Meet the CFO #13 with Denise Kratzenberg | CHEEX

When one thinks of the erotic industry and the business with pornographic content, the first associations are often negative: a dingy business with shady characters. HSG alumna Denise Kratzenberg wants to change exactly that with her startup CHEEX, founded in 2019, and has set herself no less a goal than to revolutionise an entire industry. With CHEEX, Denise and her comrades-in-arms provide their ever-growing community with curated and responsibly produced erotic content. As a founder, Denise has entered a growth market that, based on the figures, should make the hearts of all entrepreneurs beat faster: on the internet, 25 percent of search queries revolve around pornography. The providers achieve a turnover of 12.6 million euros per day. Measured by its turnover, the porn industry in Germany can compete with the automobile industry. Nevertheless, the beginnings for CHEEX were incredibly difficult, as it was hardly possible to acquire capital due to the stigma attached to the industry. Advertising opportunities are also almost non-existent. In this episode, Denise tells us how she managed to build up CHEEX and reach users in 152 countries, how her environment reacted to the fact that she founded a start-up in the adult industry and what her visions for the future look like.