European retail is entering a margin war driven by global platform competitors. In this episode, Arber Sejdiji, CEO of Zenline AI, explains why the strategic battleground is not pricing or promotion, but assortment decision velocity. We cover why dashboards fail at catalog scale, how long-tail data exposes hidden margin loss, and why relationship mapping is now required to price and curate assortments profitably.

Guest Micro-Bio (standard):
Featuring Arber Sejdiji, CEO at Zenline AI.

Host Micro-Bio (standard):
Hosted by Jörn Menninger, Founder & Editor-in-Chief at Startuprad.io — the authority on German, Swiss & Austrian startups.

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📖 Blog recap: https://www.startuprad.io/post/zenline-ai-agentic-assortment-decisions-win-retail-margins-startuprad-io

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uDLG7H5exgA

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What if the tools we use to test cancer drugs don’t behave like human tumors at all?
That’s the question that pushed Ghazaleh Madani, CEO and co-founder of CanChips, to build one of the most compelling innovations in oncology today: tumor-on-a-chip platforms that replicate human tumor biology with unprecedented accuracy.

In this episode, we explore how microfluidics, 3D co-cultures, endothelial layers, and real-time biosensing combine to replace outdated 2D cultures and reduce reliance on animal models.
The result: faster, more predictive cancer drug testing — and a pathway toward truly personalized oncology.

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You’ll learn:

– Why 2D cultures and animal models fail
– How tumor-on-chip platforms replicate human tumor environments
– How patient-derived cells lead to 72-hour drug response predictions
– What this means for biotech founders, pharma teams, and investors
– How German startups are shaping deep-tech innovation in the DACH region
– What it takes to build and lead a cross-disciplinary biotech team
– Why founder visibility matters as much as scientific rigor

Whether you're building in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, this episode offers one of the clearest explanations of capital-efficient growth, B2B startup scaling, and long-term founder wealth creation.

Guest Spotlight
Ghazaleh Madani is a biotech founder whose mission began when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her work at CanChips merges engineering, biology, and human urgency — delivering one of the most promising tumor-modeling systems in Europe.

If this episode helped you, follow the podcast and share it with a founder who needs this playbook.

Enjoy the show?

📖 Blog recap: https://www.startuprad.io/post/tumor-on-a-chip-explained-the-future-of-cancer-drug-testing

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JIow-O-AM50

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In this episode, Steven Puri, CEO of The Sukha Company and former Hollywood VFX executive (Independence Day, Godzilla, Transformers Prime), shares the rituals, behavioral frameworks, and AI-powered systems he uses to help founders reach deep work in distraction-heavy environments.

Steven’s journey from blockbuster sets to startup leadership reveals how flow state rituals can transform founder performance.

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– How to use environmental & sound triggers to engineer daily flow
– Behavioral nudges that increased productivity by 77%
– Why bootstrapping vs VC discipline changes product quality
– How AI productivity assistants will personalize founder workflows
– Why empathy & resilience outperform hustle culture for long-term success

Steven Puri, CEO of The Sukha Company, blends Hollywood rigor with startup agility. He shares real-world frameworks founders can apply tomorrow to unlock focus, structure, and sustainable output.

Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/flow-state-rituals-for-founders

YouTube: Watch now

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Steven Puri, co-founder/CEO of Sukha, shares the flow state for startup founders playbook: body doubling, the coffee-shop effect, chronotype time-blocking, demo-first standups, and outcome-based leadership. You’ll learn how to beat the 22-minute context switching tax, design deep-work rituals for remote teams, and build a best-idea-wins culture that ships.

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What you’ll learn

• How ambient accountability outperforms solo willpower

• Practical body doubling setups for founders & remote teams

• Timer methods to defeat context switching

• Scheduling deep work around your chronotype

• Why demo-first standups accelerate shipping

Guest: Steven Puri — Co-founder & CEO, Sukha
Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/flow-state-for-startup-founders-the-complete-deep-work-playbook

Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

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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

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

Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/finance-automation-for-smes-how-moss-is-redefining-financial-operations

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
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How do you build a startup that could change the way millions shop online — all before your 20th birthday?

In this episode, Startuprad.io dives into the game-changing IDAN system with Julian Pfeiffer, founder of KeyOne, who started his company at just 15. From the football field at Eintracht Frankfurt to leading one of the most exciting fintech e-commerce innovations in the DACH region — Julian’s journey is one for the books.

We explore how the IDAN (International Delivery Address Number) streamlines online checkout, enhances data privacy, and reduces delivery errors — all while helping merchants boost conversion and cut costs. If you care about startup innovation, e-commerce, or digital payments, this episode is for you.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• The origin story of KeyOne and Julian’s early entrepreneurial spark

• How the IDAN system improves checkout with one secure ID

• Why address validation (like What3Words) is key for delivery optimization

• Benefits for merchants: lower costs, more new customers, fewer mistakes

• Julian’s long-term vision for e-commerce innovation in Europe and beyond

🎙️ Guest: Julian Pfeiffer, Founder of KeyOne
🌐 Website: keyone.me
🎤 Host: Joern Menninger, Startuprad.io

🕒 Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Intro

• 1:34 – Julian’s Entrepreneurial Journey

• 5:22 – Solving the “Chicken or Egg” Problem

• 7:12 – How the IDAN System Works

• 10:56 – The Future of E-Commerce

• 13:35 – Benefits of IDAN for Customers and Retailers

• 18:08 – What’s Next for KeyOne: AI, Partnerships & More

• 21:48 – From Football to Founder: Julian’s Balancing Act

🔥 Sponsor: Meet Vanta

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📢 Call to Action:

• Subscribe to Startuprad.io for more startup deep dives

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  "From ⚽️ to 💻 — discover how a teenage founder is transforming the way we shop online. Listen now on Startuprad.io! #ecommerce #entrepreneurship #startupstory"

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🛠️ Made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen, supporting startups with grants, international networking, and innovation resources. Learn more: htai.de | een-hessen.de

🎙️ Scaling a Cybersecurity Startup: Lessons from Link11’s Journey (Part 2)
In the second half of our exclusive conversation with Jens Philipp Jung, co-founder and CEO of Link11, we explore what it really takes to scale a cybersecurity startup.

Link11 has emerged as a leader in DDoS protection and cloud-based security solutions. Jens opens up about the funding strategy, leadership mindset, and innovation roadmap that helped build one of Germany’s most respected cybersecurity scaleups.

🚀 In this episode:
– Scaling a cybersecurity startup in a competitive global market
– How Link11 approached funding while maintaining founder control
– Innovation in DDoS protection and staying ahead of cyber threats
– Leadership insights from a founder’s perspective
– Tactical advice for aspiring cybersecurity entrepreneurs

💡 Who should listen?
Startup founders, tech entrepreneurs, CISOs, cybersecurity professionals, scaleup teams, and investors exploring the cybersecurity space.

📌 This is Part 2 of our Link11 feature. If you haven’t heard Part 1 yet, be sure to check it out for the founding story and early growth lessons.

🎧 Subscribe & follow Startuprad.io for weekly interviews with Europe’s most exciting founders, investors, and innovators.