DACH Startup News: Berlin AI Rockets, N26 Shakes & Europe’s Hydrogen Bet

Berlin’s AI just rocketed from $350M to $2.3B. At the same time, Switzerland locked in €825M hydrogen funding, and N26 faced its toughest governance test yet. This is not Silicon Valley news. This is the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) reshaping startup dynamics — and it’s moving fast. In this Startuprad.io Summer Wrap-Up 2025, we unpack: – How Berlin’s open-source workflow AI became a unicorn and why enterprises are buying in now – Why EU hydrogen funding marks a generational climate infrastructure play for startups – What N26’s leadership shake-up under BaFin reveals about fintech governance in Europe – How dual-use pivots (like Lilium’s defense strategy) are becoming survival moves in tough funding markets – Why German tele-driving pilots and Bavarian endowment unlocks are more than policy headlines — they’re startup railways – The rise of Europe’s Stan index (Qwant + Ecosia) and Pinterest’s Zurich AI hub 🎙 Why listen? Because the future of European startups will be shaped at the intersection of technology, regulation, and capital flows. If you’re a founder, operator, or investor, this episode shows where the rails are being laid. What you’ll learn: – The DACH edge in AI: community + open-source + enterprise focus – The real impact of hydrogen billions on startup runway – Fintech’s compliance-first reality check – The overlooked opportunity of dual-use & defense procurement – How to spot policy-driven founder opportunities in Europe 👉 If you learned something here, share this episode with a founder who needs it. Follow us on Spotify, subscribe on Apple, and check the blog for a full breakdown. Episode: DACH Startup News – Summer Wrap-Up 2025 Host: Joern Menninger, Editor-in-Chief Startuprad.io Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-news-july-and-august-2025-unicorn-surge-825m-hydrogen-win-fintech-shakeups Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/iV1Gzz0zy_k Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & why the roundup is split in 2 parts 05:26 – Berlin AI rockets to $2.3B 09:57 – Switzerland’s €825M hydrogen allocation 11:23 – EIC selects 40 startups & Stan index launch 14:27 – German economy dips into recession 15:15 – Defense pivots & tele-driving pilots 17:49 – Bavarian endowment unlock + Austrian founder wave 20:11 – Pinterest opens Zurich AI hub & wrap-up ✉️ Work with us: [email protected] Subscribe across platforms: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger Primary (title, early description, timestamps): DACH startup news, Berlin AI automation, EU hydrogen funding, German startup ecosystem Secondary (description + show notes): N26 governance, defense tech Europe, tele-driving Germany, Stan index, European AI hub, EIC startup funding

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