Migrant Founders Monitor 2025 (Startup-Verband)

Summary

• 14% of startup founders in Germany were born abroad; among unicorns the share is 23%.p.2
• 91% of migrant founders hold a university degree, including 56% in STEM, compared with 47% among founders in general.p.2
• 52% of unicorn startups have at least one migrant founder on the founding team; in the US the share of migrant founders among unicorn founders is 44%.p.20
• 66% of founders rate the US as a more attractive startup location than Germany.p.2
• Migrant founders more often have or plan external investors (70% vs. 65%) and more often demand venture capital (42% vs. 35%).p.26
• Only 46% of migrant founders rate their networks in Germany as good, compared with 57% of founders in general.p.2
• Only 55% of founders rate societal openness in Germany positively.p.2

Key insights

1. 87% of migrant founders' startups have internationalised or plan to, and 50% of their staff are internationals.p.3
2. 84% of startup founders in Germany would found a company again, while 27% would rather found abroad.p.7
3. Quality of life and safety and stability are each rated positively by 80% of founders, while only 8% rate the tax and levy level positively.p.8
4. 18% of founders have an immigration history, below the share among the employed (25%) and self-employed (22%) in Germany.p.12
5. 14% of migrant founders' startups can be classified as DeepTech (11% in general) and 21% hold patents.p.14
6. 58% of migrant founders studied in Germany.p.17
7. 87% of migrant founders' startups already generate revenue abroad or plan to, compared with 79% in general.p.18
8. Migrant founders more often name resilience (57% vs. 51%) and risk-taking (44% vs. 36%) as strengths.p.19