Dr. Markus Pfeiffer

Is the retail giant REWE Group building Germany’s first food-superapp? 🛒📲 Rewe has always been a pioneer in digital offers and now expands its portfolio with investments and partnerships. Last month alone, 2 deals hit the news: 1️⃣ Rewe participated in Flink's new funding round of 150$mn valued at ~900$mn (down about 70% since its peak valuation). With this cash injection, Flink plans to break even in Q2 2025, apparently having reached operational profitability in selected markets already today. Also they plan to open 30 additional warehouses. 2️⃣ Lieferando and Rewe announced a partnership, providing access to 3000 SKUs of Rewe’s assortment via Lieferando’s app, delivered by Lieferando’s courier network. “Rewe Express” promises delivery times of 45 minutes, closing the gap between Rewe’s scheduled delivery and Flink’s ultrafast delivery. With the new offers, Rewe now ticks many boxes that I expect from a food-superapp, combining all things food, and beyond: ✅ Brick and mortar stores ✅ Click and collect ✅ Scheduled delivery ✅ Quick-commerce (via Flink and Lieferando) ✅ Offer promotions in app  ✅ Digital travel agency  ❌ The only piece missing is food delivery. Did you know that the Russian chains X5 and Magnit are also at the frontier of supermarket tech? ➡️ Magnit has integrated AI to monitor inventory at shelf level, ensuring products (including 5000 pharmacy SKUs) are always available for their 30 minute delivery & click and collect. ➡️ Meanwhile, X5 Group deploys smart shopping carts, automatically scanning products for a frictionless checkout. I’ve just talked about why the concept of the food-superapp is so appealing at a conference and will share the takeaways here, soon. 

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📈 The latest startupdetector report couldn't have been better for me. - the number of newly founded German startups increased in Q1 2024 - a trend reversal we waited for some time new! - Leipzig and Dresden were the cities with the biggest increase of new startups (+41%, +36%), while Jena had the most financing rounds per capita - while many regions had a smaller number of new startups, Saxony increased most by 35% - the energy sector saw the strongest increase from all industries - our Smart Infrastructure Ventures ('SIVentures') portfolio company traide AI GmbH with their founder Leonie Althaus got featured next to SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator alumnus Dr. Jannik Lockl from inContAlert - our partners from TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen are ranked #5 in the most active VCs list. Smart Infrastructure Ventures ('SIVentures') among the top investors in AI All in all a great job Arnas Bräutigam & team

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Deeptech startups are the driving force behind some of the most innovative products the world has seen in recent years. But fundraising for a company with a grand vision and long R&D cycles is not without challenges in the current market environment. I am looking forward to discuss our recent learnings with two of biggest Infinite Roots‘ supporters and investors, European Investment Bank (EIB) and redalpine, at the TechBBQ in Copenhagen tomorrow. #Startup #VentureCapital #DeepTech #Fundraising

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Business angel statistics: How to come from 500 contacts to 5 deals a year.   Here is what it looks like from my perspective:   500 to 250: Not relevant Like many well-connected angels and VCs, I receive approximately 500 requests to meet through various channels yearly.   I have an Open-Door policy, where I try to meet all startups that fit my primary investment criteria (stage, company type, location, etc.). This results in meeting around one new startup a day for a brief introductory meeting. For example, I am having 13 online meetings today, as it’s one of my Open-Door days.   I politely decline meetings for the remaining contacts, as it would be a waste of their time. I’m not going to invest in a US Series C round of $50M or in a pre-seed round for a German restaurant chain, for example.   250 to 50: Not a good fit Most initial meetings don’t lead to further action, as there isn’t a good fit. This goes both ways and is just part of the process for both parties.   The startup might be looking for a different type of investor (VC?) or may have misunderstood my investment criteria.   I’m a pre-seed investor, which means there isn’t much data available in these early stages. Therefore, I mainly rely on gut feeling about whether the opportunity is exciting and if I believe these are the founders worth betting on.   It’s important to quickly say “not for me” to most opportunities, so nobody’s time is wasted.   50 to 20: Digging into the opportunity Most angels are not experts in the specific fields of the opportunities they evaluate, so even though we may initially be excited, we need to dig in and learn more.   Personally, I do this through two main sources:   1. My personal network. If you’re presenting software for industry X, I will consult someone in my network (ideally potential customers) and use their input to further validate the opportunity. 2. My business angel network. I’ve built an angel network that currently has 20 members. They possess a wealth of industry insight, and in most cases, we have experts in each field. Their opinions and potential co-investments matter greatly. Many opportunities fail in this process. Perhaps the solution isn’t unique, or the assumed problem doesn’t truly exist.   20 to 8: Due diligence Even if the opportunity seems promising from a market/problem/solution perspective, many things can still go wrong. I can’t list them all, but common issues include: Founder due diligence (reference checks) and ownership issues (messed-up cap table, dead equity) 8 to 5: I also lose deals Remember, selection goes both ways. Sometimes, I lose deals to other investors, either because they offer better terms or valuation, or simply because they are more attractive. For example, it’s hard to compete with Sequoia if they want to invest.

