The Liefergrün Story: From Double-Digit Million Revenue to Insolvency (with Co-Founder and CEO Niklas Tauch)

About this episode

After a successful 12 million euro Series A in 2022, logistics startup Liefergrün filed for preliminary insolvency in early 2024. A story that shows: even after major funding rounds, nothing is set in stone.

At its peak, more than 100 people worked for Liefergrün, tens of thousands of packages were delivered daily, and the company was among Germany's most hyped startups. But how does a company go from this seemingly successful position to insolvency?

From zero to 40,000 packages daily

Liefergrün's growth numbers were impressive: the startup managed to scale to 40,000 packages per day and an annualized revenue of 22 million euros within a short time. However, this rapid development also brought massive operational challenges.

Founder and CEO Niklas Tauch provides rare insights into his company's highs and lows in this episode of the Unicorn Bakery podcast. His openness about the hardest moments of this phase reveals the enormous pressures founders face in critical situations.

Operational challenges in the logistics business

Building a logistics startup brings unique complexities. The sheer number of packages processed daily requires not only technical infrastructure but also precise processes and a well-functioning team. When growth happens as quickly as it did for Liefergrün, small problems can quickly become major challenges.

A particularly striking example from Liefergrün's history: the startup temporarily brought down FedEx – an indicator of the dimensions in which the company operated.

Expansion and the turning point

After initial successes, Liefergrün expanded to additional cities. But at some point, the momentum shifted. This turning point often marks the beginning of critical phases for startups: what used to work suddenly doesn't anymore.

For Liefergrün, this meant a fundamental strategic shift: away from rapid cash burning toward greater efficiency. A transformation commonly observed in the startup world but rarely discussed so openly.

Difficult decisions and their consequences

With the strategic shift came difficult phases for the company, including major layoff waves. Niklas Tauch speaks openly about handling these stressful situations – both from a business and human perspective.

Things became particularly challenging when disagreements emerged in the board and team alignment became more difficult. Such internal tensions can become existential threats for startups, especially during already critical phases.

The path to insolvency

Despite all efforts, Liefergrün could not be saved. Niklas Tauch explains the legal aspects of impending insolvency and how founders can protect themselves in such situations – while emphasizing that this does not constitute legal advice.

The distinction between preliminary and final insolvency is also important – a detail that can be of great significance for affected founders.

Learnings for other founders

The Liefergrün story offers valuable insights for other founders:

• –Funding rounds: What to watch for when working with investors
• –Operational scaling: The challenges of rapid growth
• –Crisis management: How to handle failure personally and emotionally
• –Legal aspects: What to consider when facing insolvency

Niklas Tauch's concluding thoughts on company building and his learnings from the insolvency show: even failure can be valuable – for the founder themselves and for others who can learn from these experiences.

For founders uncertain about their financial position or struggling with funding rounds, this episode offers important food for thought and practical insights from firsthand experience.