Frankfurt is the economic and geographical center of the FrankfurtRhineMain region and one of the most important data-traffic hubs in the world. Cosmopolitan and fast-growing, it’s an ideal home for innovative startups looking for talent and industry partners. The epicenter of finance in Europe, Frankfurt is home to about 280 banks, as well as 7,900 financial services companies, investment funds, consulting agencies, law firms, and auditing companies. The financial ecosystem employs over 155,000 people, attracting talent from around the world.

Entrepreneurs in Frankfurt are supported by a range of government, private sector, and university programs. StartHub Hessen and TechQuartier connect founders, investors, mentors, talent, and corporate innovators. TechQuartier partners with international and European companies including Microsoft, VISA, PwC, and the Deutsche Bundesbank to support founders, including more than 600 startups in the TechQuartier community and the FrankfurtRhineMain region. hessian.AI – The Hessian Center for Artificial Intelligence brings together 13 universities to drive research, education, and leadership in AI. Frankfurt School of Finance & Management opened an Entrepreneurship Centre in May 2022 and has since incubated more than 40 startups.

Some of Frankfurt’s startup success stories include drone manufacturer Wingcopter and cloud foundation platform meshcloud. Mattress retailer Emma is among the fastest growing companies in Europe, and BioNTech SE — which along with Pfizer developed one of the first vaccines against COVID-19 — is based in the nearby city of Mainz. Gunzilla Games raised $46 million in venture funding in August 2022.