
Germany
Frankfurt
"Frankfurt has a dynamic and increasingly mature ecosystem. A first unicorn in 2021 is an expression of this. With numerous talents, innovative ideas and promising start-ups the region has great potential."



Highlights
Frankfurt is the economic and geographical center of the FrankfurtRheinMain region and one of the most important data traffic hubs in the world. Its 43,000 companies employ 650,000 people. Over 40% of sales revenue attributable to the 100 highest-grossing software companies in Europe is generated in the Frankfurt region. Cosmopolitan and fast-growing, Frankfurt is an ideal home for innovative startups looking for world-class talent and industry partners.
Entrepreneurs in Frankfurt are supported by a range of government and university programs. StartHub Hessen and TechQuartier are key players that connect founders, investors, mentors, and corporate innovators. The Hessian Center for AI brings together 13 universities to drive research, education, practice and leadership in AI, including the AI Startup Rising project, which supports startups from the ideation to scaling stage.
Some of Frankfurt’s biggest startup success stories include drone manufacturer Wingcopter and cloud foundation platform meshcloud. Mattress retailer Emma is among the fastest growing companies in Europe and has expanded internationally. Insurance platform Clark became the region's first unicorn in 2021, and BioNTech SE — which along with Pfizer developed one of the first vaccines against COVID-19 — is based in the nearby city of Mainz.
In December 2021, Wingcopter received an undisclosed amount of funding from a Japan-based venture capital firm dedicated exclusively to investments within the drone technology ecosystem, further to the $22 million Series A it raised in January 2021.
Ecosystem by the Numbers
Amount ($)
Count (#)
Exits
Sub-Sector Strengths
Fintech
Cybersecurity
Cleantech
Reasons to Move Your Startup to Frankfurt
Access to Major Players
A major European financial center, Frankfurt is home to the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Deutsche Bank, DZ Bank, KfW, and Commerzbank, as well as major players in other industries.
Access to Talent
Strategic Connections
Frankfurt has built bridges with nearby startup clusters and talent pools. The city joined with neighboring Darmstadt, also home to renowned universities and a strong financial sector, to create a tech hub and to connect technical talent with the banking industry. Frankfurt’s central location in Europe also makes it a logistics hub, with data, people, and goods streaming through the city continually.
Selected Startup Organizations
Startup Genome Members
Key Ecosystem Players
Startup Genome
Partners
News from the Ecosystem
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