Start-ups Investment Report

They are innovative. They bring fresh competition to the market. They create jobs, have a significant impact on the economy, and have a strong effect on society. Start-ups—both economically and politically—are not to be underestimated. And that’s reason enough for venture capital firm Redstone to take a closer look at the 457 universities across Europe that produce the most notable examples.

In its most recent report, the “Redstone University Startup Index – Europe’s Trillian Euro Opportunity,” the firm reveals that WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management is the most efficient of all universities analyzed when it comes to the founding of start-ups. In fact, the school generates 65 new start-ups per €100M of its budget—a peak position in Europe. HEC Paris is in second place with 46.7 start-ups.

And when it comes to the founding of business unicorns, WHU is also far ahead of its competition. As things stand, WHU produces five unicorns per 100€ of its budget; in second place is INSEAD Business School with 4.4.

This analysis reaffirms the significant value of WHU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and showcases how the school’s students are putting it to good use. The following is a summary of the extensive investments made in start-ups founded by WHU alumni over the past quarter.

July

- ECO2GROW, founded by WHU alumni Paul Appel, Konrad Ciezarek, and Niklas Radermacher (all MSc 2022), secured €4M in an early venture capital funding round. The company helps small and medium-sized enterprises make the switch to greenly sourced energy.

- Cade Gorman (EMBA 2023) and Manish Seth (EMBA 2020) successfully concluded a funding round, raising an undisclosed sum for their company Volektra – Simply Eletrick. Their start-up provides sustainable EV propulsion systems for today’s vehicles.

- Flix is a long-distance travel company and e-commerce platform. The company, co-founded by Jochen Engert (Doctoral Program 2012), is looking to expand and recently and successfully concluded a private equity funding round.

- Amperecloud automizes, centralizes, and significantly streamlines the process for monitoring solar panels with its high-performance hardware. During a recent series A funding round, the company, co-founded by Frederik Merz (CMiMe 2020), secured €3.3M.

- Shiprazor has set itself the mission of revolutionizing logistics in Africa. The start-up recently completed a seed funding round, securing an undisclosed sum. The company was co-founded by Sahil Affriya, an exchange student at WHU in 2021.

- Tierarzt Plus Partner is committed to the maintenance and betterment of veterinary practices in Germany. The company, co-founded by Fabian Kröll and Damian Doberstein (both BSc 2008), already represents a whole network of veterinarians and animal clinics and, in July, successfully concluded a private equity funding round. 

August

- HelloFresh, co-founded by Dominik Richter and Thomas Griesel (both BSc 2009), continues to revolutionize the food industry with its delivery model. Following its IPO, the company, which routinely sends subscribers fresh food and matching recipes, secured further financial support during an equity capital funding round. 

-During a seed funding round, Planeteers, co-founded by Florian Brinkmann and Florian Birner (both PT-MBA 2017), secured €1M. The company is dedicated to protecting the environment and has developed a process to bind CO₂ in water.

- MYNE Homes allows four to eight people to go in on vacation property together under a “managed co-ownership” model. For his start-up, Fabian Loehmer (BSc 2008) secured €32M in a series A funding round.

September

- Hello Inside, co-founded by WHU alumna Dr. Susanne Patricia Kreimer (BSc 2010), has raised €1.65M in funding for her start-up. The platform offers women data-based insights into their metabolic health and how they should adapt their diet and lifestyle accordingly. 

- Noah Labs, which was co-founded by WHU alumnus Dr. Leonhard Riehle (BSc 2013), raised three million euros in funds. The start-up's innovative software enables physicians to monitor patients' vital signs remotely and thus improve the management of chronic diseases through real-time data.

- Retraced is committed to more sustainable clothing production by making the origin of garments traceable along the supply chain and thus ensuring greater transparency in the fashion industry. The company was co-founded by WHU alumnus Lukas Puender (MSc 2017). The start-up has now received €15M euros in a Series A financing round. 

- Flinn.ai, which has now received €10M in funding, is working on automating compliance processes for medical device manufacturers in order to work a lot more efficiently. Flinn.ai was co-founded by Hasib Samad (PTMBA 2020). 

- The grocery delivery service Flink quickly delivers all everyday items and was co-founded by WHU alumni Julian Dames (MSc 2013) and Christoph Cordes (D 2003). The unicorn has now received a further €115M in equity and €35M in debt.