In a world where every second counts, and data-driven decisions define success, startups like SereneDB emerge as game-changers. Less than a year after its launch in 2025, this Berlin-based company secured €2.1 million in pre-seed funding to simplify real-time analytics. Its mission, bringing unparalleled functionality by combining search, analytics, and real-time data handling into a single solution, caught my interest not just as an entrepreneur but as someone who thrives on understanding efficiency and breaking barriers.
This funding success is a validation of the growing need for smarter, more cohesive data management solutions. SereneDB aims to reduce complexity for engineers and businesses alike. Its formula? A database engine that does it all, fully compatible with PostgreSQL.
Let’s Break Down SereneDB’s Approach
When we talk about real-time analytics, it’s easy to miss the challenges that companies face. Traditional tools like Elasticsearch or ClickHouse require multiple systems patched together to handle high traffic, leading to slow performance and frustration. SereneDB does away with this by integrating three critical components, search, OLAP, and OLTP, for millisecond-speed queries and seamless data updates.
On top of that, the team highlighted an important feature: users don’t need to learn new protocols. Everything works through standard PostgreSQL commands. This means faster adoption without disrupting workflows or adding extra complexity for developers.
Why This Startup Caught My Attention
When I evaluate startups, two things stand out: the clarity of vision and how closely the product aligns with market demand. SereneDB checked both boxes. By building technology that eliminates redundancy while maintaining speed, they address specific pain points for teams working on real-time automation and AI-powered decisions.
The funding round's backers also speak volumes. With support from Entourage and High-Tech Gründerfonds, SereneDB is in great company. These investors, known for nurturing deep-tech startups, don’t just invest but push for scalable solutions with global impact.
What European Entrepreneurs Can Learn from SereneDB
If there’s one takeaway for entrepreneurs, especially female founders across Europe, it’s that product-market fit matters more than buzzwords. SereneDB isn’t trying to do everything, it’s solving a specific problem with clarity. Here's what you can apply to your own venture:
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Know your pain point: SereneDB zeroes in on a distinct issue, the inefficiency of combining data tools. Your product should aim to solve a problem, not just add features to an existing market. Get intimate with your customers' challenges.
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Stay focused on adoption ease: One of SereneDB’s strengths lies in its use of PostgreSQL, a standard developers are already comfortable with. Always think about how intuitive your product will feel for its end users.
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Build strong networks: SereneDB co-founder Andrey Abramov leaned on his years in search technologies to build credibility. Showing you deeply understand your expertise is invaluable when building trust with investors.
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Don’t overlook team dynamics: While at CADChain, I ensured diversity was baked into my company's DNA as we expanded. It’s the one area SereneDB could focus on improving, as an all-male founding team might not bring as many diverse perspectives into decision-making.
Common Mistakes Startups Should Avoid
Being a founder, especially when bootstrapping, teaches you the hard way what not to do:
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Skipping customer feedback early on: Before launching your startup game or app, have customers validate your concept. Testing has saved my projects from failure multiple times.
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Chasing the wrong trends: Don’t be the founder who shifts their vision every time there’s a buzz. Stay rooted in delivering meaningful impact.
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Failing to optimize resources: The costs add up fast, burning through funding without measuring its impact leaves you vulnerable. Every decision at SereneDB seems calculated, from a robust open-source approach to hiring experienced co-founders.
What’s Next for SereneDB?
With its early success, SereneDB is positioning itself as more than just a tool for engineers. As the startup continues its journey, expansions into markets like AI and machine learning could drive its relevance even further. Many startups need similar adaptable solutions as they lean into real-time performance insights.
For founders looking to shift into SaaS, this might be the perfect case study to analyze. Creating a functional, versatile product that remains user-friendly offers you a strong competitive advantage.
My Final Thoughts
SereneDB’s rise highlights something I stress in the Fe/male Switch game: solve a clear problem, make space for trial and error, and anchor your approach in community support if you want to scale. This startup isn’t just rewriting how applications process data; it’s also a reminder that true progress comes from simplifying the complex.
For women across Europe, building your own venture may seem daunting in tech, dominated by AI, data, or STEM solutions. My advice? Look beyond the challenges to opportunities where you can make products easier or more accessible for all. The journey will never be easy, but as SereneDB shows, clarity and boldness can take you far. Happy building!
FAQ
1. What is SereneDB, and what does it aim to solve?
SereneDB is a Berlin-based startup focused on simplifying real-time analytics and data management by uniting search, OLAP, and OLTP into one PostgreSQL-compatible solution. It aims to address the inefficiency and complexity of traditional multi-tool data management stacks. Learn more about SereneDB's mission
2. How much funding has SereneDB raised so far?
SereneDB has secured €2.1 million in pre-seed funding, less than a year after its founding in 2025. Read the funding announcement
3. Who are the main investors backing SereneDB?
The startup is backed by Entourage and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), both known for supporting deep-tech innovations. Learn more about HTGF | Discover Entourage's involvements
4. What are SereneDB's key technological innovations?
SereneDB merges real-time search, OLAP, and OLTP functionalities. Its engine supports millisecond-speed queries, live data updates, and ingestion, all accessible via standard PostgreSQL commands. Explore their approach
5. Why is SereneDB open-source?
By being open-source, SereneDB encourages community involvement in its development while making its technology more accessible for developers. This also contributes to faster adoption and integration.
6. What industries benefit most from SereneDB?
Sectors focusing on real-time automation, AI-powered decision-making, and cloud applications can benefit greatly from SereneDB’s capabilities.
7. Who are SereneDB's founders, and what is their experience?
The startup is founded by Alexander Malandin, Andrey Abramov, and Valery Mironov, all of whom have over a decade of experience in search technologies. Follow Andrey Abramov
8. What advantages does PostgreSQL compatibility provide for SereneDB users?
PostgreSQL compatibility allows seamless integration with existing workflows, reducing the complexity of learning new protocols and accelerating operational deployment.
9. What is the next focus area for SereneDB?
SereneDB is planning to extend its presence into AI and machine-learning-driven markets, optimizing further for real-time performance insights.
10. What can entrepreneurs learn from SereneDB's success?
SereneDB highlights the importance of solving a specific and well-identified pain point, focusing on user adoption ease, building strong networks, and maintaining a deliberate, scalable approach to funding. Check out the article for insights
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
