Alexey Chernikov

🚀 Our first launch of 2025: Zeit (⚡https://readzeit.com) — a daily 2-minute digest that summarizes LLM-developer chatter into bite-sized stories. Why? Zeit actually started out as an internal project. As a team of engineers building in GenAI, we wanted to keep up with what other devs in the community are building, new trending models/projects, and the problems people are facing. But there’s so much noise around AI these days that we found ourselves either 1) missing cool/important developments or 2) going down endless anxiety-inducing rabbit holes of articles, startups, and funding announcements. So we built ⚡Zeit⚡—a fast, easy way to stay in the loop with the hottest topics, projects, and challenges shaping the AI landscape. Who is it for? Zeit is for developers, founders, and industry leaders working on GenAI. What you get with Zeit: 🔍 Quick, bite-sized reads to keep you focused on what really matters. 💡 No fluff. Just trends and developer problems that generate buzz. ❗Disclaimer: Zeit is generative. It scours the web for developer chatter and generates short stories sorted by social voting. 🔗 Sign up for your daily dose of the AI zeitgeist!

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🤩 I am happy to share another brilliant and inspirational piece of work of our dear client, Philine Prof. Freifrau von Sell, and for (also our client at OVERW8) KATHARINA HOVMAN, her sister and Hamburg-based cosmopolitan fashion brand. For each season, she creates the in the meanwhile famous "lookbooks" - a storytelling 3D way of representing the new collection and colour palette of the season. I look forward to discovering these little treasures each time. 💡🛠 Our job at o8, by the way, was to help turn the idea into a feasible tech solution for Shopify. Philine shared her idea of how she would actually envision representing the new collections online. At first, it looked like it couldn't be done... but nothing we would stop short of! 🤠 We held a 'powwow' about how we could enable this in Shopify's overall great but creative-wise pretty restricted real, then built her like a custom app so she could turn her vision into a 360° experience with audio, video, and well-structured copy. It was a one-off investment that now elevates the brand's story several times a year to a different level while not having to fiddle with the already existing tech-based. Clever, right? ;) 💡☕ Why not get yourself a cappuccino and enjoy - should you have South Africa on your travel shortlist, definitely check out Philine's insider tips (she and her husband have been living there several times, and she knows her way around). While at it, maybe you can also check out the Côte d'Azur lookbook or one of the other gems. #lifestylebrand #branding #martech #techsolution #clever #luxurybrand

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Business angel statistics: How to come from 500 contacts to 5 deals a year.   Here is what it looks like from my perspective:   500 to 250: Not relevant Like many well-connected angels and VCs, I receive approximately 500 requests to meet through various channels yearly.   I have an Open-Door policy, where I try to meet all startups that fit my primary investment criteria (stage, company type, location, etc.). This results in meeting around one new startup a day for a brief introductory meeting. For example, I am having 13 online meetings today, as it’s one of my Open-Door days.   I politely decline meetings for the remaining contacts, as it would be a waste of their time. I’m not going to invest in a US Series C round of $50M or in a pre-seed round for a German restaurant chain, for example.   250 to 50: Not a good fit Most initial meetings don’t lead to further action, as there isn’t a good fit. This goes both ways and is just part of the process for both parties.   The startup might be looking for a different type of investor (VC?) or may have misunderstood my investment criteria.   I’m a pre-seed investor, which means there isn’t much data available in these early stages. Therefore, I mainly rely on gut feeling about whether the opportunity is exciting and if I believe these are the founders worth betting on.   It’s important to quickly say “not for me” to most opportunities, so nobody’s time is wasted.   50 to 20: Digging into the opportunity Most angels are not experts in the specific fields of the opportunities they evaluate, so even though we may initially be excited, we need to dig in and learn more.   Personally, I do this through two main sources:   1. My personal network. If you’re presenting software for industry X, I will consult someone in my network (ideally potential customers) and use their input to further validate the opportunity. 2. My business angel network. I’ve built an angel network that currently has 20 members. They possess a wealth of industry insight, and in most cases, we have experts in each field. Their opinions and potential co-investments matter greatly. Many opportunities fail in this process. Perhaps the solution isn’t unique, or the assumed problem doesn’t truly exist.   20 to 8: Due diligence Even if the opportunity seems promising from a market/problem/solution perspective, many things can still go wrong. I can’t list them all, but common issues include: Founder due diligence (reference checks) and ownership issues (messed-up cap table, dead equity) 8 to 5: I also lose deals Remember, selection goes both ways. Sometimes, I lose deals to other investors, either because they offer better terms or valuation, or simply because they are more attractive. For example, it’s hard to compete with Sequoia if they want to invest.

