A new generation of entrepreneurs are turning the startup scene upside down: so-called deeptech founders. What sets you apart from the old guard? And what drives them? Tech journalists Janna Linke and Hannah Schwär shed light on this in the new podcast episode of “Startup – Honestly Now”.
Bankruptcies, layoffs, lack of financing: the German startup scene has had tough months. However, current figures show that there is also reason for optimism – especially for scientific founders. “Many young physicists, chemists or materials scientists are currently starting companies to tackle the really big problems,” says tech reporter Hannah Schwär in the ntv podcast “Startup – Now be honest”.
Almost every second dollar of venture capital last year went into so-called deep tech startups, i.e. groundbreaking, research-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics or nuclear fusion. According to the data service Dealroom, investments totaled around $20 billion.
A trend reversal – after all, German researchers have so far had a difficult time founding startups. Either the resources, the courage or the role models were lacking. However, that seems to be turning. Since the success of the Mainz vaccine manufacturer Biontech, research-intensive start-ups have been very popular with investors.
Focus on energy and climate
“The hard research topics that impact energy and climate are becoming increasingly important,” says “Capital” journalist Hannah Schwär. One reason for the boom: Investors are increasingly looking for alternative growth stories. Since the Ukraine war and inflation ended the boom years of cheap money, many apps and software companies have been in constant crisis. Technology-heavy inventions, on the other hand, promise crisis-resistant business models.
The consultants and business experts who have shaped the startup landscape for many years therefore seem to be going out of fashion. After the Copycat founders of the 2000s and the more mature software entrepreneurs of the 2010s, a new generation is emerging from this momentum: the hour has come for the nerds – the physicists, chemists and engineers.
“The deep tech boom will change the start-up scene,” says Schwär. And that’s not all: it could usher in a new founding era in which tech companies are created that have the power of the companies from the first German founding era, such as Siemens, Bosch or Daimler. World market leaders who can stay at the top for decades.
With Hannah Schwär said Janna Linke. The conversation has been shortened and smoothed for better clarity. You can read it completely in the ntv podcast “Startup – now to be honest” listen.
What lies behind the dazzling facade of the startup scene? Janna Linke knows it. In the podcast “Startup – Now Honestly” she takes a look behind the scenes of the start-up scene every week and talks about topics that are currently making headlines. She classifies, asks questions. Personal, honest and with real added value. To do this, she speaks to personalities from the scene, experts and gives you an absolute all-round view. Together you will delve deep into the startup world.
“Startup – now honestly” – the podcast with Janna Linke. On RTL+ and everywhere there are podcasts: Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RSS feed