't miss another episodeThe interview will be published across our podcasts during the early morning of May 7th, so you have your episode on your device for your commute or morning coffee the next morning.

You can subscribe to Startuprad.io here:

YouTube http://bit.ly/2LK14oWiTunes http://apple.co/2xsHdaESpotify http://spoti.fi/2DfIt1OThe interview ill be published in our Sub-Podcasts below:

💢 Fintech Germany by Startuprad.ioiTunes: http://apple.co/2lLRlpGSpotify: http://spoti.fi/2m8HWsb💢 Security Sutra by Startuprad.ioiTunes: https://apple.co/2K0qLlHSpotify: https://spoti.fi/33rrlAD💢 Deeptech GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2oWO3SlSpotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8Further ListeningInterviews with Swen's former boss, he refers to Vishal during the interview. At the time of posting this interview, the startup has still been called Acellere, now it is known as embold.io

Part 1

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zRYH6BiIpt11q1VMmZijc

Part 2https://open.spotify.com/epis...

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Find all the links we are talking about, as well as the show notes on our website https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-november-2019/

If you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recording and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

EnablerThis recording was made possible by Invest in Hessen. Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/home

Affiliated Links

Our Affiliate PartnerCo-WorkingWeWorkMarketing / SEO / Graphics / Sounds and moreFiverrEmail service?G-SuiteLooking for a bank account for your startup? Have a look at our partner PentaPenta Bank AccountAudible subscription: You can listen to Venture Capital books or entertainment on your way to work with an audible subscriptionhttps://amzn.to/2pGzsehLearn more about our Affiliated Marketing here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/affiliate-marketing-at-startuprad-io/

Housekeeping - Time to brag We set up sub-podcast for special interest and our Fintech Germany made it up to No 72 in the iTunes Business Charts of Qatar. Thank you!

Now there is

💢 Fintech Germany by Startuprad.io iTunes: http://apple.co/2lLRlpG Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2m8HWsb💢 Security Sutra by Startuprad.ioiTunes: https://apple.co/2K0qLlHSpotify: https://spoti.fi/33rrlAD💢 Deeptech GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2oWO3Sl Spotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8💢 Blockchain GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2O2jwLxSpotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8Find all the links we are talking about, as well as the show notes on our website https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-november-2019/

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Welcome to This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups, our startup news wrap-up for December 2022 by Startuprad.io with Chris from New York City and Joe from Frankfurt. We recorded this news episode on December 19th, 2022. Keep in mind, this news episode covers everything since our last news episode.

As always: All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode, which will be January 2023, the first news for 2023. Guys, another year is over! Find all links to the quoted news on our Medium blog, link below

Our Highlights:

Enpal makes huge fundraising in the current environment, more than 800 mn €. Sennder doubles its valuation in the next funding round to 2 bn US$ and has already 60 mn commitments. The funding environment may be bleak, but investors announced new funds for VC and PE investments worth 3.1 bn US$ targeting startups and scaleups in GSA or Europe. One blog asks if the time of Rocket Internet is over, Matter Labs raises 200 mn, a big heist drives a startup into insolvency and Getir buys Gorillas for 1,2 bn US$, a far cry from Gorillas' former 3 bn US$ valuation.

Let's talk startups:

Top News

Enpal Fundraising

Enpal could double its valuation in the new funding round. Berlin-based unicorn Enpal closes €855 million in debt funding to accelerate the adoption of solar energy.

Sennder Raises New Funds At Double Valuation

Digital forwarder unicorn Sennder is raising new money, at a 2 bn US$ valuation. According to the report, they already have 60m commitments.

Fundraising For VCs Went Quite Well - More Than 3.1 bn Euros Worth of New Investment Funds Have Been Closed

The largest is EQT Ventures. It has Money if your startup needs it: EQT Ventures III closes Europe's largest venture capital fund committed to early-stage tech startups. The money will go to early-stage startups in Europe and North America. For more funds, wait for our later section with new fund announcements.

A service for our audience: Learn more and send in pitches here: https://eqtgroup.com/current-portfolio/funds/eqt-ventures-iii

Has Rocket Internet Already Seen Its Best Years?

"Mucho trouble over at Rocket Internet," wrote Robin Wauters in his readworthy newsletter for Tech.eu. The article asks if their era is over. Staff cuts and investment stop point in that direction.

Startup Brand Ranking

Jung von Matt publishes their annual GERMAN STARTUP BRAND RANKING

Some of the top 50 startup brands are known from our news: About You, Flink, Numa Group, getquin, Vivid, Flaschenpost, Tier Mobility, Zolar, Enpal, Sono Motors, Trade Republic

Matter Labs raises 200 mn US$

Matter Labs, the Berlin, Germany-based developer of zkSync, a solution that reduces the cost of Ethereum transactions, raised $200M in Series C funding https://buff.ly/3UorChp

Not Oceans Eleven, But Still BIG

Berlin-based luxury watch marketplace Watchmaster was one of the largest marketplaces of its kind. After a spectacular robbery where 10 m € worth of watches have been stolen the company has to file for insolvency https://buff.ly/3Fi3qsG

Getir Buys Gorillas And It Is Not Going Well For the Gorillas Founder

First, this kind of news appeared: Getir will take over Gorillas soon - according to press reports. The negotiations have been dragging on for some time now.