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📈 The latest startupdetector report couldn't have been better for me. - the number of newly founded German startups increased in Q1 2024 - a trend reversal we waited for some time new! - Leipzig and Dresden were the cities with the biggest increase of new startups (+41%, +36%), while Jena had the most financing rounds per capita - while many regions had a smaller number of new startups, Saxony increased most by 35% - the energy sector saw the strongest increase from all industries - our Smart Infrastructure Ventures ('SIVentures') portfolio company traide AI GmbH with their founder Leonie Althaus got featured next to SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator alumnus Dr. Jannik Lockl from inContAlert - our partners from TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen are ranked #5 in the most active VCs list. Smart Infrastructure Ventures ('SIVentures') among the top investors in AI All in all a great job Arnas Bräutigam & team

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🔸 🔶 🔸 AI is going vertical 🔸 🔶 🔸 In a new guest article for Gründerszene / Business Insider I talk about how vertical AI is revolutionizing the work environment: After genAI took the world by storm it has rapidly commoditized. To train an advanced LLM costs hundreds of millions of $$$. But the usage of LLMs has become commonplace. Now the AI world is turning vertical: How can genAI solutions successfully be deployed within industry verticals? Not on the surface but solving some of the tough industrial challenges in a substantially new way, driving an increase in productivity by a factor of 2-5? That has become a core area of interest for AI in 2024. Vertical AI is already making inroads into a number of core industries such as consulting, finance and healthcare but is also being used in less obvious sectors such as wind energy generation or sports. Over time it is likely to affect our work environment across all sectors. And - unlike earlier automatizations - it is going to affect mostly white collar rather than blue collar work. Welcome to a new and lasting technological disruption. Gründerszene, the leading online magazine for the startup scene in Germany (operated by Business Insider), got interested in the subject and has featured an article on the subject this week. Take a look at the online article following the link below (in German): https://lnkd.in/ecJcUwHK (the Gründerszene article as a pdf: https://lnkd.in/eimBKSQP)

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Exploring new markets with mini apps development at Sizze At Sizze, we’ve identified a high-growth opportunity in the development of mini apps for messengers. By leveraging the rapid adoption of platforms like Telegram, we’ve successfully launched TON Jobs, a freelance platform that prioritizes secure transactions, user verification, and a reliable rating system. We’re now focused on scaling this model to meet the increasing demand for integrated, user-friendly mini apps in the messaging ecosystem. This shift represents a strategic pivot for Sizze, with the potential to capture significant market share in the rapidly growing messenger app sector. We’re also observing significant trends and untapped potential in extending this technology to platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. I have attached a video of an app and a link below https://t.me/JobsOnTon_bot

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In February it will be 6 years since I had a 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁. With some distance Business Insider has asked me to talk about my experience in consulting, my burnout and the new company I started: WirDämmenDeinHaus.com You can find the link in the first comment.  (I’m also happy to share the pdf, in case you cannot access it.) My ask to you:  𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁. Having talked to many people that suffered a burnout, my observation is that it can be tremendously helpful to get a nudge from people that care about you. It is a common burnout symptom to “try to keep pushing through” and “take care of one self, after X, Y, Z is finished” -> this often significantly prolongs the healing process. Be there for the people you care about and encourage them to take care of themselves now and not when it’s too late. I’m also here for anyone that wants to talk 1:1 about their experience or ask questions. Please feel free to reach out. Happy holidays to all of you!

