Sandra Thumm

Start-ups in Europe: a light at the end of the tunnel - finally!    This article by Nadine Schimroszik in Handelsblatt gives reason for hope for the tech ecosystem, as it summarises a development that has been tentatively emerging for some time: The number of new #start-ups in Germany is growing again, by 17 per cent, as shown by a comparison of the first quarter of 2024 with the same quarter of the previous year.   💡It is particularly interesting to see that most investments are being made in AI. An unmistakable sign that they continue to be a driver of innovation for the German startup ecosystem.   We recently came to a similar conclusion with my team, as part of our analysis of the German startup landscape. Our conclusion: more and more funding are being mobilised for ♻️ #Greentech business ideas that are based on AI-based technologies and have a positive impact on our planet. More info on our research at IRIS can be found in Startup Insider`s Investors Report 2024: https://lnkd.in/dU-5AMPz More info on Nadine’s insightful article here: https://lnkd.in/depicwGA

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How is the German startup ecosystem doing? 📊 The survey for the 2024 German Startup Monitor by Startup-Verband has started, and your input is needed! 🔵What challenges are you facing with your #startup? 🔵What support do you need from the government? Make your voice heard and participate in the survey by 📅 July 31. Link in the comments! #SmartInfrastructureHub #EDIHSaxony #StartupMonitor

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ivoflow has been featured in the latest issue of Beschaffung Aktuell! 📰 In this feature, we explore how companies can tackle cost pressures and explain why ivoflow is more than "just" a Spend Cube. Our platform empowers businesses to uncover and implement savings effectively, while also focusing on sustainability and environmental goals. Check out the article to learn more about our solutions! A big thank you to Beschaffung Aktuell for the publication!  #ProcurementSolution #CostSavings #StrategicSourcing #ivoflow #beschaffungaktuell

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🎓 Revolutionizing #Education - Change Of Mind Needed For #AI&Tech In Schools🌍 #4Gamechangers festival raised many crucial topics. Panel discussion about transforming education still keeps us awake at night, fueling our passion to create an education system that is inclusive, innovative, and equipped for the future. We appreciate this discussion and the insights shared by Judith E. White together with other panelists: 💡 PAIN POINTS in the Existing System: **Lack of Holistic Education**: Education is often not integrated holistically, except in isolated projects and public schools. **Bureaucracy Stifling Creativity**: Bureaucratic hurdles prevent creativity and further development. **Fixed Mindset**: Many actors in the system have a fixed mindset, lacking growth orientation. **Interdisciplinary Gaps**: Interdisciplinary thinking and action are scarcely promoted and practiced. **Access Inequality**: Education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of origin or financial situation. **Leadership Deficit**: Leadership within the system should be visionary and entrepreneurial. **Gender/Diversity Imbalance**: There is a significant lack of gender and diversity balance in the development of AI and technology. 💡 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: 🌟 Joint Strategy Development: Collaborate with stakeholders in the education system, including pupils, parents, and experts from home and abroad, to create a new, holistic education system tailored for digital transformation and the implementation of AI and VR. This strategy should also include the regulation of technical means. 🌟Focus on New Competencies: Emphasize 'new competencies' such as VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) skills, social competencies, cross-functional thinking, a strength/talent-based culture, entrepreneurship education, multigenerational teams, and connection to nature. 🌟Creation of New Learning Spaces: Innovate and create new learning environments that foster holistic education. 🌟Transformative Teams: Engage visionary teachers and innovative teams from outside the traditional system to lead this transformation. 🌟Redefining the Teacher's Role: Develop a new definition of the teacher's role to align with the evolving needs of education. Many thanks to Elke Rock Manfred Kastner Michael Vollmann 👉 Watch the panel https://lnkd.in/dSxQjQEE InnovaticGroup. Create the Future Now innovaticgroup.com #Education #DiversityInTech #EntrepreneurialLeadership #4Gamechangers #TechChange #FutureIsNow #SustainableInnovation #Innovation #Technology #Entrepreneurship #Investment #Networking #InnovaticGroup #BusinessGrowth #SustainableInnovation #GlobalImpact #Investors #BusinessAngels #VentureCapital #LPs #GPs #Innovation #DigitalRransformation #Digitalization #Startup #Scaleup

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Reading tip for all startup founders with fundraising plans in DACH: Investoren Report 2024 by Startup Insider. This report provides valuable insights into the venture capital landscape, and is a must-read for anyone looking to secure funding. Plus, it includes bonus material from IRIS on the latest developments in our ecosystem. Get your copy here: https://lnkd.in/dU-5AMPz #startups #founders #VC #LP #fundraising

