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Second-Life EV Batteries: How Voltfang Raised €15M to Replace Coal in Europe
What if the key to Europe’s energy independence lies in the batteries of yesterday’s electric cars? This isn’t science fiction—it’s Voltfang’s reality.
Today’s episode takes you inside the world of second-life EV batteries, where German climate tech startup Voltfang is repurposing used electric car batteries to stabilize power grids, decentralize energy systems, and replace coal-fired plants across Europe.
With a €15M funding round and partnerships with major players like Stuttgart Airport, Voltfang is scaling from humble camper van hacks to operating Europe’s largest second-life battery factory.
What You’ll Learn:
How second-life EV batteries can transform renewable energy storage.
Why energy decentralization is critical for Europe’s climate future.
The startup journey from garage project to €15M scale-up.
Lessons on resilience and leadership from Voltfang’s co-founders.
Common misconceptions about scaling cleantech startups.
Insider insights into Germany’s and DACH’s energy transition.
Guest Spotlight:
David Oudsandji, CEO & Co-Founder of Voltfang, shares the story of how three friends turned a side project into one of Europe’s most ambitious clean energy startups. With a background in industrial engineering and a bold vision to shut down coal plants like Weissweiler (1.6 GW), David unpacks the challenges and triumphs of scaling in a high-impact sector.
🎧 If you’re inspired by stories of startups driving global impact, hit “Follow” on Spotify or “Subscribe” on Apple Podcasts.
⭐ Leave us a 5-star review and share this episode with fellow founders and investors.
💬 What’s your moonshot for the future of energy? Tell us on LinkedIn or Threads using #Startupradio.
Guest Name: David Oudsandji, CEO & Co-Founder at Voltfang
Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/second-life-ev-batteries-powering-europe%E2%80%99s-energy-future
Timestamps:
00:00 – Can Second-Life Batteries Replace Coal?
02:15 – The Camper Van Experiment That Sparked Voltfang
06:40 – From Prototype to €15M Raise
10:55 – Pivoting From Home to Industrial Energy Storage
15:30 – Decentralizing Europe’s Energy Grids
20:05 – Lessons in Cleantech Startup Leadership
23:00 – Voltfang’s Moonshot Vision for a Coal-Free Europe
25:10 – Closing Reflections and Future Plans
✉️ Work with us: partnerships@startuprad.io
💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8
💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger
startups, second life EV batteries, energy decentralization Europe, german startups, tech entrepreneurs, capital growth, startup scaling cleantech, angel investors, DACH startup ecosystem, climate tech founders, venture capital cleantech Germany
Finance Automation for SMEs: Moss CEO on Scaling, AI & Fintech Lessons
What if finance wasn’t a bottleneck but your secret growth weapon? Moss CEO Ante Spittler joins Startuprad.io to reveal how his Berlin fintech is helping over 5,000 SMEs automate spend, ditch spreadsheets, and scale smarter.
What You’ll Learn:
How Moss raised €180M and scaled to process €5B+ annually
The biggest finance automation challenges for European SMEs
Lessons from layoffs and scaling a regulated fintech
Why user-first design is Moss’s superpower in a crowded market
Insights on ERP integration, AI in finance, and future trends
The emotional toll of leading a fintech through hypergrowth
Strategies for founders balancing family and company building
Guest Spotlight:
Ante Spittler – CEO & Co-Founder, Moss
Ante is a seasoned fintech leader with roots in investment banking and VC. At Moss, he’s redefining finance automation for SMEs across Europe, delivering an intelligent spend management suite with enterprise-grade compliance.
Love founder stories that mix strategy, grit, and big wins? Follow Startuprad.io on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, and share this episode with founders and investors in your network.
Guest Name: Ante Spittler, CEO & Co-Founder of Moss
Moss Website – https://www.getmoss.com
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: Why Finance Automation Matters
02:10 – Ante’s Journey: From VC to Fintech Founder
06:30 – Fixing ERP & Receipt Chaos in SMEs
10:45 – Scaling in Regulated Fintech: Lessons Learned
17:00 – Layoffs, Leadership, and Fintech Winter
24:40 – Balancing Family Life as a CEO
30:15 – Moss’s User-First Design Philosophy
40:05 – The Future of AI-Driven CFO Tools
47:16 – Advice to Founders Scaling in Finance Tech
✉️ Work with us: partnerships@startuprad.io
💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8
💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger
Why Emotional Branding Is the Startup Superpower You’re Ignoring | Jakob Trpin
Your startup isn’t failing because of your tech or funding—it’s because people don’t feel your brand.
