Germany is one of the cultural centres of Europe and the state of German startups strongly reflects this. The country has one of the strongest startup ecosystems on the continent, being valued at $384 Billion, which is a world-leading figure. The ecosystem may have a strong centre in Berlin, with 60% of VC raised in Germany coming from the city, however, there are well-supported top startups across all of Germany.
The German government is well-known for being supportive of startups and runs regular schemes and grants to help German startups to reach the next stage in their development. For example, the German government has announced it will invest $30 Billion in businesses that support clean innovation by 2030. Germany also has a strong presence in terms of startup accelerators, with more than 200 being spread across the country. This makes it significantly easier for German entreprenuers to receive financial support and support in softer areas which mentoring opportunities and access to resources.
1. Faircado
Year Founded: 2022
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 1-10
Founders: Ali Nezamolmaleki, Evolena D'Estamel
Faircado is the first and one of the newest German startups on this list, founded in 2022. The company has created a free browser extension to help users to save time and money when they're shopping online- whilst also reducing their Co2 output. This is achieved through a smart algorithm that aggregates information from a variety of different outlets, giving the user the best and most eco-friendly options.
The German startup has recently completed its first round of funding, with a Pre-Seed Round in November 2022. The result of this funding round was that the company managed to raise 500,000 Euros from 17 investors that bought into the business model behind Faircado.
2. Holidu
Year Founded: 2014
HQ: Munich, Germany
Size: 251-500
Founders: Johannes Siebers, Michael Siebers, Rasmus Porsgaard
Holidu is currently one of the most well-funded German startups and is still rapidly growing in the travel industry. The company makes it easier for users to get the best possible prices on holiday rental experiences. Their search engine makes use of image recognition technology to pull prices from sites such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Homeaway. Holidu users can go to the same great destinations, at lower prices- which saves money for things at home.
Holidu has gone through a number of funding rounds since being founded, with the most recent being a Series E funding round that took place in October 2022. Throughout the company's funding journey, it has secured investment from 20 investors and has raised a total of $199.8 Million.
3. Kombo
Year Founded: 2022
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 11-50
Founders: Alexander Kubel
Kombo is a German startup that was founded in 2022 and is currently headquartered in the German capital. The company helps other businesses to rapidly provide integrations to their customers for a wide range of payroll, HRIS and ATS. This means their customers don't have to get tripped up by integration request for systems they haven't previously integrated.
Kombo has quickly sourced investment to further scale and grow its operations, with a Seed Funding Round in November 2022. This funding round saw the German startup raise a total of $2.7 Million from five investors.
4. Getquin
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 51-100
Founders: Christian Rokitta, Raphael Steil
Getquin is a startup in Germany that operates a social media network that is specifically tailored towards investors and making investment more open. Members of the network can aggregate their existing investments in one place and from there, they are able to interact with a community of investors that are similar to them. This helps to create a more mutual and educational environment for investors.
Getquin has proven that its business model is secure enough to warrant significant investment. Its last funding round took place in Jun 2022 in the form of a Series A Round. As it stands, the German startup has agreed to deals with eight investors, which has helped it to raise a total of $16.2 Million to grow the outreach of the network.
5. SoSafe Cyber Security Awareness
Year Founded: 2018
HQ: Koln, Germany
Size: 251-500
Founders: Felix Schuerolz, Lukas Schaefer, Niklas Helleman
SoSafe is a German startup that was founded in 2018 and is currently based in Koln, Germany. The company mainly exists to help organizations to implement correct cybersecurity protocols and to assist with compliance with the EU GDPR laws. This is achieved through smart learning progammes assisted by algorithms and threat simulations that can asess an organizations cybersecurity readiness.
Startups in cybersecurity routinely command investment and SoSafe is no different. The company has most recently conducted a Series B funding round in January 2022. This combined, with other funding rounds has allowed the startup to raise a disclosed amount of $73 Million from six investors.
6. Mondu
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 51-100
Founders: Gil Danzinger, Malte Huffman, Phillip Povel
Mondu is a German FinTech startup that was founded in 2021 and is currently based in Berlin. The company aims to improve payment services offered to B2B merchants and marketplaces. This is achieved through flexible net terms and removing the prominent financial and operational headaches of using a B2B payment solution to take payments for business.
Mondu has performed consistently since being founded and the strength of its business model has allowed it to secure startup funding from five investors. The most recent funding round for the German startup took place in October 2022 and the company has raised a full total of $76.4 Million.
7. Ostrom
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 11-50
Founders: Karl Villanueva, Matthias Martensen
Ostrom is a German startup that operates in the CleanTech sector. It aims to make renewable energy more accessible to the average consumer through their energy management platform. This system helps them track their usage and provides insights on how to bring that figure down to save money and be better for the environment. They also make it easier for users to switch their energy supply to their benefit, which is ideal when energy prices are increasing across Europe.
