Most founders sooner or later leave their company. But not everyone leaves voluntarily, as the departures in the first half of the year show.
Thomas Bachem, Mengting Bönsch, Lucas von Cranach, Nora Blum (clockwise from top left) – they all resigned from their positions as CEOs in the start-up scene
Startups often resemble a wild river that takes its founders on a journey to an unknown destination. But while some entrepreneurs savor the current to the bitter end, others choose to disembark at a secluded bank — and let their successor take the helm. The reasons are different: Some have felt trapped in a managerial role for a long time and want to start all over again. Others, in turn, resign involuntarily. Whether it’s because things aren’t going well economically or they’ve allowed themselves a faux pas.
This happened to some founders in Germany again in the first half of 2023. The start-up scene shows the most prominent departures – and how they came about.
Mengting Bönsch, Kitchenstories
Kitchenstories founder Mengting Bönsch (left) left the company in January. Her former co-founder Verena Hubertz (right) left the startup in 2020.
It started in January Mengting Bönsch: After nine years, the founder gave up the CEO role at her recipe startup Kitchenstories away. Bönsch had previously made her app a million hit in the App Store and sold it to the industrial group Bosch in 2017. Bönsch declared his resignation with the Desire for more private life. “I’m really looking forward to taking a creative break, spending more time with family or friends and traveling the world,” she wrote on Linkedin. Sounds like the founder is expected to make a comeback.
Max-Josef Meier, Finn Auto
Finn Auto founder Max-Josef Maier has admitted to sexually harassing women. Finn.car
Rarely has a resignation in the startup scene been so spectacular – and at the same time appropriate. In April it was announced that Max-Josef Meierco-founder of the rental car platform Find Auto, several women at a company party sexually harassed should have. Meier publicly admitted the allegations to Capital magazine. This had consequences for the 38-year-old: Meier “mutually resigned from his post”, as stated in a press release.
Ole Strohschnieder, Just Spices
From spices to hipster pizza: Just Spices founder Ole Strohschnieder is building a new food startup. Just Spies
When the US group Kraft Heinz took over the Cologne-based spice startup Just Spices at the end of 2021, a statement said: “The three founders Florian Falk, Ole Strohschnieder and Béla Seebach will continue to manage the company as an independent company.” In the meantime, only Seebach has remained with the management. In May, Ole Strohschnieder also left the startup, like them food newspaper reported. Accordingly, Strohschnieder pursued new project: According to the Lebensmittelzeitung, he joined the Berlin pizza delivery service Milano Vice.
Lucas von Cranach, Onefootball
Avowed fan of 1. FC Köln: Onefootball founder Lucas von Cranach. onefootball
He was one of the longest-serving startup CEOs on the scene: Lucas von Cranachsole founder of the football platform Onefootball. Cranach founded the company in 2008 (at that time still under the name iLiga) and built it into the most successful football app in the App Store. At the end of May, however, von Cranach announced his resignation. “In every company there comes a time when you have to move on, and that time has come now,” wrote the 45-year-old without giving any specific reasons. According to the industry portal Spouses should Investors, however, insisted on saying goodbye have. As a result, Onefootball was recently on the verge of bankruptcy.
Nora Blum, Selfapy
Selfapy founder Nora Blum. Selfapy
After seven and a half years, too Nora Blum left their startup, the online psychotherapy provider Selfapy. At the end of June, she told Gründerszene that she would keep her shares and a seat on the supervisory board and that she wanted to be part of the team drinks “from time to time”. Otherwise she will close the chapter Selfapy – also, to start something new. Exactly what, Blum initially left open. Just this much: “The next thing will be small and profitable,” says the 32-year-old.
Thomas Bachem, Code University
Started Code University in 2016, a university for prospective tech developers: Thomas Bachem. Code University
At the beginning of July, serial entrepreneurs also reported Thomas Bachem with a Post on Linkedin to word. In it, the founder of the tech university announced Code University not his farewell, but his resignation as CEO and Chancellor. Apparently he wants to look after himself in the future other tasks take care of. Bachem: “In my new role as Executive Chairman, I will focus on partnerships, entrepreneurship, fundraising, branding and communications.”
Paul Schwarzenholz, Zenloop
Mr. Feedback: Zenloop founder Paul Schwarzenholz. zenloop
In January, the Munich startup Zen run filed for bankruptcy. The company around the serial founder Paul Schwarzenholz (Flaconi.de) specializes in software that companies can use to evaluate customer feedback. A buyer was finally found for Zenloop in March. For Schwarzenholz, the takeover meant the end of his CEO journey. He wants “take another path”, as he announced. “My focus will now be on my family. I look forward to exploring more business opportunities and realizing new ideas.”
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