Overview
- New formations rose 29% from 2024 to 3,568, surpassing the previous high set in 2021.
- Twenty-seven percent of the new companies use artificial intelligence as a core feature, with software leading by volume (about 853), and medicine and food also expanding.
- Bavaria led in absolute terms with 785 (+46%), followed by North Rhine-Westphalia (658) and Berlin (619), while Munich topped cities per capita with 19.3 startups per 100,000 residents.
- KfW data indicate roughly €2 billion flowed to startups in the fourth quarter of 2025, signaling somewhat easier access to venture funding for stronger teams.
- Analysts report about 11% fewer startup insolvencies than in 2024, even as the Startup Association warns of persistent scaling barriers tied to financing and regional disparities.