Press Release
More entrepreneurs founded start-ups in Germany in the first half of 2026 than in any comparable period – one main reason is AI.
Jul 08, 2026
Berlin (GTAI) - The first six months of this year saw the founding of a record 3053 fledgling tech companies. That’s according to a study carried out by the interest group German Startups Association and the database Startupdetector. The figure represents an increase of 52 percent over the second half of 2025.
More than a third (1038) of the new start-ups are involved in artificial intelligence, once more underscoring the importance of AI for Germany’s innovation ecosystem.
“The increase in new AI start-ups is no accident since Germany offers innovative young companies direct access to businesses in industry, mobility and energy that are actively looking for AI solutions,” explains Germany Trade & Invest AI expert Asha-Maria Sharma. “That means new technologies can be tried out early on and brought to market more quickly. The connection between innovative founders and powerful business partners is one of Germany’s central competitive advantages as a business location.”
Conversely, the study found that AI is allowing entrepreneurs to establish companies more quickly and easily and helping them save on initial capital expenditures. With 844 companies founded, software remains the strongest sub-sector.
Germany Trade & Invest is the German government agency for international business promotion and is owned by the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. It helps international companies do business in Germany and German companies do business abroad.