Men dominate the start-up scene

The share of female startup founders in Germany has nearly doubled over the past decade – from 12.8% in 2013 to 20.7% in 2023. However, men still dominate the startup scene with 79.3%.

An even larger disparity emerges in funding: Male-led startups secure 98% of external investments, while women often rely on personal funds. This impacts both company size and focus: Men tend to launch startups in high-tech, AI, and medicine, while women are more active in areas like nutrition, education, and fashion.

Companies with female involvement, however, tend to employ more women: Mixed founding teams have a 44% female workforce, compared to only 29% in male-only teams.