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In February it will be 6 years since I had a 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁. With some distance Business Insider has asked me to talk about my experience in consulting, my burnout and the new company I started: WirDämmenDeinHaus.com You can find the link in the first comment.  (I’m also happy to share the pdf, in case you cannot access it.) My ask to you:  𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁. Having talked to many people that suffered a burnout, my observation is that it can be tremendously helpful to get a nudge from people that care about you. It is a common burnout symptom to “try to keep pushing through” and “take care of one self, after X, Y, Z is finished” -> this often significantly prolongs the healing process. Be there for the people you care about and encourage them to take care of themselves now and not when it’s too late. I’m also here for anyone that wants to talk 1:1 about their experience or ask questions. Please feel free to reach out. Happy holidays to all of you!

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Now there really is no excuse not to invest your money! 💰 Exciting podcast with the inspiring Sophie Thurner from beatvest 👏 Have you always wanted to understand what an ETF really is? With beatvest, anyone can now learn to invest - and apply their newly acquired financial knowledge straight away. #fintech #podcast #investing #beatvest

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Some thought-provoking stuff in here. It reminds me of when Borders started offering couches and coffee for people to read books in their bookshops. Banks, fintechs and (would be) Super-apps are more-or-less trying to do the same thing, but will the future belong more to aggregators offering choice and not being tied in? Will this be a repeat of the move to multi-banking? Should banks not bother trying to offer tied-services but save investment dollars and more straight to other app-compatible services? Very thought-provoking... #treasury #treasurymanagement #corporatetreasury #financialservices #transactionbanking EuroFinance Eurofinance Training Treasury Masterminds CompleXCountries

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😓 A startup’s worst nightmare? Seeing their sweat-and-tears pitch ignored by investors.​ What if you could see your business through investors’ eyes and highlight what truly matters in your pitch?​ 🎯 Kruncher For Startups empowers founders with insights into how investors review documents and perceive proposals.​ ​ Our reports help startups pitch smarter and get funded faster.​​ 💡 Get your startup reviewed at https://hubs.ly/Q031RHC00​ ​ #PitchSmarter #Fundraising #KfS​

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Last week, industry leaders, startups, public sector representatives, and researchers had a great workshop to dive deeper into a pressing question: What role can a dedicated AI Hub play in Munich's innovation landscape? With the AI Hub, we aim to elevate our efforts by establishing a space where all essential stakeholders – startups, corporations, researchers, and policymakers – can unite. This hub should serve as a venue for co-creation, providing resources, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities tailored to help AI startups flourish right here in Munich. Our objective is to cultivate an ecosystem that not only draws in AI startups but also offers the support they need to thrive and succeed in the long run. But not only startups, also for corportes - to foster cooperation between corporates beyond boarders and to develop within the field of ai by living an open innovation culture. Thank you for the invitation and the opportunity to help shape Munich as an AI ecosystem as part of the 2030 Agenda! Thanks for hosting the event to Intel Ignite MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM, Seven.One Entertainment Group #startup #ai #innovation #industry #munich #research

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Who else is going to How to Web next week? HTW gathers over 3,000 innovators, founders, and tech visionaries from across the globe, especially from the vibrant Eastern European ecosystem. Whether you’re scaling a startup or pioneering new technologies, the connections made here can shape what’s next in the world of tech. 🤝 feel free to connect: If you’re an entrepreneur looking for investment, a fellow investor seeking partners, or a technologist ready to push boundaries, I’d be happy to meet you at the conference. More info about Angel Invest https://lnkd.in/dVzgwJrx #investing #angelinvest #europe #easterneurope #startups #angel #HTW

