NRW Extends Scale-up.NRW Through 2029 and Supports the Next Generation of Scale-ups

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is continuing its Scale-up.NRW funding program. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Climate Protection, and Energy (MWIKE) has approved the next funding phase through 2029 and is simultaneously expanding the program strategically. The goal remains to support promising startups on their path to becoming internationally successful scale-ups and to further strengthen North Rhine-Westphalia as a leading innovation hub in Europe.

There’s a good reason for this decision: Results to date show that program participants are growing significantly faster than the market. According to program officials, startups from the Scale-up.NRW network reach a company valuation of over 100 million U.S. dollars on average about 55 percent faster than comparable companies. In 2024 alone, four of the nine newly formed scale-ups in North Rhine-Westphalia originated from the program’s community.

Scale-ups as a Bridge Between Startups and Industry

For North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Mona Neubaur, scale-ups play a central role in the state’s economic development. They connect young technology companies with established small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations, helping to bring innovations to market more quickly.

By continuing the program, the state is therefore investing not only in individual companies but also in building a sustainable scale-up culture and a strong network for growth and internationalization.

NRW has strong foundations and continues to move forward

North Rhine-Westphalia is already one of Germany’s most dynamic startup regions. In 2025 alone, 658 new startups were founded. In addition, the state is home to numerous successful technology companies. These include software companies such as DeepL, Cognigy, and vivenu, as well as deep-tech startups like Black Semiconductor, Cylib, and Greenlyte Carbon Technologies.

At the same time, the state faces challenges. Compared to international innovation hubs such as Silicon Valley, London, or New York, North Rhine-Westphalia’s ecosystem is considered more fragmented. This is where Scale-up.NRW sees an opportunity and aims to better connect the various stakeholders.

Three Pillars for the Next Phase of Growth

For the new funding period, the program will be further developed into a comprehensive scaling platform. The focus will be on three key areas going forward.

First, access to capital is to be improved . To this end, Scale-up.NRW aims to establish targeted connections with international venture capital investors and alternative sources of financing.

Second, knowledge transfer is central. Through workshops, mentoring programs, and peer-to-peer formats, founders will benefit from the experiences of successful scale-up entrepreneurs.

The third pillar is the community concept. The goal is to strengthen the networks among North Rhine-Westphalia’s various industry, research, and innovation hubs and to establish a visible scale-up community.

Proven Consortium Remains on Board

Implementation will continue to be handled by the Start2 Group and the Digital Innovation Hub Düsseldorf/Rheinland. Both partners have been supporting the program for several years. Interested startups from North Rhine-Westphalia can apply for the new program phase starting in July. The next cohort will begin in September 2026.

A Key Building Block for Europe’s Startup Competition

The extension of Scale-up.NRW demonstrates that support for startups no longer ends with their founding. The question of how young companies can evolve into international market leaders is becoming increasingly crucial.

Especially in times when the U.S. and Asia are producing ever-larger funding rounds, technology conglomerates, and IPOs, the scaling phase is gaining importance for Europe. Programs like Scale-up.NRW are designed to help more successful companies continue their growth trajectory in Europe and foster the emergence of global technology leaders over the long term.