KE
KE
DDERR
DER
ORTORTR
RE 2019
1
2 Stakeholder Report 2019
Content
Who we are
> A word from our Co-Founders 4
> Our Story 8
> Our Team 10
> Our Partners 14
> Our Vision & Mission 15
Who we work with
> Partners in Action 18
> International Network 20
> Our Community at a Glance 22
> Members in Action 24
> Members‘ Achievements 28
What we do
> TQ at a Glance 32
> TQ in Action 34
> Programs 36
> Corporate Innovation 40
> How TQ Works 43
> Thank You 44 Hello!
> Imprint 46
3
A WORD FROM OUR
CO-FOUNDERS
At the heart of innovation AND Europe.
any startup founders I have met in recent years complain about Europe
Mbeing a toxic environment for entrepreneurship.
I disagree.
Some are even obsessed with copying what goes on outside of Europe, but
we are forgetting our strengths - the things that give us incredible advantages
and the things that have helped us solve global challenges while improving all
of our lives.
Europe is a continent with incredible diversity. Let’s make those differences
become advantages. Differences are opportunities. They are new lands waiting
to be discovered, developed and enhanced.
A startup begins as a simple solution to a very local problem, but eventually
this solution proves to be useful in many other locations and for way more
people.
We need to do things our way... with our style, according to our environment.
If no one has cracked the European innovation market yet, that’s not because
it’s impossible, that’s because it’s still waiting to be done.
TechQuartier will make a dent in that universe.
Dr. Thomas Funke
Managing Director
4 Stakeholder Report 2019
CO-FOUNDERS
This journey has just begun…
s we look back at 2019, I want to share three observations with you.
A
With all the success we had in growing and serving our community, it is
clear to me that we are only still scratching the surface of our community’s
innovation capabilities. There is so much expertise and entrepreneurial drive
to leverage, to connect and to make a real difference in the world. This is
both a great opportunity and responsibility for us to live up to.
Growth also means taking sides and living up to our values. As a voice of a
more and more globally-connected tech community, it is our responsibility
to foster a dialogue about why and how we want to use and foster techno-
logy in our society. This journey has just begun.
Innovation is not only about technology, it is about open minds and a culture
that celebrates curiosity, mindfulness, dedication and solution-orientation.
In our daily doings, we learn that this cannot be taken for granted. It needs
continuous care and strengthening. I’m thankful that our team contributes
to building this culture inside TechQuartier.
It is a great honor to be part of this special community. Thank you to all for
your trust and support in 2019.
Dr. Sebastian Schäfer
Managing Director
5
6 Stakeholder Report 2019
7
Originally called The Magnet, TechQuartier entered the
Frankfurt Rhein-Main startup scene with a big impact
“We always say we want to use and the support of local institutions, policymakers (most
technology to improve humanity, but famously, Hessen’s Minister of Economics, Energy, Transport
what we really want is for innovation and Regional Development Tarek Al-Wazir) and corporate
to serve humanity.” - Thomas partners.
Word spread quickly to local entrepreneurs and startups,
and TechQuartier started to become a predominant player
efore TechQuartier launched in
B2016, it was an idea formed by two in the local ecosystem, establishing itself as Frankfurt’s
entrepreneurship lecturers at the Goethe premier FinTech Hub. After a year, TechQuartier counted 5
University Frankfurt. With the help of four team members, 15 corporate partners and 60 startups.
strong supporters (Dr. Michael Reckhard,
WIBank; Prof. Dr. Andreas Hackethal, Goethe “Community makes us relevant.” - Sebastian
University Frankfurt; Stadtrat Markus Frank,
Stadt Frankfurt Am Main; and Prof. Dr.- During the next year, TechQuartier quickly built up a viable,
Y Ing. Mira Mezini, TU Darmstadt) the idea unique community made up of startups at all levels – early-
started to grow. What if they could create a stage to international scaleups. Students, academics,
network – a community – that would help scientists, investors and corporate partners all became
people who wanted to start a company. important parts of a dynamic, curated collaboration.
Not only a physical coworking space,
but a platform built around innovation to Simultaneously, the founders of TechQuartier solidified their
support the entrepreneurial spirit and a plan to create an ecosystem built on three pillars – Space,
strong ecosystem that brought startups, Community and Innovation – and supporting two main
corporations, developing talent, scientists, platforms. The first, a physical coworking space that hosts
policymakers and experts together. innovative, enriching events for the startup economy. The
July
TechQuartier is founded by
Dr. Thomas Funke and
Dr. Sebastian Schäfer 2017
OUR STOR 2016
Opening of TechQuartier First 8 corporate partners
at Platz der Einheit 2 join the community
November January
8 Stakeholder Report 2019
second, a virtual platform connecting a global community. Platinum Partner and we co-developed TechTalents, a two-
In addition to office space and public events, TQ began offe- month program for students who want to learn real-world
ring innovation and match-making programs, forging relati- digitalization innovations.
onships with Eintracht Frankfurt, Visa, Rentenbank and Plug
and Play. Corporations were introduced to relevant startups. Fraport AG, a Platinum Partner and the Frankfurt airport
Founders had opportunities to get advice from experts and operator, created the accelerator FRAXperience in
investors. collaboration with TechQuartier. Ten startups from around
the world shared their ideas for use in the new Terminal 3.
