Munich Startup: What does Diafania do?
Vera Meinert, CEO of Diafania: In the real estate industry today, valuable time and resources are lost due to complex information exchange – with consequences such as increased risks, liability claims, and missed revenue potential. Our solution addresses this issue: We reduce manual effort and transform unstructured data into reliable insights. To achieve this, we automate data structuring directly from documents, creating a foundation on which information can be easily retrieved, reviewed, and used. We started with the maintenance and inspection management process. Here, we automatically read maintenance contracts and logs, supporting contract management, maintenance planning, and quality control.
Diafania: Data analysis meets industry understanding
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Vera Meinert: You'd think so, and hope so! Many systems process data, and with models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, analyzing documents and unstructured data has become extremely accessible. We combine these capabilities with deep process understanding and the interplay of information from various data sources. This not only saves us time, but also creates a data set of extremely high quality.
Our years of industry experience and modularity are particularly helpful in this regard. This allows us to perfectly adapt to company processes and identify the links between documents and information. By consistently using our own product for our own processes, we know exactly where the problems lie, what's missing, and how the solution can be optimally deployed. This creates real added value that goes far beyond simple document processing.
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Vera Meinert: When I met Johannes a few years ago, he said to me, "Vera, you're going to start a company one day!" I had to laugh – at the time, I really couldn't imagine it at all. But he was right, and he recognized my creativity and drive for transformation early on. While working at tech companies, I repeatedly encountered the typical problem of missing or poor-quality data and the associated lost potential. Unstructured data, in particular, is a true treasure in this area, often completely untapped. Together with Johannes, I developed the idea and then brought on board Michael, who has the technical skills to tackle the topic with the help of artificial intelligence. So we began building Diafania together.
Startup life: Between pressure and balance
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Vera Meinert: Life in a startup is highly dynamic: The house is always on fire, there are endless projects, and you could work 24/7. The real challenge is setting clear boundaries and consciously taking time out despite the constant stress. For us, that sometimes means closing the laptop, heading for the mountains, and clearing your head. It's not always easy, but it's absolutely necessary to remain productive and creative in the long term.
Munich Startup: How are things going?
Vera Meinert: We already have our first clients and active projects that we are systematically expanding and deepening. We are currently operating in the proptech sector, but we also see potential for applying our technology across industries. Regarding investors, we're taking everything as it comes – we want to remain true to our values and clients and will not make any hasty decisions in this regard.
Munich as a hub for PropTech and AI
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Vera Meinert: Munich offers a dynamic ecosystem for startups: access to investors, partners, networks and events such as Expo Real or the Bits & PretzelsThe city combines economic strength with innovative power, which is very valuable for us as a startup. At the same time, competition is fierce – and this encourages us to bring innovative solutions to market quickly.
Munich Startup: Outsource or do it yourself?
Vera Meinert: With our background in data and AI, we rely on our own skills in the core areas of product and technology development, as well as use case prioritization. However, we consistently seek support in areas where we have less experience or expertise. To ensure the highest quality across all areas, we see the key to bringing in external expertise. We rely on mentors and supporters from the industry, especially when it comes to industry access and expertise.
