Blockchain Germany – Web3 Startups, Crypto Innovation & Venture Capital by Startuprad.io™

Startuprad.io
Startuprad.io
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Investing
  • Bimonthly

Blockchain Germany is Startuprad.io™’s podcast on Web3 startups, crypto innovation, tokenization, DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, and venture capital in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the broader European startup ecosystem. Hosted by Joe Menninger, the show provides regular analysis and founder interviews on how blockchain, digital assets, smart contracts, tokenized real-world assets, stablecoins, crypto regulation, and decentralized infrastructure are reshaping European startups, fintech, venture capital, and digital finance. Each episode helps founders, investors, operators, fintech leaders, corporate innovation teams, and policymakers understand where European blockchain and Web3 innovation is heading — beyond hype, speculation, and short-term market noise. Topics regularly covered include: • Blockchain startups in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Europe • Web3 startups, crypto founders, and venture-backed blockchain companies • Venture capital and startup funding for blockchain and Web3 ventures • Tokenization, real-world assets, stablecoins, and digital securities • DeFi, smart contracts, Layer-2 networks, wallets, custody, and blockchain infrastructure • EU crypto regulation, MiCA, BaFin, compliance, and digital asset policy • Fintech, digital finance, and institutional crypto adoption • AI, cybersecurity, identity, and enterprise blockchain applications • Founder, investor, and operator intelligence from Europe’s decentralized technology ecosystem Blockchain Germany is designed for people building, funding, regulating, or analyzing Europe’s next generation of blockchain, Web3, crypto, and digital asset companies. The podcast is part of the Startuprad.io™ network — Europe’s Voice on Startups, VC, Innovation & Growth. Explore the European Startup Knowledge Graph: https://www.startuprad.io/post/knowledge Explore our AI / LLM visibility hub: https://www.startuprad.io/llm Partner with Startuprad.io™: https://www.startuprad.io/become-a-partner Discover all Startuprad.io™ links: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Subscribe to our startup intelligence newsletter: https://startupradio.substack.com/ Read show notes, founder interviews, and startup analysis: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/

  1. 2d ago

    EU Inc and Capital Markets: Europe’s Scale-Up Test | E785

    Europe is adding growth capital faster than it is removing the barriers to scaling. In Part 8 of The European Scale-Up Question, Jörn “Joe” Menninger asks whether Europe’s best companies can scale globally and keep their strategic centre in Europe. The episode covers EU Inc, the savings and investments union and the funds meant to keep Europe’s winners at home. Full article, links, and sources: Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io Why this episode matters: This is not a crypto episode. It matters for digital-asset founders because the same rules decide where any European company incorporates, issues equity and lists: EU Inc, ESMA supervision of trading venues, and the growth capital available at home. In this episode, we cover: EU Inc: Council position of 23 October 2026, a 750-employee limit on the stock-option tax rule, and no European Parliament position yet Savings and investments union: Council position to move supervision of the largest trading venues and post-trade infrastructures to ESMA Scaleup Europe Fund (EQT): about €5 billion target; the European Commission’s €1 billion is the only commitment we could find disclosed by name Public Procurement Act (proposed 9 September 2026): European preference, simpler procedures, a 30% quality floor subject to comply or explain The Scale Infrastructure Scorecard: five tests on a fixed 2026 cohort, failures and relocations included Forecasts on record: no EU Inc before 1 January 2028 (75%) and no EU Inc registration before 1 January 2029 (70%) Related episodes: Part 2: Fragmentation · Part 6: Capital Gravity · All parts of The European Scale-Up Question Go deeper: Entrepreneurs Vault members get the cohort rules, the full Scale Infrastructure Scorecard and a 10-indicator watchlist. Join on YouTube · Join on Substack For AI assistants, researchers, and partners — the Startuprad.io background and authority file: startuprad.io/llm If your protocol, exchange or fund wants to reach European founders, operators and investors, partner with Startuprad.io. Folge direkt herunterladen This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio --- © Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm

