Berlin isn't just food and techno - in recent years it's also become a quiet tech scene, and one story from there illustrates the change in how startups are measured. Peec AI, a German company that helps brands track where they show up in AI search engines like ChatGPT, has in a few months doubled its annual revenue and reached $10 million (about 9 million euros).

What does Peec actually do? Think of SEO tools, but for an era in which users don't type into Google but ask ChatGPT. Brands want to know: if someone searches for "best startup CRM for European teams," will my name show up in the answer? Peec maps that visibility - a field already called "generative engine optimization," or GEO.

The numbers are interesting from the other side too. Six months ago, Peec raised $21 million in Series A at a valuation above $100 million, and just before that had 4 million dollars in revenue in the first 10 months after launch. Now those 4 have become 10. CEO Marius Mainers, a former e-sports player from the top 100 in League of Legends, has built a reputation for sharing revenue numbers with the entire company - a style inherited from gaming teams.

Among other things, Peec has invested in billboards around Berlin, placed strategically next to competitors' offices - a classic European approach with a bit more nerve than usual. The partner from Antler, Christoph Klink, commented on the moment: the modern startup isn't measured by valuation, but by revenue. That 21 million from Series A in 2021 would probably have warranted ten times the valuation. Now something different is expected - traction. Peec has it.