Germany’s mortgage market is a black box – opaque pricing, hundreds of banks, and zero transparency on what you can actually afford.
Nick Mulder experienced this firsthand when trying to buy property. That frustration led him to build a suite of FinTech platforms now helping over 350,000 people make smarter financial decisions in Germany.
The Problem That Started It All:
When Nick tried buying property in Germany, he was shocked by how complicated and non-transparent the mortgage market was. That experience became the catalyst for Hypofriend.
He co-founded the platform in 2017 with his father, Dr. Christian Mulder (former IMF and World Bank economist), and later brought on Pavel Jurasek as CTO. They’ve grown it to 70+ employees without external funding – a rare feat in today’s startup landscape.
Hypofriend – Mortgage Intelligence at Scale:
Hypofriend isn’t your typical mortgage broker.
The platform integrates over 750 partner banks and uses a meta search engine to scan thousands of mortgage combinations. This approach has helped facilitate over €2 billion in loan volume.
Key metrics:
- 300,000+ affordability calculations
- 25,000+ customers consulted digitally
- €2 billion+ in loan volume transacted
Unlike traditional brokers who earn 2% commissions on mortgages, Hypofriend focuses on the entire customer journey – from affordability analysis to property search to mortgage optimization.
The difference? Most customers come to Hypofriend before finding a property, seeking clarity on what they can afford.
Pensionfriend – Tackling Germany’s Pension Gap:
Nick launched Pensionfriend in October 2022 after recognizing another broken system.
Germany’s pension paradox is striking: a wealthy country where citizens struggle to build personal wealth. The culprits? Risk-averse culture, complex tax systems, and outdated investment products with hidden fees.
Pensionfriend offers ETF-based pension plans with:
- No upfront costs, cancellation fees, or withdrawal penalties
- Fees from 0.49% annually
- Tax optimization (no annual capital gains tax, 50% tax break after 62)
- Full digital flexibility
The platform has served thousands of customers since launch, helping them close pension gaps through transparent, low-cost investing.
Investfriend – Commission-Free Real Estate Access:
In March 2024, Nick launched Investfriend to democratize real estate investment in Germany.
The platform connects investors with vetted, energy-efficient rental properties across cities like Leipzig, Dresden, Berlin, and Brandenburg.
Why investment properties matter in Germany:
- Zero capital gains tax after 10 years of ownership
- Property depreciation lowers taxable income
- Banks offer up to 100% financing with KfW loans
- Rental demand remains high – properties rent in ~30 days
Investfriend handles tenant search, property management, and tax filing. Sister company Hypofriend secures financing through its 750+ bank network.
The Common Thread:
All three platforms share Nick’s core philosophy: transparency over commissions, technology over traditional gatekeepers.
He’s openly challenged established players – companies that profit from opaque fee structures and false claims of independence.
Team and Bootstrapping Philosophy:
The family-run structure is unusual for FinTech.
Nick’s father leads data and analytics, while his brother also works in analytics. Together with Pavel handling technical infrastructure, they’ve built a 70-person team across all three platforms.
Bootstrapping matters. Without VC pressure, they can:
- Focus on customer value over growth metrics
- Maintain transparent pricing
- Build for long-term sustainability
What’s Next:
The integration between platforms continues. Nick recently previewed seamless account connections between Hypofriend and Pensionfriend.
This unified approach makes sense. Someone buying property today needs to think about retirement savings and investment properties – not as separate decisions, but as interconnected financial planning.
The Bigger Picture:
Nick’s platforms represent a broader shift in European FinTech.
Traditional financial services relied on information asymmetry and hidden fees. New platforms compete on transparency, technology, and lower costs.
Germany’s FinTech market has raised over $20 billion collectively, with companies like N26 and Trade Republic leading consumer finance innovation.
But Nick’s bootstrapped approach offers an alternative path: slower growth, deeper customer relationships, sustainable unit economics.
Key Takeaways:
For founders building in FinTech:
- Personal pain points can validate real market needs
- Transparency differentiates in opaque industries
- Bootstrapping allows mission-driven product development
- Family-run structures can work at scale
For users in Germany:
- Mortgage comparison across 750+ banks via Hypofriend
- Low-cost pension planning through Pensionfriend
- Vetted investment properties via Investfriend
