Download Our List of The Top 100 Accelerators & Incubators

This free sheet contains 100 accelerators and incubators you can apply to today, along with information about the industries they generally invest in.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
100 Accelerators & Incubators
Download The List of the 100 Highest-Valued Unicorns

This free sheet contains all the information about the top 100 unicorns, including their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
100 Top Unicorns
Get Free Access to The Founder's Handbook

This free Notion document contains the best 100+ resources you need for building a successful startup, divided in 4 categories: Fundraising, People, Product, and Growth.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The Founder's Handbook

Top 51 Dortmund Startups to Watch in 2026

Description

CTA

The startup ecosystem in Dortmund is defined by a mix of deep tech and industrial applications. Key sectors include logistics, biotechnology, and energy.

The city hosts established players like Amprion, an energy operator with $850M in funding. It also supports newer ventures like Qli5 Therapeutics, which has raised €15M.

Below is our list of 51 Dortmund startups worth keeping an eye on.

Failory's Top 10 Picks

Fundraising OS
Tool
Fundraising OS

Everything you need to raise funding for your startup, including 3,500+ investors, 7 tools, 18 templates and 3 learning resources.

Buy It For $97 $297
Accelerators & Incubators List
Sheet
2,189 Accelerators & Incubators

Information about the industries, countries, and cities they generally invest in.

Get the Sheet for $50
Complete Unicorns List
Sheet
1,600+ Unicorns

Information about their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.

Get the Sheet for $50
BioTech & Health Investors
Sheet
250 BioTech & Health Investors

List of startup investors in the BioTech, Health, and Medicine industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50
AI Investors
Sheet
250 AI Investors

List of 250 startup investors in the AI and Machine Learning industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50
FinTech Investors
Sheet
250 Fintech Investors

List of 250 startup investors in the FinTech and Finance industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50

Amprion operates and maintains a significant portion of Germany's high-voltage electricity grid, ensuring the secure transmission of power. They are also expanding the network to help integrate renewable energy sources and support the country's energy transition.

Year Founded2003
Founders
Funding Amount$850M
Startup SizeMajor Organization (1,001-5,000)
Last Funding StatusUndisclosed
Top InvestorsApollo, RWE

Bakerix runs a B2B software marketplace for the food and beverage industry, focusing on connecting bakeries with wholesalers. Their platform helps these businesses source fresh products and ingredients by simplifying the entire procurement process.

Year Founded2021
FoundersMirco Grübel
Funding Amount€4.6M
Startup SizeFounding Team (1-10)
Last Funding StatusSeries A
Top InvestorsStyx Urban Investments, Sparkalis, Cohors Fortuna Capital

KyDo Therapeutics develops a new class of medicines that target proteins previously considered undruggable. Their team uses a proprietary chemoproteomics platform to create these small molecule inhibitors, focusing initially on oncology and immunology.

Year Founded2024
Founders
Funding Amount€4.5M
Startup SizeFounding Team (1-10)
Last Funding StatusSeed
Top InvestorsTU capital, VORNvc, i&i Biotech Fund, KHAN Technology Transfer Fund

MotionMiners develops technology to analyze and optimize manual work processes in logistics and production. Their system uses a combination of IoT sensors and AI to generate insights that improve operational efficiency and workplace ergonomics.

Year Founded2017
FoundersSascha Kaczmarek
Funding Amount€7M
Startup SizeMid-Size Team (51-250)
Last Funding StatusSeries A
Top InvestorsFTTF, PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH, Zu na mi, Mark Henkel

Logistikbude provides a SaaS platform that automates the management of load carriers for companies in production and logistics. The software creates a central, digital system to track assets like pallets and containers, aiming to prevent losses and streamline operations.

Year Founded2021
FoundersPhilipp Wrycza
Funding Amount€2.2M
Startup SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusSeed
Top InvestorsRethink Ventures, FTTF, better ventures, XPRESS Ventures, Oma Ventures

Volterion develops and manufactures flow-batteries for commercial energy storage applications. Their technology provides a safe and scalable solution for businesses looking to integrate renewable energy sources.

Year Founded2015
FoundersChristian Doetsch, Jens Burfeind, Sascha Berthold, Thomas Gebauer, Thorsten Seipp
Funding Amount$16.2M
Startup SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusCorporate Round
Top InvestorsHTGF (High-Tech Gruenderfonds), EIT InnoEnergy, SeedCapital Dortmund, Friedrich Boysen, Bay Venture BV

BACE builds smart parcel stations that enable local retailers to become logistics hubs for their communities. Their carrier-agnostic locker systems offer a single point for consumers to send and receive packages from any delivery service.