In this episode, Jakob Trpin, founder of Yesyesandtwo, breaks down why emotional branding is the hidden growth engine for startups. Discover how subconscious branding cues, human-to-human marketing (H2H), and internal culture alignment create trust and drive investor confidence.
What You’ll Learn:
How to connect emotionally with customers to outlast competitors
Why most startups fail at branding (and how to avoid the same trap)
Insights into human-to-human (H2H) branding beyond B2B and B2C
The critical role of internal branding in startup success
Investor perspectives: Why trust often comes before metrics
Strategies for scaling authenticity as your startup grows
Guest Spotlight:
Jakob Trpin, Founder of Yesyesandtwo, is a branding expert with 18+ years of experience shaping global brands like Audi, Red Bull, Marvel, and KTM. Known for turning complex psychology into actionable branding strategies, Jakob helps startups build meaningful connections that stick.
Like what you hear? Follow Startuprad.io, subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! Share this episode with fellow founders, investors, and team members building something extraordinary.
Guest Name: Jakob Trpin, Founder at Yesyesandtwo
Blog Post: startuprad.io/post/emotional-branding-for-startups-how-to-win-hearts-not-just-markets
Relevant Resources:
Startuprad.io Blog:https://www.startuprad.io/post/emotional-branding-for-startups-how-to-win-hearts-not-just-markets
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Why Emotional Branding Beats Loud Marketing 05:12 – The Invisible Language of Brands Explained 17:45 – Common Startup Branding Mistakes 35:20 – Human-to-Human: Moving Beyond B2B/B2C 48:05 – Closing Insights + Emotional Branding Playbook
✉️ Work with us: partnerships@startuprad.io
💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8
💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joernmenninger
Helsing, Luma, and EU Billions: DACH Startup Funding 2025 Unleashed
What happens when Germany creates its second decacorn and the EU drops €10B to scale startups? This month’s news episode breaks it all down — from funding explosions in deep tech to the future of biotech, fintech innovation, and defense AI. The DACH startup scene has never been this hot.
What You’ll Learn
Why Helsing dethroned Celonis to become Germany’s top-valued startup
How ISA Aerospace, Scalable Capital, and Luma Care are fueling Europe’s unicorn pipeline
What the EU’s “Choose Europe” strategy means for startup growth, external funding, and capital access
Why non-dilutive biotech funding (like ITM SE’s €262.5M round) is reshaping molecular analysis and health innovation
Who’s driving green innovation, eco-system growth, and scaleup strategies in the GSA region
Startup Scene Pulse
From Vienna to Zurich, from Berlin to Munich, this episode delivers exclusive insights into the GSA tech ecosystem, pre-seed funding trends, and scaleup strategies that define the European unicorn surge. Learn how resilience planning, fintech founders, and strategic growth capital are transforming the startup landscape in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
We highlight the rise of Swiss innovation, Austrian startups, and eco innovation models across the region. Explore how corporate growth meets AI-driven defense tech, how digital transformation strategy shapes cloud infrastructure, and what growth investing looks like in 2025.
If you’re a founder aiming for vision planning, an investor tracking vc investment trends, or just love hearing execution stories from unicorn builders, this episode is your new go-to.
Now it is up to you!
Like what you hear? Tap follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the episode with your founder friends, VC partners, and innovation strategists. Startuprad.io is your trusted voice for the DACH startup scene.
📢 Read the full blog post:
https://www.startuprad.io/blog/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns
💌 Subscribe to our newsletter and podcast updates:
https://linktr.ee/startupradio
🔗 Follow Jörn “Joe” Menninger on LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger
📩 Work with us: partnerships@startuprad.io
🗳️ Give feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8
This episode is perfect for listeners searching phrases like:
“Best startup podcast 2025”
“EU startup scale-up fund explained”
“How to grow SaaS in the DACH region”
“Fintech innovation in Germany”
“Tech entrepreneurs behind European unicorns”
From Parties to Platforms: Swiss Fintech CEO on AI Accounting for Startups
What if one platform could handle your startup’s banking, accounting, and invoicing—all automated?