CleanTech is rapidly growing and investment in companies like Ostrom is on the rise. The business ran its Series A funding round in December 2022 and in total, it has secured investment from seven investors. The aggregate amount of funding gained across the business' lifetime stands at $14.7 Million.
8. Friday Finance
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 51-100
Founders: Christopher Zemina, Patrick de Castro Neuhas
Friday Finance, previously known as Airbank is a German startup in the FinTech market that was founded in 2021. The startup has created a full-solution financial management platform to assist other startups and SMBs to cope with the intense demands of financial management. They make it easier to collect, pay and finance their invoices. This also helps to provide financial flexibility, which is imperative for smaller businesses.
Friday Finance is another example of successful startups in Germany, with its team successfully raising a total of $23 Million in startup funding. This funding has been achieved through agreed deals with 14 investors, with their last funding round being a Series A round.
9. Solarisbank
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 251-500
Founders: Andreas Bittner, Marko Wenthin
Solarisbank is one of the larger startups in Germany, founded in 2016 and continually growing since then. The company provides turnkey FinTech solutions to other companies that want to offer their own set of financial services to their customers. This is achieved through the company's own APIs and with a full German banking license, the startup is a reliable option for businesses that can't independently offer financial services.
Solarisbank has been very aggressive and successful in its approach to raising startup funding. As it stands, the German FinTech has secured funding from 22 investors, which has allowed it to raise a figure of 385.1 Million Euros. This funding has allowed for increased headcount and further development of its product offering.
10. Sizekick
Year Founded: 2022
HQ: Munich, Germany
Size: 1-10
Founders: David Oldeen, Jake Lydon
Sizekick is a German technology startup that was founded in 2022 and is based in Munich. One of the biggest problems for fashion e-commerce retailers is that customers can struggle to figure out what size item would be best for them, which increases returns and decreases profits. The startup's vision technology and artificial intelligence allow businesses to recommend the right sizes for the customers of these e-commerce platforms.
Sizekick has recently completed its first round of startup funding in November 2022. During this funding round, the German startup secured support from a sole investor. This investor funded the company with a total of 1.3 Million Euros.
11. Scantinel Photonics
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Ulm, Germany
Size: 11-50
Founders: Andy Zott, Frank Hoeller, Vladimir Davydenko
Scantinel Photonics is one of the German startups focused on helping create the vehicles of the future. The company is focused on making future autonomous vehicles safe for use on the road. This is achieved through their imaging technology which renders a 3D view of the environment around the vehicle and rapidly communicates this information to the vehicle. Cars can already drive themselves, Scantinel Photonics is trying to make them safe for use worldwide.
Scantinel Photonics most recent round of startup funding took place in November 2022 as a Series A funding round. This round contributed 10 Million Euros to the business and has led to the startup totalling 17.5 Million Euros in investment from three investors.
12. Luca
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Stuttgart, Germany
Size: 51-100
Founders: Julian Teicke, Patrick Hennig, Phillip Berger, Sascha Gartenbach
Luca is one of the German startups helping out the catering industry with its offering. The Stuttgart-based company has created a complete payment solution for companies in the catering industry that allows full digitization of existing processes, like check-in, ordering food and eventually payment for the meal. This leads to a more efficient and positive customer experience.
Luca completed its first Seed Funding Round in April 2022, which was a resounding success. The business managed to raise a total of $33 Million from three investors. This funding will be used to improve the visibility of Luca and to build on its current offering to end users.
13. Moss
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 251-500
Founders: Ante Krsanac, Ante Spitller, Anton Rummel, Max Meyer, Stephan Haslebacher
Moss is a German FinTech startup that was founded in 2019 and is currently based in Berlin. The company aims to make corporate credit and financial management easier for businesses. This is achieved through their financial management platform that creates virtual and physical cards for every team member that requires it. Users can also track other expenses and provide key spending insights. Each card can be given individual limits on spending and can be tracked in real-time to ensure transparent use of the system.
Moss completed its most recent round of funding with a Series B funding round in January 2022 that raised more than $75 Million. Collectively, the business has raised $150.2 Million to improve its credit card offering to businesses. This total investment has been achieved through the support of five investors.
14. Sunhero
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 51-100
Founders: Stefan Braun, Christopher Cederskog
Sunhero is a startup in Germany that was founded in 2021 and is based in Berlin. The company operates in the renewable energy sector and builds custom solutions for solar panels to distribute to its customers. They aim to make switching to solar easier for consumers by offering a hassle-free process of getting them built and paid for. Customers can either buy them outright or rent them over a period of 20 years so they can start making immediate benefits.
Sunhero completed its first round of startup funding in February 2022, with a Seed Funding Round that netted the business a total of 3.5 Million Euros. This funding was achieved through deals with a pair of investors.
