Carsten Coesfeld

Startup Insider has released the German "Investoren-Report 2024," featuring an interview with EQT Ventures. 🇩🇪 Link in comments. What's your top advice for startup founders currently fundraising or aspiring VC investors? Doreen Huber, Partner EQT Ventures: "Stay resilient, cultivate relationships, and prioritize delivering tangible value. Adopt a learning mindset, welcome feedback, and glean insights from setbacks. Furthermore, build a diverse team that both strengthens and challenges your abilities. Remember to prioritize your well-being and stay connected to your purpose, as it will guide you through challenging times."  💪

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Another small step...    ...towards closing the #growthfinancing gap in DACH. I am really excited to announce that we raised €200m for our inaugural Armira Growth Fund I.    We are beyond thankful for all the trust and support received from our investors and existing portfolio firms osapiens, Wemolo, Workwise, and yoummday. This would not have been possible without our stellar team at Armira Growth and the broader Armira family that has supported our mission from day 1 across all dimensions (#NextGenGP).    Why should you as a scale up founder consider to partner with us?   ➢ As a small entrepreneurial team, we can move fast and deliver on our handshakes, from investment all the way through exit,  ➢ We will only back a few handpicked companies investing €10-50m each, and therefore have the bandwidth to support you every step of the way, with a true minority partnership mindset,  ➢ Our sparring across all strategic and tactical dimensions leverages a wealth of experience on what has proven effective (and more importantly what has not), and,   ➢ We provide unparalleled access to the #GermanMittelstand with our unique investor base of more than 100 entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial families.    We cannot wait to support the next generation of (not so) hidden #TechChampions and jointly shape many more entrepreneurial success stories! Florian Tappeiner Sebastian Johnston Max Berkemeier Anna Schulte Max Ammon Pieter Timmerman Tessa Bottenschein Sophie Mößmer Marco Giazzi Björn Thieme

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https://lnkd.in/emRQNxz7 An insightful article by Winand von Petersdorff-Campen in FAZ discusses why America is outpacing Europe economically. The key takeaway: America's dynamic labor market and productivity gains have been vital for its quicker recovery. This reinforces our perspective in Real Estate Investment & Development, where we observe a disparate development favoring the American market due to significantly stronger demand drivers. This trend aligns with our strategic focus and bolsters our growth prospects in the U.S. By the end of last year, the U.S. had fully recovered from the pandemic, while the Eurozone's GDP was 5% below trend, the UK was 6% behind, and Canada was 4% behind. Alarmingly, growth trends in Europe and Canada have weakened, suggesting these economies may never fully recover from the pandemic's impact. Here are the main points: U.S. Economic Outperformance: America has recovered from the pandemic faster than most industrial nations, including Germany. Key Difference: Higher productivity and longer working hours by American workers. Federal Reserve Study Insights: o  Traditional factors like government spending explain differences only partially. o  U.S. avoided deep recession due to a dynamic labor market, unlike Europe which used measures like short-time work to keep unemployment low initially. o  Europe's rigid employment policies hindered adaptation to new economic conditions. o  U.S. saw a surge in new business formations post-pandemic, while Europe lagged. Central Bank Policies: Although central banks in the U.S. and Europe raised interest rates nearly simultaneously since 2022, the impact varied. In the U.S., higher rates didn't affect many citizens and businesses due to fixed-rate mortgages and loans, and a lower reliance on bank credit. In contrast, Canadians and Europeans felt the impact more, yet this still doesn't fully explain the growth gap. Policy Impacts: The Ukraine war and slow EU funding approval impacted Europe more severely.  

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💸 ➡️ 🧠 Time to dive back into some REAL work, after a fun week chasing LP in Berlin. Look forward to connecting with AI experts, founders, and corporates to discuss "Autonomous Transformation" for legacy industries. #ai #automaton #aisummit

