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The German state of Hessen is a growing center for a wide range of businesses. Its startup scene includes companies in finance, renewable energy, and gaming.
Leading the pack is ABO Energy, which has raised $240M to develop wind and solar projects. The region also hosts companies like Gunzilla Games, a game developer that has attracted over $100M in funding.
Below is our list of 50 Essen startups worth keeping an eye on.
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 →Information about the industries, countries, and cities they generally invest in.
Get the Sheet for $50Information about their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.
Get the Sheet for $50List of startup investors in the BioTech, Health, and Medicine industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.
Get the Sheet for $50List of 250 startup investors in the AI and Machine Learning industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.
Get the Sheet for $50List of 250 startup investors in the FinTech and Finance industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.
Get the Sheet for $50ABO Energy develops wind and solar energy projects, in addition to battery storage and green hydrogen systems. They manage the entire project lifecycle for these clean energy assets, from initial planning and financing to construction and long-term operational management.
Solactive provides custom financial indices, handling the development, calculation, and distribution for clients across the globe. The firm specializes in engineering these tailor-made benchmarks, which are often used for Exchange Traded Funds and other structured financial products.
Meet5 created a mobile app for meeting new people in a casual, group-based setting. The app focuses on organizing small get-togethers for six people, bridging the gap between friendship and dating.
Independent AAA studio Gunzilla Games builds narrative-driven video games, including the upcoming cyberpunk battle royale, Off The Grid. Their platform gives players true ownership of in-game items, allowing them to trade assets freely.
Wingcopter develops and manufactures unmanned, fixed-wing delivery drones capable of vertical take-off and landing. Their aircraft are designed for a variety of uses, from commercial logistics and last-mile delivery to critical humanitarian aid missions.
VACUUMSCHMELZE develops and produces advanced magnetic materials and high-performance components. These specialized products serve as critical parts in applications across the consumer electronics and manufacturing industries.
Link11 provides cloud-based DDoS protection to secure websites, servers, and network infrastructure. Their security platform is designed to automatically detect and stop complex cyberattacks, ensuring high availability for their clients' infrastructure.
Qualifyze built a digital audit platform to help life science companies manage supply chain risk and compliance. Their system provides a data-driven approach to supplier qualification, making it easier to maintain quality control across the entire supply network.
Quantagonia builds a hybrid quantum and classical computing platform designed to solve complex optimization and simulation challenges. Their DecisionAI platform makes quantum-powered solutions accessible to businesses today, bridging the gap between current and future computing capabilities.
Our top picks only scratch the surface of what's happening in Essen. Founders are tackling big challenges in areas like energy and AI, and have collectively raised over one billion euros to fund their work.
Some of these companies are just getting started, while others are more established names exploring new ideas. Here’s a look at the other startups that are shaping the city's ecosystem.
| Startup | Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environment | 2022 | €18.5M | — | |
| Fintech | 2012 | €500M | Debt Financing | |
| Fintech | 2018 | €7.3M | Series A | |
| AI | 2015 | €27M | Series B | |
| Energy | 2017 | €207.5M | Series B | |
| Energy | 2016 | €22.8M | Series B | |
| AI | 1995 | €60.5M | Convertible Note | |
| Crypto | 2023 | — | — | |
| InsurTech | 2015 | €49.5M | Series C | |
| Analytics | 2016 | €21M | Series B | |
| Hardware | 2019 | €10.1M | Seed | |
| Crypto | 2018 | €5.9M | Series A | |
| Enterprise | 2019 | €14.3M | Series A | |
| AI | 2020 | €5M | Seed | |
| Other | 1998 | — | — | |
| Biotech | 2005 | €43M | Series A | |
| Crypto | 2018 | €7M | Series A | |
| Marketing | 1991 | — | — | |
| Hardware | 2008 | €29M | Venture Round | |
| Infrastructure | 2005 | €10M | Series B | |
| Fintech | 2020 | €20M | Venture Round | |
| Energy | 2014 | €7.5M | Series B | |
| AI | 2016 | €9.7M | Grant | |
| Enterprise | 2015 | €10.3M | Series A | |
| AI | 2021 | $1.4M | Pre-Seed | |
| Fintech | 2020 | $3.8M | Venture Round | |
| AgTech | 2022 | €2.5M | Pre-Seed | |
| Fintech | 1918 | €5M | Debt Financing | |
| AI | 2018 | $1.7M | Grant | |
| Fintech | 2018 | €16M | Series A | |
| Biotech | — | $8M | Seed | |
| SaaS | 2020 | €3.6M | Seed | |
| Enterprise | 2017 | €20.7M | Series B | |
| Energy | 2023 | €2.7M | Seed | |
| InsurTech | 2015 | €8M | Series A | |
| Logistics | 2018 | €47.9M | Debt Financing | |
| Healthcare | 2022 | €2.5M | Pre-Seed | |
| Fintech | 2021 | €10M | Venture Round | |
| Data | 2023 | €1.6M | Pre-Seed | |
| Enterprise | 2019 | €1M | Series A | |
| Healthcare | 2020 | €1M | Seed | |
| SaaS | 2021 | €3.8M | Seed | |
| Media | 2021 | €1.5M | Seed | |
| Fintech | 2015 | €2.3M | Seed | |
| Media | 2017 | €8.5M | Corporate Round | |
| Other | 2024 | €2M | Pre-Seed | |
| Fintech | 2023 | €20k | Pre-Seed | |
| Enterprise | 2020 | €1.1M | Pre-Seed | |
| AI | 2020 | €640k | Seed | |
| Crypto | 2017 | €1M | Seed | |
| AI | 2021 | €1.4M | Pre-Seed | |
| Food | 2016 | €7M | Undisclosed | |
| AI | 2009 | €2.3M | Venture Round | |
| Healthcare | 2008 | €7.5M | Series B | |
| Logistics | 2020 | €3M | Seed | |
| Enterprise | 2015 | €1M | Undisclosed | |
| Enterprise | 2022 | €520k | Seed | |
| Other | 2021 | €480k | Seed | |
| Hardware | 2020 | €2M | Seed | |
| GovTech | 1978 | — | — | |
| Education | 2014 | €600k | Angel | |
| Manufacturing | 2007 | — | — | |
| Infrastructure | — | $171.8k | Product Crowdfunding | |
| Enterprise | 2022 | €125k | Pre-Seed | |
| Media | 2017 | $826.7k | Seed | |
| Energy | 1898 | — | — | |
| Marketplace | 2005 | €10.7M | Venture Round | |
| Retail | 1913 | — | — | |
| Manufacturing | 2010 | — | — | |
| Healthcare | 2009 | — | Private Equity | |
| Energy | 1957 | — | Venture Round | |
| Manufacturing | 1968 | — | — | |
| Logistics | 1872 | — | — | |
| Infrastructure | 1997 | — | — | |
| Enterprise | 1939 | — | — | |
| Logistics | 2020 | — | — | |
| Media | 1996 | — | — | |
| Manufacturing | 1929 | — | — | |
| Fintech | 1970 | — | — | |
| Enterprise | 2005 | — | Private Equity | |
| Security | 1988 | — | — | |
| AI | 2019 | — | Seed | |
| InsurTech | 1994 | — | — | |
| Hardware | 2020 | — | Pre-Seed | |
| Media | 2007 | — | — | |
| AI | 2020 | — | Pre-Seed | |
| Enterprise | 1913 | — | — | |
| Manufacturing | 2022 | — | — | |
| Infrastructure | 1995 | — | — | |
| Infrastructure | 1988 | — | Private Equity |
