Go-to-Germany Stories

Wyngs

Go-to-Germany-Stories is the podcast dedicated to expanding into the German market. Andrea Vaugan interviews entrepreneurs, country managers and other international expansion experts to discuss their most important learnings, successes, failures and much more. Through frank and open conversations, we offer all those involved in the exciting process of internationalisation concrete advice on how to successfully launch their business in international markets. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  1. #23 - Christian Bergius - How Ecotree Adapted Its French Green Model for the German Market

    FEB 5

    #23 - Christian Bergius - How Ecotree Adapted Its French Green Model for the German Market

    When a green business model doesn’t translate across borders, adaptation becomes everything. In this episode of Go-to-Germany Stories, Andrea Vaugan talks with Christian Bergius, Country Director Germany at Ecotree, about adapting their French sustainability model to the German market. Christian shares why EcoTree had to move away from copy-paste expansion, how local ecosystem needs and customer conversations reshaped the offer, and what it takes to build a country operation with limited resources while staying aligned with HQ. 🎧 You’ll learn: Why Germany requires local sustainability projects How market feedback drives real adaptation What to prioritize when opening a new market 👉 A concise, practical take on localization and scaling sustainability in Germany. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    37 min
  2. #22 Special Episode - French Tech Germany Awards 2025

    12/16/2025

    #22 Special Episode - French Tech Germany Awards 2025

    In this special episode of Go to Germany Stories, host Andrea Vaugan sits down with the French Tech Düsseldorf team and the winners of the French Tech Germany Awards 2025 to explore what it really takes to build, invest, and scale across the Franco-German border. This episode brings together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders who share their firsthand experience of expanding to Germany — from early market entry to long-term growth. 🎤 Guests in this episode: Adrien Serres & Cyril Catel – French Tech Düsseldorf 🏆 Yun Luo (CEO, ROSi) – Best French-German GreenTech Startup 🏆 Pierre Saudin (CEO, Paire) – Best Breakthrough DeepTech Startup 🏆 David Erhun (Startup Success, XAnge) – Best VC / Investor 🏆 Céline Bayer (CTO, Lemonway) – Best Woman in Tech 💡 Topics covered: ✔️ Expanding a startup to Germany ✔️ Building trust in the German market ✔️ Differences between French and German business cultures ✔️ Scaling teams and operations cross-border ✔️ The role of VCs in European growth ✔️ Why Franco-German cooperation is a strategic advantage This episode is also special for the host: Andrea Vaugan received the Best Woman in Tech Award last year and is proud to return this year to spotlight the next generation of leaders shaping the Franco-German tech ecosystem. 🎧 Subscribe to Go to Germany Stories for more real stories about international expansion, European tech, and cross-border growth. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    48 min
  3. #21 Besart Shala - Breaking Through Germany’s Banking Fortress: The IbanFirst Story

    12/11/2025

    #21 Besart Shala - Breaking Through Germany’s Banking Fortress: The IbanFirst Story

    How do you win trust and business in one of Europe’s most conservative markets? In this episode of Go to Germany Stories, Andrea Vaugan sits down with Besart Shala, Country Manager for Germany at Ibanfirst, to explore how Ibanfirst has built a strong presence in Germany, now accounting for 10% of the company’s global revenue. We discuss the “sales secret sauce” behind their growth, how to break through the walls of a traditional banking market, and why everything had to happen in German rather than English. From building a local team and culture from scratch to earning trust through personal connections (and even football!), this episode offers an honest, behind-the-scenes look at scaling a fintech across borders. 🎧 You’ll learn: Why trust and proximity are key in Germany’s B2B landscape How to build a local culture that still feels connected to HQ The balance between autonomy, ownership, and alignment Lessons for every startup expanding into conservative markets 👉 Tune in to hear how Ibanfirst turned a tough market into one of its biggest success stories. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    48 min
  4. #20 Marek Kraus - Winning in Germany’s HR Tech Market: How Lucca took on the competition

