Over 15 unicorn startups are founded in Germany and here is the complete list of these unicorn companies.
How do unicorn startups emerge?
How are they formed?
What does it take to become one of the Unicorn startups?
These are all questions many entrepreneurs ask themselves when building their companies.
Here are the 17 startups in Germany – Celonis and GetYourGuide included – which have become unicorns.
ABOUT YOU offers a wide selection of quality apparel and accessories at a great price, all in one place.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.00
B (
July 2018
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Hamburg
Started in:
2014
Founders:
Sebastian Betz, Tarek Muller
Industries:
E-Commerce, Fashion, Marketing, Personalization, Retail, Shopping
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$300,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
2
Number of investors:
3
ATAI Life Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company developing clinically-tested therapies for mental illness.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$2.00
B (
March 2021
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Munich
Started in:
2018
Founders:
Christian Angermayer, Florian Brand, Lars Christian Wilde, Srinivas Rao
Industries:
Biotechnology, Health Care, Life Science, Therapeutics
Number of employees:
10-50
Funding Amount:
$347,100,000
Number of funding rounds:
8
Number of investors:
31
An online platform connecting car buyers and sellers, AUTO1 Group offers easy-to-use services across Europe.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$7.20
B (
January 2021
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Berlin
Started in:
2012
Founders:
Christian Bertermann, Hakan Koc
Industries:
Automotive, Internet, Marketplace
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$1,387,053,390
Number of funding rounds:
10
Number of investors:
23
Celonis is an innovative, fast-growing software company that develops enterprise software solutions for improving business performance through better process execution.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$2.50
B (
June 2018
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Munich
Started in:
2011
Founders:
Alexander Rinke, Bastian Nominacher, Martin Klenk
Industries:
Analytics, Big Data, Business Intelligence, Data Mining, Database, Enterprise, SaaS, Software
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$367,500,000
Number of funding rounds:
3
Number of investors:
5
Deposit Solutions provides an open banking platform that connects providers of deposit accounts (deposit banks) and consumers desiring to transact in deposited funds.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.13
B (
September 2019
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Hamburg
Started in:
2011
Founders:
Tim Sievers
Industries:
Banking, Financial Services, FinTech
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$198,871,072
Number of funding rounds:
6
Number of investors:
11
FlixBus is an online platform that combines a great experience with premium tech and effective IT systems.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$2.25
B (
July 2019
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Munich
Started in:
2011
Founders:
Andre Schwammlein, Daniel Krauss, Jochen Engert
Industries:
Public Transportation, Transportation, Travel
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
€500,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
6
Number of investors:
15
GetYourGuide is the world’s leading online marketplace for booking tours, activities, and attractions.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.10
B (
May 2019
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Berlin
Started in:
2009
Founders:
Johannes Reck, Martin Sieber, Tao Tao, Tobias Rein
Industries:
Consumer Reviews, E-Commerce, Hospitality, Recreation, Tourism, Travel
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$886,168,933
Number of funding rounds:
12
Number of investors:
35
Gorillas is an on-demand grocery and household items delivery service that allows customers to order online from local, independent merchants.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.00
B (
March 2021
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Berlin
Started in:
2020
Founders:
Jörg Kattner, Kağan Sümer, Ronny Shibley
Industries:
Delivery, Delivery Service, Grocery, Same Day Delivery
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$335,415,309
Number of funding rounds:
3
Number of investors:
8
Lilium is a German technology company developing all-electric, high-performance aircrafts.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.00
B (
June 2020
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Weßling
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Daniel Wiegand, Matthias Meiner, Patrick Nathen, Sebastian Born
Industries:
Aerospace, Air Transportation, Transportation
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$376,400,000
Number of funding rounds:
5
Number of investors:
6
Mambu offers a scalable, customizable, and versatile software solution that gives banks the power to create various lending and deposit services on their own with a level of customization never before possible.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$2.08
B (
January 2021
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Berlin
Started in:
2011
Founders:
Eugene Danilkis, Frederik Pfisterer, Sofia Nunes
Industries:
Banking, Financial Services, FinTech, Lending
Number of employees:
250-500
Funding Amount:
€152,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
6
Number of investors:
9
N26 is an online bank that offers mobile banking to customers within the European Union.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$3.50
B (
January 2019
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Berlin
Started in:
2013
Founders:
Maximilian Tayenthal, Valentin Stalf
Industries:
Banking, Finance, Financial Services, FinTech
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$819,009,300
Number of funding rounds:
9
Number of investors:
18
NuCom is an agency that provides a combination of services to its clients. These are content, commerce, and operational excellence.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$2.20
B (
February 2018
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Unterföhring
Started in:
2018
Founders:
No Data
Industries:
Consumer, E-Commerce, Lifestyle
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$550,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
1
Number of investors:
1
Omio offers a multi-mode price comparison tool allowing travelers to find the best prices among airlines, trains, buses, and rental cars.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.00
B (
October 2018
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Berlin
Started in:
2012
Founders:
Naren Shaam
Industries:
Internet, Search Engine, Travel, Travel Accommodations
Number of employees:
250-500
Funding Amount:
$396,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
10
Number of investors:
26
Ottobock is a global manufacturer of advanced prosthetic and orthotic medical devices for people with mobility challenges.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$3.52
B (
June 2017
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Duderstadt
Started in:
2019
Founders:
Otto Bock
Industries:
Health Care, Medical Device
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
No Data
Number of funding rounds:
2
Number of investors:
2
Personio is a cloud-based HR management and recruiting platform that empowers employers with the tools they need to attract, track, and build effective teams.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.70
B (
January 2021
)
Country:
Germany
City:
München
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Arseniy Vershinin, Hanno Renner, Ignaz Forstmeier, Roman Schumacher
Industries:
Employment, Human Resources, Recruiting, SaaS
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$254,332,944
Number of funding rounds:
5
Number of investors:
17
sennder is a digital freight-forwarding company that empowers commercial shippers to get their goods where they need to go, faster.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.00
B (
January 2021
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Berlin
Started in:
2015
Founders:
David Nothacker, Julius Koehler, Nicolaus Schefenacker
Industries:
Freight Service, Industrial Automation, Logistics, Shipping
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$260,000,000
Number of funding rounds:
7
Number of investors:
16
Wefox is the world’s first digital insurance company—combining technology and human expertise to give customers a better way to manage, track, and pay for their insurance.
Details of the startup:
Valuation:
$1.65
B (
March 2019
)
Country:
Germany
City:
Berlin
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Dario Fazlic, Fabian Wesemann, Jonathan Seoane, Julian Teicke, Teodoro Martino
Industries:
FinTech, Insurance, InsurTech
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$268,500,000
Number of funding rounds:
5
Number of investors:
26
