better ventures

🌟 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 🌟 What an inspiring evening celebrating the ability of startups to drive societal change! At better ventures, we’re passionate about supporting visionary founders who go beyond business as usual, placing the common good at the heart of their work. The Public Value Award for Start-ups 2024 showcased exactly this. We were proud to have Julia from our investment team represent us on the jury. A special highlight for us: Ole, founder of our portfolio company Skyseed, who pitched as one of ten incredible finalists. 🌱 Congratulations to the winners: 🥇 1st Place: PRAMOMOLECULAR Revolutionizing cancer treatment with AI-driven therapies that target previously untreatable cancers. 🥈 2nd Place: Microwave Solutions GmbH Pioneering circular innovation by transforming waste into valuable resources using microwave technology. 🥉 3rd Place & Audience Award: regryd - energy storage systems Developing high-temperature energy storage solutions with recycled materials. The evening was a testament to the transformative power of "Gemeinwohlunternehmer*innen". As Timo Meynhardt put it, “These aren’t just startups—they are society-ups.” 💡 Thank you Public Value Award for having us and for giving changemakers the spotlight. Let’s keep accelerating founders fixing the world. 💪 📸 PK Fotographie Leipzig

🚨 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟: 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟬! 🚨 Are you building a startup that accelerates the transition to a net-zero economy? 🌍 RESPOND is your chance to scale your impact and grow as a leader alongside a global community of experts, mentors, and thought leaders. Here’s what selected founders can expect: ✅ Exclusive in-person events across Europe – a Leadership Offsite and the RESPOND Demo Night. ✅ Personalized coaching to scale your business and sharpen leadership skills. ✅ Connections with investors, corporate leaders, and industry experts. ✅ Visibility through speaking opportunities, media coverage, and conferences. RESPOND is completely free of charge – no equity taken. They are looking for startups driving energy transition, building resilient infrastructure, and accelerating industry decarbonization. 💡 Know a founder who fits the bill? Share this post or nominate them directly. Together, we can redefine how we respond to global challenges. 🔗 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/etDxA-aj Let’s create a sustainable future. 🌱 #RESPONDAccelerator

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞? 🚀 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫! Our Head of Engineering, Alexey Kovtunets is currently looking for a 👩💻 FULL-STACK SOFTWARE ENGINEER (m/f/d; permanent) 📊 DATA ENGINEER (m/f/d; permanent) As part of our tech team, you’ll have the opportunity to build side-by-side with Alexey, an experienced software engineer and entrepreneur. He’s looking for candidates to build a community-focused digital platform from scratch, automate investment and community workflows, and enhance data governance to support our teams effectively. So are you ready to innovate Venture Capital? Let’s build Europe’s most impactful entrepreneurship platform together! 👉Apply here to join & grow with us! https://lnkd.in/eXS7H2-a

🌟𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: WEPA 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 🌟 🏆 A big congratulations to WEPA for winning the German Sustainability Award in the Paper, Cardboard, and Carton category this past month! 🎉 As one of Germany’s 100 most sustainable companies, WEPA is transforming the industry with innovative solutions like recycled fibers and eco-friendly hygiene papers. Well deserved Andreas Krengel, Carl-Luis Rieger, Till Rösnick and the whole team. This recognition highlights how WEPA embeds sustainability in every aspect of its business, from raw materials to final products. 💪 Their efforts are setting new standards for other corporations to reach a more sustainable future. 🌍 Collaborations with startups can be key to develop creative approaches for large-scale impact. #DoingGoodBetter

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 ♻️ We had a great time at CIRCULAZE by CURAZE – an event all about the circular economy. Since Circularity & Resources is one of our focus verticals at better ventures, we place much value on productive conversations around circular solutions. 🌱 The event kicked off with the award ceremony night where 18 remarkable startups received recognition for their progress towards “closing the loop” in various industries (including our portfolio startup ecoLocked 🙌 ). We were happy to be part of the jury among other fellow impact investors such as Planet A Ventures and World Fund. The cherry on top was Tina’s keynote on the importance of collaboration between startups and corporations to solve the world’s most pressing problems. 🤝 The main event kept the momentum going with insightful talks, including one from our angel club member Carl-Luis Rieger from WEPA to discuss the role of family businesses in a circular transition or Marina Schmidt 🍎🍏’s poetic talk on the need for positive impact communication. Kudos to all startups that pitched that are rethinking how we use our resources more effectively in our current linear economy! There was a dynamic mix of founders, corporates, and investors, which is key for advancing our circular economy. 💪 Since the concept of circularity is industry-agnostic, we need exchange among multiple stakeholders to transition from individual solutions to large-scale change. Thank you Natascha Zeljko and Claus Schuster for recognizing this and bringing us all together.  We’re already looking forward to next year! And if you’re a founder in this space, we are always happy to talk. 🌟 #CircularEconomy #ImpactInvesting 📸: Magdalena Possert

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲? 🌟 Seven innovative startups are competing for the Public Value Award, showcasing how their business models contribute to the greater good. 🏆 Which team stands out to you as a true champion of societal value? On November 26, bcause, Regryd, Microwave Solutions GmbH, Ostrom, SUMM AI, PRAMOMOLECULAR and our portfolio company Skyseed 🙌 will present their ideas live in Leipzig. The public's opinion will decide who takes home this significant audience award. 💡 Cast your vote today and support the business that inspires you the most! 👉 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟲𝘁𝗵: https://lnkd.in/eYuXJFA3 #PublicValueAward #Innovation #Startups