Then, we got the confirmation: Getir acquires German competitor Gorillas in $1.2 billion deal - where Gorillas was once valued at 3 bn US$

Housekeeping & Time to Brag

We will be back in the new year 2023 with the first new episode towards the end of January, as far as we can tell right now. Our schedule got a bit screwed up. Sorry!

Joe got featured on TopTierStartups.com: Want To Know About German-Language Startups? Joe Menninger Is Your Guy | https://buff.ly/3gJtbZB

Oh, one more thing: We got our wrap-up from Spotify and it turns out that we are in the global top 5% of most shared podcasts on Spotify. Thank you audience!

News Links and Show Notes on our Medium Blog:

https://medium.com/@startuprad_io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-december-2022-wrap-up-3dbea94ff37

Mentioned in this episode:

Startupraven.com

The best way to identify investors and cooperation partners for early-stage ...

Welcome to Startup News Roundup: December 2024 Highlights & Key Insights, where we dive deep into the vibrant world of startups across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This episode delivers a comprehensive look at the latest developments, highlighting the most impactful stories, trends, and investments shaping the startup landscape.

What’s Inside?

• Top News Stories:
  • Black Forest Lab's Billion-Dollar Valuation: Discover how this Karlsruhe-based AI innovator is revolutionizing the global tech scene.
  • Upvest’s €100 Million Investment Round: Learn why this fintech powerhouse is Germany's largest funding success story in 2024.
  • Wefox's Resilience: Insights into the Berlin-based insurtech’s survival strategy amid challenging market conditions.
• Emerging Trends:
  • The rise of green tech startups with groundbreaking solutions like carbon-to-bioplastics conversion.
  • The continued growth of AI-driven enterprises and their pivotal role in transforming Europe’s economic landscape.
  • Pan-European startup initiatives fostering cross-border innovation and regulatory harmonization.
• Funding and Investments:
  • A total of €2.5 billion in new funding raised across the region this month, including major contributions from Northvolt and focused energy startups.
  • New VC funds worth over €1 billion, setting the stage for continued innovation in 2025.
• Regional Spotlights:
  • Germany: Success stories from Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt startups paving the way for the next unicorns.
  • Austria: Rising stars like Wood_Space securing 8-figure investments for sustainable building solutions.
  • Switzerland: Groundbreaking biotech partnerships, including a $300 million agreement by Cimeio.

Exclusive Insights:

Hear from Jörn “Joe” Menninger and Christian “Chris” Fahrenbach as they analyze the biggest stories and provide expert commentary on what these developments mean for entrepreneurs, investors, and the broader startup ecosystem.

Resources:

• Original Blog Post
• Work With Us
• Subscribe to Startuprad.io
• Leave Feedback

Call to Action:

Stay ahead of the curve by subscribing to Startup News Roundup on Spotify and your favorite podcast platforms. Don’t forget to leave a review and share your thoughts on social media to join the conversation!

As a developer ... I want to work on a feature... and if I make a security relevant mistake, I have to get a report, but not disturbed in my workflow.

Janosch Maier, CPO Crashtest Security

The founderIn this interview, Joe from Startuprad.io talks to Janosch Maier (https://www.linkedin.com/in/janoschmaier/), CPO and Co-Founder of Munich-based Crashtest Security (https://crashtest-security.com/) a cybersecurity startup. Crashtest security helps to scan web applications for know vulnerabilities, so automated hacks can not be successful.

Crashtest security is part of focus this year of Munich-based entrepreneurs. The recording was done before Corona really struck.

Janosch has a bachelor’s in computer sciences, with a minor in education. During the interview, he tells us the story of how he met a US-based hacker in Uganda and how this puts him on track to start his company.

Don’t use software, that isn’t supported anymore. You open yourself for attackers.

Janosch Maier, CPO Crashtest Security

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Startup in need of a bank account? Try our partner Penta http://bit.ly/3bdHX3d

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The Startup

The Startup Crashtest Security is based in the center of Munich. (https://www.linkedin.com/company/crashtest-security/, https://crashtest-security.com/, https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/crashtest-security

The startup has a Software as a Service security tester. In order to use it, you need to sign up and enter the details of your website and the penetration test starts. If Crashtest Security finds a vulnerability they let you know how they got in. For these tests, they use know vulnerabilities, open-source tools, and their proprietary know-how.

You can imagine our tool as an online virus scanner for known vulnerabilities.

Janosch Maier, CPO Crashtest Security

The Video Interview is set to go live on April 9th 15.00 CET (10 am East Coast Time, 14.00 London)https://youtu.be/CzcKlRKI6cc

FundingCrashtest Security is currently financed by business angels, but they may be looking for capital soon. Reach out to us, we will connect you to the team.

Further Readings / Additional Resources

Hackers for Charity: https://www.hackersforcharity.org/about-us/

Uganda: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda

Worth visiting due to the national parks (just some examples here)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bwindi_Impenetrable_National_Parkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_National_ParkFind more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:National_parks_of_UgandaDuring the interview, we talk about ETH Zurich. Albert Einstein or John von Neumann studied there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETH_Zurich

FeedbackReach out to us, here is our audience survey, to give us feedback, suggest topics, interview partners or just to say “Hallo!” https://forms.gle/mLV6mVKwGwKuut8BA

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