#Background
Around 890 startups are now active in the cathedral city of Cologne. The start-up scene is growing significantly again on the Rhine. The year before there were around 800 startups. The number of new businesses rose by 53% in 2025. At the same time, around 380 million flowed into Cologne startups.
The startup year 2025 marks a real turning point for Cologne. With an increase of 53% in new businesses, the city is growing significantly faster than the national average, which is around 29%. Cologne is finally leaving the Corona crisis behind it and is developing more quickly than many established startup hotspots.
The width of the foundations is striking. New startups are emerging not only in the classic software environment, but increasingly also in the areas of health, food, energy and sport. More than half of new startups are based on software and technology-driven business models. Cologne benefits from its diversified economic structure and the high density of universities and research institutions.
Five mega deals are driving the investment year
In parallel with the increasing number of new start-ups, the flow of capital in Cologne remains at a high level. A total of 73 financing rounds were counted last year. The investment volume totaled around 380 million euros (previous year: 381 million). This means that Cologne remains one of the most capitalized startup locations in North Rhine-Westphalia.
What is striking is that not only is early-stage financing developing steadily, but larger growth rounds are also becoming more frequent. The largest deals include empact (100 million), 1NCE (51.5 million), DISCO Pharmaceuticals (36 million), Buynomics (25 million) and Bezahl.de (23 million). This financing shows that Cologne startups are increasingly making the step from seed to scaleup company.
Tip: 12 Cologne startups from which we expect big things
The more mature startups are also gaining noticeably in importance: there are now 72 scaleups in Cologne – i.e. companies with more than 50 employees. Their number increased by more than 20% year-on-year. At the same time, around 60% of startups are still in the seed phase. This mix of many young teams and a growing number of larger companies is seen as an important signal for a healthy, sustainable ecosystem.
Cologne’s startup scene is having a record year
More start-ups, more capital, more scaleups: Cologne’s startup ecosystem has noticeably picked up speed in 2025. Cologne is growing faster than the national average and is moving further forward among the largest German startup locations. The start-up turbo has been ignited – now it will be seen how many of the young companies will make the leap into the next growth phase in the coming years.
Review: Investments in Cologne startups increase by 71%
Get started in Cologne – #Koelnbusiness
In our focus on Cologne, we highlight the dynamic startup ecosystem of the Rhine metropolis. What are the conditions for founders, what investments flow into innovative ideas and which startups provide new impetus? Around 890 startups have already chosen Cologne as their location – supported by a lively start-up scene, a strong investor landscape and numerous coworking spaces, trade fairs and networking events. As a central contact point for the startup and innovation scene, the Cologne Business Economic Development Agency strengthens the framework conditions for founders, connects them with investors and offers targeted support. This section is supported by KölnBusiness. #Koelnbusiness on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
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