Verena Pausder Biography: Parents, Height, Ethnicity, Siblings, Net Worth, Age, Books, Husband, Children

Verena Pausder is a prominent German entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for digital education and women’s empowerment.

As Chairwoman of the German Startup Association since December 2023, she champions innovation, diversity, and deep tech startups.

Renowned for co-founding Fox & Sheep, Germany’s largest children’s app developer, and HABA Digitalwerkstatt, she has driven digital education through her nonprofit Digitale Bildung für Alle e.V., founded in 2017.

A co-founder of FC Viktoria Berlin’s women’s team, she aims to elevate women’s football to the Bundesliga.

Her book Das Neue Land (2020), a Spiegel bestseller, outlines a visionary future for Germany’s economy and society.

Profile

• Full Name: Verena Pausder
• Stage Name: Verena Pausder
• Born: February 12, 1979
• Age: 46 years old
• Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
• Nationality: German
• Occupation: Entrepreneur, Investor, Author, Podcast Host, Digital Education Advocate
• Height: Unknown
• Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Pausder
• Siblings:1
• Spouse: Philipp Pausder (Divorced)
• Children: 2
• Relationship: Divorced
• Net Worth: $5-10 million USD

Early Life and Education

Verena Pausder was born on February 12, 1979, in Hamburg, Germany, to the Delius family, which has a 300-year entrepreneurial legacy in textiles. Raised with one sister, she developed an early passion for business. She studied Business Administration at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, graduating in 2002.

Her academic foundation and family heritage fueled her entrepreneurial drive, leading her to reject a conventional career in reinsurance at Münchener Rück for the dynamic startup world. Her ethnicity is German, and her religion is not publicly known.

Career

Verena Pausder’s entrepreneurial journey began at 19 when she and her sister opened a sushi bar in Bielefeld, which failed but taught her resilience.

After roles at digital startups be2 and Scoyo, she became Managing Director of Young Internet GmbH in 2012. That year, she co-founded Fox & Sheep in Berlin with Moritz Hohl, developing pedagogic children’s apps.

The company, sold to HABA in 2014 for a double-digit million sum, grew to 10 million users, becoming Germany’s largest children’s app developer. In 2016, she launched HABA Digitalwerkstatt, establishing digital labs in cities such as Berlin and Munich to teach children coding and robotics.

In 2017, Pausder founded Digitale Bildung für Alle e.V., a nonprofit organization promoting equal access to digital education. The organization launched digitale-lernangebote.de in 2022 to guide schools and parents.

She joined Ada Learning GmbH in 2020 with Miriam Meckel and Léa Steinacker, focusing on leadership transformation. As an angel investor through Pausder Ventures, she backs startups like 8returns, Aeyde, and Kitchen Stories.

Since December 2023, as Chairwoman of the German Startup Association, she has advocated for a “culture of courage,” pushing for increased venture capital, university spin-offs, and international talent to make Germany the most startup-friendly nation in Europe.

Pausder co-founded FC Viktoria Berlin’s women’s team in 2022, aiming for Bundesliga promotion by 2027. Her book Das Neue Land (2020) won the Entrepreneurial Book of the Year at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and her podcast Fast & Curious, co-hosted with Lea-Sophie Cramer, explores entrepreneurship.

Recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (2016) and on Forbes’ Top 50 Women in Tech (2018), she serves on advisory boards for Lufthansa, Deutsche Bank, and Germany’s Innovation Council.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @verenapausder
• Facebook Handle: Verena Pausder
• Twitter Handle: @verenapausder

Personal Life

Verena Pausder was previously married to Philipp Pausder, a fellow entrepreneur and founder of Thermondo, a green energy startup. The couple, now divorced, shares two children.

Despite the end of their marital relationship, Verena has consistently maintained a strong work-life balance, frequently discussing the realities of parenting, leadership, and gender equality in her public appearances.

Net Worth

Verena Pausder has an estimated net worth of $5-10 million USD. Her wealth derives from the sale of Fox & Sheep to HABA, her stake in Pausder Ventures’ portfolio companies, and advisory roles with major corporations like Lufthansa and Deutsche Bank.

Income from her book, “Das Neue Land,” podcast “Fast & Curious,” and speaking engagements at events such as Web Summit and SQUARE further contribute.