The IT association Bitkom has created an interactive map, which for the first time allows a comprehensive overview of the various state start-up initiatives in the federal states.
Whether Silicon Valley, Berlin or London: start-up ecosystems are regionally limited. In addition to the federal and EU levels, the framework conditions at the provincial level are therefore crucial for start-ups, explains the responsible speaker, Patrick Hansen. At the same time, the public support landscape for start-ups is highly fragmented and therefore also confusing, especially at the regional level.
According to Hansen, almost half of all founders who do not consider government funding say that they do not have an overview of appropriate funding programs. Hansen: “With startup country, we are at least providing the right perspective at least at the country level.”
The overview should help founders to answer the classic questions: Who has financial support for my start-up? Who advises founders on the best funding opportunities? Where can one network with other start-ups or established companies in the area?
According to Bitkom, most state governments have now realized that not only start-ups are of great importance for the business location, but also the country policy can be significant for the success of the start-ups. The result is a variety of funding programs for the start-up scene, ranging from investment funds on networking opportunities to start-up scholarships.
The overview presents the financing programs as well as other advisory and networking offers for each federal state. The information, which was compiled with the support of the ministries of the economics of the federal states, can be retrieved via an interactive map.
The map is not only intended to give start-ups the opportunity to find out about financing, consulting and networking opportunities in their own or other states. The provincial governments should be able to compare their offer with that of other federal states and draw the right conclusions from it.
Also published on Medium.