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In a recent @Brutkasten article, I shared my view on the @European Union's Nature Restoration Law, and I'm proud that inoqo and Triple Impact Ventures stand with 375 Austrian companies supporting this initiative! The law aims to restore 20% of the EU's land and marine areas by 2030 and address all ecosystems in need by 2050. It's a bold step to revitalize our planet. A big thank you to Leonore Gewessler for taking a bold step and making this important law a reality! @Blühendes Österreich - BILLA gemeinnützige Privatstiftung non-profit foundation has launched a business initiative to support the law's implementation in Austria. Here the link to the article: https://lnkd.in/dF6JkCa7   ✍️Show your support and sign here: https://lnkd.in/dTjSbVYt #Sustainability #EU #NatureRestorationLaw #EnvironmentalProtection #Austria #SustainableDevelopment #Ecosystems

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How do you think AI affects the PR profession? This interesting survey asks good questions on an important topic. Share 10 minutes of your precious time, take this survey and make Jonas Scherhaufer happy 🙂! 

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On the road to TOA Tech Open Air Berlin. Eager to meet entrepreneurs and learn about the future of tech, art and science. I am curious to discover how these companies are already applying ai to improve business processes or inventing new ones. What will Ai's impact mean for your business? #toaberlin #toa-berlin #automation #artificialtechnology

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How do I actually get proper money as a founder? I spoke about this in the Für-Gründer.de Podcast with editor Elena Todeva. What financing options are there? How do I find the VC that really suits me? When should I bootstrap? Which financing has which consequences in the end? My personal tip for founders: Do some real networking, exchange ideas with other founders, get tips and advice from everywhere, be brave, talk to experienced founders and ask really deep questions and learn always from the experiences of others. Please listen and feel free to write me feedback. https://lnkd.in/de_ZmdZq

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Amidst all the Sturm und Drang about #AI doing away with #SEO and #websites, it occurs to me there is a more fundamental problem to address. What if that's all a big distraction from the real business, which is connecting people, fulfilling wants & needs, and getting paid for products & services? If I step back and try to see the forest for the trees, my chief takeaway is that the real problem is the lack of focused, well-run online #marketplaces where like-minded buyers and sellers can meet and conduct mutually beneficial business. #Google thoroughly trained everyone on search as the answer to every need. The cheap efficiency of big box online stores like #Amazon convinced consumers that easy and fast was more important than originality and quality. It seems there is a void that could be filled by entrepreneurs. #Etsy was a fantastic marketplace that blew it. I am now building a line of educational products on Teachers Pay Teachers, which is a platform that I think could be a good model for markets serving other sectors. Novica.com is fantastic market for artisanal folk art. I am envisioning the development of more niche marketplaces that represent independently-made products and services in well-established sectors like #travel, #art, and #education. In this scenario, Google and AI would be irrelevant. The comments on this CNBC piece by Natalie Rice seem to be a strong indication that there is a market for keeping commerce human. What's your take? Tony Carne Stuart McDonald Matthew Barker Hannah Ben-Shmuel Angelica Estrella Simran Patel Jayesh Panigrahi Robin Dilley

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📣 Your voice counts! The German Startup Monitor survey is now open. Participate and give startups and founders a voice! The Startup-Verband is interested in learning more about your current experiences and challenges in the startup ecosystem. The German economy needs to transform and startups are the main element that is driving innovation like no other. But at the same time, there are many hurdles – the shortage of skilled workers, lengthy administrative processes, and lack of capital hinder founders. Can you relate? then your input is needed here: What challenges are you facing, and what changes does the German ecosystem need? 👉 If you are a founder or C-level executive in a startup, participate in the survey now: https://lnkd.in/exrExcjR ___ #startups #germanecosystem #entrepreneurship #founders #emtrepreeurs #entrepreneurshipchallenges #Innovation #startupsupport

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SMARTKAI at the Deep Tech Momentum 2024 We are one of the top 170 early stage deep tech startups in Europe at DTM 2024 out of 1000+ applications. In his opening speech, Robert Habeck emphasized the importance of exports for the German economy and the need for green energy. The German seaports play a central role as export and energy hubs of the future! SmartKai protects critical port infrastructure from damage caused by ship accidents. Berthing is a major challenge and unique to each quay. SMARTKAI enables digitally optimized berthing processes by learning individual ship behavior at berth. The system is installed in the port and supports any vessel without on-board installations. SmartKai provides documentation of all seaside processes and enables remote operation of port infrastructure. https://smartkai.eu #smartkai SmartKai would not have been possible from idea to first demonstrator without the support of the #IHATEC funding program of the Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr. Now, thanks to the #DLR_Startup_Factory and #EXIST, we are about to launch!