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The Importance of a Strategic Approach to M&A Target Selection: Ensuring Long-Term Success   By Thomas Kessler  Managing Partner at Integration Success GmbH and Atlantic M&A Partners | Pioneer in AI and M&A Integrations | #MergersAndAcquisitions #StrategicAlignment #ExecutiveEngagement 💡🤝   The target selection process in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is critical to the success of any transaction. Here are the six core steps to ensure your company finds the right partner and generates sustainable value:   First, identify the strategic needs of your company. A thorough strategic analysis reveals where your company stands and what capabilities or resources may augment your positioning to achieve your long-term goals. This analysis forms the foundation for finding the right acquisition target.   Second, define a precise profile for the potential acquisition target. Ensure the candidate is not only financially attractive but also a good cultural and operational fit for your company. Clear criteria help to select the best options and streamline the selection process.   Third, identify a competent deal team. The skills and experience of your team are crucial to the success of the transaction. From due diligence to integration, you need experts in finance, law, tax, HR, technology, operations and change management.   Fourth, evaluate the post-acquisition value. Identify value drivers and associated synergies and strategize how you may realize them. This includes optimizing processes, accessing new markets, and leveraging technological innovations.   Fifth, identify potential issues and barriers as early as possible. These include regulatory hurdles, cultural differences, and operational challenges. A proactive approach to problem-solving minimizes risks and prevents unexpected costs.   Sixth, develop a clear end-state vision for the integration of the target. A detailed integration plan ensures that all stakeholders work towards the same goal. The vision should include both short-term and long-term perspectives and provide a roadmap for implementation.   Answering these questions before moving forward with a target is essential to ensure the transaction's success and create long-term value.   What are your experiences in selecting acquisition targets? What challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them? Share your thoughts in the comments! 💡   #MergersAndAcquisitions #StrategicAlignment #CorporateStrategy #BusinessGrowth #Leadership

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"Investing in top VC funds is like getting into Berghain." 🚀 Key Takeaways from the 2024 VC Report for DACH 👇 ✅Germany saw $6.9 billion VC funding in 2023, led by sectors like #robotics and #climate tech. ✅Despite a global downturn, the #DACH region VC market remained resilient. ✅#Cleantech and #AI received significant attention, notably through major funding rounds like Atlas Agro and Aleph Alpha. ✅IPOs may re-emerge in 2024, offering potential exits. The report provides detailed insights and trends for navigating Germany in 2024 successfully. 📈 🌐 For a deeper dive into these insights check out the full Report by Startup Insider: https://lnkd.in/gE-EgjFv #Tech #Investment #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Germany #Austria #Switzerland #StartupInsider sparksense

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🚀#OMR highlights the push for #Transparency in #PrivateEquity    The OMR Conference features a panel discussing the increasing efforts to make the private equity sector more transparent and accessible. Panelists including Laura Schroeder Schröder from KKR, Lorenz Jüngling from Moonfare, and Georgia Hädicke explored themes covered in the session titled "Private Equity for the Masses – A Closed Industry Opens Up."    The focus on enhancing the visibility and accessibility of private equity, supported by both industry leaders and media, reflects a significant shift towards greater openness in the sector. This commitment is echoed by recent initiatives like our #PECConference, which also emphasized transparency in private equity. Laura Schröder's participation at both events highlights her prominent role in advocating for these changes.    Let's continue to make private equity more approachable and transparent! This is an exciting time to push the boundaries and set new standards!    #OMRConference #PrivateEquity #IndustryInnovation #Transparency

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🎙️Podcast alert: Had a great catch-up with Kai on 🤝𝑪𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒍🤝 this week (🇩🇪) After our first session last year, we again talked about the latest developments in the SaaS and M&A market. Topics we've covered: ➡️ Our approach with saas.group, ➡️ Where we stand and what our goals are, ➡️ Current SaaS and M&A market trends, ➡️ How to properly value a SaaS business, ➡️ Role of AI in SaaS and M&A, ➡️ And more... You can check it out on all relevant podcast platforms. Links to Spotify and Apple below: 🟢 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gn8RaVpD 🟣 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/g3kBWSBW Enjoy listening! 🙌 @ Kai, Anja + team: Thanks again for having me. Happy to speak again next year and see how good or bad my predictions were.

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Sharing a few thoughts from my annual migration for #SuperReturn #SuperVenture in Berlin. 1) This continues to be the best VC/LP/PE event annually. Many are at the conferences, and almost everyone has a representative in town. Any managers or LPs not in attendance should consider it next year. 2) The European emerging manager scene is on fire. I met with almost a dozen, some old friends, some new, all as sophisticated as their US counterparts with thoughtful strategies and impressive growing portfolios. 3) Europe lacks the concentration that SF provides the US. Many startup hubs, some larger, but everyone in Europe is spending way more time on planes than their US counterparts. 4) Nobody knows where the market is going, and fundraising has been tougher in the last 18 months than before, but most agree a lot of money is still being put into the venture ecosystem. That's resulting in a return to deal pace & valuation acceleration -- is FOMO back? TBD 5) In an ironic twist, there seems to be strong interest from US LPs in European managers, and from European LPs in US managers. What did you see? What interested you this year? Welcome thoughts. P.S. the conference logistics were tough this year. To all those that shared the burden, thank you. Let's hope next year is better. cc: Dale Chang Stephan Eberle Patrick Murphy Carmen Alfonso Rico 🍫Jaime Novoa Sebastian Blum Paul Pruijmboom Jasper Masemann Marie Schildt David York Lior Litwak Karey Barker Maximilian Claussen Ameer Awadiyeh Jonathan Heiliger Oana O. Philipp Moehring