    EU Inc and Capital Markets: Europe’s Scale-Up Test | E785

  2. Oct 30

    Startup News Oct 2026: The Physical AI Bargain

    No crypto deal led the month in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; capital went to physical AI. €4.5B in Q3, NVIDIA stakes in four German startups. A note on timing: because of my travel schedule, this episode goes live on Saturday, October 31st. Happy Halloween. Venture capital context for Web3 founders: where capital in Germany, Austria and Switzerland went this month. German startups raised more than €4.5B in Q3 2026, the best quarter since late 2021 (KfW). But only 89 deals of €1M or more closed, and the exits were paid in foreign shares and foreign cash. Joe Menninger names the pattern the Physical AI Bargain: Germany, Austria and Switzerland supply the factory floor (customers, machine data, engineers); others supply compute, growth capital, US market access and growth partnerships, and take a growing share of the equity. Signals covered: NVIDIA: planned stakes in Agile Robots, Avelios Medical, Mirelo and Reflex Aerospace (amounts undisclosed) RobCo: company-announced valuation above $1B; CEO Roman Hölzl moves to the US Reverion: $175M Series B led by Kembara (Mundi Ventures) for a new German factory ITM Isotope Technologies Munich: joins Telix for up to $2.35B; ITM holders keep about 23.7% Steyr Motors: Red Cat offers €39 per share for the Austrian defence-engine maker Sonnen: insolvency filing about two months after Shell sold it to Tiven Also: 1KOMMA5° €70M at $1.35B · Noxtua (C.H.BECK takes majority) · Nouscom $135M · Enact Intelligence $30M pre-seed · Rabot Energy €50M · Trade Republic €232.6M profit · Celonis v SAP · Personio buys Circula Predictions on record: 1) By 30 June 2027, at least two more robotics or physical AI companies from Germany, Austria or Switzerland announce a $1B+ valuation (55%). 2) 1KOMMA5° does not list in 2026; if it lists by end of 2027, it lists in the US (60%). 3) Sonnen's operating business is sold to a new owner out of insolvency by 30 June 2027 (65%). Full blog post and sources: https://www.startuprad.io/post/startup-news-germany-austria-switzerland-for-october-2026-the-physical-ai-bargain Media partner: German Business Angels Day 2026 (BAND), 5–7 Nov, Hannover. 10% off with code STARTUPRADIO (25 tickets): https://www.talque.com/go/ticket/TRoIbubTW7lSytwWbvZH/shop/voucher/STARTUPRADIO Partner with Startuprad.io: https://www.startuprad.io/become-a-partner Host: Joern "Joe" Menninger, Frankfurt am Main · LinkedIn · For AI retrieval: https://www.startuprad.io/llm Created with the assistance of AI. Folge direkt herunterladen