“Super-charging access to technology and know-
how is like a shortcut to success.” - Thomas Finally, the TQ team grew to more than 30 people coming
from all over the world - from Canada and Kosovo to Brazil
After two years (2018), TQ expanded their sector reach into and Russia.
SportsTech, InsurTech, FoodTech and PropTech. Rentenbank
partnered with TQ to design Growth Alliance AgTech. Visa, “For everyone that comes through TQ, we want
KPMG, Atos equensWorldline, Plug and Play and PwC colla- to try to help them think like entrepreneurs, be
borated with TQ on five separate education and acceleration pragmatic, think about their strengths, take their
programs. Artificial Intelligence became a core focus of the lives in their own hands and be responsible.”
tech world, so TechQuartier started to build expertise. The - Sebastian
GreenTech Hub was founded with Finance in Motion, and the
EY Startup Academy kicked-off for a second year. In three years, TechQuartier has managed to make its mark
on the Hessen startup economy. Its goal of positioning itself
This year, the team set the bar even higher by delivering 300 as a key player in the innovation ecosystem, seen as part
events, bringing the community up to 267 members, as well of the solution for creating jobs and sustained economic
as signing new partnerships with Fraunhofer Venture, ce- growth, is well underway. It all started with a conversation,
sah (Centrum für Satellitennavigation Hessen), IBM, and then an idea that evolved into a vision, which is the origin
the Deutsche Bundesbank. Eintracht Frankfurt became a story for all business-changing startups.
July
April Start of
Launch of “AI: The Future
Laptop & Leibchen is Now” event
with Eintracht series with IBM
2019
Opening 2018
Creation of the Deutsche Bundesbank
of TQ’s GreenTech Hub, becomes TQ’s 1st Institutional
Partner
June July August
9
t the core of TechQuartier’s success is our incredible
Ateam. This group of hard-working innovation experts
brings years of experience, a variety of languages, and
unparalleled dedication to TQ’s growth.
Co-Founders
S
DR. SEB DR. THOMA
A
SCHÄFERSTIAN FUNKE
One of my favorite things I am especially motivated to be
about TQ is the abundance surrounded by a team that is
of opportunities, ideas and dedicated to making the best
OUR TEAM actions. innovation experience possible.
10 Stakeholder Report 2019
New Business & Accounts
MIRIAM
UNSER
DR. KEVIN team
UER
A
B members
32
P
A
SC
V AL
ALERI
Coworking & Community Management
RINA J
HAJZERA
MERIAM
SELMA BELHABIB
PETERS
ARA
S AIMET
CHU
AL
SC
A
P
DI PRIMA
reelancer
*F
GELILA
L HAILE
UIS
A
KRUSE
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Scouting & Matching
62% DOMINIK
ZBOREK
women
SOFIA
MALK
O
V
Finance & Operations A
ARSEN AN
DIRK ABRAHAMY
NOACK
JUDITH
V
A OGEL
ANJ
S
SIMON
LUCAS
MARLON SCHMITT
WUNSCH
A
ELIS A
YND
A
P
ELENA
DELLIS 30%
of our team was born
outside of Germany
12 Stakeholder Report 2019
Programs & Events
ALINA
KILIAN 156
combined years of
ANNA work experience
COBS
A
J
SUS
AN Marketing & Communications
RANCHBER
HUGO
P
A
QUIN
ABRINA
S
BORNER MUNIQUE
ROSSONI
LARA
FEGER
ROSEMAR
HARTE Y
ALISE
MUNSON
languages MARCEL
ZEID
19spoken AN
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ARTNERS
To compete in today’s rapidly-changing environ-
ment, we must leverage new technologies in the
best possible way. Therefore, innovation is key. TQ
is the heart of Frankfurt´s ecosystem and offers a
great opportunity to exchange with curious thin-
OUR P kers and passionate doers from all backgrounds!
Karmela Holtgreve - Head of Digital Office
Deutsche Bundesbank - Institutional Partner
14 Stakeholder Report 2019
OUR VISION
We imagine a world in which every person is empowered to
master technology and drive innovation to serve humanity.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to unleash entrepreneurial forces with the
most accessible and impactful innovation experience.
15
We strongly believe in high quality connections,
which is why our team diligently evaluates potential
partners and members on the basis of their commu-
nity fit. In 2019 we collaborated with many brilliant
people who are also changing our digital landscape.
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PARTNERS
IN ACTION
echQuartier is as strong as its community. We
Trely on our partners to bring new points of view
and experience to the ecosystem. In return, TQ builds
the platform to exchange ideas and ignite uncharted
connections.
Partner Day
Every two months, we host our partners for a workshop to
identify, learn about and discuss an important topic in the The world of payment services is as
world of technology. By bringing all our partners together exciting as it is challenging. We strongly
with data scientists, programers, policymakers and believe that combining our technologi-
academics, we are able to unite expertise with knowledge. cal expertise with those of our custo-
Together, we explored: Artificial Intelligence, Financial Big mers and partners with the creativity
Data Cluster and smart mobility in Frankfurt. This year of FinTechs will hugely benefit the end
we added IBM, Deutsche Bundesbank, cesah, Fraunhofer customer. TechQuartier is the communi-
Venture, Fraport AG, Eintracht Frankfurt and Rentenbank ty where all those parties come together
to our strong list of partners. to collaborate and to co-innovate.