15. BitsCrunch
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Bayern, Germany
Size: 11-50
Founders: Gopi Kannappan, Saravanan Jaichandaran, Vijay Pravin Maharajan
BitsCrunch is one of many German startups leveraging the power of blockchain technology. Since the NFT market took the world by storm last year, it has come out that many people have been scammed or have lost money by investing in NFTs. BitsCrunch provides insights on the NFT market to help people avoid losing their money by scams and spending over the odds on specific NFTs. They have been backed by some big companies in the crypto space such as Polygon and Coinbase.
Like with many crypto-related companies, investors have seen its offering as very attractive, particularly with the emphasis of preventing NFT fraud. This has led to the startup agreeing to deals with a total of 35 investors. These investors have helped the company to raise a total of $6.4 Million.
16. Blockbrain
Year Founded: 2022
HQ: Hamburg, Germany
Size: 1-10
Founders: Antonius Gress, Johannes Strachwitz, Mattias Protzmann, Oliver Rebner
Blockbrain is another example of German startups in the crypto market. The company is developing a new ecosystem that is yet to be launched. This ecosystem aims to deliver fully automated analysis, which can then be used to make secured investments in the DeFi market. With the number of scam projects or failed projects in the market, getting easy-to-understand information with real indicators is important when making decisions, Blockbrain intends to make this easier.
The business completed its first round of startup funding in December 2022. This funding round was supported by a number of individual investors, totalling 21. From these investors, the blockchain startup has successfully raised a figure of 2.5 Million Euros.
17. Vivid Money
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 251-500
Founders: Alexander Emeshev, Artem Yamanov
Vivid Money is one of the biggest German startups on this list, going through rapid growth since being founded in 2020. The startup offers a financial platform to its customers in the form of a mobile banking app tailored towards helping people to make more money. This is achieved through high-interest savings accounts, spending reports, split bills, multi-currency accounts and more.
A large part of the growth experienced by Vivid Money can be attributed to its success in raising money for startup funding. Since being founded, the company has successfully raised 175 Million Euros. This funding has been achieved through the support of three investors.
18. Gitpod
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Kiel, Germany
Size: 11-50
Founders: Dr. Jan Koehnlein, Johannes Landgraf, Moritz Eysholdt, Sven Efftinge
GitPod is a German startup that was founded in 2019 and is currently based in Kiel, Germany. The company has created an open-source developer platform to automate and speed up the process of creating new ready-to-code environments for developers, which quickens the whole development process. This saves time for engineering teams as they don't have to build their own environments for each development cycle.
Gitpod has seen success in attracting outside investment for growth and development. The Kiel-based startup has managed to secure funding from a total of 15 investors and has managed to raise a figure of $41 Million to further growth and development.
19. OroraTech
Year Founded: 2018
HQ: Munich, Germany
Size: 51-100
Founders: Bjorn Stoffers, Florian Mauracher, Rupert Amann, Thomas Grubler
OroraTech is one of the main German startups aiming to help solve the climate crisis. The business uses infrared thermal data intelligence from its own specially developed cameras. Their data solutions currently allow for advanced tracking and monitoring of the development of wildfires, which are becoming increasingly common globally. These fires devastate ecosystems and destroy numerous trees, as well as bellow out dangerous gasses. This system can help to save lives and the planet.
OroraTech has proven the effectiveness of its technology and business model to investors, which can be seen from the fact that the company has managed to raise a total of $24.4 Million in funding since being founded. This funding has come from a total of 13 investors.
20. Everphone
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 251-500
Founders: Jan Dzulko, Nadine Kolbe
Everphone is like many German startups in the sense that it aims to help other businesses. Despite this, the company has succeeded massively whereas others have failed. Clients of Everphone are able to choose and borrow from a wide variety of mobile devices and tablets for a lower cost instead of buying them outright or leasing them. This helps to cut out unnecessary costs.
The offering of the company has proven enticing to investors, with a total number of eighteen investors deciding to back the tech startup. The company's last funding round took place in September 2022 in the form of a Series C round. From all of the company's previous funding rounds, it has successfully raised a figure of $285 Million.
21. CatalYm
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: Planegg, Germany
Size: 11-50
Founders: Jorg Wischhusen
CatalYm is one of the leading German startups in the biotechnology sphere. The company is researching and developing new immunotherapy treatments for cancer patients based around the discovery of GDF-15 and its role in the upkeep of the immune system. The team believe that this discovery can be researched to create better care outcomes for cancer patients and improve survivability.
The last funding round that the company went through was a Series C funding round in November 2022. The company itself has raised a total of $110.9 Million in funding from a total of nine investors.
FAQs
What Are The Strongest Industries In Germany?
The strongest startup industries in Germany are FinTech, AI, Big Data and Analytics and Transportation.
What Is The Average Investment In The Startup Industry In Germany?
It is hard to find exact data on investments across all German startups, however, in the capital, Berlin, the average Seed Funding Round sits at $1.3 Million and the average Series A Round sits at $7 Million, both above the global averages.
How Many Startups Are There In Germany?
Currently, there are more than 70,000 startups in Germany.
