Technologie: Rekordjahr 2026? Deutsche Start-ups sammeln bislang so viel Geld ein wie nie zuvor

In the first few months of 2026, German defence start-ups Helsing, Quantum Systems and Stark Defence together raised over three billion euros from investors. In July, Neura Robotics, a robotics company from Metzingen in the Swabian Alb, received over one billion euros. These companies demonstrate a remarkable trend: never before have German start-ups collected more money from January to July than in 2026.

According to exclusive data from the US data service Pitchbook, German young companies raised 9.36 billion euros from January to July, about 800 million euros more than the previous record year of 2022. All investors and experts consulted by Handelsblatt expect a new peak by the end of the year. The current boom, unlike during the COVID-19 phase, is driven by established companies in their markets.

Unlike in 2022, low interest rates, high market liquidity and the trend towards digitalizing business models are no longer the main drivers. Instead, the new technology, artificial intelligence, is accelerating technological innovation in practically all areas, increasing the chances and perspectives for venture capital investments.

Artificial intelligence is not just speeding up technological innovation in Germany, but also across Europe. Overall, investments in start-ups from January to July increased to about 50 billion euros, matching the values of 2021 and 2022. While interest is growing, the absolute amounts in comparison to global values still show a significant gap.

The developer of the AI model Claude, Anthropic, received 65 billion dollars in its latest financing round. Despite the increasing interest, the absolute sums globally remain a considerable gap. Germany boasts approximately 23,000 young companies, but only a few manage to become an "Einhorn" - a company valued over a billion dollars.

Ten firms have already achieved this valuation milestone by mid-August, including software company Osapiens, Camunda, AI firm Dash0, mobility start-up Finn, defense company Stark Defence, fusion companies Proxima Fusion and Focused Energy, Neura Robotics and battery storage provider Cmblu. Last year, only five new Einhörner were created in Germany.

Judith Dada, senior partner at the venture capital firm Visionaries Club and operational head of Berlin's AI company Langdock, is convinced that the future will be shaped by new companies. She believes the value of AI is already clear and will become even clearer in the coming months and years. However, similar to the post-COVID boom, it remains uncertain whether the current upward trend will continue or whether a downturn will follow. Several experts believe progress in Germany's start-up scene could persist.