Alessandro Baroni - Member of the
Executive Committee, Worldline, and
CMO, equensWorldline
As the research and development unit of Commerzbank
Group, our main incubator promotes sustainable Steering Committee
technology solutions, which are also providing
added value for society as a whole. TechQuartier‘s Each of our partners is invited to
multidisciplinary and collaborative approach helps us to send one representative to our
fulfill this goal. Steering Committee or Supervisory
Board. The group meets twice a
Michael F. Spitz - CEO of Main Incubator GmbH, year to review the last six months
R&D Unit of Commerzbank AG and to strategically discuss the
direction and offerings of TQ.
18 Stakeholder Report 2019
TechQuartier is a key element to our open ban-
king approach. It enables us to easily connect
with a growing ecosystem of startups in the fi-
nancial industry and beyond. We benefit from
networking and exchanging ideas with founders,
creative minds, students, visionaries from other
industries and banks.
Laura Wirtz - Head of Strategy
ING Germany
AI TechCampus
Financial Big Data Cluster Initiative In the works, we have an initiative-driven project that
includes multi-stakeholders and partners all focusing
In the fall, TechQuartier led a two-day intensive on the burgeoning AI sector. In 2019, we collaborated
workshop on the Financial Big Data Cluster and with IBM to bring two AI panel discussions to
the Gaia-X Project, which is championed by the TechQuartier and unite data scientists, business
Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. builders, government officials, financial institutions
Startups, research institutes, four technology and startup founders. Going forward in 2020 and
providers, seven major financial institutions beyond, TQ will continue to link network experts with
and the Hessen Ministry of Economics, Energy, action and opportunities.
Transport and Housing all attended. The goal?
Come up with real-life use cases for how to store, EU FinTech Discovery Program
process, analyze and share the massive amounts
of data generated across the financial landscape. TechQuartier is now part of a new program
initiated by our partners at FinTech District
(Milano, Italy) which unites nine European
We want to find new ways to make FinTech Hubs in Denmark, Holland,
innovative payment possible. That‘s why Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg,
Visa is working with TechQuartier, the France, Italy and Belgium. The goal is
startup and Fintech community world- to allow corporate players, especially
wide and, of course, also in German- financial institutions, to visit ecosystems
speaking coutries. and meet startups and FinTech Hubs from
Albrecht Kiel - Regional Managing across Europe.
Director Central Europe at Visa.
19
Local Partners
FinTech Hub
TechQuartier is the place where the broad range
of startup activities in Hessen come together. In March, TQ announced a collaboration with
This variety is an inspiration to us and reminds Deutsche Börse to further develop a FinTech
us that innovation is a must to remain success- Hub in Frankfurt. The physical space offers
ful. We have therefore strengthened the ties coworking options including private offices,
between the TQ and our FinTech Hub which now but the Hub is more than a place to work.
hosts entrepreneurs from TQ whose business Experts from the Deutsche Börse Venture
ideas could contribute to our value chain. We will Network advise all startups based in the
continue to support entrepreneurship in the re- Hub and organise relevant events to build
gion through our strong partnership with TQ. community connections.
Hauke Stars - Member of the Executive Board
Deutsche Börse
GreenTech Hub
In March 2019, we opened our GreenTech Hub,
an industry-specific satellite hub in Frank-
furt, together with impact investment advisor
Finance in Motion. Our goal? Strengthen the
green startup ecosystem and establish the
region’s foremost innovation platform and
coworking space for GreenTech, CleanTech,
green finance and sustainable development
sectors. This year, 55 GreenTech startups have
joined our member community.
TIONAL
Mindspace
Members of TechQuartier are eligible to set up a shop in Mindspace on the TechQuartier floor. Additional
INTERNA NETWORKevent and meeting space are available for use in this contemporary spot in Frankfurt‘s downtown core.
20 Stakeholder Report 2019
About the Initiative
TechQuartier is one of 12 hubs in
HAMBURG Germany’s growing Digital Hub Initiative -
LOGISTICS
BERLIN de:hub, supported by the Federal Ministry
POTSDAM IOT & FINTECH for Economic Affairs and Energy. From
MEDIATECH
Munich to Hamburg, startups and research
DORTMUND
LOGISTICS DRESDEN centers in 16 cities are fusing the country’s
LEIPZIG
KÖLN SMART SYSTEMS & new digital advancements together in
INSURTECH SMART INFRASTRUCTURE
FRANKFURT one network. TechQuartier represents the
DARMSTADT
FINTECH & FinTech strength of Frankfurt and the city’s
MANNHEIM CYBERSECURITY
LUDWIGSHAFEN NÜRNBERG entrepreneurial influence in the Rhine-Main
DIGITAL CHEMISTRY & ERLANGEN
DIGITAL HEALTH DIGITAL HEALTH region.
KARLSRUHE
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STUTTGART
FUTURE INDUSTRIES
MÜNCHEN
MOBILITY &
INSURTECH
Global Partners
Global Partners bring strong connections to fuse together a growing worldwide network and opportunities to collaborate
with similarly-thinking organizations
Tokyo
Sunnyvale
Milan
London Sydney
Singapore
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Stakeholder Report 2019
2019 TQ Community
AT A GLANCE
echQuartier is made up of a diverse col-
Tlection of startups and founders - from
FinTech FinTech to PropTech to GreenTech. Within our
walls at TQ and throughout Germany, we are
38% growing in number and impact.
