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Top 22 Startups Founded in Nordrhein-Westfalen

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There’s no doubt that the startup scene in Nordrhein-Westfalen is unique.

Dozens of successful startups have been founded there over the years.

Some of them are already worth billions of dollars.

So whether you’re looking to start your own business, or just interested in learning about fast-growing startups from Nordrhein-Westfalen, here’s an extensive list of 22 startups founded there.


22 Startups in Nordrhein-Westfalen

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1) DHL

1) DHL

DHL is a company that offers worldwide express mail services.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 1969
  • Industries: Logistics, Supply Chain Management
  • Number of employees: 1-10
  • Funding amount: SEK32,000,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 1
  • Number of investors: 1

You can find their website here.

2) Cognigy GmbH

2) Cognigy GmbH

Cognigy is the most popular Enterprise Conversational AI Platform for automating customer and employee support processes.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2016
  • Founders: Benjamin Mayr, Philipp Heltewig, Sascha Poggemann
  • Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Customer Service, Digital Marketing, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Information Technology, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Sales Automation, Virtual Assistant
  • Number of employees: 51-100
  • Funding amount: € 44,900,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 6
  • Number of investors: 6

You can find their website here.

3) Silexica

3) Silexica

Silexica offers software development services that help intelligent products, such as self-driving cars, move from concept to reality.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2014
  • Founders: Johannes Emigholz, Maximilian Odendahl, Weihua Sheng
  • Industries: Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Developer Tools, Embedded Software, Embedded Systems, Enterprise Software, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Software
  • Number of employees: 51-100
  • Funding amount: $29,360,037
  • Number of funding rounds: 4
  • Number of investors: 6

You can find their website here.

4) CHRONEXT

4) CHRONEXT

Clients can buy and sell luxury watches on Chronext's full-service platform for luxury watch trading.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2013
  • Founders: Ludwig Wurlitzer, Philipp Man
  • Industries: Collectibles, E-Commerce, Fashion, Lifestyle, Retail
  • Number of employees: 101-250
  • Funding amount: $116,629,212
  • Number of funding rounds: 5
  • Number of investors: 17

You can find their website here.

5) DABBEL

5) DABBEL

DABBEL is an Ai Building Management System (Ai-BMS) that allows building control systems to self-manage.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2018
  • Founders: Abel Samaniego
  • Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Energy Efficiency, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, Smart Building
  • Number of employees: 1-10
  • Funding amount: € 3,600,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 2
  • Number of investors: 4

You can find their website here.

6) ESL

6) ESL

Professional gaming, commonly known as e-sports, is the emphasis of ESL, a gaming news and information network.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 1996
  • Founders: William Perry
  • Industries: Electronics, eSports, Sports
  • Number of employees: 251-500
  • Funding amount: $30,000,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 1

You can find their website here.

7) Metalshub

7) Metalshub

Metalshub is the most popular site for metals trading and price analysis.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2016
  • Founders: Frank Jackel, Sebastian Kreft
  • Industries: Logistics, Mining, Software
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: $14,429,825
  • Number of funding rounds: 3
  • Number of investors: 6

You can find their website here.

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8) GETFASTER.IO

8) GETFASTER.IO

In Germany, a new generation of express delivery grocery merchant has launched, with delivery times starting at 10 minutes.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2020
  • Founders: Anton Zakharov, Dmitry Bergelson, George Skalsky, Kirill Solonitsyn
  • Industries: Consumer, Consumer Goods, Delivery, E-Commerce, Food and Beverage, Food Delivery, Grocery, Retail, Retail Technology, Same Day Delivery
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: € 1,500,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 4
  • Number of investors: 2

You can find their website here.

9) Schüttflix

9) Schüttflix

Schüttflix is a bulk construction supply digital marketplace and delivery platform.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2018
  • Founders: Christian Hülsewig, Thomas Hagedorn
  • Industries: Construction, Marketplace
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: € 14,000,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 2
  • Number of investors: 2

You can find their website here.

10) nextmarkets

10) nextmarkets

nextmarkets is a commission-free internet broker in Europe.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2014
  • Founders: Dominic Heyden, Manuel Heyden
  • Industries: Financial Services, FinTech, Stock Exchanges, Trading Platform
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: $43,318,971
  • Number of funding rounds: 4
  • Number of investors: 9

You can find their website here.

