encourageventures e.V.

🗣️ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 | 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ’𝟮𝟱 We’re proud to welcome Dr. Annika von Mutius, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Empion, as one of our keynote speakers at Courage ’25! 🚀 Shaped by an entrepreneurial family background, Annika took the leap to rethink recruiting by founding Empion. Her startup uses AI to match talents and companies based on skills, values, and personality – making cultural fit a core element of the hiring process. Beyond her entrepreneurial journey, Annika is a passionate advocate for stronger collaboration between startups and SMEs. As a board member of the German AI Association, she works to reduce communication and bureaucratic barriers and foster mutual understanding, which is exactly what Germany’s economy needs to stay future-ready. At Courage ’25, Annika will take the stage to deliver a keynote on one of Europe’s greatest opportunities: 🎤 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆 An outlook on how Europe can secure its technological independence and strengthen its position as a competitive and value-driven innovation hub. Ready to hear her keynote? 📅 Join us on 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 for a powerful day that encourages connection and collaboration, amplifies innovation, and brings together a diverse range of minds. 👉 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/efQvsq3p Let’s build something that lasts beyond the day – together at Courage ’25! 🌱 #SpeakerAnnouncement #FemaleFounders #BusinessAngels #StartupEcosystem #InvestorEcosystem #Innovation #Networking #ShapingTheFutureTogether #BerlinEvents #Courage25 #EncourageVentures

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲! ✊ 𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺: 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩! Democracy is one of our most valuable assets - not a given, but something we must protect, nurture, and carry forward together. And history shows: Whenever democracy weakens, women’s rights are among the first to be rolled back. That’s why promoting equality and supporting strong democratic voices go hand in hand. With the 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵, we want to spotlight and support those who defend these values every day by giving them visibility to connect with donors, investors, and supporters, and raise funds for their important missions. 💡 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: In the spirit of the giving season coming up, let’s direct donations to those keeping democracy strong. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟭, you can nominate or self-register non-profits or startups that ➤ strengthen democracy, ➤ have at least one woman on their board or management team, and ➤ are seeking donations or investments. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQBbaSqf 2️⃣ On December 11, the selected organizations will pitch their work online. 💛 Because democracy thrives when we all take an active part. #DemocracyPitch #EncourageDemocracy #Together #EncourageVentures

🗣️ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 | 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ‘𝟮𝟱 We’re excited to introduce our 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 of this year’s Courage, where diverse perspectives meet and powerful ideas take shape. 🙌 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀: ➤ Ina Schlie, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of encourageventures, brings years of leadership experience from her time as Senior Vice President at SAP. Today, she’s an active Business Angel and Supervisory Board Member, passionately driving structural change and empowering the next generation of female founders and female investors. ➤ After more than 15 years in the corporate world, Jana Krotsch boldly entered the startup world at 42. Driven by the mission to make education more accessible and equal for all, she built a solution that provides on-demand learning support by founding ubiMaster. ➤ Florian Nöll founded his first company while still in school and went on to launch five more startups in the years that followed. With a strong belief in the power of collaboration and inclusive innovation, Florian and his team at PwC Deutschland advise corporates on how to successfully enter the innovation ecosystem – helping to build bridges between established companies and startups and to strengthen Germany’s position as a thriving and future-proof business hub as a whole. 👉 At Courage ‘25, they’ll join the panel 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, bringing their perspective on what an inclusive, forward-looking startup landscape needs and how we can shape it together. 🚀 ➤ The panel will be moderated by Christine Rittner, Business Angel, Board Member, and our Regional Lead South-West at encourageventures, who will be guiding us through this important conversation with her trademark clarity and energy. 🎤 Want to hear their thoughts and connect with many more inspiring voices from the startup & investor ecosystem? 📅 Join us on 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 for a powerful day that encourages connection and collaboration, amplifies innovation, and brings together a diverse range of minds. 👉 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/efQvsq3p Let’s build something that lasts beyond the day – together at Courage ’25! 🌱 #SpeakerAnnouncement #FemaleFounders #BusinessAngels #StartupEcosystem #InvestorEcosystem #Innovation #Networking #ShapingTheFutureTogether #BerlinEvents #Courage25 #EncourageVentures