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I firmly believe in Europe. Peter Brors, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Handelsblatt, and I discussed some of the most pressing issues and opportunities facing Europe. Looking at the European economy right now, I feel a strong sense of urgency to heighten our ambition levels and leverage the tech-enabled transformative potential of the most crucial sectors. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation: 1. Innovation and AI Europe’s top-tier AI research, exemplified by Mistral AI in France, showcases our digital transformation and economic growth potential. With their AI-driven defense technologies, companies like Helsing demonstrate how advanced tech can safeguard our democratic values. Communicating the benefits of AI effectively is crucial to alleviate public fears and ensure long-term competitiveness. 2. European Resilience Sectors that pose the greatest need for systemic change: climate and energy, industrials, defense, and security. These areas are where tech-enabled transformation can have a significant and lasting impact. Enhancing critical infrastructures and controlling key elements of future value chains is essential. Despite high energy costs and global competition, Germany's renowned innovation capability can re-establish value chains in new growth sectors like electronics, semiconductors, and batteries – and attract top-tier talent. We have seen time and time again that the future starts with founders. Let’s pave the way for them. 3. Beyond Bureaucracy We need to shift our focus from debates centered on prohibitions and regulations to a clear vision for our future. As a society and entrepreneurs, we should contribute to shaping a collective ambition for Europe. Key areas for immediate focus include commercializing our research, strengthening energy and defense resilience, and reducing bureaucratic hurdles for businesses. 4. Optimism for the Future Echoing George Bernard Shaw, progress relies on those who challenge the status quo. Our "unreasonable" entrepreneurs in Germany and Europe are the catalysts for future advancements. Let's embrace these opportunities and work together towards a thriving European future! 🇪🇺

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Come and join us at Impact Days this week! The Relevant Ventures Team and I are contributing to two sessions: 1) On Thursday 6th (16h15-17h15) we facilitate a conversation on how to direct entrepreneurial energy and investment finance to the blind spots: the people, places and topics that markets neglect. Too often, the businesses that really matter - the ones solving the most pressing problems in the most challenging circumstances - are the ones that struggle most, especially with access to finance. What's more, there are many businesses that should exist, but don't. Let's discuss how to change that! We will share learnings from the first four years of piloting a refugee enterprise finance platform in Uganda, as well as our vision for a "humanitarian venture studio" to ideate, incubate, and scale businesses to address humanitarian and planetary crisis. 2) On Friday 7th (9h-12h) we will participate in the Deep Dive Session at Impact Hub Vienna on Entrepreneurial Approaches in Philanthropy and NGOs, where we will contribute learnings from our 10+ years of experience working with NGOs and philanthropists internationally on enterprise and investment solutions for impact. The Deep Dive format is a fantastic occasion to include many perspectives and delve into difficult and sometimes controversial issues that are rarely discussed. We'd like to bring up two in particular: (i) A tendency for donor prescriptiveness on methods / strategy, and (ii) an infatuation with "innovation as novelty" in our community as a whole. New is not always better, and especially in the enterprise field untested often means risky, which in the end means higher impact risk first-and-foremost. Come and join!! With Jana Krajcovicova and Gregor Riss.

