STARTUPS: The recent deal that saw Gidsy bought by GetYourGuide was an interesting one in the tour and activity sector, even if it was essentially an acqui-hire. But what does it say about the wider startup scene in the German capital, Berlin, often cited as one of the hot tech cities in Europe? READ MORE on Venture Village
Last week news arrived that Gidsy, the de facto poster-child of the Berlin startup scene was being acquired and subsumed by fellow Berlin travel experience platform GetYourGuide.
No great surprise. But behind the quickly uploaded holding screen on the now inactive Gidsy site, reactions have ranged from sentimentalist bleatings that it’s the death knell of the "creative Berlin startup spirit" to panic-merchants proclaiming it a "massive blow to the Berlin ecosystem".
Is this a) a minor storm in a relatively small teacup and b) A Bit of a Good Thing?
Now, of course, many would rather not see a young, idealistic company with a good concept and great people take the money and run, but perhaps it’s just the kind of reality slap that this upstart scene needs.
READ MORE on Venture Village
NB:Germany choose image via Shutterstock.