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Studying at Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences: How we use the Master program as an academic incubator for our startup journey… 🚀 Sarah & I are currently on a mission to identify an idea for our climate tech startup. We also started a Master's program in Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Technology at Tomorrow University in March. We did not start the program for the sake of an M.Sc. (we both already have a master's degree) but rather to help us on our journey. While we knew we had the skill set to build digital solutions, we also knew we had more to learn, especially in entrepreneurship. The program at ToU allows us to use our ideas in the courses, get feedback from a diverse group of students and extend our skill set. It's kinda like using the Master's program as an academic incubator for our startup journey ✨ Of all the courses (challenges) at ToU I did so far, three stood out for me: 1️⃣ Mission Identification with Dr. Thomas Funke This was the first challenge I've done and it really helped me to understand what drives me. I knew I wanted to work on solving the climate crisis, but I had never identified my why (purpose) and how (mission). This challenge with Thomas helped me accomplish that and also to build a support network for the future. 2️⃣ Finance for Entrepreneurs with Johannes Arning A few months ago, Sarah & I calculated a business case for an idea we had. It was alright, but after this challenge with Johannes, we had created a really sophisticated model that could easily be adapted for different business ideas. We had a clear overview of our profit & loss, cash flow and cost structure. This challenge gave us crucial new insights into our cases and helped us a lot in planning for 2025. 3️⃣ Getting Funding Ready with Christian Rebernik It is safe to say that funding from business angels or VCs is still way down the road, but nonetheless, I would say that this challenge was really eye-opening. Honestly, before this challenge, I would have always seen external funding as the second option and bootstrapping as the preferred choice. Learning about the different aspects, including shares, convertible notes, and dilution, was really eye-opening. Overall, it is safe to say that our pitch decks and business cases would not be as good without our studies at Tomorrow University. The vibrant community and discussions with fellow students are inspiring and broaden my horizons every time. I'm excited for my next year at Tomorrow University! 🚀 🦋

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Today at the Vordenker:Innen Event in Munich, I had the privilege of discussing the opportunities and risks of AI Agents with Tian Su, Fabian Q. Veit, and Devina Pasta. It was a lively and insightful conversation, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Tian, Fabian, and Devina for sharing their expertise and perspectives! (See the insights in the first comment of this post)

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Generative AI is the new big thing in technology. I was recently interviewed by VentureCapital Magazin about the emerging trends and future prospects of Generative AI. Here are some key takeaways from the interview. Generative AI is here to stay and is definitely not just a fad that investors will lose interest in. There is a lot of interest in AI in the industrial and energy sectors. As a result, there has been a huge uptick in startup investment over the last year. 🔹 Between 2021 and 2023, startup funding will decrease by 37 %, while investment in the GenAI sector will increase by 563 %. 🔹 Bloomberg predicts that the global GenAI market will grow 46 % annually through 2052. 🔹 Germany saw a 67 % year-over-year increase in AI-related startups last year. 🌱 The short-term forecast: AI will dominate sectors such as education, call centers, sales, and consulting. Any sector that can be easily done with language can be replaced or enhanced with AI. The long-term forecast: AI will gain traction in robotics and roles that require repetitive processes. For example, the development of fully autonomous cars will be a major focus. Due to the increasing need for super-fast, high-performance computing, AI will be an essential element in technology hardware and the energy sector. AI will be essential for new data centers and for enabling large-scale electrical power generation. Eventually, we'll see AI fully integrated into technology as a whole, rather than a separate investment theme. One thing is for sure about the future of tech: AI will dominate and set the direction from here. The next five years are a critical inflection point not only for technological innovation, but also from an investment perspective. 🗣 How do you see AI impacting the next five years in tech and startup investment? Check out the full interview, link in the comments below 👇 #D11ZVentures #innovation #GenerativeAI #VentureCapital #FutureTrends

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"Mut statt Angst" was the inofficial motto of the CONTACT Software #OpenWorld24 conference. I liked the positive vibes and enjoyed some key takeaways regarding the current state of AI in engineering: We need strong leadership to succeed: Nor more "analysis, analysis, paralysis" as Dr. Siegmar Haasis elegantly put it. We need technologically apt leadership that helps to set clear goals for implementing AI assistants and to avoid ending up in the PoC trap. We need better education around the technology: Many people still don't know that implementing an industrial AI assistant normally does not require model training. It is important to understand the basics of #RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) in order to create good entry-level use cases. We can get started today: Feasibility studies for many use cases can be run in days and implementing a solution that already serves real user needs only takes weeks. There is no excuse not to start right now! Thank you Udo Göbel, Christian Groh and Michael Krause for the interesting discussions and Maximilian Abenthum for hosting the great session. #FFWDX #AI #PLM #Innvoation

