We Came Here to Grow: Hamburg, the Destination for GreenTech Scaleups

Founders from around the world value Hamburg as a location for kick-starting their digital business ideas because the city’s startup ecosystem is considered to be one of the strongest in Europe. Global players such as Adobe, Facebook, Google, Snap or Yelp have chosen Hamburg as the location for their corporate headquarters. A major centre of trade in Northern Europe, Hamburg is an ideal place for tapping new markets based on innovative ideas. Moreover, Hamburg offers excellent opportunities for networking with established world market leaders and innovation champions. Some of the most successful startups such as the German e-commerce unicorn About You, the breaking-edge cleantech scaleup 1KOMMA5°, the sustainable banking-app Tomorrow or the B2B smart-mobility platform Wunder Mobility were founded in Hamburg. And thanks to a growing number of coworking spaces, more than a dozen international accelerator programmes and startup hubs, Hamburg’s attractiveness has increased even further during the last decade. This diversity creates a rich and dynamic entrepreneurial environment, where founders can learn from each other and collaborate across industries.

An overview of all investors and the whole ecosystem in Hamburg is offered by the online-platform www.StartupCity.Hamburg offered by the Startup-Unit of Hamburg Invest.

Hamburg is frequently ranked as one of Europe's most liveable cities and is also a leader in key industries like aviation and renewable energies. Very early the city realized that sustainability is the key-factor to secure the quality of life of the citizens and economical wealth. With its own ambitions climate targets to be CO2-neutral by the year 2045, Hamburg is setting also the pace to reach the climate-goals. Germany’s second largest metropolis is also emerging as a leader in the shift towards renewable energy and approaches for the ramp up of an functioning green hydrogen economy until 2035.. As an internationally well renowned real lab the city offers also blueprints for the implementation of intelligent mobility systems or sustainable housing. This setting makes Hamburg an outstanding location for all GreenTech startups particularly in mobility, logistics or green hydrogen.

Beyond that, the hanseatic city attracts international attention as one of the few European cities with its own startup-programmes with a specific focus on Green Tech. Two of them are now open for applicants:

Future Hamburg Award

The Future Hamburg Award is asking for new ways of thinking that comes to life in future-oriented projects. The tender is aimed at companies whose business model and work have an impact on sustainability and urban quality of life. On the search for innovations that will help to make the city life of the future better – in the realm of logistics, mobility and GreenTech.

The Future Hamburg Award offers three companies in an early start-up phase (from 2 to 4 years) access to one of the most vital start-up ecosystems for the further development of their business model, contacts to potential industry partners or investors and, in addition, opens up a wide range of opportunities to enter the German and EU market from Hamburg.

The three winners will be supported in maintaining and consolidating their business and make their work even more successful:

• a one-month international accelerator program by Plug and Play Tech Center in Silicon Valley,
• media package, pitch trainings and corporate readiness workshop by Plug and Play
• mentorship with a leading technology innovation expert.

International startups can submit their projects between 17 April and 9 July 2023 at www.future.hamburg/award.

Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg

The Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg supports growth companies with sustainable technologies from the mobility, logistics, energy, and construction sectors in Hamburg for their expansion activities into Germany. The offer aims to link these so-called scaleups with relevant companies from the Hamburg metropolitan region and to accompany them in further developing their business in the Hanseatic city with economic success. The selected scaleups will receive services tailored to their individual needs worth up to 50,000 euros as well as personal one-to-one support until the end of 2023.

They can choose from four components (up to the total value above), delivered through a curated network of external service providers with Hamburg expertise:

• Business Development: active matchmaking of scaleups with relevant business partners, support in initiating, finding funding and implementing pilot projects.
• Living & Workspace: up to 8 weeks of accommodation in a furnished flat in the centre of Hamburg as well as up to 8 weeks of co-working space or individual offices
• Location Consulting: Market and location analysis, advice on organisational and process development, recruitment services to determine staffing needs and to hire new employees.
• Business Services: Support with marketing and administrative issues such as visas & work permits, insurance, legal & tax, business registration.

The Landing Pad is accepting applications online via its website from now on (until 30 April 2023).

Picture on top: (c) Mediaserver Hamburg / Christian Brandes