Influencer Anastasia Barner sells herself as a startup expert – but research shows how questionable this image is
Anastasia Barner sells success.
She is one of Germany's youngest founders and a representative of Generation Z. Barner acts as a startup expert , speaker, and author. Nearly 25,000 people follow the influencer on Instagram and more than 20,000 on LinkedIn. Those who click through her stories will see Barner on stage, at events, and in podcasts.
Barner's flagship product is FeMentor. A free platform she launched in 2019. It's designed to connect young women with experienced mentors, and both sides can learn from each other. FeMentor is Barner's claim to fame. It's the reason she calls herself a founder. Why she acts as an expert and has even written a book: "(Ge)Gründet – Start-Up Scene Uncovered."
After an invitation to appear on the TV show "Lion's Den," FeMentor was once valued at seven million euros , Barner said. On LinkedIn, she calls FeMentor an "absolute success." While Barner's friends have failed to launch their own startups, her platform has survived on the market.
A success story that pays off. Barner appears as a Gen Z and startup expert on various panels. Organizers book her for up to 15,000 euros per appearance, Barner herself explains.
But Business Insider's research into Barner and her platform, FeMentor, reveals that behind the veneer of success, key questions remain unanswered. How does the influencer finance her venture? How many employees does the alleged startup have? What is its business model? And why does FeMentor have no legal form and not appear in any company register?
Hard numbers and data on FeMentor are scarce: Initially, 50 mentors were said to have participated in the platform, Barner writes in her book. In a 2022 TEDx talk, she mentions 1,500, and in an interview, she finally mentions 5,000.
businessinsider