🗣️ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 | 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ‘𝟮𝟱 We’re excited to announce that Miriam Mertens, Co-Founder & CEO of DeepSkill, is joining us as a speaker at Courage ’25! 🙌 After more than 20 years of international leadership experience in strategy, marketing, product, and sales, Miriam is passionate about the intersection of emotional intelligence and technology in leadership and organizational growth. By founding DeepSkill GmbH, she turned her forward-thinking perspective on the future of work into action. The award-winning Training-as-a-Service platform supports decision-makers in putting human-centered leadership at the heart of their organization. On stage, she’ll kick off our first Deep Dive by sharing practical insights on what it takes to fundraise with strategy, resilience, and the right connections: 👉 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 – 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 Eager to hear what Miriam’s perspective can unlock? 📅 Join us on 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 for a powerful day that encourages connection and collaboration, amplifies innovation, and brings together a diverse range of minds. 👉 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/efQvsq3p Let’s build something that lasts beyond the day – together at Courage ’25! 🌱 #SpeakerAnnouncement #FemaleFounders #BusinessAngels #StartupEcosystem #InvestorEcosystem #Innovation #Networking #ShapingTheFutureTogether #BerlinEvents #Courage25 #EncourageVentures

🗣️ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 | 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ‘𝟮𝟱 Bringing grounded experience, strategic clarity, and a sharp eye to the angel investing space, Michala Rudorfer will share her perspective at this year’s Courage. 🚀 After more than 15 years in international finance and private equity, Michala started investing independently in 2021 and founded Rose-Sky Investments. She supports founders and businesses across different industries and stages. As a founding member of encourageventures, Michala has helped shape our mission to foster diversity – across both the startup and investor ecosystem – from the very beginning. Today, we’re proud to also have her as one of our Regional Leads in Frankfurt, working to strengthen our local community of investors and founders. 🙌 Drawing from her experience as an investor and advisor, Michala will lead our second Deep Dive at Courage ’25: 👉 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 & 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 – 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 A topic that’s just as relevant for first-time angels as it is for seasoned investors! Eager to dive in with her? 📅 Join us on 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 for a powerful day that encourages connection and collaboration, amplifies innovation, and brings together a diverse range of minds. 👉 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/efQvsq3p Let’s build something that lasts beyond the day – together at Courage ’25! 🌱 #SpeakerAnnouncement #FemaleFounders #BusinessAngels #StartupEcosystem #InvestorEcosystem #Innovation #Networking #ShapingTheFutureTogether #BerlinEvents #Courage25 #EncourageVentures

🗣️ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 | 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ’𝟮𝟱 We’re incredibly excited to announce that Angela De Giacomo is joining us at Courage ’25! ✨ Angela is a seasoned investment expert specializing in venture capital and family office management. Over the past decade, she has overseen strategic asset allocations for high-net-worth families across the US, Asia, and Europe from sourcing to exit. 📖 As the author of “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬”, she empowers high-net-worth individuals and family offices to transform private wealth into powerful, lasting investments. The book is more than just a guide – it's a launch pad to help shape the future by investing in the people and ideas that will drive it. 👉 An approach that couldn’t be more aligned with what Courage ’25 is all about: 𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. At Courage ’25, Angela will share her 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 and reflect on what it means to invest in the future – and in the people who will build it. 🤝 Looking forward to hearing from one of Capital’s “Top 40 under 40” and Focus’s “100 Women of the Year” and to connecting with many more inspiring voices from the startup & investor ecosystem? 📅 Join us on 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 for a powerful day that encourages connection and collaboration, amplifies innovation, and brings together a diverse range of minds. 👉 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/efQvsq3p Let’s build something that lasts beyond the day – together at Courage ’25! 🌱 #SpeakerAnnouncement #FemaleFounders #BusinessAngels #StartupEcosystem #InvestorEcosystem #Innovation #Networking #ShapingTheFutureTogether #BerlinEvents #Courage25 #EncourageVentures

