STYX

As we wrap up 2024, it's clear that 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲'𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 landscape has been 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. Here's a quick look at the year's highlights and 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 in 2025: 🤨𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Despite ambitious goals, Germany's building renovation rate remained low at 0.69%, far below the 2% target needed to meet 2030 climate objectives. 💡𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬: The government adjusted its approach, reducing energy counselling subsidies but extending green building incentives through 2025. 🌱𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡: Investment in renewables remained strong, with the government aiming to phase out fossil fuel subsidies as coal power generation ends. 🔮 Looking ahead to 2025: ⏩ Continued focus on 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲-𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 with up to €14.4 billion allocated ⏩ Potential shift from operating subsidies to 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 for renewables ⏩Increased emphasis on 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩 installations and 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐜 systems At STYX, we're excited about the opportunities these changes bring for innovative startups in the PropTech and energy efficiency spaces. Let's collaborate to drive the energy transition forward in 2025!

🏚️ As administrators in city halls across Europe grapple with the complexities of urban development and the housing crisis, PropTech emerges as a powerful tool to create sustainable, economically viable solutions at the local level.🌱 🤝 At the 9th European European Cities for Sustainable Public Finances (CSPF) meeting this week Florian Fischer shared STYX's perspective on the matter with 20 European city CFOs among them Barcelona, Hamburg and Bordeaux. 👉 Find his key slides below Alexander Heichlinger Jens Loff

Nach drei Jahren und einem langen Notartermin hat Bakerix gestern nicht nur Investoren, die während herausfordernder Zeiten mit angeschoben haben, in seinem Cap Table begrüßt. Der gestrige Tag läutete auch unseren Einstieg in die nächste Wachstumsphase ein. 🚀 𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐳𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 2023 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐳𝐞𝐡𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐁2𝐁-𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐟ü𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐭 Bakerix - Bakeries United 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝-𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟ü𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫, 𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐮.𝐯.𝐦. Die letzten Jahre waren für die Szene junger, disruptiv ausgelegter Unternehmen nicht einfach. Viele haben es nicht geschafft. Viele mussten herbe Downrounds hinnehmen. Ich mache an dieser Stelle die kühne Aussage, dass wir "Ruhrgebiets-typisch" tendenziell defensiv mit Bewertung anstelle großer Klappe unterwegs waren. Wie mir ein guter, international tätiger Freund vor kurzem sagte "𝘐𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘩ä𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘵 𝘐𝘩𝘳 𝘭ä𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵 20 𝘔𝘪𝘰. 𝘌𝘜𝘙 𝘞𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭". 🇪🇺 Wir alle im Gesellschafterkreis von Bakerix sind stolz, dass wir jetzt bodenständig und mit riesiger Traktion aus dem Vollen schöpfen. Im Break Even und mit einem hervorragenden Team gehen wir in unsere Finanzierungsrunde Q1/25, auf dem Weg zu unserer Vision, diesen Marktplatz auch international zu platzieren. 🥐 𝑶𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒕 𝑰𝒉𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒉 𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝒆𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒓ö𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏? 😉 💛 Special credits to 💛 : Nick Bleckmann, Christian Scherpel, Torsten Jensen, Sebastian Garcia Dennemark, Nils Sonnenfroh, Marc Kranz, Florian Fischer, David Zwilling, Erik Walkling, Kevin Maruszczyk, Ingmar Wegel, Simon Engelhorn, Dirk Steiger, Dominik Hinkelmann, Jürgen Hinkelmann und an meinen persönlichen Fels in der Brandung Karina V

Wrapping up the year with a BANG! Asociación Internacional de Startups has put together another amazing event to showcase the #Sevilla ecosystem. Great panelists, great pitches and the connection to #LATAM that always brings a happy twist. I was honored to share the stage with the great Rene de Jong and the amazing Sascha Badelt in order to share our insights as BAs and early stage investors. From STYX and Now and Beyond Consulting we always try to feed as much knowledge to entrepreneurs as possible. And of course plenty of time to catch up with old and new pals Anmol Goel Anindya Saha Adrián Crovetto This is a 2024 wrap up. Enjoy the holidays and festivities ecosystem, see you next year with more and bigger news. PS: we did have a massive audience. Pic was pre-panel 🤣🤣

The 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 by FoundersFight.Club might just be the coolest pitch format in the German startup ecosystem.🏆 🥊𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐔𝐩 The competition pits startups against each other in boxing match style direct face-offs. Each startup is matched with a worthy opponent, creating a series of one-on-one battles. Yes, this includes walk on songs and ideally a boxing ring.🎶 ⏱️𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 1️⃣ Opening Pitch: Each entrepreneur has one minute to present their case 2️⃣ Attack and Defend: The red corner attacks while the blue corner defends for one minute 3️⃣ Role reversal: Roles switch, with blue attacking and red defending ⚠️𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭 What makes Founders Fight Night truly unique is the absence of traditional pitching tools. There are no screens, no slides, and no visual aids. Contestants must rely solely on their words, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit to make their case. 🎖️𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 After the initial bout judges ask a single "haymaker question" to each contestant and an expert influencer gives a preference trying to sway the crowd in one direction. Ultimately, the audience votes publicly by holding up colored cards to determine the winner. 🕶️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 This format ensures high audience engagement and mimics the real startup world, where the market (represented by the audience) ultimately decides a startup's success. The set up transforms the often dry pitching process into an adrenaline-pumping spectacle, testing not just ideas but also the entrepreneurs' resilience, quick thinking, and ability to inspire under pressure. Thanks for Jan C. Küster for inviting us to take part in Novembers BUILDINX edition and congrats to figth champion Anna Dieckhöfer from SLAPStack. What is your favourite pitch event and format?

