1,500 new start-ups in Germany in the first half of 2025

Despite economic uncertainties, the number of startups founded in Germany continues to rise. According to the current report "Next Generation - Startup New Foundations in Germany", published by the German Startups Association together with startupdetector, a total of 1,500 startups were founded in the first half of 2025. This is an increase of 9% compared to the second half of 2024.

This is a strong signal in difficult times. The figures demonstrate the innovation potential and economic relevance of startups for Germany

Benedict Kurz, CEO of Knowunity and board member of the Startup Association

Start-up boom extends beyond Berlin and Munich

Start-up activity is still concentrated in the well-known hotspots of Berlin and Munich, which have the highest density of start-ups per capita. However, the report also shows that many smaller regions are catching up. Strong research locations such as Heidelberg, Darmstadt and Aachen are increasingly contributing to the positive development.

The growth in individual federal states is particularly striking:

• Saxony recorded the strongest growth with an increase of 71%,
• Bavaria follows with 23%,
• North Rhine-Westphalia is at 16%.

Together, these three states are responsible for most of the nationwide increase.

Our figures clearly show that in addition to the established startup centers, a strong startup dynamic is also developing outside the hotspots. This makes the German ecosystem more robust and diverse.

Dr. Felix Engelmann, Co-Founder of startupdetector

Software remains the frontrunner - industry and food are growing strongly

In terms of content, technology-oriented startups continue to dominate:

• 368 startups were in the software sector, which corresponds to growth of 16%.
• In the field of industrial technologies, particularly AI-supported automation, start-ups increased by 29%.

There are also positive signs in the B2C sector, which has been under strong pressure in recent years:

• The food sector is developing particularly dynamically, recording growth of 44%.
• The eCommerce sector also reported an increase of 14% compared to the previous six months.

Start-up sentiment remains stable despite the crisis environment

The Next Generation Report provides an overall positive picture for the German startup ecosystem. The growth figures in various regions and sectors show that the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial ambition remain high. This is despite geopolitical uncertainties, rising financing costs and economic challenges.

The current wave of start-ups is an encouraging sign for politicians, investors and founders alike: In quantitative terms, start-ups are increasingly playing a key role in Germany's economic transformation. Qualitatively, however, no statement can be made on the basis of the figures. Based on our experience in the startup economy, the hyped topics of artificial intelligence and Deftech can still be identified for the first half of 2025.

Here you can see the Next Generation - Startups in Germany-Report here.