    11/20/2025

    #20 Marek Kraus - Winning in Germany’s HR Tech Market: How Lucca took on the competition

    In this episode of Go-to-Germany Stories, host Andrea Vaugan sits down with Marek Kraus, Country Manager Germany at Lucca, the French HR software company breaking into one of Europe’s toughest markets. Marek shares how Lucca combined rigorous preparation, thoughtful localization, and cultural awareness to build real traction in Germany — from adapting product features to small but telling choices in communication, like whether to say “Du” or “Sie.” They discuss how to build a resilient local team, turn sales enablement into a true growth driver, and strengthen cross-border collaboration between the local and HQ teams. A must-listen for anyone expanding into Germany and looking for practical lessons on focus, differentiation, and cultural authenticity. Marek Kraus has been active in the HR tech industry since 2013 and has held senior positions at companies such as Sage, Lessor (now Infoniqa), Compleet, and Bullhorn. Prior to that, he spent nearly a decade at Microsoft. Today, he is dedicated to driving Lucca’s dynamic growth in Germany – with innovative HR and finance solutions tailored to the evolving needs of modern businesses. Lucca designs user-friendly HR and finance software that simplifies everyday work for employees and HR teams. Founded in 2002 in Paris, the company serves more than 8,700 clients and over one million users across 130 countries. Lucca’s modular solutions cover core HR processes such as leave management, time tracking, and expense reporting — all designed with usability, data security, and local compliance in mind. With its Munich office, Lucca continues to expand its footprint in the German market. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    40 min
  5. #19 Philipp Wegmann - Signicat - How to Build an International Go to Market Engine That Scales Beyond Year One

    10/09/2025

    #19 Philipp Wegmann - Signicat - How to Build an International Go to Market Engine That Scales Beyond Year One

    Welcome back to Go-to-Germany Stories! Season 4 opens with host Andrea Vaugan and Philipp Wegmann, Country Manager Germany at Signicat, exploring what it takes to build a true “growth engine” when entering the German market. Philipp shares first-hand lessons from his journey: how to set the right goals and prove traction early, why sales readiness is essential before scaling, and how regulatory milestones can be turned into compelling events. They also discuss assembling the right team, raising brand awareness in a crowded space, and navigating intercultural differences when Scandinavian and German business cultures meet. A must-listen for anyone preparing to expand into new markets and looking for a blueprint to build sustainable growth from day one. Philipp Wegmann is Country Manager Germany at Signicat, a European leader in digital identity solutions. With more than 15 years of experience in sales, business development, and product management, he has worked across industries from engineering and electronics to digital identity. Before joining Signicat, Philipp headed partnerships at IDnow and held leadership roles at companies including Panasonic and Truma, where he focused on building local teams, establishing brand presence, and driving sustainable growth. Building on this experience, he now leads Signicat’s expansion in Germany and positions the company for long-term success in a highly regulated market. https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-wegmann-0a11ba157/ Signicat is Europe’s leading provider of digital identity solutions. We help businesses establish trust in the digital world - from secure onboarding and authentication to advanced electronic signatures. Our solutions are eIDAS and AML compliant and support more than 35 electronic identity methods. Thousands of organizations across Europe trust Signicat to deliver seamless and secure digital identity experiences. https://www.signicat.com https://wyngs.co Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    47 min
  6. #18 Eva Katernberg - Eva Worldwide - Why outsourcing translation to a professional will make your team happy

    11/08/2024

    #18 Eva Katernberg - Eva Worldwide - Why outsourcing translation to a professional will make your team happy