Space and Community Members:
19% GreenTech 79 150 267
267
members
11% IT, Software
2017 2018 2019
PropTech
HRTech TQ is an integral building block of our
LegalTech 10% AI, Big Data innovation ecosystem. It is a useful
AgTech platform to connect us to a strong
FoodTech and diverse network, meet disruptive
SportsTech startups and inspiring founders as
TravelTech 8% Digital Media & well as to work in a stimulating envi-
InsurTech ronment outside internal boundaries.
EdTech 5% Digital Services
4% Cybersecurity Markus Pertlwieser - Chief Digital
4% Officer (CDO), Private and Corporate
Clients Division - Deutsche Bank AG
MedTech & HealthTech
22
Our startups are located all over the world.
The top three countries are: 665
Since 2017, TechQuartier has connected
with more than 665 startups in Hessen
7% 14% and around the world. This translates into
Israel UK hundreds of potential business opportuni-
ties via TQ’s ability to match founders and
startups with established firms.
98 189 378
63%
of TQ’s members 2017 2018 2019
are in Hessen Our scouting base has
45% doubled every year.
Germany Via TechQuartier we actively get in touch, work
together and connect with the hottest startups.
Supporting startups in specific programs helps
us get valuable insights into future innovations
and trends.
Marc Billeb - Partner, Cybersecurity Expert
Our ecosystem contains PWC
30over 30 accelerators,
boosters and incubators
23
Members
IN ACTION
fter being twice named one of the fastest growing
Astartups in Germany (awarded by Gründerszene
2017 & 2018), Fincite’s star has continued to shine
bright in the Frankfurt sky. Originally a roboadvice-as-
a-service provider, the company, now 60-employees
strong, is expanding its activities to cover venture
capital as well as incubation and product development. Stefan Post - CTO, Ralf Heim - Co-CEO & Friedhelm Schmitt - Co-CEO
TQ: How is your company breaking new ground and
shaping the future of its industry? Our mission is to empower financial institutions
to create the individual, intelligent and
Fincite: We developed the world’s first connected compliant investment service of the future.
Investment Software, Fincite.CIOS. This is ground-breaking
in terms of customer-centricity, since CIOS connects all TQ: What value have you found being a member at TQ?
accounts and assets of the customers, including cash
accounts, real estate and pensions, and provides a 360° F: TechQuartier has a constructive atmosphere, a strong
view. This global overview empowers a financial institution community and a great management team that is
to provide a more individualized investment service and to always interested in helping. TQ connected us to well-
create new impulses for advisors or sales departments. The established companies in the financial industries. It is a
continuous connection of the customers‘ financial situation, great platform for startups and corporates to meet. This
market data, investment signals of the bank and portfolios is why this year, we moved Fincite Ventures to TQ.
stay current.
TQ: What are your goals for 2020?
TQ: What 2019 achievements are you most proud of?
F: For 2020, we want to expand our customer base
F: We extended our contracted license base significantly in western Europe and the Nordics and, of course,
and grew with our customers in Germany and BeNeLux. With continuing our strong customer growth in Germany.
new customers outside of the banking segment, we further With our Ventures activities, we aim to grow our portfolio
increased the number of advisors and portfolio managers with further promising startups and grow the existing
working on CIOS. We grew our team and invested into our ventures in our portfolio. Finally, both for Fincite and
GROW-Team responsible for marketing, sales and business Fincite Ventures, we are always looking for great talents
development resulting in great pipeline development for interested in joining our team!
2020.
24 Stakeholder Report 2019
Digitizing the world of coliving phase of the new tenants, enables digital access to
services, and creates communities around coliving rather
his was a big year for Proptiq. Graduates from the than just a place to live. Because of this, coliving gets even
Tblackprint booster - Proptech accelerator, they more attractive for landlords and we can contribute to the
demand for living space in cities.
partnered with another featured member of Tech-
Quartier, Fincite, in order to build the technological TQ: What value have you found being a member at TQ?
backbone of their first solution, WG Manager. This
product was launched by the end of 2019. The team P: When we moved to TQ, we expected to have our company
has the wind in its sails and is looking to continue registered at a regular coworking place. But TQ is so much
making waves in 2020. more than that! It is not only coworking, but rather co-every-
thing! Behind TQ there is a large community of professionals
TQ: Where is your team from? who always have you on their mind and try to help wherever
Stefan Post - CTO, Ralf Heim - Co-CEO & Friedhelm Schmitt - Co-CEO they can - they connect you to their valuable network of
Proptiq: I (Ruzica) was born in Bosnia and raised in investors, corporates, and there are diverse programs
Croatia. I came to Germany five years ago to study created for startups, which is a great added value.
Finance and got my Master’s degree from the Frankfurt
School of Finance and Management. This is where I met
Luke, originally from Poland, who came to Germany six We focus on solving problems that cause
years ago for his studies as well. headaches for landlords and coliving provi-
ders, and ultimately for the tenants as well.
TQ: Tell us about your company’s mission and what
does it stand for? Ruzica Pekic - Co-Founder & Managing Director & Lukasz Musialski - Co-Founder
P: We develop digital solutions for coliving. The
technology is implemented in dedicated digital coliving
management products ranging from residential
properties (WGs) to large, purpose-built coliving facilities
as a white-label solution. We established a brand that is
the benchmark in the coliving industry and stands for
ease-of-use and reliable products.
TQ: How is your company breaking new ground and
shaping the future of its industry?