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🚀 Our first launch of 2025: Zeit (⚡https://readzeit.com) — a daily 2-minute digest that summarizes LLM-developer chatter into bite-sized stories. Why? Zeit actually started out as an internal project. As a team of engineers building in GenAI, we wanted to keep up with what other devs in the community are building, new trending models/projects, and the problems people are facing. But there’s so much noise around AI these days that we found ourselves either 1) missing cool/important developments or 2) going down endless anxiety-inducing rabbit holes of articles, startups, and funding announcements. So we built ⚡Zeit⚡—a fast, easy way to stay in the loop with the hottest topics, projects, and challenges shaping the AI landscape. Who is it for? Zeit is for developers, founders, and industry leaders working on GenAI. What you get with Zeit: 🔍 Quick, bite-sized reads to keep you focused on what really matters. 💡 No fluff. Just trends and developer problems that generate buzz. ❗Disclaimer: Zeit is generative. It scours the web for developer chatter and generates short stories sorted by social voting. 🔗 Sign up for your daily dose of the AI zeitgeist!

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Hey all you #startups and #scaleups, you #sme and #mittelstand companies. Have you done great work adopting to #ai, optimized your #funnel or worked on your #bottomline? If yes, then get nominated for the A-Awards, presented by Startup Insider and Project A!

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American Exceptionalism: Investors expect 4% of the world's population to drive the future revenues and profits more meaningful than the rest of the world. Even German DAX All-Time-Highs (despite a faltering economy) doesn't change that relative price performance. Spoiler: Imho, this will revert to the mean.

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𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝘆 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 Startups and incumbents are adapting their business models to AI. At last week’s AI Conference in San Francisco, one thing was clear: profit margins are the battlefield. Is that new AI tool a feature or a new platform? What is its moat against the incumbents? If the incumbent incorporates the new feature, will users pay a premium? But closer to home: What does this seismic shift mean for your business? Discover why your go-to apps might become mere "features," how tech giants are redefining value, and what this means for YOUR bottom line. How are YOU gearing up for the AI-driven future? 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 and join the conversation. #AIRevolution #TechStrategy #FutureofBusiness #DigitalTransformation #EmergingTech

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🚀 First Masterclass of Day 2 at Web Summit! 🚀 This morning I attended an insightful session on "How VCs Evaluate Your Startup" led by Carolin Wais Partner at Plug and Play Tech Center and Play Tech Center. Carolin’s passion for supporting founders with bold visions and a drive to challenge the status quo really resonated with me. Yes—that’s exactly what we’re doing at Pet Trust Uk ✔️🐾 🌟 My Key Takeaways: 📊 Bold Vision & Market Fit: VCs are drawn to founders who can clearly articulate a unique vision while addressing a real gap in the market. It's about solving big problems and seeing the bigger picture. 🐾 At Pet Trust UK, we’re tackling significant challenges in pet safety and regulatory compliance. 🐾 Our centralised pet database and NFC-enabled digital tags are essential for real-time pet identification and welfare tracking. 🐾We identified a major gap in law enforcement’s ability to manage dangerous breeds efficiently and created a solution. 🐾 By integrating facial recognition and biometric data, we’re transforming how pets are monitored and protected. 🐾Our technology enables authorities to identify missing or stolen dogs using CCTV footage in seconds—not hours, days, or never—improving recovery chances and reducing stress for pets and their owners. 💪 Resilience and Adaptability: 🐾If my personal experiences over the summer don’t count as resilience, then nothing does! I’ve learned I have this in bucketloads. 🐾Our team adapted quickly to a legislation change last year, adjusting our product to include XL Bully tracking as a banned breed. 🐾 We launched an MVP within weeks Legislation changes in the Banned Breed Dog announcement. 📈 Traction and Metrics: We have an amazing traction story: 🐾 I convinced the CEO of a German company to allow us to white-label his company for free. He’s a dog lover and understood our deep purpose behind what we’re doing. 🐾 With no initial funding, we ordered 100 digital tags, advertised them on Instagram, and sold out in just 3 days. 🐾 We engaged with our users, listened to their feedback, and iterated on the white-label MVP accordingly. 🐾 Our advisor, an expert with over 30 years in the pet trade, invested in us to develop our own website. 🐾 We made it bigger and better, adding all the features our customers wanted. 🐾 Although our launch was delayed to become DEFRA compliant (a 12-week setback), this will lead to excellent traction outcomes. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Strong Team & Execution: Vision is crucial, but so is the strength of your team. 🐾 My co-founder is not only my son but also our CTO. 🐾 Together, we took on the challenge of building our own platform, making it bigger and better than the white-labelled version. 🐾 We listened to our customers and added the features they desired. WOW! I’ve just realised just how far we have come with minimal funds!! Watch this space #WebSummit24 #VCInsights #PetTrustUK #BoldVision #PlugAndPlay #websummit