    In this episode, Andrea Vaugan interviews Eva Katernberg, a localization specialist and translator. They discuss the importance of localization and the differences between translation, localization, and transcreation. Eva explains that localization involves not only translating content but also adapting it culturally, including numbers, images, and cultural references. Transcreation, on the other hand, focuses on creative translation, especially for slogans and marketing campaigns. They emphasize the importance of hiring a professional translator who is a native speaker and has cultural expertise. They also discuss the benefits of outsourcing translation work and the potential risks of relying on internal employees who may not have the necessary skills or cultural understanding. #localization #translation #transcreation #culturaladaptation #professionaltranslator #outsourcing Key takeaways - Localization involves not only translation but also cultural adaptation of content. - Transcreation is a form of creative translation, often used for slogans and marketing campaigns. - Hiring a professional translator with cultural expertise is crucial for accurate and effective localization. - Outsourcing translation work to a specialized translator is recommended for quality and consistency. - Relying on internal employees for translation may result in inaccurate and poorly adapted content. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:59 Understanding Localization and Transcreation 07:52 The Importance of Localization for the German Market 11:47 Challenges and Benefits of Professional Translation 23:17 When to Outsource and Risks of Internal Translation 27:45 Final Thoughts and Conclusion Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    33 min
  7. #17 Tim Rath - Yoyaba - How to successfully grow a startup brand and drive growth in the German market w/ Tim Rath Yoyaba

    10/17/2024

    #17 Tim Rath - Yoyaba - How to successfully grow a startup brand and drive growth in the German market w/ Tim Rath Yoyaba

    Andrea Vaugan interviews Tim Rath, the founder of Yoyaba, a leading B2B tech SaaS growth agency in the German market. They discuss how to approach the German market and the critical steps to launch a brand successfully. They emphasize the importance of mindset, market differences, and mechanics in the process and also highlight the need for thorough research, understanding the target market's pain points, and adapting the creative strategy to fit the local culture. They discuss the challenges of convincing investors and stakeholders to prioritize warming up the market over immediate revenue goals. They also touch on the key elements of building a European brand, such as formality, task-oriented communication, reliability, and transparency in data handling. They conclude by discussing the importance of personal interactions and offline events, especially for reaching the German Mittelstand (SMBs). Takeaways - Approaching the German market requires a specific mindset, understanding market differences, and implementing the right mechanics. - Thorough research and understanding of the target market's pain points are crucial for success. - Adapting the creative strategy to fit the local culture is essential for building a European brand. - Warming up the market and establishing trust before focusing on revenue goals is important, even if it requires convincing investors and stakeholders. - Personal interactions and offline events play a significant role in reaching the German Mittelstand. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:15 Approaching the German Market 09:17 Thorough Research and Understanding of Pain Points 18:35 Adapting the Creative Strategy for a European Brand 25:03 Warming Up the Market: Trust Before Revenue 30:57 Building a European Brand: Mindset and Communication 37:08 Reaching the German Mittelstand: Personal Interactions and Offline Events Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    41 min
  8. # 16 Caroline Langer - Doctolib - International Talent Marketing

    06/13/2024

    # 16 Caroline Langer - Doctolib - International Talent Marketing

    In this new episode of Go-to-Germany Stories Caroline Langer and Andrea Vaugan take a look behind the scenes of the employer branding and international communications strategies of Doctolib - a prime example of what can happen when international market expansion is done right. ✅ Head of Employer Brand & International Communications at Doctolib today, Caroline is a trilingual marketing leader with a decade of experience across various domains. 🇪🇺 She leverages marketing strategies to enhance recruiting and internal communication efforts for the French and European healthcare company that employs more than 2800 team members across 4 countries and x offices. Caroline and podcast host Andrea Vaugan touch upon balancing global vs local needs in internal communications and even go into the practical depths of which tools to use and how Doctolib sets up meetings in an efficient way. And it wouldn’t be a Go-to-Germany episode without some crucial advice from Caroline on how to handle international recruiting at the beginning of your expansion journey. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    45 min
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About

Go-to-Germany-Stories is the podcast dedicated to expanding into the German market. Andrea Vaugan interviews entrepreneurs, country managers and other international expansion experts to discuss their most important learnings, successes, failures and much more. Through frank and open conversations, we offer all those involved in the exciting process of internationalisation concrete advice on how to successfully launch their business in international markets. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Wyngs
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Wyngs
  • Show Website
    Go-to-Germany Stories