Germany boasts one of Europe’s leading startup ecosystems, with Berlin being a major hub for innovation. As of 2023, Germany is home to approximately 20,000 startups. The country benefits from strong government support, excellent infrastructure, and a robust industrial base. In 2022, German startups raised around €12 billion in venture capital funding. These factors collectively highlight Germany's dynamic and rapidly evolving startup landscape.
As of 2023, Germany's startup ecosystem encompasses around 20,000 startups. In 2022, these startups attracted approximately €12 billion in venture capital funding. This substantial investment underscores the ecosystem's growth potential and robust nature. The market's size and financial backing reflect its capacity to foster innovation and sustain a competitive edge within Europe and beyond.
Germany's startup ecosystem is characterized by several key strengths, including a strong engineering tradition, high-quality research institutions, and a central location in Europe. The country excels in sectors such as automotive tech, industrial manufacturing, and cleantech. These strengths are bolstered by Germany's robust industrial base and government support, positioning it as a leader in the European startup scene.
Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg are the primary hubs of Germany’s startup ecosystem. Berlin is renowned for its vibrant tech scene, attracting entrepreneurs from around the world. Munich is a key center for deep tech and industrial startups, benefiting from its proximity to major corporations and research institutions. Hamburg excels in logistics and e-commerce, leveraging its strategic location and strong infrastructure. These cities collectively drive Germany's innovation and economic growth.
In addition to the major cities, emerging hubs like Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Cologne are gaining prominence in Germany’s startup ecosystem. Frankfurt is known for its fintech and financial services, Stuttgart for automotive technology and manufacturing, and Cologne for media and entertainment. These emerging hubs are expanding the reach and diversity of Germany’s entrepreneurial landscape, offering new opportunities for innovation and growth.
Germany’s startup ecosystem benefits from a strong network of incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces that provide essential support and resources for entrepreneurs. Programs like the German Accelerator and the High-Tech Gründerfonds have been instrumental in supporting early-stage startups by providing funding, mentorship, and resources. This supportive infrastructure is crucial for nurturing startups and fostering a collaborative entrepreneurial environment.
Despite its strengths, the German startup ecosystem faces challenges such as bureaucratic hurdles and a relatively risk-averse investment culture. Navigating regulatory frameworks can be time-consuming and complex for startups. Additionally, attracting venture capital can be more difficult compared to more risk-tolerant markets. Addressing these challenges requires strategic efforts and supportive policies to sustain growth and competitiveness.
Germany has significant opportunities for growth in sectors like automotive tech, industrial manufacturing, and cleantech. The country's strong focus on sustainability and green technology drives innovation in renewable energy and environmental technologies. Germany's strategic location in the heart of Europe provides startups with access to a large market and numerous opportunities for international expansion. With continued investment and innovation, Germany's startup ecosystem is poised for further growth, contributing significantly to the global innovation landscape.
Germany's startup ecosystem demonstrates remarkable resilience and adaptability. The country's commitment to innovation, coupled with strong government and institutional support, enables startups to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities. The diverse talent pool and high-quality research institutions attract entrepreneurs and investors alike, ensuring sustained growth and success in the face of global economic shifts and market dynamics.
Berlin, Germany - U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Education • AgroTech • FinTech (& Financials services) • Energy • IoT (& Wearables) • CleanTech • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Impact • Logistics (& Distribution) • Mobility
Ferry Heilemann is a Co-Founder and serves as Co-Managing Director at DailyDeal. Heilemann was also a Co-Founder and served as Partner at Heilemann Ventures. Heilemann is also a Co-Founder at FreightHub and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. He also serves as Partner at Earlybird Venture Capital. Ferry founded Heilemann Ventures together with his brother Fabian after the trade sale of his company DailyDeal to Google in 2011. Since then he has been an early stage VC-investor, actively supporting companies in the digital sector with his operational skills and experience. Meanwhile, Ferry and his brother Fabian set the fundamentals for their holding Sky & Sand. Currently it combines DailyDeal, which the brothers bought back from Google in early 2013, and the mobile-POS system provider pepperbill.
Malta, Malta - Europe: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Norway, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland, Monaco
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Education • AgroTech • Sales (& Marketing) • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Gaming (& eSports) • Advertising • Logistics (& Distribution) • Messaging • Mobility
Co-Founder & CMO at Mox
Most Interested In
Digital marketing and mobility/transportation companies based in Spain.
Not Interested In
Companies not based in Spain, Singapore, Portugal or Malta.
Denver - Colorado, U.S.A. - Europe: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Norway, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland, Monaco
PropTech • AgroTech • CleanTech • Impact • Real Estate (& Construction)
President PeakChange
Social Venture Investor, Tech Executive & Leadership Mentor
Istanbul - Berlin, Belgium
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • IT (& TMT) • Hospitality (& Events) • Media • Education • BioTech • AgroTech • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Energy • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Sales (& Marketing) • IoT (& Wearables) • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Gaming (& eSports) • Autonomous vehicles (& Cars) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • Future Of Work • Food & Beverage • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Logistics (& Distribution) • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Robotics • Real Estate (& Construction) • DeepTech • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Investment Management • LegalTech • Mobile • Mobility • Nanotechnology • Online Social • Consumer • Pharmaceutical (& Medicine)
Earlybird Venture Capital is a venture capital firm that is based in Berlin, Germany. The firm invests in companies operating in the consumer service, information technology, software, SaaS, healthcare technology, life science, mobile service, healthcare device, internet of thing and healthcare sectors.