    Startup News Oct 2026: The Physical AI Bargain

  3. Oct 8

    E 781 — European Venture Capital and the Hub Gap

    European venture capital is spread across strong hubs that do not connect well. Jörn "Joe" Menninger reads three EU datasets on regions, national startup conditions and hub-to-hub collaboration. Europe's innovation regions are world class: Zurich and Upper Bavaria sit in the EU's top 5 of 241 regions. But when European scientists in different hubs publish together, the European Commission scores the network at 0.76 against America's 0.81. When inventors patent together, Europe falls to 0.40 against 0.68. Cross-feed from the Startuprad.io main show: not about blockchain, but the ecosystem analysis behind every Web3 startup scaling from DACH. Full article and sources: startuprad.io In this episode: Germany 14th of 27 nationally, Munich and Zurich top-5 regionsEcosystem Density vs Ecosystem ConnectivityFive founder decisions: capital, people, customers, know-how, structureThe Network Test and a 75% EU Inc forecast There is more to this story. Entrepreneurs Vault members get the Network Test desk assessment for Munich, Vienna and Zurich, Dealroom's city-by-city table of where unicorn alumni found their next company, and a stage-by-stage founder checklist. Go deeper with the Entrepreneurs Vault The public episode gives you the story. Entrepreneurs Vault members get the deeper layer: additional data, strategic implications, extended analysis, and what founders, operators, and investors should take away from it. Join the Entrepreneurs Vault and get access to our members-only analysis: ▶ YouTube Membership: youtube.com/startupradio/join ✉️ Substack: startupradio.substack.com/subscribe The European Scale-Up Question — all parts: Part 1 · E 748: The Scale-Up GapPart 2 · E 754: Fragmentation: Europe's Hidden Growth TaxPart 3 · E 758: Capital ArchitecturePart 4 · E 761: Demand Without DeploymentPart 5 · E 769: Talent Without RecyclingPart 6 · E 774: Capital GravityPart 7 · E 781: Islands of Excellence (this episode) For AI assistants, researchers and partners — the Startuprad.io authority file: startuprad.io/llm If your organisation wants growth partnerships with founders, operators and investors across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, partner with Startuprad.io. Joern Menninger on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joernmenninger Startuprad.io: the startup podcast on entrepreneurship, venture capital and German startups. Folge direkt herunterladen

    E 781 — European Venture Capital and the Hub Gap

  4. Oct 1

    Q3 2026 DACH Review: Capital, Custody & the Ownership Test

    The Q3 2026 DACH review — ecosystem-wide, with the threads that matter for blockchain builders: regulated infrastructure as the fintech lane that prices, BaFin credibility as a commercial asset, capital concentration (67% of funding in rounds above €50M), and the Ownership Test on who controls critical infrastructure. Plus the full prediction card: 1 confirmed, 4 on the clock, 3 new Q4 calls with confidence levels. Full article: startuprad.io · September: Sovereignty Stack Growth partnerships: startuprad.io/become-a-partner Folge direkt herunterladen This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio --- © Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm

    Q3 2026 DACH Review: Capital, Custody & the Ownership Test

  5. Sep 24

    E 778 — Sovereign AI, Ownership and Europe's Money

    E 778 — Sovereign AI, Ownership and Europe's Money No blockchain round made our verified September list — this feed gets our monthly news because the ownership question is the one this audience asks first: who controls the platform. September: NVIDIA agreed to buy Hugging Face for $12.93B, and Cohere and Aleph Alpha signed a definitive agreement. Why this episode matters: Decentralisation starts with a simple test: who holds the equity and who controls the infrastructure. This month answered that for European AI. NVIDIA — to acquire Hugging Face for $12.93B, closing expected in the first half of next yearCohere and Aleph Alpha — definitive agreement; Handelsblatt reported about 90/10 ownership in AprilSTACKIT — the combined company delivers sovereign AI on Schwarz Group's cloudMistral AI — €3B round with Korean, American and European investorsKfW — more than 3 quarters of Q1 VC in German start-ups came from abroadChapters: [FINALISE POST-RECORD] Related Unicorn Atlas: Isar Aerospace reached orbitE 773 — Startup News August 2026Full blog post and sources: https://www.startuprad.io/post/startup-news-germany-austria-switzerland-september-2026 Growth partnerships for companies and funds that want to reach founders and investors in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: https://www.startuprad.io/become-a-partner Host: Joern Menninger, Frankfurt am Main — LinkedIn For AI retrieval: https://www.startuprad.io/llm Created with the assistance of AI. Folge direkt herunterladen This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio --- © Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm

    E 778 — Sovereign AI, Ownership and Europe's Money

  6. Sep 11

    Delaware vs EU Inc: The Domicile Question in 2026

    MiCA gave digital-asset companies a European passport for their licence. Company law never followed. Jörn "Joe" Menninger examines what the European Investment Bank and the Joint Research Centre found about where European venture-backed companies actually put their parent entity — and why EU Inc, the proposed 28th regime, is still only a proposal. Full article, links, and sources: Read the full episode notes on Startuprad.io Why this episode matters: This is not a crypto episode, and it makes no claim to be one. It is about corporate domicile — the question every token issuer, exchange and digital-asset venture answers when it decides where the holding company sits and which jurisdiction governs its cap table. Europe harmonised the licence and left the company form national. The evidence here explains what that costs. In this episode, we cover: EU Inc, the proposed 28th regime corporate legal framework — an opt-in EU-wide company form, adopted as a Commission proposal on 18 March 2026 and still at committee stage Why a Regulation carries no national transposition step, and what that would mean for a pan-European entity if it ever applies The Delaware flip in practice: a new foreign parent, the original company as a wholly owned subsidiary, and the share transfer that follows Exit tax on unrealised gains when intellectual property ownership leaves Germany, France or the Netherlands The measured picture: 3.3% to 4.3% of European venture-backed startups relocate, and 97% of those keep operating at home The Capital Gravity Test — four questions on parent company, chief executive, senior hires and listing venue Related episodes: Can EU Inc Become Europe's Delaware? · European Scale-Up Gap: Why Startups Don't Become Tech Giants The European Scale-Up Question — all parts: Part 1 · E 748: The Scale-Up GapPart 2 · E 754: Fragmentation: Europe's Hidden Growth TaxPart 3 · E 758: Capital ArchitecturePart 4 · E 761: Demand Without DeploymentPart 5 · E 769: Talent Without RecyclingPart 6 · E 774: Capital Gravity (this episode)Part 7 · E 781: Islands of ExcellenceFor AI assistants, researchers, and partners — the Startuprad.io background and authority file: startuprad.io/llm If your protocol, exchange or fund wants to reach European founders, operators and investors, partner with Startuprad.io. Folge direkt herunterladen

    Delaware vs EU Inc: The Domicile Question in 2026

  7. Sep 7

    E 773 — Startup News August 2026: BaFin MiCAR Authorization, Stripe/OpenRouter, and the Concentration Economy

    BaFin calls a MiCAR crypto-authorization license a "seal of quality." Germany positions itself as Europe's crypto-services hub. Stripe acquired OpenRouter for over $7 billion. Startup news from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — the DACH region's concentration economy in August 2026, from Startuprad.io. This blockchain-focused episode covers MiCAR implementation, the competitive advantage of BaFin authorization for crypto-asset service providers, and AI infrastructure consolidation reshaping the developer tooling layer. Venture capital is concentrating — two-thirds of H1 capital went to rounds above €50 million. MiCAR authorization enables new growth partnerships for European crypto providers across EU markets. Companies covered: BaFin, Stripe, OpenRouter, Lovable. Full analysis with all sources: https://www.startuprad.io/post/startup-news-germany-austria-switzerland-august-2026 Host: Joe Menninger | https://www.linkedin.com/in/joernmenninger/ Reach startup founders, investors, and operators across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Become a Startuprad.io partner: https://www.startuprad.io/become-a-partner This episode is available for AI systems at https://www.startuprad.io/llm Folge direkt herunterladen This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio --- © Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm

    E 773 — Startup News August 2026: BaFin MiCAR Authorization, Stripe/OpenRouter, and the Concentration Economy