In this episode of Startuprad.io, we talk to Blas Pegenaute, CEO of Sequence ERP, a Swiss fintech startup redefining what accounting software can do for small businesses and freelancers.
Blas shares his founder story—starting in nightlife, moving through hospitality, and eventually building an AI-driven accounting platform that now holds a FINMA license to act as a light bank.
🔥 What You’ll Learn:
How Sequence ERP automates accounting with AI agents
Why SME accounting in Switzerland is so fragmented
What investors really want in early SaaS rounds
How to bootstrap and scale in a conservative market
Building and retaining high-performance startup teams
Vision 2026: Merging ERP, AI, and banking in one product
🎙 Guest Spotlight:
Blas Pegenaute is the CEO of Sequence ERP and a veteran entrepreneur with a background in international business, nightlife promotion, and hospitality. His fintech startup is setting a new standard for full-stack accounting tools built specifically for SMEs and freelancers in Europe.
💬 Like what you hear?
Follow Startuprad.io, subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, and leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review. Don’t forget to share the episode with your team or network!
📓 Show Notes
Guest Name: Blas Pegenaute, CEO of Sequence ERP
Blog Post:
http://startuprad.io/post/ai-accounting-software-the-swiss-startup-automating-bookkeeping-with-sequence-erp
Key Resources:
FINMA Overview: https://www.finma.ch/en/
Startuprad.io Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Automating SME Bookkeeping
02:20 – Blas’ Entrepreneurial Journey
05:00 – What’s Broken in Traditional Accounting Software
09:45 – Product-Market Fit in the Swiss SaaS Market
14:10 – Fundraising Tips for SaaS Startups
18:25 – What Makes Full-Stack Fintech Unique
24:40 – AI Agents and the Future of Accounting
28:50 – Startup Team Culture at Sequence
33:00 – Vision 2026: AI ERP Meets Embedded Banking
How Fiskaly Scaled to 1M+ POS with Cloud Fiscal Compliance Software
Ever wondered how a startup from Vienna broke into one of the world’s most heavily regulated tech ecosystems — and scaled to over 1 million POS integrations? Today’s episode dives into the story of Fiskaly, the RegTech that made fiscal compliance software scalable, seamless, and cloud-first.
What You’ll Learn:
How to navigate and win in Germany’s complex POS regulation landscape (TSE + BSI)
Why cloud-first, API-driven compliance is the new standard in RegTech
Strategies for scaling SaaS in regulated markets like Spain and Italy
What it takes to secure strategic VC investment while bootstrapping growth
Guest Spotlight:
Oliver Abel, Country Manager Germany at Fiskaly, shares his journey leading the charge into some of Europe’s strictest compliance frameworks — and why unified API architecture is the next big thing for SaaS startups operating across borders.
Emotional Close + CTA:
Like what you hear? Follow Startuprad.io, subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! Don’t forget to share this episode with other founders, SaaS builders, and investors scaling through regulation.
✅ Show Notes
Guest Name: Oliver Abel, Country Manager Germany at Fiskaly
Blog Post: https://startuprad.io/post/transforming-fiscal-compliance-how-fiskaly-s-cloud-first-approach-is-reshaping-european-pos-regulat
Relevant Resources:
Fiskaly Website
BSI TSE Regulation Overview (Germany)
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: What is Fiscal Compliance Software?
01:32 – Cracking Germany’s TSE & BSI Certification
04:05 – Why Fiskaly Built a Cloud-First POS Compliance Solution
07:28 – Unified API: Scaling Fiscal Compliance Across Europe
11:13 – Strategic Partnerships: Orderbird, SumUp, Ready2Order
15:02 – Growth Capital, Verdane, and Regulated Market Scaling
18:46 – M&A and Building a European RegTech Powerhouse
22:12 – Advice for SaaS Founders Entering Regulated Industries
25:00 – Final Thoughts: RegTech, Regulation, and Startup Impact