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🚨 Little update regarding the startup ecosystem in 🇩🇪. Q3 💰 reports are out. Where is Berlin?! Well, Munich has raised more capital than the capital in 2024. More importantly; both cities combined raised just as much as Paris. A year ago; Berlin was compared to Paris as being as impactful. (https://lnkd.in/eqTdYbWW by Handelsblatt ... I guess some changes are in the air. OpenAI also just arrived in Paris. What is happening in Berlin? Slowdown? Decline? Where are all the deep tech startups? (https://lnkd.in/eXcsKPKV and https://lnkd.in/eWCqvBmr) Still see tons of HR Tech, Legal Tech, and Fintech here in Berlin. Maybe too much of that. This report from the picture from Dealroom.co 📊 https://lnkd.in/emyhrck7 📉 Berlin is now ranked 30 worldwide on Pitchbook: https://lnkd.in/eBUJRH99 Ps: no idea what is the New Palo Alto here

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Germany-based venture capital fund Robin Capital closed its Robin Fund One at 13 million euros (about $13.6 million). #venturecapital #veteranventures

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Is the retail giant REWE Group building Germany’s first food-superapp? 🛒📲 Rewe has always been a pioneer in digital offers and now expands its portfolio with investments and partnerships. Last month alone, 2 deals hit the news: 1️⃣ Rewe participated in Flink's new funding round of 150$mn valued at ~900$mn (down about 70% since its peak valuation). With this cash injection, Flink plans to break even in Q2 2025, apparently having reached operational profitability in selected markets already today. Also they plan to open 30 additional warehouses. 2️⃣ Lieferando and Rewe announced a partnership, providing access to 3000 SKUs of Rewe’s assortment via Lieferando’s app, delivered by Lieferando’s courier network. “Rewe Express” promises delivery times of 45 minutes, closing the gap between Rewe’s scheduled delivery and Flink’s ultrafast delivery. With the new offers, Rewe now ticks many boxes that I expect from a food-superapp, combining all things food, and beyond: ✅ Brick and mortar stores ✅ Click and collect ✅ Scheduled delivery ✅ Quick-commerce (via Flink and Lieferando) ✅ Offer promotions in app  ✅ Digital travel agency  ❌ The only piece missing is food delivery. Did you know that the Russian chains X5 and Magnit are also at the frontier of supermarket tech? ➡️ Magnit has integrated AI to monitor inventory at shelf level, ensuring products (including 5000 pharmacy SKUs) are always available for their 30 minute delivery & click and collect. ➡️ Meanwhile, X5 Group deploys smart shopping carts, automatically scanning products for a frictionless checkout. I’ve just talked about why the concept of the food-superapp is so appealing at a conference and will share the takeaways here, soon. 

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I am proud to share AuditOne GmbH's Journey from the soonami ecosystem. At soonami, we celebrate the journeys of startups transforming their ideas into impactful ventures. Today, we spotlight AuditOne—a shining example of innovation and perseverance within the soonami.io GmbH ecosystem. Founded by Adrien Resch, David Velek, and Raja Sekhar Thota, AuditOne began as CoinRisk, focusing on risk analytics and auditing in the web3 space. Recognizing a strategic alignment with soonami’s vision, they merged efforts to revolutionize smart contract auditing. This pivotal decision led AuditOne to become a leader in the field, leveraging a unique hybrid model and a strong community of auditors. Key Insights from Adrien Resch: ✔️ Be customer-centric: Solve real problems for your audience. ✔️ Get feedback early and often: Iterate continuously based on user feedback. ✔️ Find the right partners: Build a team with complementary skills and shared passion. ✔️ Leverage social media and conferences: Essential for exposure in the web3 space. ✔️ Embrace AI and decentralization: These technologies can transform processes and deliver greater value. AuditOne's journey exemplifies the power of strategic partnerships, community building, and continuous innovation. As they look towards a future focused on decentralization and AI, their story inspires and guides the next generation of entrepreneurs from soonami ecosystem. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/e4hP-Wuu Are you ready to turn your web3 or AI idea into reality? Join the soonami Venturethon—a 10-day startup launchpad offering mentorship, resources, and a chance to secure $125K in funding. Apply now: https://lnkd.in/ews92waB

