Arnas Bräutigam of startupdetector: How Commercial Register Data Led to €500k ARR
Volume #12 of "Happy Bootstrapping" Newsletter
Arnas Bräutigam took the leap from Berliner Sparkasse to entrepreneurship in 2019 – with an unusual business idea. Today, together with his co-founder Felix, he operates two companies under one roof: startupdetector searches Germany's commercial register for new startup formations, while AddedVal.io connects founders with business angels. The special thing: both companies are fully bootstrapped and generate around €500,000 in annual revenue together.
This is a summary of Episode 123 of the “Happy Bootstrapping” Podcast (German).
From Banking to Startup Database
Arnas' path to entrepreneurship began during his time as a startup advisor at Berliner Sparkasse. His task was to acquire freshly founded startups for business accounts. He developed a creative method: "I manually checked the commercial register every morning. What was actually registered yesterday in Berlin in terms of companies?"
Although his original approach didn't work for the bank – the startups already had accounts – Arnas recognized the potential of his method. Together with his childhood friend Felix, a PhD linguist with data analysis background, he automated the process for all of Germany.
The business model was clear from the start: "A weekly Excel list via email" for €100 monthly. After just a few test months, they had found five paying customers – proof that a market existed. Today, venture capital funds like High-Tech Gründerfonds, economic development agencies, and the German Startup Association use StartupDetector's data.
Two Business Models Under One Roof
startupdetector has become the most important data source for German startup statistics. The company identifies about 3% of all new formations as scalable startups and currently tracks 21,000 active companies. "When anyone from politics talks about startup formations in Germany, that's the number from the Startup Association – that's our number," Arnas explains proudly.
AddedVal.io emerged in 2020 during Corona as a response to a recognized problem: "Business angels in the early phase are very hard to find for startups. We have the data from the commercial register." The platform connects founders with over 16,000 tracked business angels. While angels participate for free, startups pay €490 in the first month for comprehensive pitch deck reviews and access to the complete angel database.
Marketing Through Expertise and Trust
Arnas relies on a comprehensive content marketing strategy. startupdetector benefits from press mentions and its role as a data source for business journalists. For AddedVal.io, he uses a multi-channel approach: "Every startup gets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 letters from us after formation at weekly intervals" – made possible by their own commercial register data.
Additionally, Arnas produces daily LinkedIn content, conducts interviews on the "Adding Value Early" podcast, and writes a column for Gründerszene. This "giving forward" philosophy builds trust: over 10,000 downloads of the free pitch deck guide demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach.
Bootstrapping Challenges
The biggest challenge lies in prioritization: "I know why our company is still at €500,000 per year, because I actually spend all the time I put into marketing for AddedVal.io, because it's so much fun." startupdetector is highly profitable, while AddedVal.io is still burning money – together both achieve a balanced result.
AddedVal.io's target group brings structural challenges: early-stage startups have little money, while business angels invest but are reluctant to pay fees. "We chose the target group that has no money," Arnas reflects self-critically.
Learnings for Bootstrappers
Validation before perfection: The business model started with a simple Excel list via email
Data-driven customer acquisition: Their own commercial register data enables targeted marketing
Content as trust building: Sharing free knowledge creates long-term customer relationships
Focus on profitability: "Build traction first, then fundraise" – this advice also applies to your own prioritization
Complementary business models: One profitable pillar enables experiments with innovative approaches
Arnas plans to launch new SaaS features in 2025, including a free CRM system for fundraising. His goal: finally make AddedVal.io profitable through better AI-powered matching, while startupdetector continues to serve as a reliable revenue source.
Happy Bootstrapping is a German podcast where I interview bootstrapped founders, indie hackers, and solopreneurs about their startup journeys. Over the years, I've connected with many successful entrepreneurs who have built e-commerce shops, SaaS platforms, mobile apps, content businesses, or hybrid models.
Furthermore I am a bootstrapper myself and growing my DevOps-as-a-Sercice and Web Operations Company “We Manage”.