Members of the Startup Association elected a new board in early November. In addition to chair Verena Pausder, the board team now includes Heike Freund, COO of Munich-based startup Marvel Fusion, and Nils Aldag, CEO of Dresden-based hydrogen company Sunfire. Both are considered influential figures in the German deep tech scene. In the constitutive meeting, members unanimously confirmed Verena Pausder as board chair.
With Freund’s election, another Munich founder enters the top governing body of the nationwide Startup Association. Freund heads operations at fusion startup Marvel Fusion and is one of the leading voices in deep tech and climate technologies.
The new board team also includes Benedict Kurz (Knowunity), Helmut Schönenberger (UnternehmerTUM), Jochen Engert (Flix), Kati Ernst (ooia & Lifestyle of Longevity), Magdalena Oehl (TalentRocket), Sebastian Pollok (Visionaries Club & Visionaries Tomorrow), and Zoé Fabian-Frey (Noteus Partners).
Focus on deep tech and scaling
The Startup Association aims to further strengthen the country’s innovation power with the new team. The members’ shared goal is clear: Germany should become an internationally competitive hub for startups and scaleups.
Verena Pausder, chair of the Startup Association board, says:
“Especially in the current economic downturn, we need startups and scaleups more than ever. They bring speed, technology, and drive together – and show what’s possible in Germany when ideas meet entrepreneurial courage.”
Germany has good prerequisites to succeed as a startup and scaleup hub, thanks to its research landscape and ambitious founders, according to Pausder, who also cautions:
“But we must now create the right environment so that startups and scaleups become international market leaders and global champions.”
According to Pausder, the new members should also help deepen the association’s strategic work:
“With Heike Freund and Nils Aldag, we were able to recruit two outstanding figures from the German startup and scaleup ecosystem. With their many years of experience and special expertise, they further strengthen the association’s deep tech and scaleup competencies. The new board excellently reflects the breadth and diversity of the German startup and scaleup ecosystem. Together, we’re passionate about seizing the momentum for Germany and Europe.”
The newly elected board members will serve two-year terms. Hélène Huby (The Exploration Company) and Nicole Büttner-Thiel (Merantix) are leaving the board.