P: We focus on solving problems that cause headaches
for landlords and coliving providers, and ultimately for
the tenants as well. We’ve developed an innovative tech
stack that streamlines the processes in the onboarding
25
Radically simplify the management of decentralized
energy production, while lowering costs and CO2
emissions
ong-time TQ member node.energy has continued
Lits successful trajectory in 2019. After graduating
from the EY Startup Academy two years ago and rai-
sing funding shortly afterwards, their team has grown
and they have now moved into the newly-founded
GreenTech Hub. At the outset of the new decade and
through its involvment in the ‘’Founders for Future’’
movement, node.energy is fast becoming Frankfurt’s
champion of a more sustainable way of doing busi- Matthias Karger & Lars Manuel Rinn - Co-Founders
ness.
TQ: Tell us about your WHY; what is your company’s reduce costly mistakes compared to traditional manual
mission and what does it stand for? methods.
node.energy: We help companies switch to renewable TQ. What 2019 achievements are you most proud of?
energies. With our SaaS-solution opti.node, our customers
can achieve both at the same time: reduce their energy bill n: In the beginning of the year, we launched our SaaS-
and their carbon emissions. offer. Since then we have won prominent customers like
Deutsche Post/DHL, ABB Group and Deutsche Bahn who
TQ: How is your company breaking new ground and use opti.node to efficiently reduce their carbon footprint
shaping the future of its industry? and energy costs.
n: The energy transition materializes in tens of thousands TQ: What value have you found being a member at TQ?
of smaller energy infrastructure projects. In ‘engineering-
nation‘ Germany, the technical part is not a big issue. What n: We love TQ for bringing together all relevant players of
is more of a problem, however, is the complex web of rules the startup ecosystem. This facilitates highly efficient
and laws that make it difficult to financially assess new networking with other startups, provides us with visibility
projects and to efficiently manage existing ones. towards investors, and helps us get in touch with
corporates as potential partners and clients.
Our SaaS-solution opti.node combines for the first time
technical, legal and financial aspects in one intuitive For 2020 we want to continue growing and
planning and management tool. By using opti.node, most importantly, help our customers be suc-
our customers cut their time-effort by at least 10x and cessful in reducing manual workload, energy
costs and crucially, carbon emissions.
26 Stakeholder Report 2019
we scaled our APIs for invoice OCR and prepared new great
Reinventing the world of finance through collaboration time-saving workflows for GetMyInvoices. And we launched
and enticing product design the new atom, KYCnow, which is already a great success in
the first year.
ounded in 2015 by Florian Christ, fino is a Kassel- Our mission is to create innovative, user-centric
Fbased FinTech that aims to make your life easier products that reflect what people expect of
as a banking customer. After various successful today’s digital world.
product launches, fino is now a leading German
B2B-Tech startup with over 500 financial institutions TQ: What value have you found being a member at TQ?
and corporate partners spreading across Germany,
EU, UK, AUS and US. F: Wow – I can make this short: I’m a fan since day one. TQ
TQ: Tell us about your WHY; what is your company’s mis- is far more than a space to work. For me it is inspiration.
sion and what does it stand for? Every time I’m here I meet great (new) people. With many
Matthias Karger & Lars Manuel Rinn - Co-Founders of them we built strong relationships and sometimes new
Fino: We are rethinking the world of finance. Our mission business models.
is to create innovative, user-centric products that reflect TQ: What are your goals for 2020?
what people expect of today’s digital world. Our approach
is one of partnership, trust-based relationships and fair- F: Finish our transformation from startup to scaleup by
share, meaning we get paid only when our partners are extending our European and US footprint, finding new peo-
successful. ple to drive our assets to new industries and increase our
TQ: How is your company breaking new ground and sha- market share in our core domains.
ping the future of its industry?
Florian Christ - CEO & Founder
F: Our USP is the access and aggregation of bank trans-
actions AND invoices. Most companies have just access to
one, but the real advantage and relevant insights appear
when you combine both. We are also focused on building
products with great user experience, which we do by using
data to dramatically simplify usage. The user has a great
experience and keeps in mind “Wow! That was easy and
fast.”
TQ: What 2019 achievements are you most proud of?
F: Each atom achieved great results. In FinTech we ent-
ered new markets with Finux, our CFO-as-a-Service for
SMEs. Furthermore, we developed the next level of our core
products of bank-account-switching and Yoli. In DocTech
27
Members‘
ACHIEVEMENTS
any of our 267 members found success in 2019 -
Mfunding, award wins, acquisition... Take a look at a
few highlighted wins from the community ecosphere.
Founded in 2014, the KYC service
provider recently closed their
latest financing round with € 36
million (Corsair Capital). Their total
ROOMHERO won the Hessischer Gründerpreis award funding now exceeds € 50 million.
for Innovative Business Idea (Geschäftsidee) in
November. The startup is a one-stop digital furniture
supplier and interior design company for living and
office space. AUTHADA raised an early growth
series A round (undisclosed 7-figu-
re amount). Among the investors
are main incubator as well as
Finlab.
Frankfurt-based QuoScient took second place in
EIT Digital Challenge scaleup contest 2019 in Digital
Tech. This startup is a fully automated cybersecurity We want to develop the airport experien-
platform built by operators for operators. ce of the future for FRA. With the Tech-
Quartier we found an excellent partner
to shape this digital change. Together
we want to initiate innovative lighthou-
Frankfurt-based InsurTech Clark won the ‘’Growth se projects for the new Terminal 3 and
Champion’‘ grand prize at the Gründerszene Awards beyond.
2019.
Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm - Member
of the Executive Board, Aviation and
Infrastructure - Fraport AG
28 Stakeholder Report 2019
For the TU Darmstadt and its innovation and startup
center HIGHEST, TechQuartier is an important
ecoligo, who provides solar energy complementary addition that enables our startups to
solutions for companies in develo- establish further important contacts with business
ping and emerging countries, was partners, experts and investors. The TU Darmstadt's
awarded € 2.5 million from the participation in the TechQuartier makes it possible
investor Saxovent. to offer the tech startups an optimal development
environment beyond the early startup phase. The close
cooperation avoids double structures and at the same
time further develops the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region
into an international hotspot.
Swedish Fintech Minna Technologies Professor Dr. -Ing. Mira Mezini
had a big year. They secured a € 5.6 Vice-President for Research and Innovation -
million series A investment in May, TU Darmstadt
concluded a strategic partnership
with Visa in June, and announced
major collaborations with OP (Fin-
land’s largest financial group) and
SpareBank 1 (Norway).
By removing the physical and psy-
chological barriers between the
teams - be it a startup or a corpo-
rate partner - TechQuartier fosters
a climate of "family-like“ commu-
nity making it a special place for
new ideas, creativity, digital in-
novation and close collaboration
that perfectly fits into IBM‘s open
standards innovation strategy.
Dirk Heitmann - Vice President
24/7 Platform Automation and
Digital Transformation -
Europe IBM
29
30 Stakeholder Report 2019
TechQuartier is a platform for innovation. We have
created a place (tangible and virtual) to work, gather,
learn, share, experiment and grow together.
31
2019 TechQuartier Mentions in
AT A GLANCE 56the press
ear three brought expanding growth, new friends NEW PARTNERSHIPS
Yand greater possibilities. From events to part- > Fraunhofer Venture
nerships, TechQuartier firmly stands at the center of > cesah (Centrum für Satellitennavigation Hessen)
our regional entrepreneurial sector. > Deutsche Bundesbank, our first Institutional Partner
> IBM Deutschland
> Eintracht Frankfurt
> Fraport AG
> Rentenbank
Tours & international 1000+
30delegations Speakers
POLITICAL VISITS
> Dr. Jens Weidmann, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank
> Julia Klöckner, Germany’s Minister of Food and Agriculture 80,000
> Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus, Cups of coffee
Hessian Minister of Digital Strategy and Development
> Christian Hirte, State Secretary to the Federal Minister
for Economic Affairs and Energy 2,800+
Äppler consumed
PROGRAMS & ACCELERATORS
300> Rentenbank & TechQuartier launch a second AgTech accelerator
Events, 82 from > Fraport plans FRAXperience with TQ
our partners > Eintracht Frankfurt & TechQuartier deepen collaboration
through TechTalents program
> EY Startup Academy returns for the third year
32 Stakeholder Report 2019
ECOSYSTEM BUILDING
> Deutsche Börse FinTech Hub in Frankfurt
enter phase 2 in collaboration with TQ 8,000+
> IBM and TQ working on cloud solutions Event attendees
for the financial industry and SMEs
> Atos & Deutsche Bank run their first
Female FinTech Competition at TQ
> TQ joins the EU FinTech Discovery Program TQ sparks off fresh entrepreneurial spirit on
campus and makes our students hungry for tech
Our Matching & Scouting skills and startup experience.
team made Prof. Dr. Andreas Hackethal - Professor for
Personal Finance | Academic Director Goethe-
462 Unibator - Goethe University
Audience
intros between startups
& corporations 3425 5400 2575 1983
118% 36% 33% 24%
A development bank such as wth%
WiBank serves as a platform for its Gro
customers, aiming to enable them
to reach their goals and successfully
realize their projects. Even in the
digital era people need locations to
personally meet each other and, thus,
we co-founded TechQuartier. TQ is a
tremendously successful connecting
point for our customers and LinkedIn Newsletter Twitter Facebook
stakeholders and widens our platform
exponentially.
Over 22.000 impressions
Dr. Michael Reckhard - on Instagram since
Member of the Executive Board - WIBank launching in July!
Follow us! @techquartier
33
TQ IN ACTION
ore than 8,000 people experienced an event at TQ
Mthis year. From ÄpplerTime to Talent Day to a FinTech
networking meeting to a book launch, people from our
ecosystem had the chance to expand their knowledge and
connect networks.
Launch of the study: "Scale-ups in Europe - an untapped potential“
AI: The Future is Now with IBM
BIG EVENTS OF 2019
> Laptop & Leibchen with Eintracht Frankfurt
> Scaleup Study
> MakeSense Workshop - Green Startups
in Frankfurt
> Accelerating Green Innovation
> Global InsurTech Roadshow
> Liebe auf den Dritten Blick - Wie
Firmenkundenfintechs und Banken
zusammenfinden with ING
> Cloud meets Banking with Main Incubator
> Investor Day – Das Beste aus drei Ländern
34 im TechQuartier
Stakeholder Report 2019
> Friction Free Innovation in Green Mobility
> Talent Day with Deutsche Bahn
> Startup Safari
> Financial Big Data Cluster
> Towards a Circular Economy in our City
(GreenTech Hub & Global Shapers)
> TQ Community event: You Never Work Alone - JP Morgan Run
Talent Day with Deutsche Bahn
Investor Day with WiBank
> The Art of Tech with Mindspace & smart-collectors
> Female Fintech with Atos and Deutsche Bank
> PwC and TQ Cyber Escape Room
> GrowthCon Investor Dinner with Acxit:
Venture & FinTech Edition and AI Edition
> AI: The Future is Now Series with IBM:
Ethics Edition & Smart Mobility Edition
> Facebook-Währung Libra: Chance oder Bedrohung?
with Bundesverband deutscher Banken e.V.