🎭 Startup of the week: EcoComply GmbH Helping manufacturers keep up with the rising tide of regulations. EcoComply, founded by Charlene LIN, John Iwueke, M.Eng and Daniel L., simplifies product compliance with a full-spectrum AI-powered operating system. 🔒 Their solution: EcoComply leverages generative AI, a proprietary domain knowledge database, and deep compliance expertise from global tech giants to simplify and implement complex product compliance - from reporting to certification. By aggregating, cleaning and organizing global regulatory data, the platform delivers real-time insights, automated tracking, and seamless end-to-end execution. 🤝 Value: As global product regulations become increasingly dense, producers are burdened with growing obligations. EcoComply gives them back control with a full-spectrum compliance solution that saves time, reduces risk, and scales with their operations. ➡️ With their deep compliance expertise from global tech giants and hands-on SME experience with strong AI product development skills, the team is currently raising their pre-seed round with room for a few more angels. --- With encourageventures, we bring more diversity into the investors' and founders' landscape. Follow us for your weekly dose of inspiring startups! #Startup #RegTech #AI #ProductCompliance #Diversity #EncourageVentures #FemaleEntrepreneurship

𝗪𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮̈𝗴𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻? Auch 2026 werden vom Startup-Verband auf den German Startup Awards die Persönlichkeiten ausgezeichnet, die mit Innovationskraft, Mut, Verantwortung und Ausdauer unser Startup-Ökosystem bereichern und weiterentwickeln. Ob … • 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿:𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻, die mit frischen Ideen ganze Branchen aufmischen, • 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿:𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻, die finanzielle Mittel bereitstellen und darüber hinaus Türen öffnen, • 𝗚𝗿𝘂̈𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿:𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻, die als Vorbilder Risiken eingehen und mit Leidenschaft Unternehmen aufbauen, • oder 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿:𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻, die wirtschaftlichen Erfolg nachhaltig mit gesellschaftlicher Wirkung verbinden. ➡️ Sie alle gestalten die Zukunft des Innovationsstandorts Deutschland aktiv mit. 🌱🚀 Kennst Du jemanden, der oder die genau das verkörpert? 👉 Jetzt bis einschließlich 𝟭𝟵. 𝗢𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 nominieren: https://lnkd.in/drm8b2N #GSA26 #StartUp #StartupEcosystem #FemaleFounders #FemaleInvestors #ShapingTheFuture #DrivingInnovation

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘆 | 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 87.7% of entrepreneurs report facing at least one mental health issue in their daily lives, according to Founder Reports. From anxiety and high stress to depression, burnout, poor work-life balance, and sleep disorders ... In the pursuit of dreams and success in consistently high-pressure environments, mental health often takes a backseat. 💭 👉 Neglecting this reality can have severe personal consequences and at the same time, it puts companies at risk. Creativity, adaptability, and long-term success all suffer as well when mental health isn’t taken seriously. That’s why today we’re especially proud to host a powerful Academy Exchange with Urte Zahn, experienced serial entrepreneur and certified Mental Fitness Coach, on the topic: 🧠💡 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘞𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘖𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 – 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘐𝘵 In this session designed for both founders and investors to come together, we’ll dive into mental patterns and inner self-saboteurs holding us back and on top of that we’ll explore neuroscience-backed techniques to build more focus, calm, and authentic strength. 🌱 👉 Because whether you’re investing in others, leading a business or building one from scratch: 𝗡𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵! We’re looking forward to this important exchange and to learning together ✨ What’s your #1 self-care practice? Let us know in the comments! 👇 #WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthAtWork #FemaleFounders #BusinessAngels #StartUps #EncourageVentures

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Courage Magazin recently published an inspiring interview with our co-chairs Ina Schlie and Nina Stegmann, who speak about the persistent gender gap in venture capital and why shifting the system requires more than capital itself. It requires 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 – 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ’𝟮𝟱: Our annual flagship event, where we bring together investors, founders, changemakers, and a diverse range of minds who are ready to shape the future of our startup and investor ecosystem. 🚀 In their interview, Ina and Nina point out why gatherings like this matter more than ever. You’ll find the link to the full interview in the comments below. A little surprise is waiting for you at the very end of the interview! 🎟️ Win 2 free tickets to join us at Courage ’25! 👉 Not the lucky winner? ⏳ 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱. Don’t miss the chance to secure your spot and be part of the change: https://lnkd.in/eyGeRXTa ✨ Let’s innovate. Let’s connect. Let’s invest in the future. Together at Courage ’25! ✨ #Courage25 #FemaleFounders #BusinessAngels #StartupEcosystem #InvestorEcosystem #Innovation #Networking #ShapingTheFutureTogether #BerlinEvents #EncourageVentures