Pascal Klein, Asana Rebel
Damla Avci, MediEM
Newtorking
Carola and Diana, HIGHEST
Maren Hofmann at the Opening of the Evening
Around 55 founders and aspiring entrepreneurs from Darmstadt and the surrounding region gathered on December 1, 2025, at Café 221qm for the Xmas Edition of foundersXchange. The focus: real f*ck-ups, hard lessons learned—and the question of what can be taken away from them.
The foundersXchange is organized by HIGHEST – the Innovation and Start-up Center of TU Darmstadt, together with ATHENE Digital Hub Cybersecurity, hessian.AI, HUB31, cesah, and YUBIZZ, the start-up initiative of h_da. The format brings together several times a year people who want to start a business or are already in the midst of building their start-up.
“We Would Have Made More with Deposit Bottles” – Asana Rebel Founder on Growth at Any Cost
Pascal Klein, founder of Asana Rebel and formerly active at HIGHEST himself, took the audience on the rollercoaster ride of a VC-funded start-up.
His key points:
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In the early years, the business was far from glamorous: “We would have made more with deposit bottles.”
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A central mistake: too much capital, too rapid growth. The team grew from 20 to 80 people within a year, and costs spiraled out of control.
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The consequence: 30 employees had to be laid off—one of the hardest days as a founder
The turning point: a radical focus on what really matters. No longer “money solves every problem,” but clear priorities, disciplined product work, and operational rigor. Despite all setbacks, Klein is clear: founding a company remains “the best time of my life”—though without the illusion that everything will ever run smoothly.
Co-Founder Conflict and Contracts – What MediEm Learned
Damla Avci, founder of MediEm, an AI-based nursing emergency system, highlighted another side of failure: human and legal fractures within the team.
Her story:
- The founding idea originated in a seminar, supported by HIGHEST and hessian.AI, and funded, among others, by the Hessen Ideas Scholarship and an EXIST founder grant.
- Shortly before an important funding milestone, a co-founder ended the collaboration, withheld information—but still insisted on keeping 25 percent of the company shares. The conflict has not been fully resolved to this day.
Her key takeaways for the audience:
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Conclude a shareholder agreement early—while relations are still good.
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Clearly define roles, contributions, and ownership shares.
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Insurance (e.g., liability) is mandatory, not optional.
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Maintain open, transparent communication before conflicts escalate.
Tough Questions, Genuine Interest – and Networking Over Gingerbread
The audience took full advantage of the opportunity: many questions focused on team building, dealing with investors, mental strain in crisis situations, and the first legal steps in founding a company. Afterwards, discussions continued over drinks, gingerbread, and cookies, with networking and follow-up questions.
The central message of the evening: mistakes are part of the entrepreneurial journey—the key is what you make of them and who accompanies you along the way.
Darmstadt as a Strong Start-up Ecosystem
With foundersXchange, the Darmstadt ecosystem showcases what it can offer: short paths, concentrated expertise, and points of contact from the first idea to scaling.
HIGHEST, ATHENE Digital Hub Cybersecurity, hessian.AI, HUB31, cesah, and YUBIZZ were on site to highlight funding programs, infrastructure, coaching, and networking opportunities.
Call-to-Action
The foundersXchange will take place again in 2026.
👉All information on upcoming events and support offerings can be found on the website and the channels of the partner organizations.
Anyone with an idea or who has already founded a company is invited to simply drop by next time—the Darmstadt ecosystem is there to support you.🚀