Year Founded2023
FoundersJoshua Dahmen, Maximilian Derwald, Oliver Görlich, Ruben Dahmen
Funding Amount€1.3M
Startup SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusSeed
Top InvestorsJ.D. Geck, SeedCapital Dortmund (Sparkasse Dortmund), DERWALD Beteiligungen GmbH, JLU Group (Joachim Loh Unternehmensgruppe)

Qli5 Therapeutics develops a new class of oral proteasome inhibitors for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Their highly selective, irreversible drugs target specific proteasomes to fight hematological malignancies and solid tumors.

Year Founded2020
Founders
Funding Amount€15M
Startup Size
Last Funding StatusSeries A
Top InvestorsAtinum Partners, KHAN Technology Transfer Fund, DAOL Investment, SV Investment Corp

Pacurion operates a digital B2B marketplace for industrial load carriers, such as pallets and mesh boxes. The platform digitizes the procurement process, connecting buyers and sellers across Europe to create a more efficient and transparent market.

Year Founded2020
FoundersDennis Maschmeyer, Dominik Leufgen, Hakeem Moruf
Funding Amount€1.8M
Startup SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusSeries A
Top InvestorsFIVE Investments GmbH

MukoCell develops and markets a regenerative therapy for treating urethral strictures in men. Their product, MukoCell®, is the first approved tissue-engineered treatment of its kind and uses a patient's own cells to repair the tissue.

Year Founded2013
FoundersGouya Ram-Liebig, Sören Liebig
Funding Amount€2.6M
Startup SizeFounding Team (1-10)
Last Funding StatusGrant
Top InvestorsEASME

41 Additional Dortmund Startups Worth Following

The top 10 are just a small slice of what’s happening in Dortmund. The city has a deep history in making things, and that spirit is alive in its new wave of hardware and manufacturing companies.

Some are early in their journey, while others are established firms adapting for the future. Here’s a look at the other companies that are part of what makes the local startup scene so strong.

StartupIndustryYear FoundedAmount RaisedLast Funding Round
Meistx logo MeistxFintech2022€350kAngel
Micronit logo MicronitHardware1999€1.7MGrant
ANT Machines logo ANT MachinesLogistics2021$10kGrant
Innolume logo InnolumeMedia2002$26.8MSeries C
svh24.de logo svh24.deManufacturing1998$15.6MSeries B
Lensing Media logo Lensing MediaMarketing1870
thyssenkrupp nucera logo thyssenkrupp nuceraManufacturing1960
WILO logo WILOManufacturing1872
Tremonia Mobility logo Tremonia MobilityEnterprise
adesso mobile solutions logo adesso mobile solutionsMedia2007
Materna IPS logo Materna IPSSaaS1980
Elmos logo ElmosOther2016
Sovity logo SovityData2021Seed
International School of Management in Dortmund logo International School of Management in DortmundEducation1990
pickshare logo pickshareEnterprise2015Seed
Raith logo RaithManufacturing1980
Materna logo MaternaInfrastructure1980
Dataciders logo DatacidersAI
GrandCentrix logo GrandCentrixHardware2009Seed
Protel logo ProtelTravel1994
Fraunhofer IML logo Fraunhofer IMLMobility1981
fleetbird logo fleetbirdMobility2015
IGA logo IGASaaS1995
GastroHero logo GastroHeroOther2013Venture Round
Thyssengas logo ThyssengasEnergy1921Grant
HD-System logo HD-SystemEnterprise2001
Remira logo RemiraSaaS1994
VORNvc logo VORNvcFintech
QuinScape logo QuinScapeHardware2001
SDC Ventures logo SDC VenturesEnterprise2016
BIG direkt gesund logo BIG direkt gesundHealthcare1996
thyssenkrupp rothe erde logo thyssenkrupp rothe erdeManufacturing1861
proLogistik logo proLogistikHardware1983
Temicon logo TemiconHardware2005€3MSeries C
ITS Informationstechnik Service logo ITS Informationstechnik ServiceEnterprise1997
GeoMobile logo GeoMobileHealthcare2009
BFS health finance logo BFS health financeFintech
prismat logo prismatLogistics1991
Hellweg logo HellwegManufacturing1971
Solcon-Igel Group logo Solcon-Igel GroupHardware
Die Continentale logo Die ContinentaleInsurTech1926

Description

CTA
The All-In-One Newsletter for Startup Founders

90% of startups fail. Learn how not to with our weekly guides and stories. Join +40,000 other startup founders!

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.