> Community Event Series: Cereal Series
The TQ Team is not only a valuable partner
providing research support and insights to the
latest trends, but Frankfurt‘s TechQuartier is
also a great platform to interact with young as
well as matured companies on a bilateral basis
or through the offered programs.
Philipp Kaiser - Managing Director -
Helaba Digital
Match-Making Speed-Dating
35
Stakeholder Report 2019
Growth Alliance
The AgTech and FoodTech Accelerator
The AgTech and FoodTech Accelerator
or the second year in a row, German startups in the
Following two successful accelerator FAgTech and FoodTech sectors participated in the Growth
events in 2018 and 2019, we have Alliance: The AgTech and FoodTech Accelerator, a business
decided to continue our partnership bootcamp co-created by Rentenbank and TechQuartier.
with TechQuartier. This means we can More than 35 startups originally applied to be part of this
offer startups from agriculture and accelerator, but only the top 10 were accepted. During
food technologies an excellent platform the week of workshops, Germany’s Food and Agriculture
for networking and amplifying their Minister Julia Klöckner came for a visit and interacted with
entrepreneurialism. each startup founder during a roundtable discussion about
digital agriculture.
Dr. Horst Reinhardt - Chairman of the Participants:
Management Board - Rentenbank BeeSharing, Fliegende Wildretter, Cepri, Vineyard Cloud,
Opal Operational Analytics, SprayPatternator, Farmerscent,
ag.supply, Seperight, Traplinked.
PROGRAMS
36
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TechTalents - AHEAD OF THE GAME
TechQuartier is the most important startup and tech
intracht Frankfurt and TQ joined hub in the region and thus a strong partner for long-
Eforces again to create TechTalents, a term cooperation. The launch of our joint initiative
two-month student program designed ‘TechTalents’ to promote digital literacy to the next
to empower the next generation of generation, the establishment of a joint meetup series
entrepreneurs. This year’s Pioneer Edition called ‘Laptop & Leibchen’ on SportsTech topics and
brought together 30 students from an upcoming second edition of a startup accelerator
Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, will provide both TechQuartier and Eintracht with great
to work on a business challenge issued by added value, and is also an important contribution to
our corporate partners: Cisco, Cheil, Dell strengthening the Frankfurt Rhein-Main region.
Technologies, Freudenberg and Siemens. Axel Hellmann - Member of the Executive Board
Eintracht Frankfurt Fussball AG
37
Stakeholder Report 2019
EY Startup Academy
or the third year, we hosted the EY Startup Academy
Fat our TQ HQ. This year, seven early-stage startups
made it into the 6-week program that ran from
September through November. Founders learned
about everything from taxes to pitching successfully.
Deutsche Börse, Bundesverband Deutsche Startups e.V.
and Business Angels Frankfurt Rhein-Main were also TechQuartier is a great partner with EY. The
program supporters. Frankfurt region‘s startup community has
found a home at TQ. It‘s a place where startups
Participants: and investors can meet and companies like
FINEXITY AG, suprtrue, PANDA GmbH, Sooqua, ours can access the ecosystem. We are also
Veronym Holding GmbH, XignSys GmbH, landopay. given the opportunity to contribute, too.
Christopher Schmitz - Partner, Financial
Services - Ernst & Young GmbH
38
intech Europe, created with Deutsche Bank
Fand operated by Plug and Play, had the
goal to change the world of financial services
by working with the best startups and digital-
driven corporations. The program, which hosted TechQuartier is a great partner to have when soft
18 late-stage startups, was created to facilitate landing in Frankfurt. They are well connected in
pilots, and business development opportunities the local ecosystem.
for startups and financial institutions. Included
program partners were Deutsche Bank, Fernando Zornig - Program Director,
TechQuartier, BNP Paribas, Nets Group, UniCredit, Fintech Europe - Plug and Play
Aareal Bank, Abanca, Danske Bank, DZ Bank, Elo
and Finablr.
39
CORPORATE
INNOVATION
KYC & Digitial Onboarding
Match-Making Day
This fall, we matched eight financial companies with
startups specializing in Know-Your-Customer (KYC)
solutions. Augsburger Aktienbank AG, Bankhaus-Lampe,
Bank-Verlag, Donner & Reuschel, Hauck & Aufhäuser,
Merck Finck Privatbankiers, Oddo BHF and plenum AG
Management Consulting met with founders in a speed-
dating style. Startups had access to potential collaborators
and banking institutions met founders who are pushing
FinTech boundaries.
TechInfusion
For two days, banking professionals from financial institutions
learned about implementing new technologies – such as
artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain – through
workshops that provided hands-on tools for applying these
technology trends. Experts from the TQ ecosystem shared
their knowledge and led discovery sessions. This year we
held innovative workshops for NRW Bank, Raiffeisenbank
International and Erste Bank.
Within three years, TQ has established itself as the main
go-to place for innovators of startups and banks in
Frankfurt. We wish you continued success in representing
Frankfurt in Germany’s & Europe’s innovation ecosystem.
