Inside the D11Z Academy:
Learning, Growing, and Building Together

October 24, 2025 – The day after Slush'D, Kaveh, Soroush, Rahul, and Roman found themselves back in Heilbronn — but this time for something a bit more intimate and incredibly valuable. We were invited to the D11Z Academy, a closed event exclusively for D11Z's portfolio companies, and it was exactly the kind of experience that reminds you why having the right investors matters.

If you're not familiar with D11Z, they're one of our early backers and a family office that truly gets what it means to support startups beyond just writing a check. The Academy brought together 30+ portfolio companies for a day packed with workshops, insights, and honest conversations about the challenges we all face as we build and scale.
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The agenda was ambitious, covering everything from team building (always a hot topic when you're growing fast) to pricing strategies (because let's be honest, getting this right is an art and a science). One of the standout sessions dove into practical AI applications — not the hype, but the real, actionable ways we can leverage AI to build better products and serve our customers more effectively. For a company like Whisper, which is already using cutting-edge technology to predict cyber threats, these kinds of discussions are gold.
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But beyond the workshops, what made the day special was the networking. Being in a room with other founders who are navigating similar challenges, celebrating similar wins, and asking similar questions creates a sense of camaraderie that's hard to find elsewhere. We swapped stories, shared advice, and left with a few new ideas we're already excited to implement.
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We owe a huge thank you to Tom Villinger (CEO of D11Z) and Patrick Krönlein (Principal) for putting this together, and to the entire D11Z team for their continued support. Events like this aren't just nice-to-haves — they're essential. They help us learn faster, avoid common pitfalls, and remember that we're part of a community that's rooting for each other's success.
To our fellow D11Z portfolio companies: it was great connecting with you all. Let's keep the conversations going.
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And to the D11Z team: thank you for believing in us and for creating spaces where we can grow together. We're grateful to be part of this journey with you.