GreenTech Monitor 2025: German startups are driving the green transformation

GreenTech start-ups are driving Germany's transformation. With 3,000 active companies, the market is growing, but financing remains a challenge.

Berlin, March 20, 2025 - The Startup Association's GreenTech Monitor 2025 shows that around 3,000 German green tech startups are working on technologies to solve climate and environmental problems. In the last five years, 11.7 billion euros - a quarter of all startup investments in Germany - have flowed into this sector.

GreenTech is growing - but the need for financing remains

• 26% of GreenTech start-ups are active in the energy sector, followed by industry and software.
• 36% develop hardware, for example for renewable energies, battery recycling or hydrogen technology.
• One third hold their own patents, two thirds were funded by universities.

Germany is a pioneer in GreenTech investments, but more capital is needed to bring innovations into practice quickly - for example through new financing instruments and a strengthening of the DeepTech & Climate Fund.

Prof. Dr. Helmut Schönenberger, Startup Association:

Cooperation as the key to success

• 71% of GreenTech start-ups work together with established companies - more important than ever for scaling new technologies.
• Research as a driver: two thirds of startups were supported by universities.

"Germany needs one of the world's top 3 universities for climate innovation - and better mechanisms for transferring research to industry," says Prof. Dr. Helmut Schönenberger.

The number of 3,000 start-ups in the GreenTech sector is extremely impressive. The rising number can certainly be attributed to the policies of the previous traffic light government on the one hand and the increasing awareness of climate change on the other. It will be exciting to see how the sector develops after the elections. A clear shift towards more impact on the labor market and economic efficiency is conceivable.