Big news: Barbara Dombay joined the management team at BayStartUP on 1 June 2025, forming a new dual leadership team together with Dr Carsten Rudolph, who has been at the helm of the company since 2009. Together, they will now share responsibility for the strategic development of BayStartUP and provide new impetus for the Bavarian start-up ecosystem.
Barbara is no stranger to us – on the contrary: she has been actively involved in shaping BayStartUP since 2012 and has been instrumental in establishing and developing the investor network. Today, it is one of the central points of contact for early-stage financing in Bavaria. Under her leadership, a strong network of over 400 business angels and more than 200 venture capital investors has been created. Since 2015, we have been able to broker a financing volume of more than 650 million euros in seed rounds through this network.
In her new role, Barbara will work with Carsten to drive forward key strategic issues at BayStartUP. These include the targeted expansion of the investment ecosystem for start-ups, stronger networking with SMEs and industry, and the further development of our growth support programmes.
Dr Carsten Rudolph, Managing Director of BayStartUP:
‘Barbara Dombay has played a decisive role in shaping BayStartUP over the past few years. She has first-hand knowledge of the needs of start-up teams and investors and has developed a keen sense of how successful financing deals are made. With her network and experience, she is a key contact for start-ups seeking capital – and a real asset to our management team.’
Barbara Dombay, Managing Director of BayStartUP:
‘After more than ten years at BayStartUP, I am looking forward to continuously expanding our range of services to support start-ups and adapting it to changing market conditions. BayStartUP connects people from the worlds of innovation, capital and industry – exactly the constellations that start-ups need for growth and successful development.’
Barbara Dombay has many years of management experience in the field of technology and innovation. Before joining BayStartUP, she held various positions in marketing, sales and business development. She studied economics at Otto Friedrich University in Bamberg and at Université Jean Moulin Lyon III in France.
Photos: Andreas Gebert