11) McLaren Group

11) McLaren Group

McLaren Group is a sports car manufacturer that specializes in automotive, motorsport, and technology.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2017
  • Founders: Bruce McLaren, Ron Dennis
  • Industries: Automotive, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Sports
  • Number of employees: 1001-5000
  • Funding amount: £353,800,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 2
  • Number of investors: 2

You can find their website here.

12) Homelike

12) Homelike

Homelike is an online marketplace for corporations and corporate travelers to rent furnished and serviced apartments on a temporary basis.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2014
  • Founders: Christoph Kasper, Dustin Figge
  • Industries: Furniture, Real Estate, Rental, Rental Property, Travel, Travel Accommodations
  • Number of employees: 101-250
  • Funding amount: $18,756,282
  • Number of funding rounds: 3
  • Number of investors: 8

You can find their website here.

13) RightNow

13) RightNow

By acquiring legal claims and paying a major percentage of the claim within 24 hours, RightNow gives consumers access to justice.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2017
  • Founders: Benedikt Martin Quarch, Phillip Eischet, Torben Antretter
  • Industries: Consumer, FinTech, Legal Tech
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: $10,300,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 4
  • Number of investors: 8

You can find their website here.

14) vivenu

14) vivenu

Vivenu provides a unified platform for ticket sales management, marketing, and analysis.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2018
  • Industries: Event Management, Events, Ticketing
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: € 14,000,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 2
  • Number of investors: 3

You can find their website here.

15) clickworker

15) clickworker

Clickworker.com is a crowdsourcing platform that provides a virtual workforce for projects or businesses on demand.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2005
  • Founders: Alexander Linden
  • Industries: Crowdsourcing, SEO
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: € 10,650,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 6
  • Number of investors: 9

You can find their website here.

16) VMRay

16) VMRay

The VMRay Analyzer is a game-changing tool for dynamic threat analysis, including zero-day and targeted attacks.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2013
  • Founders: Carsten Willems, Ralf Hund
  • Industries: Cyber Security, Information Technology, Network Security
  • Number of employees: 51-100
  • Funding amount: $28,900,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 4
  • Number of investors: 3

You can find their website here.

17) JustSpices

17) JustSpices

Just Spices is a spice blend and meal prep company that produces and sells food.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2014
  • Founders: Bela Seebach, Florian Falk, Ole Strohschnieder
  • Industries: Food and Beverage, Food Delivery, Food Processing
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: € 13,000,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 3
  • Number of investors: 5

You can find their website here.

18) Studitemps

18) Studitemps

Experts in Digital Work

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2008
  • Founders: Andreas Wels, Benjamin Roos
  • Industries: Career Planning, Education, Recruiting, Staffing Agency
  • Number of employees: 251-500
  • Funding amount: € 24,200,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 11
  • Number of investors: 7

You can find their website here.

19) COMPEON

19) COMPEON

COMPEON is a full-service supplier of SME financing that is product and vendor agnostic.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2012
  • Founders: Frank Wuller, Kai Boringschulte, Nico Peters
  • Industries: B2B, Finance, Financial Services, FinTech, Small and Medium Businesses
  • Number of employees: 51-100
  • Funding amount: € 29,500,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 4
  • Number of investors: 9

You can find their website here.

20) e.GO Mobile

20) e.GO Mobile

e.GO Mobile AG is a company that designs and manufactures electronic automobiles.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2015
  • Founders: Günther Schuh
  • Industries: Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Sustainability, Transportation
  • Number of employees: 251-500
  • Funding amount: € 30,000,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 1
  • Number of investors: 4

You can find their website here.

21) Frontastic

21) Frontastic

Frontastic is an API-First eCommerce and headless CMS frontend as a service.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2017
  • Founders: Henning Emmrich, Thomas Gottheil, Tobias Schlitt, Udo Rauch
  • Industries: Computer, E-Commerce, Software
  • Number of employees: 11-50
  • Funding amount: € 3,000,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 3
  • Number of investors: 5

You can find their website here.

22) Learnship

22) Learnship

Learnship is a company that provides online business language training through an unique web conferencing service.

Details of the startup:

  • Started in: 2008
  • Founders: Sushel Bijganath, Thomas Sonntag
  • Industries: Education, Language Learning, Training
  • Number of employees: 251-500
  • Funding amount: € 10,000,000
  • Number of funding rounds: 3
  • Number of investors: 6

You can find their website here.

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