Top 51 Dortmund Startups to Watch in 2026
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
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 Founded | 2003 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $850M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Undisclosed |
| Top Investors | Apollo, 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 Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Mirco Grübel |
| Funding Amount | €4.6M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Styx 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 Founded | 2024 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | €4.5M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | TU 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 Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Sascha Kaczmarek |
| Funding Amount | €7M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | FTTF, 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 Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Philipp Wrycza |
| Funding Amount | €2.2M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Rethink 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 Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Christian Doetsch, Jens Burfeind, Sascha Berthold, Thomas Gebauer, Thorsten Seipp |
| Funding Amount | $16.2M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | HTGF (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 Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Joshua Dahmen, Maximilian Derwald, Oliver Görlich, Ruben Dahmen |
| Funding Amount | €1.3M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | J.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 Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | €15M |
| Startup Size | — |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Atinum 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 Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Dennis Maschmeyer, Dominik Leufgen, Hakeem Moruf |
| Funding Amount | €1.8M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | FIVE 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 Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Gouya Ram-Liebig, Sören Liebig |
| Funding Amount | €2.6M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Grant |
| Top Investors | EASME |
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.
| Startup | Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Meistx | Fintech | 2022 | €350k | Angel |
 Micronit | Hardware | 1999 | €1.7M | Grant |
 ANT Machines | Logistics | 2021 | $10k | Grant |
 Innolume | Media | 2002 | $26.8M | Series C |
 svh24.de | Manufacturing | 1998 | $15.6M | Series B |
 Lensing Media | Marketing | 1870 | — | — |
 thyssenkrupp nucera | Manufacturing | 1960 | — | — |
 WILO | Manufacturing | 1872 | — | — |
 Tremonia Mobility | Enterprise | — | — | — |
 adesso mobile solutions | Media | 2007 | — | — |
 Materna IPS | SaaS | 1980 | — | — |
 Elmos | Other | 2016 | — | — |
 Sovity | Data | 2021 | — | Seed |
 International School of Management in Dortmund | Education | 1990 | — | — |
 pickshare | Enterprise | 2015 | — | Seed |
 Raith | Manufacturing | 1980 | — | — |
 Materna | Infrastructure | 1980 | — | — |
 Dataciders | AI | — | — | — |
 GrandCentrix | Hardware | 2009 | — | Seed |
 Protel | Travel | 1994 | — | — |
 Fraunhofer IML | Mobility | 1981 | — | — |
 fleetbird | Mobility | 2015 | — | — |
 IGA | SaaS | 1995 | — | — |
 GastroHero | Other | 2013 | — | Venture Round |
 Thyssengas | Energy | 1921 | — | Grant |
 HD-System | Enterprise | 2001 | — | — |
 Remira | SaaS | 1994 | — | — |
 VORNvc | Fintech | — | — | — |
 QuinScape | Hardware | 2001 | — | — |
 SDC Ventures | Enterprise | 2016 | — | — |
 BIG direkt gesund | Healthcare | 1996 | — | — |
 thyssenkrupp rothe erde | Manufacturing | 1861 | — | — |
 proLogistik | Hardware | 1983 | — | — |
 Temicon | Hardware | 2005 | €3M | Series C |
 ITS Informationstechnik Service | Enterprise | 1997 | — | — |
 GeoMobile | Healthcare | 2009 | — | — |
 BFS health finance | Fintech | — | — | — |
 prismat | Logistics | 1991 | — | — |
 Hellweg | Manufacturing | 1971 | — | — |
 Solcon-Igel Group | Hardware | — | — | — |
 Die Continentale | InsurTech | 1926 | — | — |
