One in three startups has received Corona aid

According to a survey, half of tech start-ups are dissatisfied with the aid provided by the German government. A wave of bankruptcies, as feared, has failed to materialize.

Around a third of tech start-ups have applied for and received coronavirus aid from the German government. One in five start-ups did not require any aid, while four percent of start-ups were refused support. This is the result of a survey of 201 tech start-ups commissioned by the digital association Bitkom.

Only five percent of the start-ups surveyed were satisfied with the aid, such as emergency aid, simplified short-time working allowance or a rescue package. More than half are dissatisfied. "The wave of bankruptcies among start-ups feared at the beginning of the pandemic has so far failed to materialize," says Bitkom President Achim Berg. "This speaks for the level of maturity that our start-up ecosystem has now reached. Many tech start-ups have proven to be economically solid and stable, even during the crisis. As far as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the aid measures taken by politicians are concerned, opinions are divided in the start-up scene." The main point of criticism: the aid measures were too strongly geared towards the needs of corporations and SMEs and too little towards those of start-ups. According to 90 percent of those surveyed. Half of them feel let down by the politicians.