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Great to see what Jan Thomas and his team at Startup Insider did with the new Investors Report 2024 for the DACH region! Anyone who wants to learn more about the German #venturecapital ecosystem and its investors, go get the report: https://lnkd.in/ehiVqmX6

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🚀 Exciting times ahead for the Private Equity industry! 🏦💼 Next week, the global leaders in private equity will gather at the leading industry trade fair in Berlin. Despite the challenging environment reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis, there are glimmers of hope with Germany producing some notable deals. 🇩🇪✨ In the past three months, several significant private equity transactions have taken place in Germany, underscoring the sector's resilience and adaptability: 1. Trade Republic Bank secured a massive €900 million funding round from TCV and Thrive Capital, highlighting the continued interest in fintech. 📈💰 2. Birkenstock was acquired by L Catterton, marking a significant move in the consumer goods sector. 👞 3. FairDoctors, a healthcare provider, was taken over by Ergon Capital, indicating robust activity in the health sector. 🏥 4. Gegenbauer, a facility management provider, was sold to Apleona, supported by KPMG's advisory services. 🏢 5. Corpuls, a medical technology manufacturer, was acquired by Nordic Capital, showcasing interest in emergency medical technology. 🚑 These transactions reflect the dynamism and strategic maneuvering within the private equity landscape in Germany, proving that despite global economic pressures, there are still valuable opportunities to be seized. Join the conversation at the Berlin trade fair to delve deeper into these trends and network with industry leaders. 🌐🤝 #PrivateEquity #Investment #BerlinTradeFair #FinancialGrowth #EconomicTrends #GermanyDeals #FAZ

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#fundingalert 💼Company: SmartLoC - Smart Letter of Credit 💰Funding: €1.8 Million ⚡Round: New Round 👥Investors: HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Loggerhead Ventures, Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft Sachsen mbH and several business angels. SmartLoC is a pioneering startup focused on developing a modern and fully digital B2B payment solution tailored for international trade. Leveraging advanced #technologies such as IoT, blockchain and AI, it aims to streamline and digitize the process of cross-border transactions, empowering businesses with a seamless, secure, and efficient payment platform. It’s innovative cloud platform aims to streamline and digitize the #cumbersome process of B2B payments in international trade, providing businesses with a seamless, secure, and efficient solution to manage cross-border transactions. Britta Balden, Martin Möllmann, Evangelos Kosmidis, Rajesh Kaul, Britta Balden, Alessandro Vaglini, Thomas Kuhlke, Stelios Ntouvos Read more - https://lnkd.in/gKZ4GXmC To share your startup story write us on - contact@startuprise.co.uk #SmartLoC #blockchain #B2Bpayment #IoT #AI #fundingnews #news #startup #startupnews #startuprise

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Obviously still some room to grow for the German & EU-VC/Startup-Ecosystem! Important sidenote: Whereas these charts look "bad" at first sight and should motivate all of us to further improve the German and EU-system, let's not forget that "less capital in the market" also correlates a lot with "attractive investment terms for the ones that are investing" - so likely investing in German/EU startups / grownups and funds will continue to provide a more attractive return than standing with 100 peers in a long queue in a potentially exagerated US/Chinese-funding round (and e.g. the FoF EIF-data from Bjorn Tremmerie et al seems to prove that assumption). (Ulrike Hinrichs; Verena Pausder; Christoph J. Stresing; Anna Christmann; Anna Alex; David Wortmann; Thomas Jarzombek; Holger Clemens Hinz, CEFA ...)

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supersummit#1: New speaker announcement 🚀 We are in the last steps of finalizing the agenda for our very first #supersummit & happily share more of our awesome #superspeakers with you: 🌟Juliane Hahn / Founding Partner Signature Ventures: Juliane is Founding Partner of Signature Ventures, a highly successful fund specialized in backing Web3 startups. Juliane, a lawyer by education and with several years of experience in a top notch law firm, has extensive experience as a Venture Capital investor, always following a founder-centric approach. With Signature Ventures, Juliane & her team are the first to back the outstanding teams that build the backbone of the decentralized future💡 🌟 Dr. Moritz Kübel / Entrepreneur & Founding Partner/CEO Perpetual Investors: Moritz, being a successful entrepreneur himself, is founding partner and CEO of Perpetual, the endowment-style investment office associated to the Wilsdorf family. Targeting the long-term, Perpetual invests broadly into private markets and also supports European tech scale-ups with growth capital (e.g. sennder, HiBob, Copado, HomeToGo) and invites great entrepreneurs to manage their wealth alongside the iconic family. Perpetual is also a proud sponsor of our first #supersummit 🙏🏼 🌟 Sonia Amend / Investment & Partner Manager EWOR:  Sonia is spotting the startups of tomorrow for EWOR, an entrepreneurship university and talent investment fund, supporting the rising stars of the tech space. With a background in healthcare, she worked in healthcare consulting & in the health tech startup space, before joining EWOR. Sonia is also an accredited dentist and has always been excited about the combination of healthcare & latest tech innovation, writing her doctoral thesis on the use of AI in dentistry 🤩 We are #superexcited to have such a unique lineup of speakers with so many different backgrounds and can’t wait to hear their diverse perspectives & insights about investing & supporting the startups of tomorrow 💥🍒 We do have a few tickets left for founders & investors (startup tickets are SOLD OUT), so if you still want to grab one…reach out to one of our superangels (Franzi Majer, Florian Gottschaller, Alexander Brand) and we will send you a personal invitation link 😇 #networking #startups #investors #businessangels #investwiththebest #superangels #entrepreneurs #innovation #speakers #techstartups #supersummit 🌟Anna Alex, Manuel Bönisch, Rudy Rüdiger Fajen, Marc Schuler, Florian Huber, Matthias Helfrich, Christoph Zoeller, Conny Hörl, Raffaela Rein, Sebastian Johnston, Björn Jopen, Stefan Menden, Jan Dzulko, Prof. Dr. Roland Fassauer, Dr.-Ing. Claudia Nagel, Martin Ostermayer, Volker Rofalski, Marc Müller, Hanna Marie Asmussen, Katja Ruhnke, Johannis Hatt 🌟