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Are you looking to elevate your e-commerce game with a new webshop? Look no further than Gambio GmbH! Trusted by over 25,000 businesses, our ECOMMERCE ONE portfolio company Gambio GmbH offers a robust, all-in-one webshop solution tailored to meet the needs of startups and established enterprises alike. Key Benefits: 🌐 Hosting in Germany: Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with hosting your online shop in Germany, coupled with exceptional German customer support. Our servers ensure top-notch performance and security. 🛠️ Ease of Use: No coding skills? No problem! Gambio's intuitive interface allows you to set up and customize your shop effortlessly. With our StyleEdit tool, you can design a professional-looking store without any technical know-how. 🔍 SEO Optimized: Enhance your online visibility with our built-in SEO tools. From search engine-friendly URLs to automatic sitemaps, Gambio helps your shop rank higher and attract more customers. 📊 Comprehensive Features: Benefit from extensive functionalities including multilingual support, SSL & data protection, automatic updates, and a wide range of free themes. Our platform supports unlimited articles and categories, making it scalable for your growing business. 👥 Community & Support: Join a vibrant community of merchants and get access to our customer portal for continuous support and updates. Set up your own shop in seconds at www.gambio.com

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🚨 Little update regarding the startup ecosystem in 🇩🇪. Q3 💰 reports are out. Where is Berlin?! Well, Munich has raised more capital than the capital in 2024. More importantly; both cities combined raised just as much as Paris. A year ago; Berlin was compared to Paris as being as impactful. (https://lnkd.in/eqTdYbWW by Handelsblatt ... I guess some changes are in the air. OpenAI also just arrived in Paris. What is happening in Berlin? Slowdown? Decline? Where are all the deep tech startups? (https://lnkd.in/eXcsKPKV and https://lnkd.in/eWCqvBmr) Still see tons of HR Tech, Legal Tech, and Fintech here in Berlin. Maybe too much of that. This report from the picture from Dealroom.co 📊 https://lnkd.in/emyhrck7 📉 Berlin is now ranked 30 worldwide on Pitchbook: https://lnkd.in/eBUJRH99 Ps: no idea what is the New Palo Alto here

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𝗜𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗜? Key insights into the German AI landscape to evaluate the current situation: 🔹 Startups: Germany hosts 687 AI startups, a 35% growth from last year. 🔹 AI landscape: Berlin and Munich dominate, with around 50% of Germany’s AI startups located there. 🔹 Patent applications: Germany holds only 6% of global AI patents, far behind China (29%) and the US (27%). 🔹 Investment: AI investments from 2013-2023 saw the US at $335.2B, China at $103.7B, and Germany trailing with $10.35B. 🔹 Public funding: Germany plans €1B in AI funding over two years, while the US spent $3.3B in 2022 alone. 🔹 Corporate spending: Western European companies invest 45-70% less in AI and IT than US firms. 🔹 Newly founded AI companies: Germany launched 319 new AI companies from 2013-2023, while the US founded 5,509. Actionable points for German company leaders: 💡 Simplify AI projects—start small and scale. 💡 Integrate risk-taking and innovation into business strategies. 💡 Align AI with company culture for effective implementation. Germany's asset is unique data on B2B business models. Using this data to develop unique products is a real opportunity to take the lead in the B2B space again. More insights on tech, data, and AI transformation needed? Follow this link 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJqRj3Xn Sources: OMMAX Analysis, applied AI institute for Europe, EFI/ KfW, Stanford University #AI #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #BuildingDigitalLeaders

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