News & Podcast
Stay up to date with the latest stories, deep-dives and interviews from the Munich startup ecosystem. From funding deals to founder portraits and tech trends.

Bella & Bona Expands to NRW
Following Munich and Berlin, Bella & Bona is entering its third market. The Munich-based office food provider is launching in Dusseldorf and Cologne in October and is financing the expansion from its ongoing operations.

Women in Tech: Lena Sophia Voß from Furo
From aerospace research and consulting to multiple startups and the energy sector: Lena Sophia Voß brings a diverse tech and business background to Furo. Together with Leonie Wagner and Simon Wittner at Furo, she is developing an operating system for commercial and industrial battery storage. In this interview, Voß explains why energy is becoming a critical location factor, what helped her overcome her fear of founding a company, and why Munich still has catching up to do when it comes to knowledge sharing between scaleup operators.

AI company Atira raises 13 million euros
Atira, a Munich-based AI startup developing the orchestration layer for industrial sales processes, has closed a seed round of nearly 13 million euros ($15 million) led by Accel. UVC Partners participated once again in the funding round. UVC Partners had already invested nearly 2.1 million euros ($2.5 million) in the pre-seed round.

450 Million Dollars: The Exploration Company Sets Its Sights on the ISS
The Exploration Company has announced a Series C funding round of 387 million euros (450 million dollars). The space company plans to use the capital to send its reusable Nyx capsule to the International Space Station and further develop the Storm rocket engine. According to the company, this is the largest Series C round for a European space company to date.

First Into the Ocean, Now Into Space: Isar Aerospace Achieves a Breakthrough
On the first flight, it was over after 30 seconds. On the second, Spectrum reached orbit. Isar Aerospace has achieved a decisive milestone. Behind this rise are eight years of development work, millions in funding, and a Munich founding team with big ambitions. TUM Professor Chiara Manfletti explained in a Munich Startup interview ahead of the launch what really matters.

Startup Meets Craft 2026: Register Now for the Anniversary Edition
“Startup Meets Craft” is celebrating its anniversary: For ten years, the format has been bringing innovative founders and skilled craft businesses together. New technologies, AI solutions, and creative highlights await once again in 2026. Register now for free for the event on October 13.

Millions in Funding for Project-S
Munich-based space startup Project-S is entering its next phase of development with millions in funding led by Uni.Fund II. The company aims to combine radar sensor technology, AI-supported orbit data, and collision avoidance into an end-to-end security infrastructure for satellites, while also developing technologies to remove space debris in the long term.

Krafthub: Industrialized AI for Skilled Trades
CNC, lasers, and CAD have long become part of everyday operations in many craft and trade businesses – yet in the office, Excel, paper, and scattered data still slow things down. Krafthub aims to bridge this gap with an AI platform that covers the entire process from inquiry to invoice. Founder Gaitis Kasims knows both worlds well: Coming from a family of craftspeople, he also looks back on 20 years of experience as a founder, CIO, and CTO. In 2025, he founded Krafthub to bring industrial-grade AI automation to the skilled trades.

Munich Startup Recap 36/26
This week, we featured the startups Mojitofilms and The Ocean Package, but there was also general news from the Munich ecosystem: Nnexoro closed its first angel round and HTGF is planning 150 investments with its new seed fund. On top of that, our videocast Pitch & People is back from its summer break with a new episode featuring guest Ilya Ballier, and our Munich Startup Expert Robert Richarz explains what founders should know about scout checks. Enjoy our varied weekly wrap-up!

Munich Startup Experts: Scout Checks – What Founders Need to Know
Scout checks are showing up on more and more German cap tables, mostly under a name that seems cryptic at first glance. Munich Startup Expert, investor, and scout Robert Richarz explains how these programs are structured, who earns what, and what founders should ask before taking the money.


Mojitofilms: The AI Concierge for Movie Theaters
The story of Mojitofilms almost came to an end in 2025. Then it turned out that of all things, a single feature of the film app held the greatest potential: the AI concierge Moji. Founder Shahram Shahangi combines computer science, digital marketing, and his passion for film. Today, he aims to use Moji to help cinemas and festivals better engage their audiences, discover the right films through dialogue, and shorten the path to ticket purchases.

Young Forum: Opening Doors for Young Talent
As a young person, meeting executives from larger companies and discussing sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals with them is almost impossible. The Young Forum makes this possible by providing access to exclusive events. The goal is to foster intergenerational exchange in order to promote sustainability.