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Last year, we invested in Viktoria Lindner and Leonie Ellerbrock from Mindsurance through Robin Capital. Today, we are excited to announce our rebranding to Bloom and introduce our product and modules to the global market. The incidence of illness is rising, and we face a workforce shortage. Leave management is becoming increasingly critical, yet Europe lacks a comprehensive solution. While the U.S. has platforms like Cocoon, backed by prominent firms such as Index, Firstmark, and others, Europe has been without a similar innovation—until now. I am thrilled that we are launching this venture, poised to grow into a significant company. Congratulations to Viki, Leonie, and the entire Bloom team! Bloom's commitment to growth, transformation, and nurturing potential sets it apart. Let’s delve deeper into their unique approach: Health Commitment: As global health challenges intensify, Bloom's mission focuses on improving health management systems. Empowerment: Bloom equips organizations and their leaders with the knowledge to understand the impacts of #sickleave and #absenteeism on business performance. They provide tools for enhanced transparency and early predictions, empowering proactive management and instilling confidence in the future. Simplification: Bloom is dedicated to simplifying processes associated with leave, absence, and occupational #health management, ultimately enhancing the employee experience. World-Class EAP: Bloom provides a customizable Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that ensures access to high-quality healthcare services. Compliance and Empowerment: Bloom assists HR professionals and decision-makers keep up-to-date and compliant with labor and safety regulations. Bloom’s initiatives are focused on advancing workplace health management through innovative and supportive solutions.

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“The impact label provides a fundraising advantage in the current market.” …Really enjoyed debating this motion yesterday, alongside my fantastic fellow ‘pro’ team member Mark Berryman – and Dr. Katharina Sommerrock and Andreas Nilsson as our very impressive ‘opposition’ – at PEI’s Impact Investor Global Summit. Over the past two decades we’ve seen a revolution in the way investors think about #impact. It’s now one of the fastest-growing areas of the investment world – not least because it’s increasingly well aligned with some of the biggest #growth trends in the global economy. We were pleased to ‘win’ yesterday’s debate. But the real challenge lies ahead: in channelling more capital towards building a more sustainable, more inclusive economy. Identifying and explaining the #opportunities created by this transition will be vital in achieving that. Many thanks to Heike Schmitz for ably moderating. I look forward to more such debates in the future! #ImpactInvestorGlobalSummit #IISG2024 | PEI | Boris Petrovic

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Our close collaboration with other VCs in our network is going into the next round. 🥊 Dina Mehulić and I are hosting today another workshop around the topic of storytelling and how founders can shape their narrative for their startups, but especially during pitching their businesses to investors. Did you know that there are 4 storytelling formats for your fundraising? You can tell the... 1️⃣ Industry Story: A story of WHAT you offer and how it impacts the whole industry 2️⃣ Origin Story: A story of WHO you are and how the company began 3️⃣ Purpose Story: A story of alignment and inspiring people to take action 4️⃣ Customer Story: A story of the customer's journey and how you improve it This session is part of Fil Rouge Capital's accelerator program and is exclusively done for the selected startups that are part of the program this year. We are already looking forward to hosting the session tonight and seeing the amazing pitches from the founders 🚀 Thanks for the collaboration Aleš Pustovrh and Sonja Žigić #storytelling #pitching #accelerator

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