KfW Start-up Monitor 2025: Start-up Activity in Economically Uncertain Times (KfW)

Summary

• In 2024, start-up activity in Germany rose to 115 start-ups per 10,000 people aged 18–64, equal to 585,000 founders and a 3% increase.p.3
• Side-business start-ups rose to 382,000 (+5%), while full-time start-ups fell slightly to 203,000 (-1%).p.3
• The planning rate reached 4.9% in 2024, up from 3.6% in 2023.p.20

Key insights

1. Start-up intensity rose to 115 per 10,000 people aged 18–64 from 110 in 2023.p.5
2. Since 2018, start-up activity in Germany has been in a sideways trend.p.5
3. In 2024, 61% of start-ups focused on private individuals and 39% on business and/or public customers.p.6
4. The share of start-ups with regional customers jumped to 61%, the highest value measured so far.p.6
5. The share of takeovers and equity stakes rose slightly to 17% in 2024.p.8
6. 56% of start-ups in the latest survey used up to €5,000 in financial resources, while 12% used more than €50,000.p.11
7. The median contribution of a full-time start-up to net household income was 60%, versus 10% for part-time start-ups.p.12
8. Financing difficulties showed the highest risk ratio in 2024, raising the probability of abandoning plans by a factor of 1.6.p.18