The German Startups Association (Bundesverband Deutsche Startups e. V.) has published the latest Startup Monitor 2025. The results were presented on Monday, 29 September, by the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche. According to the study, a significantly large number of graduates from the University of Cologne – which once again ranks as Germany's most start-up-friendly non-technical comprehensive university – go on to start a company. The university moved up from 3rd to 2nd place. A total of 3.9 per cent of all respondents obtained their highest academic degree at the University of Cologne. Only TU Munich had a higher proportion of graduates who become founders (4.2 per cent). With around 1,800 founders surveyed, the annual study is considered the most comprehensive study on the start-up scene in Germany.
The survey also highlights the role of universities in the German start-up ecosystem. Around 80 per cent of respondents (81.6 per cent) identify proximity to universities as a key advantage, particularly as a source of talent, knowledge transfer, and new ideas. A little over half of the founders (50,9 per cent) received support from a university. They consider networking with relevant stakeholders – for example in relation to financing opportunities or cooperation with companies – and the transfer of start-up know-how to be beneficial.
Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, Rector of the University of Cologne, said: ‘Our strong performance in the Startup Monitor confirms that we have done well to make transfer a central part of our university strategy. Our goal is to encourage and empower students and researchers to turn the innovative ideas emerging from our university’s excellent research into reality. We are particularly pleased when so many of them aspire to shape our social future through entrepreneurial initiatives.’
The University of Cologne has substantially expanded its start-up funding as part of the ‘Excellence Start-up Center’ initiative of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2019. The number of start-ups has increased from 14 in 2020 to 41 in 2024.
To help established start-ups grow even more, the University of Cologne has established the Gateway Factory in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University and Heinrich Heine University. The Gateway Factory is one of the 10 Startup Factories projects funded by the German federal government and will receive up to ten million euros over a period of five years to support deep-tech start-ups. The initiators also include Gateway Universities Cologne and the Munich-based company Start2 Group.
Press and communications team:
Marijan Kojić
+49 (0)151 14773401
m.kojic(at)gateway-unikoeln(dot)de
More information on Deutscher Startup Monitor 2025:
https://startupverband.de/
More information on the Gateway Excellence Start-up Center at the University of Cologne:
https://gateway-unikoeln.de/