Gründungsradar 2025
English Summary

In the top tier, universities are increasingly close in terms of their overall scores, reflecting a similarly high quality of start-up support across the board. However, since the Gründungsradar 2020, a several institutions have secured their spots as top performers in their respective categories. Among large HEIs, Munich University of Applied Sciences attained the highest ranking for the second time consecutively. Similarly, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management maintained its leading position among small HEIs, as observed in all previous Gründungsradar surveys. Within the category of medium-sized HEIs, the University of Bayreuth demonstrated significant progress, securing the top ranking in this cohort for the first time.

In 2023, the participating HEIs reported a total of 2,927 start-ups, reflecting a 5.3 percent increase compared to the previous survey year (2021: 2,779 start-ups). Of these, nearly 40 percent (1,184) are based on scientific research and/or technology transfer, while 9.9 percent (290) are rooted in intellectual property rights, such as patents (2021: 254). Additionally, the participating HEIs reported a total of 13,288 start-up projects in 2023, marking an increase compared to the 10,066 projects recorded in 2021.

As of 2023, start-up funding at universities remains highly dependent on third-party sources, which account for 76.9 percent of the total budget of approximately €218 million (2021: 74.3 percent). This strong reliance on external funding presents a significant challenge to establishing a stable and long-term framework for start-up support (see Chapter 5). HEIs themselves allocate only a marginal portion of their budgets – just 0.25 percent on average – to start-up funding. Another concern is the decline in private third-party funding, which has decreased from 8.9 percent to 8.3 percent, further exacerbating financial constraints in the start-up ecosystem.

As of December 31, 2023, a total of 1,905 individuals were employed in start-up support across the 186 responding HEIs, corresponding to 1,362 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. This represents a slight increase compared to 2021, when 1,313 FTE positions were recorded. The student-to-staff ratio has remained stable at six FTEs per 10,000 students. However, 69.5 percent of these positions are temporary or project-based, highlighting the persistent challenge of transitioning to permanent employment structures. Ensuring long-term staffing stability remains a critical issue for HEIs in sustaining and expanding their start-up support initiatives.

In the 2023 academic year (summer semester 2023 and winter semester 2023/24), more than 14,000 start-up-related events were conducted, including approximately 6,200 curricular offerings, with a total attendance exceeding 400,000 participants. This marks a substantial increase compared to the 2021 academic year, which recorded just over 300,000 participants across approximately 12,000 events. Notably, 43 percent of all start-up related courses offered at the participating HEIs are eligible for accreditation, underscoring the growing integration of entrepreneurship education into academic curricula.

Intellectual property regulations have further developed, with an increasing number of HEIs implementing formalized guidelines. As of the latest survey, 69 percent of participating HEIs have established written policies for managing intellectual property, compared to 59 percent in the previous survey. Notably, approximately 55 percent of institutions now have explicit regulations for scenarios such as buy-outs, sales, or transfers—representing an increase of nearly 20 percentage points. Furthermore, all other surveyed aspects, including exclusivity of use, duration of use, and licensing fees, have also become more widely institutionalized compared to the previous assessment.

Nearly all HEIs engage in partnerships to support start-ups. Compared to the previous Gründungsradar survey, the number of documented cooperation projects involving companies and/or political stakeholders in co-creation has more than doubled, reaching 1,910. Among HEIs collaborating with international partners, 55 percent now engage with international investors, marking an increase of over 10 percentage points since the Gründungsradar 2022.

The proportion of female and gender-nonconforming founders within start-up teams remains stable but still relatively low. Among the 5,145 founders recorded by HEIs that provided specific data, approximately 1,700 identify as female or gender-nonconforming, representing a share of around 30 percent.

The issue of long-term institutionalization is a central focus of the Gründungsradar 2025 and has been comprehensively analyzed for the first time. HEIs identify financial resources and staffing conditions as the greatest challenges in ensuring the sustainability of their start-up support activities.

Regarding policy demands, 84.5 percent of HEIs consider the continuation of funding as a key priority for policymakers. Additionally, 62 percent advocate for the continuation of funding programs, with 39 percent also calling for a reduction in bureaucratic hurdles. Other significant concerns include the improvement of incentive systems (approximately 34 percent), the stronger curricular integration of start-up support (29 percent), and a targeted focus on disciplines such as the humanities and the arts (10 percent). Furthermore, around 8 percent of HEIs emphasize the need for improved framework conditions for venture capital and institutional investments.