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝘄𝗼 ✌ As always, this year’s Stage Two was packed with innovative startups, insightful discussions and loads of positive energy. The pitch competition for Europe's best university spin-outs did not disappoint with inspiring solutions from a range of countries. 💡 👏 Thank you to the event’s hosts Prof. Dr. Stephan (Thor) Stubner and Malte Brettel as well as the organizational team led by Natalia Ahmadian for providing an interactive format for entrepreneurs to share their innovations that are so crucial to our startup ecosystem. We were excited to, once again, sponsor the Impact Wildcard to send an additional, value-driven team to the competition. 🌱 Our investment team member Christina Schulte represented us on site to catch up with fellow investors and founders. 🙌 Some highlights: 💪 Insightful keynotes, panels and workshops on topics like strengthening the connection between investors and university programs, advancing and commercializing early-stage tech and building a personal brand 💫 Seeing the team of our selected Impact Wildcard SEALEO pitch and receive the Tech for Good award. Way to go, Diana Epel and Emanuele Griccioli! 🌎 Impact startups like FloodWaive and Turn-Motion leading the way by winning investment prizes – congrats! 🕺 Wrapping up the event was at the aftershow party at Radialsystem Can't wait for the next event and to continue shaping the university startup ecosystem! 🚀  #StageTwo #ForOurBeyond #DoingGoodBetter

𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 🌟 We know that especially the past week has evoked a sense of hopelessness in many people for what our world will look like going forward. With any large societal challenge, be it conflict between cultures, environmental conservation or human rights, the fight for what’s right can often feel too big to tackle. But any large change starts with a small step. That is why we are putting our efforts towards the topics that we 𝙘𝙖𝙣 directly influence to build a better world.🌎 We see our value in supporting entrepreneurs with their impact solutions. 💪 And we are seeing real results: A powerful example is that of our portfolio companies Oxyle, MAGNOTHERM and Greenlyte Carbon Technologies that were featured in Times Square. They were each chosen by Norrsken VC as one of 100 companies with the potential to positively impact 1 billion lives. 💧 Oxyle's tech can completely eliminate PFAs from water to provide cleaner water for all. 🌡️ MAGNOTHERM offers sustainable industrial cooling applications with their magnetic cooling technology. 🌱 Greenlyte Carbon Technologies is removing CO2 from our atmosphere with their innovative DAC approach. Even a seemingly simple idea paired with initiative can create a major impact. Thank you to the founding role models that prove how you can actively help build the better world you want to see. 👏 #DoingGoodBetter

IMPACT FESTIVAL 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀, 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱! 🌍💡 The event was a blend of discussions, workshops, and collaborative energy, all geared toward advancing impact-driven innovation. A special thanks to Mara Steinbrenner and the Impact Festival team for organizing this transformative gathering. 🌱 We were well-represented by our investment team members Moritz Vohler and Tiago Morelli as well as our founding partner Tina Dreimann. ✨ Highlights included: 🎤 Panels covering pivotal topics like Germany's startup strategy, the advantages of impact-focused business models, and evolving investment trends in impact VC. Tina discussed alongside Anne Decker, Oliver Kuschel, CFA, Susanne Bregy, Theresa Böttger, and Britta Lindhorst to share meaningful insights on the future of sustainable business. 🚀 Meeting up with our portfolio companies OCELL and BIOVOX GmbH and participating as a jury member at the startup pitch competition where emerging startups showcased their world-changing solutions. Congratulations to Alganize for taking first place! 🏆 🌎 The Climate Shapers Dinner, co-hosted with Tim Schumacher from World Fund and Markus Sudhoff from Climate Founders, brought together founders, investors, and enablers. The combination of value-driven individuals and great food at the heart of Frankfurt made it an incredible evening! The Impact Festival’s hopeful atmosphere highlighted the collective power of those committed to driving real, lasting change. Events like these emphasize why we are dedicated to accelerate founders that build a better world. ✨ #DoingGoodBetter

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗼 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴 🎙️: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 🏎️ Looking for an inspiring story of a successful career shift? Listen into the latest #AngelTalk with Nico Rosberg, former Formula 1 World Champion turned investor. 🌍 In this conversation with Tina, Nico opens up about his transformation from elite athlete to successful investor with over 35 startup investments and a fund-of-funds totaling more than €80 million in commitments. 🚀 Tune in to hear how Nico... 🏎️ ...leverages the discipline, focus, and passion from his racing career to fuel his ventures in the world of sustainable investments. 💡 ...shares his investment philosophy, focused on diversification, co-investments, and value-add for startups. 🌱 ...discusses his deep commitment to #GreenTech, using his platform to drive positive environmental impact. From the importance of diverse teams to his innovative role of a "Value-Add-Director," Nico brings a fresh perspective to both investing and leadership. Thank you, Nico, for sharing your journey and vision with us – and of course, thanks to the Startup Insider team for making this episode happen! 🎧 Don't miss this inspiring episode! Listen here: https://lnkd.in/ecJnRtxd. And let us know in the comments below what stood out to you from this conversation.👇 #StartupInsider #AngelTalk #Podcast #ImpactInvesting