💡 Schizophrenie auf den Finanzmärkten: Zwischen Risikoscheu und Wagnis – und die Herausforderung für Startups in 2025 Der gute Artikel von Florian zeigt u.a. einmal mehr die ambivalente Dynamik auf den Finanzmärkten: Während Milliarden auf Sparkonten geparkt werden und im Niedrigzins „versauern“, boomt parallel die Investition in hochspekulative Anlagen wie Bitcoin. 📉📈 💭 Was bedeutet das für Startups? Diese Entwicklung spiegelt eine zunehmende Unsicherheit wider: Auf der einen Seite die Scheu vor traditionellen Investitionen, auf der anderen Seite die Suche nach schnellen, aber riskanten Renditen. Für Startups wird es im Jahr 2025 daher herausfordernder denn je, die richtigen Kapitalquellen zu erschließen. 📅 2025 wird ein herausforderndes Jahr – aber auch eine Chance für diejenigen, die bereit sind, sich weiterzuentwickeln. 💬 Was denkt ihr? Wie können Startups in Zeiten finanzieller Unsicherheiten ihre Chancen erhöhen? Ich freue mich auf eure Perspektiven!

🌍 Water - The Lifeline of Our Cities and Built Environment 🏘️ Water is more than just a resource—it's the backbone of urban life and sustainability. As cities grow, the demand for water intensifies, making its management crucial for ecological balance, economic stability, and public health. 💧 Enzo's Role in Sustainable Water Management Our portfolio company, Enzo, is at the forefront of addressing these challenges with its innovative one.drop technology. By now partnering with Alte Leipziger Versicherung AG (ALH Gruppe), Enzo is deploying its IoT sensors to detect water leaks early, significantly reducing wastage and repair costs. This proactive approach not only conserves water but also enhances efficiency and sustainability in building insurance. Why Enzo's Technology Stands Out: 👉 Continuous Monitoring: Enzo's one.drop sensors continuously monitor water consumption in buildings, providing real-time data analysis through artificial intelligence to detect even the smallest leaks. 👉 Easy Installation: These sensors are designed for easy, tool-free installation and operate independently without needing Wi-Fi or constant power supply. 👉 Comprehensive Coverage: Whether for single-family homes or larger multi-family buildings, Enzo's technology can be retrofitted to any structure, ensuring widespread protection against water damage. 👉 Sustainability Impact: By preventing water losses from leaks, Enzo contributes to sustainable water management and aligns with EU taxonomy goals for sustainable economic activities. At STYX, our ourpose lies in supporting technologies that make cities and building future proof. Enzo's work is a testament to how innovation can drive sustainability and resilience in our cities.🌿✨ Sascha Wolf Marvin Follmann Bjoern H. Portner

💥The 6th of November was indeed a political watershed! ⏩ What can we expect going forward, and what does 2025 hold for the German Startup Ecosystem in particular? 🔭In his opinion piece on Business Punk, STYX Co-Founder Florian Fischer ventures a look into the crystal ball. link to the article: https://lnkd.in/epaEai2E

Autumn update from STYX 🍁 🎃 🏙️ 🇪🇸 📈 🚀 Our branch in #Spain is growing. Together with Inger Egeland-Helgøy and Josep R. Novell LL.M., we had a blast at events including The District Show in #Barcelona, where we hosted a side event together with Xavier Mayo and Xavier Simó. Another personal highlight was VDS in #Valencia - a big shoutout to Krloos Rivera, Marcus Hølland Eikeland, Sabine Schoorl MBA 🏳️🌈, Jason Scott and many more who made this event a blast! 🇳🇱 🏡 👨🦳 Our portfolio company Nestflow secured funding from Europe's leading #agetech investor Birdhouse Ventures, kicked off by two weeks of insights and learnings in Antwerp, Belgium. 🏦 🚀 🏆 Jury duty in my home ecosystem #rheinneckar - Frederik Haas and his team at Volksbank Kurpfalz eG hosted one of the cooles startup festival in our region attracting more than 300 attendees. I had the pleasure to join the jury of the pitch competition together with Fjolla Myftari and Luis Langner. This was a great opportunity to see again how much this ecosystem has to offer! ✍ 📰 🔊 We again had some amazing media appearances this autumn. David Zwilling and I spoke to StartupValley Magazine and I had the pleasure to share my thoughts about the status quo of the #german #proptech scene with immobilienmanager. Big shoutout to Moritz Benz and our trusted partner BETTERTRUST for their excellent work. [Links in comments] Stay tuned for some more amazing in the upcoming weeks...

😉What do Mercedes-Benz, IKEA and our portfolio company Telescope (Former Ei Solutions) have in common? All three of them have had first-hand experience with the importance of cross-cultural brand naming!🌏 🚘 When Mercedes-Benz first entered the Chinese market, their brand name was initially translated as 奔死 (bēn sǐ), which unfortunately meant "rush to die". Realizing this was not an ideal message for a car brand, they quickly changed it to 奔驰 (bēn chí), meaning "to run quickly (as if flying)". 🛋️ IKEA, known for its Swedish product names, released a workbench called "FARTFULL" in 2005. While the name made sense in Swedish, with "fart" meaning "speed" or "fast", it had an unfortunate connotation in English. The product was eventually removed from the market. 🌱 Telescope, our Norwegian portfolio startup helping companies to navigate sustainability risk in real estate finance, began its journey under the brand name EiSolutions (Eiendom translates to property/ real estate in Norwegian). In German however, "Ei" translates to "egg" and even more ironically, at last year's Slush conference in Finland, Marit and Gustav introduced themselves as "NoSolutions". 💡Curious about Telescope? check out their new branding in action here: https://www.telescope.eco