Brooklyn New York - Berlin - New York City - Miami Florida - Valley California - Denver Colorado - Los Angeles California - Israel, U.S.A.
PropTech • AgroTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Energy • Entertainment (& Sports) • IoT (& Wearables) • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Impact • Logistics (& Distribution) • Robotics • Real Estate (& Construction) • DeepTech • Mobility • Woman Focused
London - Berlin Germany - New York City (NY) - San Francisco California - Boston Massachusetts - Los Angeles California, United States
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Education • BioTech • AgroTech • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Energy • Retail (& E-Commerce) • IoT (& Wearables) • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Analytics • Developer tools • Food & Beverage • SaaS • Life Science • Consumer
Founder of The Impact Seat / Technology Investor
Founder of The Impact Seat / Technology Investor
Investor, economist and entrepreneur, Barbara Clarke enjoys interacting with professionals who believe in creating diverse teams to drive innovation and business success. Called ‘The Force’, Clarke fuels change in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, stimulates growth in early stage tech startups and boosts organizational excellence with her investment expertise and global insights. Founder and president of The Impact Seat, Clarke has been investing in emerging technologies, including medical devices, for almost a decade. To date, Clarke has invested in more than 60 companies and 12 funds in North America and Europe. She has been creating opportunities for under-represented entrepreneurs by investing in companies that are either led by women of color or have women on their funding teams – even before it became fashionable to do so. As a key member of the investment community, she also advises entrepreneurs and innovators on launching companies, accessing capital, and leveraging the international network of investors. Barbara serves on several boards, including Portfolia, an investment fund focused on women as venture capitalists, Founders First Capital Partners, an accelerator and finance firm that invests in a diverse group of founders and Boost, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform using computer vision technology. Prior to launching The Impact Seat, Clarke spent more than a decade in management consulting firms, including KPMG and PwC and launched a nationwide nonprofit to support grieving children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics from Tufts University and master’s in international economics and finance from Brandeis University. A polyglot, she speaks several languages, including German, French and Italian. When she is not scoping out promising startups to invest in, Clarke enjoys exploring new cities, supporting local artists and listening to alternative/indie rock.
New York, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Hospitality (& Events) • AgroTech • FinTech (& Financials services) • Energy • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Advertising
Co-founder / Managing Partner at HOF Capital
Fady Yacoub is a Co-Founder and serves as Managing Partner at HOF Capital. He is also an Angel Investor. Together with Hisham El Haddad, Fady created a Hong Kong-based SPV to invest in the record-setting IPO of Alibaba. The SPV received a stock allocation at a discount with a 3x margin and was successfully exited with a 76% return in two months. Fady worked previously at Digital World Capital, a technology-focused hedge fund, helping the firm to expand its investment portfolio in Asia, including a sizeable investment in Baidu, the world's second largest online search engine. Along with Hisham, Fady also invented the drumm device, an IoT-enhanced wearable that allows for haptic communication, after participating successfully in Switch SuperNap's technology accelerator in Nevada. Earlier in his career, Fady held multiple positions at El Tholathia Corp Egypt (ETC). He led El-Tholathia Corp's (ETC Egypt) industrial development team in deploying a new home appliances factory in Sudan for a $8m initial cost. Through ETC's real estate development arm, he also facilitated the purchase of and subsequently led the development team for ~400,000 m2 on Egypt's North Coast, a project initially valued at ~$60m. Fady holds dual Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration & Psychology from the University of Southern California. He is also an Angel Investor.
London - Berlin - New York City - San Francisco Bay Area - New York New York - San Francisco California - California Uni, U.K.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Education • BioTech • AgroTech • CleanTech • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Human Resources • Logistics (& Distribution) • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Consumer
Entrepreneur, Advisor & Investor
Ian Hogarth is a Co-Founder and serves as Chairman at Songkick. Previously he was an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company. He is also an Angel Investor.
New York, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • AgroTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • IoT (& Wearables) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Analytics • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Aerospace (& Defense) • Woman Focused
Most Interested In
GPS (precision positioning, computer vision, AR), Geospatial Intelligence (ClimateTech, AgTech, InsurTech), and Satellite Communications (IoT, 5G).
Not Interested In
Aviation, UAV hardware.
San Francisco Bay Area - London, U.K. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
AgroTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Energy • IoT (& Wearables) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Analytics • Aerospace (& Defense) • Mobility • Nanotechnology
Most Interested In
Seraphim Capital is the worlds largest Venture Capital fund dedicated to investing in SpaceTech startups and enabling technologies. Also interested in technologies that spin-out from space applications.
Not Interested In
Consumer products, adtech or fintech.
Chicago - Miami - San Francisco Bay Area, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland - Singapore
AgroTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Energy • A.I. (& Big Data) • Robotics • Aerospace (& Defense) • DeepTech • Mobility • Woman Focused
Principal - VU Venture Partners