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📰 My Cofounder is featured in two leading newspapers this morning!👏👏 My cofounder at Footprint Technologies, Carolin Kleinert, gave two interviews for #Sueddeutsche and #Tagesspiegel about a recent study of Startup-Verband that investigated the socio demographic background of #startup founders. It clearly proofs founders typically are originating from families with academic backgrounds or from parents who are entrepreneurs themselves. The majority - but not all of them. Carolin is a great example of this minority who also made it without academic parents or without entrepreneurial role-models within their core families. I am sharing a similar family background, both of my parents do neither have an academic education, nor are they entrepreneurs themselves. It is possible, but it needs more visibility and sharing of such positive examples, so that more and more #Arbeiterkinder are considering becoming entrepreneurs as a career option. This would be a benefit for themselves as well as for our society and economy! For that reason I am celebrating the two articles about Carolin's personal story! 😍 👏 👉 Please check the articles and share them! 🙏

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𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗽, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗢𝗔 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹! 📽️🎞️ Tech Open Air is one of the most important tech conferences, currently taking place in Berlin. 🚀 Or as Bloomberg put it: "South by Southwest with slightly more hefeweizen"! 😄🇩🇪 I had the great pleasure of speaking at #TOA24 yesterday on the topic of "Realizing Retail's Potential". ➡️ While advertising has emphasized individuality, the beauty sector lags in digitalization. AI can bridge the personalization gap, providing tailored solutions and deepening customer understanding for brands and retailers, which is critical for customer engagement. 🤝 In this context, I showcased our great project with Fit & Alive Cosmetics, where we are already using AI for better customer engagement and a more personalized customer journey. Once again, many thanks to Marcus Boer and Onur Iskur for your trust! 🙏 AI is already having a major impact on retail today. But the future holds exciting things, too, when we think about using quantum-inspired methods. 🤩 Here are some of the insights I shared in my keynote: ・ Quantum-inspired solutions can speed up every step of the supply chain by solving complex optimization problems in real time. ・ They can provide accurate predictions of customer behavior and trends by rapidly analyzing massive amounts of data ・ Retailers can make real-time adjustments to operations based on more accurate and faster optimization results, resulting in increased efficiency and responsiveness. ・ They can offer enhanced recommendations: even more nuanced and personalized by analyzing a wider range of variables and interactions at once. ・ Analyzing complex consumer data can lead to the development of products that better meet consumer needs and preferences. There are exciting developments on the horizon for retail, and machine learning will play a major role in them. 🙌 What would you most like to see in retail in the future? 🛒 #TechOpenAir #Retail #RetailTech #QuantumMachineLearning #QML

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Digitalizing the backbone of the German economy: Discussing the role of #AI for the German #Mittelstand at Tagesspiegel´s Trustworthy AI Roundtable Today, Salesforce partnered with Berlin´s leading publishing house “Tagesspiegel” on the “Trustworthy AI Roundtable: Mittelstand.AI”. Area Vice President and Head of Mittelstand DE & AT Iris Salomon spoke with Ben Brake, Head of Department for Digital Policy at the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport and Oliver Adekunle, Head of Marketing Technology at Ottobock about the role of AI for SMEs in Germany. With TRUSTWORTHY AI, the Tagesspiegel offers a platform for dialogue on the use and development of artificial intelligence. The platform regularly brings together decision-makers from business, politics, science and society to discuss the next steps in the development of AI and digital transformation. 🤖 💡 The panel engaged in a lively discussion on the importance and role of AI for SMEs in Germany. Here are my key takeaways: - AI is crucial for the 🇩🇪 German Mittelstand in order to remain innovative. However, skepticism and questions around skilling the workforce remain. - The differentiation between 👯 Consumer AI and 👩‍💼 Enterprise AI is very important when it comes to dealing responsibly with sensitive data and building trust. - A tailored and risk-based approach to regulating AI is best fit to encourage SMEs to experiment and innovate more freely with AI while setting a framework for the ethical use of AI. - SMEs such as Ottobock are aware of their societal responsibility in saving and transferring sensitive personal data. Trust is key. A big thanks to all participants for the lively discussion and to Verlag Der Tagesspiegel for hosting us today! #digitaltransformation #artificialintelligence #AI #Mittelstand #ethicaluse

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"We [Germany] are on the way to becoming a developing country...we’ve become a junk shop". - Theodor Weimer, CEO of Deutsche Börse. 😬 Everything seems totally normal and fine in Europe's largest economy. 😳 🤣 "Our reputation in the world has never been as bad as it is now. Never before." Well...I mean...come on...we at least know that's not true. It is Germany you're talking about after all. https://lnkd.in/eAzRyuXP 🇩🇪 🍺 🥨 #stocks #finance #banks #banking #money #business #tech #technology #innovation #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #vc #venturecapital

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What a night - German Startup Awards 2024! Last Thursday, we attended the annual German Startup Awards ceremony in the heart of Berlin, organized by the Startup-Verband. It was an inspiring night celebrating founders, investors, and the growth and innovation within the German startup ecosystem. As Verena Pausder pointed out, "Some say the lights are going out in Germany. I think: We haven't even turned them on yet." This spirit of optimism is precisely why Amazon Business is proud to have partnered with the Startup-Verband since 2023. Congratulations again to all the winners. Here's to the future of German startups! #GSA24 #Startups

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