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This is a message adressed to #Emerging #Managers and #VC enthusiasts! Dear #Emerging #Managers and #VC enthusiasts, I hope you start the New year in a good mood and full of positive vibes! As an emerging manager working to raise capital for my vision, I have encountered numerous challenges along the way. I know I’m not alone in this journey. Raising a fund is not just a one-time effort—it’s a continuous process spanning the entire lifecycle of a venture capital fund, often lasting up to 10 years. This realization has inspired me and my colleague, Dulyavit (Chien) Laothongdee ⁩ , to create a support and networking group dedicated to emerging managers like us. Our goal is to build a space where we can: • Support each other through the ups and downs of fundraising. • Share resources, strategies, and advice to successfully raise the necessary investment rounds. • Provide mentorship and a sense of community throughout the lifespan of our funds. To make this initiative meaningful and truly address the needs of emerging managers, we need your input. We’ve created a short survey (10 questions, less than 2 minutes to complete) to better understand the challenges you face and the support you need. The insights we gather will not only help us tailor this group to serve you but will also guide us in developing actionable solutions that benefit everyone. We are committed to sharing the results of the survey publicly and transparently, as we believe this can benefit the broader venture capital community. If you’re an emerging manager or involved in a VC fund, we’d greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to fill out the survey. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping this initiative and ensuring we address the real pain points of fundraising and fund management. Here’s the link to the survey: https://lnkd.in/dpMRVThh Thank you in advance for your time and support! Together, we can build a stronger, more connected community of emerging managers. Best regards, Andreea &Chien

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I have news to share: In the upcoming months, you will see more of me in Business Insider Gründerszene as I share some of my perspectives on the startup ecosystem as a founder turned investor. First up: Why do start-up companies with remote-only employees face significant disadvantages, and why am I reluctant to invest in them? A take that I’m aware everyone won’t agree with... but I rest my case here! Here are three key takeaways: The importance of a strong corporate culture: A strong corporate culture, built when actually working together, is essential for the success of all startups. It fosters engagement and builds loyalty - crucial for a company’s stability and growth, especially during uncertain times. The risks of remote work: Remote work increases the risk of communication errors, delays in information sharing, team-building challenges, and potential employee isolation, which can hinder team development. The importance of a balanced approach: Hybrid teams must invest in building and maintaining a strong corporate culture through regular in-person interactions, team-building sessions, and coaching to keep employees motivated. Thanks to the team at Gründerszene for a great collaboration – more to come! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dgD-KUBr

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supersummit #1: New speaker announcement 🚀 The preparations for our first #supersummit, which will take place June 17th in Munich, are in full swing! 🙌🏼 While we are already counting down the days, let`s reveal some more amazing #superspeakers, sharing their unique insights from the startup and investment scene exclusively with us: 🌟Johannis Hatt / Serial entrepreneur & investor JVH Ventures & superangels 😇 : Johannis is serial founder of highly successful companies like Productsup, FaceAdNet GmbH, and myprinting limited. Backed with his outstanding experience as entrepreneur, Johannis switched sides and is now one of the most successful and active business angels in Germany and beyond. With his investment company JVH Ventures, Johannis has 60+ startup investments under his belt, focusing on angel and seed-stage investments in highly scalable startups of tomorrow. Johannis is also one of our rockstar investors at hashtag #superangels and we have already done many amazing deals together 💥 🌟Florian Huber / Serial entrepreneur & investor EWOR, Signature Ventures & superangels 😇 : Florian is a true “veteran” in the startup scene with decades of experience as founder, entrepreneur, and tech investor. He was a co-founder of united-domains AG and neubau kompass AG, the leading real estate marketplace for new construction projects in Germany. He has early-stage investments in over 50 technology startups and is also a co-founder and venture partner at Signature Ventures, a VC fund that invests in Web3 startups. Since 2022, he is co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of EWOR, an entrepreneurship university and talent investment fund. There, he supports the next generation of technology entrepreneurs in building impactful companies. And last but not least: Florian is also one of our amazing #superangels, supporting us from day 1 with his great dealflow and network in the startup & investment space 🙏🏼 We are #superexcited having them on stage and sharing their experience with us! 🤩 If you are as curious about unique insights from the startup & investment scene…tickets are selling fast, but you can still reach out to us personally via Linkedin and we will send you a personal invitation link. #networking #startups #investors #businessangels #investwiththebest #superangels #entrepreneurs #innovation #speakers #techstartups #supersummit 🌟Anna Alex, Manuel Bönisch, Rudy Rüdiger Fajen, Marc Schuler, Matthias Helfrich, Christoph Zoeller, Conny Hörl, Raffaela Rein, Sebastian Johnston, Björn Jopen, Stefan Menden, Jan Dzulko, Prof. Dr. Roland Fassauer, Dr.-Ing. Claudia Nagel, Martin Ostermayer, Volker Rofalski, Marc Müller, Hanna Marie Asmussen, Katja Ruhnke 🌟

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