Daniel Hoefelmann - Director, Innovation Management -
Aareal Bank
40 Stakeholder Report 2019
TechQuartier has developed into a vibrant hub
for startups, corporates and public institutions
and offers an ideal working environment for our
Innovation Lab.
Franz Sebastian Welter - Head of Innovation and
Digitisation Department - DZ Bank
Accelerating Green
Innovation & Mobility
TQ and Finance in Motion, our GreenTech Hub
partner, hosted leaders in GreenTech, CleanTech
and green finance this spring. Our region’s green
sector is growing as the needs and motivations
of the world change. Our second event (with
the support of Hessen Trade and Invest and
Technologieland Hessen) addressed alternative
mobility in a car-driven society.
Artificial Intelligence -
The Future is Now
In collaboration with IBM, TQ brought two AI events to sold-
out audiences in July and November. Experts from different
areas - mobility, computer science and ethics - shared their
insights into using emerging technology to change the digital
landscape. This series will continue into 2020 as we explore
how machine learning can bring us into the future.
41
Female Fintech As a digital transformation leader, it is key
for Atos to be part of an international FinTech
Women are underrepresented in the FinTech community with a strong local reach such as
sector, but a handful of female founders are TechQuartier. Over the past 3 years, we have
lighting up the startup world. This fall, we helped developed the partnership with TQ with specific
Atos host their first Female FinTech Competition joint initiatives such as the “Fintech Compliance
with Deutsche Bank. Six businesses competed Navigator” and the “Female Fintech competition”.
for a chance to be a part of Atos’s global We are keen to continue expanding our global
FinTech program. FinTech Engagement Program to continuously
offer innovative services for FSIs to develop new
The winner was Sima Ohadi of Odonatech, business.
a software solution to optimize investment
advice. Remco Neuteboom - SVP Chief Digital Officer
Global Financial Services - Atos
42 Stakeholder Report 2019
HOW TQ WORKS
Today, firms face unprecedented change, faster innovation and adoption cycles, increasing impact of
disruptive technologies, new competitors and customer experience expectations. These developments
challenge traditional business strategies and create uncertainty and insecurity.
We help companies answer the following questions:
> Which technologies are relevant beyond the hype and how do they impact my business?
> How do I keep an overview of the growing startup sector and stay up-to-date with new trends?
> How can I benefit from the entrepreneurial drive and founders’ technological savviness?
> How can I build new business relations with young companies?
With community-sourced innovation and wisdom, we navigate you through the shifting landscape.
To solidify connections, we host programs (TechInfusions, TechTalents, accelerator programs, panels,
business speed dating, etc …) designed to encourage engagement and discovery among emerging
talent and innovation-seeking corporations.
We also provide global memberships, affordable coworking office spaces and meeting/event space in
our headquarters in downtown Frankfurt. Most importantly, we operate a platform for sharing answers,
knowledge and connections.
We believe that the secret to success is being surrounded by innovation.
.
THANK YOU
In conclusion... thank you for helping us
make a dent in our universe. The power
of our community, with support of part-
ners, members, supporters and fans,
is making a resounding impact to this
growing ecosystem.
With gratitude,
The entire TechQuartier team
44 Stakeholder Report 2019
Partners Founding Partners
> Aareal Bank AG > Goethe Universität Frankfurt Am Main
> Atos equensWorldline > Stadt Frankfurt Am Main
> Commerzbank AG > Technische Universität Darmstadt
> Deutsche Bank > Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen (WIBank)
> Deutsche Bundesbank - Institutional Partner Academic Partners
> Deutsche Börse AG
> DZ Bank AG > EBS Business School – Department of Management
> Eintracht Frankfurt & Economics
> Ernst & Young GmbH > Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences
> Fraport AG > Hochschule Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences
> IBM Deutschland > Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen
> ING
> KPMG Global Partners
> Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank
> Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen > Finolab
> PwC GmbH > FinTech District
> Sparda-Bank Hessen > L39
> Visa > MindSpace
> Singapore Fintech Association
Ecosystem Partners > Stone & Chalk
> Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) Collaborators
> Bankhaus Metzler
> Linklaters LLP > cesah GmbH
> Plexus Tech GmbH > Finance in Motion
> The Capital Markets Company GmbH (CAPCO) > Fraunhofer Venture
> Xuzhou Tianzou Innovation and Technology Incubation (IUIA) > Plug and Play
> WISAG Facility Service Holding GmbH > Startup Genome
2020
45
IMPRINT
FinTech Community Frankfurt GmbH
- TechQuartier -
Dr. Sebastian Schäfer
Dr. Thomas Funke
Content
Alise Munson
Hugo Paquin
Rina Hajzeraj
Rosemary Harte
Art Direction
Munique Rossoni
Special Thanks to TechQuartier‘s Team
Contact
FinTech Community Frankfurt GmbH
- TechQuartier -
Platz der Einheit 2
60327 Frankfurt am Main
[email protected]
46 Stakeholder Report 2019
A Word from Our Co-Founders
Our Story
Our Team
Our Partners
Our Vision
Partners in Action
Local Partners
Global Partners
TQ Community At A Glance
Members in Action: Fincite
Members in Action: Proptiq
Members in Action: energy.node
Members in Action: Fino
Members' Achievements
2019 TechQuartier: At A Glance
TQ In Action: Events
Growth Alliance: The AgTech and FoodTech Accelerator - Programs
Techtalents - Programs
EY Startup Academy - Programs
Corporate Innovation
How TQ Works
Thank You
All Our Partners