NRW: Tripling Ecosystem Value by building Europe’s first Scaleup Program
Backed by industrial strength, research excellence, and MWIKE’s strategic leadership, NRW partnered with Startup Genome to transform its ecosystem—culminating in Scale-up.NRW, Europe’s first late-stage scaling program.
Startup value soars in NRW
Between GSER 2020 and GSER 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia’s startup ecosystem value surged from $3B to $10B.. This growth was driven by strategic investments, a strong focus on scaleups, and targeted policy support guided by Startup Genome's ecosystem assessments.
Initiatives like Scale-up.NRW have accelerated high-potential startups and attracted greater late-stage funding.

Client: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
The Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy drives North Rhine-Westphalia into the first climate-neutral industrial region and one of the most innovative and competitive business locations in Europe.
Mapping strengths to shape a clear strategy
Startup Genome’s initial ecosystem assessment provided NRW with its first comprehensive map of ecosystem strengths and gaps—spotlighting sectors like Deep Tech and Sustainability as key opportunities for global growth.
It revealed urgent needs for more venture funding and talent attraction strategies, while simultaneously raising NRW’s international profile and setting the stage for focused policy interventions. This marked a pivotal shift: from fragmented efforts to a clear, shared roadmap for building a globally competitive ecosystem.
Shaping NRW’s scaleup strategy
With momentum building, Startup Genome and MWIKE collaborated to diagnose the next frontier for NRW’s ecosystem: helping its top startups scale.
Together, we co-developed the vision and framework for a late-stage support program that could systematically tackle growth barriers—from fundraising to internationalization—setting NRW apart from other European regions. This design phase laid the intellectual and strategic groundwork for a high-impact, founder-centric initiative.
Launching Europe’s first Scaleup Program
Under Startup Genome’s guidance, The State of North Rhine-Westphalia launched the first late-stage scaling program in continental Europe, Scale-up.NRW, an initiative that helps entrepreneurs overcome challenges in scaling and attract international VC investment.
By providing tailored mentorship, global market access, and investor connections, the program has strengthened NRW’s startup ecosystem, enabling high-growth companies to scale more effectively and compete on an international level.
Refining scaleup support with new data
To build on the program’s momentum, MWIKE engaged Startup Genome, Dealroom, and The Next Web in a deeper analysis of the ecosystem’s evolving needs. This partnership produced new data on where high-growth startups were emerging and how existing support systems could evolve.
The insights enabled more targeted investment and helped ecosystem builders identify gaps—especially around talent, late-stage funding, and international scaling—ensuring that NRW remains future-fit and founder-first.
Informing policy with clear ecosystem data
Startup Genome delivered a transparent and comprehensive overview of key developments in NRW to support future policymaking.
Incorporating peer benchmarking, sub-sector analysis, and data on funding and exits, the report offers critical insights for future growth. These data-driven findings will inform targeted policies that foster innovation, attract investment, and enhance the overall competitiveness of NRW’s startup ecosystem.
What made this project unique was the Ministry’s commitment to actionable change. By bringing policymakers and stakeholders together around a clear, data-backed roadmap, NRW became a model for how governments can lead startup ecosystem transformation.
North-Rhine Westphalia Today:
$10B
$256M
People behind the success:




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