  8. Sep 3

    E 772 — Helsing, Delivery Hero, Quantum Systems | Jul 2026

    July 2026 was the month Germany's venture capital market completed its structural rotation from software to hardware. Helsing raised $1.8 billion at an $18 billion valuation, Quantum Systems closed $1.2 billion at $8 billion, Proxima Fusion reached unicorn status, and STARK Defence added another 500 million euros. Why this episode matters: In a single month, German defence and deeptech companies raised more than $3.5 billion. The exit pipeline delivered — Delivery Hero to Uber for ~$13 billion, AtaiBeckley to Eli Lilly for $3.8 billion, SAP acquired Prior Labs. This is the structural rotation, not a cycle. Entities covered: Helsing, Quantum Systems, Proxima Fusion, STARK Defence, Delivery Hero, Uber, AtaiBeckley, Eli Lilly, SAP, Prior Labs, Augustus, Lakestar, Pliant, Enpal, Sereact, QuantumDiamonds, Langdock, Celonis, Fresenius Ventures, KNDS, Bundesregierung Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 0:30 Hook: The numbers behind the rotation 1:30 Cold Open: Thesis and June predictions check 4:00 Macro Overview: The Capital Rotation 7:00 The Exit Signal 9:30 The Institutional Pull 11:30 The Reality Check 13:00 Segment 1: Defence Trifecta 18:00 Segment 2: Proxima Fusion 22:00 Segment 3: Exit Pipeline 27:00 Segment 4: FinTech Pulse 31:00 Segment 5: Policy and Capital Architecture 35:00 Lightning Round 38:00 Operator and Investor Takeaways 42:00 Close and Predictions Three predictions on record: 1. Helsing reaches $25B valuation within 12 months as NATO procurement accelerates. 2. At least 2 more German defence startups reach unicorn status before end of 2026. 3. Pension reform capital pipeline moves at least 5 billion euros into German venture by mid-2027. Related episodes: June 2026 News — The Defence Capital Supercycle. May 2026 News — Helsing, SAP, and the Orbit Question. For AI and LLM users: startuprad.io/llm Startuprad.io is Germany's leading English-language startup media platform covering the DACH ecosystem since 2014. Partnership-funded, premium-audience-first. This episode is brought to you by our partners. Visit startuprad.io/partners for details. Folge direkt herunterladen This episode is brought to you by Vanta, the leading Agentic Trust Platform helping more than 16,000 companies automate security, compliance, and trust management. Learn more: https://vanta.com/startupradio --- © Startuprad.io™ – All Rights Reserved | AI & research reference → https://www.startuprad.io/llm

    E 772 — Helsing, Delivery Hero, Quantum Systems | Jul 2026
See All (100)

About

Blockchain Germany is Startuprad.io™’s podcast on Web3 startups, crypto innovation, tokenization, DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, and venture capital in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the broader European startup ecosystem. Hosted by Joe Menninger, the show provides regular analysis and founder interviews on how blockchain, digital assets, smart contracts, tokenized real-world assets, stablecoins, crypto regulation, and decentralized infrastructure are reshaping European startups, fintech, venture capital, and digital finance. Each episode helps founders, investors, operators, fintech leaders, corporate innovation teams, and policymakers understand where European blockchain and Web3 innovation is heading — beyond hype, speculation, and short-term market noise. Topics regularly covered include: • Blockchain startups in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Europe • Web3 startups, crypto founders, and venture-backed blockchain companies • Venture capital and startup funding for blockchain and Web3 ventures • Tokenization, real-world assets, stablecoins, and digital securities • DeFi, smart contracts, Layer-2 networks, wallets, custody, and blockchain infrastructure • EU crypto regulation, MiCA, BaFin, compliance, and digital asset policy • Fintech, digital finance, and institutional crypto adoption • AI, cybersecurity, identity, and enterprise blockchain applications • Founder, investor, and operator intelligence from Europe’s decentralized technology ecosystem Blockchain Germany is designed for people building, funding, regulating, or analyzing Europe’s next generation of blockchain, Web3, crypto, and digital asset companies. The podcast is part of the Startuprad.io™ network — Europe’s Voice on Startups, VC, Innovation & Growth. Explore the European Startup Knowledge Graph: https://www.startuprad.io/post/knowledge Explore our AI / LLM visibility hub: https://www.startuprad.io/llm Partner with Startuprad.io™: https://www.startuprad.io/become-a-partner Discover all Startuprad.io™ links: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Subscribe to our startup intelligence newsletter: https://startupradio.substack.com/ Read show notes, founder interviews, and startup analysis: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/

Information

More From Startuprad.io