Greens call for support for start-ups in Baden-Württemberg

The Greens are calling for strategies from the CDU-led Ministry of Economics to strengthen Baden-Württemberg as a start-up location.

The Green parliamentary group in Baden-Württemberg is advocating that the CDU-led Ministry of Economics provide more support for young companies. "Baden-Württemberg as a start-up location must be made visible worldwide," Tayfun Tok, economic policy spokesman for the Green Party, told the DPA news agency. To this end, he said, it is necessary to set up a "round table" where investors and start-ups can come together. The goal is to collect more private venture capital in the southwest. The focus here is on promoting green tech and social startups.

The Minister of Economic Affairs, Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut (CDU), says she is already supporting start-ups through the early-stage financing program "Start-up BW Pre-Seed". So far, around 290 companies have been supported with this, she said. The state provided 60 million euros in this framework, and 12 million euros were added by private investors. A study by the consulting firm EY shows that start-ups in Baden-Württemberg raised significantly more capital last year than before. They received 599 million euros in venture capital, compared with only 155 million euros the previous year.