NRW is on the upswing: start-ups are booming and attracting investors!

NRW is on the upswing: start-ups are booming and attracting investors!

North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is increasingly proving to be a hot spot for start-ups in Germany. According to the current WHU Start-ups Investment Report, published on July 3, 2025, a significant trend towards increasing investments can be observed in various regions. This goes beyond the typical metropolises of Berlin and Munich. Cities such as Aachen, Düsseldorf and Cologne are becoming increasingly important as innovative locations for start-ups. Maximilian Eckel, Managing Director of the WHU Entrepreneurship Center, emphasizes that the number of start-ups by WHU alumni in North Rhine-Westphalia has risen continuously in recent years.

A look at the numbers shows the upturn: in 2024, NRW recorded 494 new businesses, an increase of 20% compared to 413 the year before. This makes 2024 the strongest start-up year for NRW and for Germany since 2021. It is also noticeable that over 50% of the risk capital invested in NRW flowed into the hardware sector. This development offers a promising outlook for the region's innovative strength.

Investments and successful start-ups

The WHU Start-ups Investment Report Q2 2025 highlights numerous successful financing rounds. Among the startups featured are:

• Sesh, ein Mental-Health-Start-up, das 6,4 Millionen Euro in einer Venture-Capital-Runde sichern konnte.
• Enpal, das 110 Millionen Euro Wachstumskapital vom Rise Fund erhält, um im Bereich grüner Energie weiter zu expandieren.
• Trawa, das 24 Millionen Euro Serie-A-Finanzierung für die grüne Strombeschaffung erhält.
• Covision Media, das 5 Millionen Euro Seed-Finanzierung für eine innovative 3D-Scan-Technologie akquirierte.

In summary, the encouraging availability of capital encourages start-ups to develop innovative solutions in various sectors, including artificial intelligence and cleantech, which are considered leading areas for venture capital financing in NRW.

Founding scene and challenges

However, the start-up scene in North Rhine-Westphalia is not only experiencing positive developments. The NRW Startup Report 2024, commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, shows that the total number of new startups fell by 8% in 2023. A total of 534 new businesses were founded this year. Despite this trend, 61% of the start-ups surveyed rated the local conditions as good or very good.

One of the biggest challenges founders face remains access to capital. In addition, many struggle with the compatibility of family and work, especially women, who often experience greater hurdles in this regard. The proportion of start-ups with a female manager rose to 18% in 2023, representing a slight increase of 1% compared to the previous year.

Economics and Climate Protection Minister Mona Neubaur emphasizes the positive developments in the startup ecosystem of North Rhine-Westphalia. The total value of the ecosystem increased from $2.5 billion to $11.5 billion between the second half of 2021 and the end of 2023. This shows the region's significant growth potential and the growing importance of start-ups for NRW's economic development.

Overall, it shows that NRW is on a promising path to establishing itself as a leading location for start-ups. The combination of growing investments and a dynamic startup scene could further strengthen the region in the coming years.

Further information can be found at startups.nrw.