Hamburg's start-up scene becoming more feminine

18 July 2022

Chamber of Commerce presents latest start-up barometer

Women founders of new ventures in 2021 accounted for 28 per cent or three percentage points more than in 2019, according to the latest start-up barometer by Hamburg’s Chamber of Commerce, and the Statistical Office North. More than 20,200 new companies were created in Hamburg last year, according to the Statistics Office North.

More women launching start-ups

Although significantly more men than women launch start-ups, a three-year analysis has revealed a lower percentage of men in the total number of start-ups contrary to women. A total of 5,689 companies have been launched by female founders in Hamburg. The pandemic has driven new business ideas as many people were furloughed. Such involuntary part-time work gave people more time, but brought financial bottlenecks and prompted many employees to rethink their future and to consider self-employment. "Being more flexible in terms of time and becoming more independent from one’s employer are often additional motivations for self-employment. Apart from the classic start-up cases, the coronavirus crisis has also given rise to innovative business ideas," said Niels Pirck, Vice President of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. Retail is by far the most popular sector among new start-ups.

Start-ups in sideline business in trending

Sideline start-ups are a growing trend (2021: 7,482 or 42.5 per cent of all start-ups). These start-ups often occur out of salaried employment, but without giving up the job itself. "This kind of start-up has many advantages. You can try out your business idea on the market first and still have the security of a monthly income," said Pirck. The start-up barometer allows the chamber to analyse start-up activity in the Hanseatic City every year.

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Sources and further information

Startup City Hamburg

The Startup City Hamburg platform gives an overview of the start-ups located in Hamburg, funding opportunities and networking possibilities. The platform serves as a digital, single point of contact for Hamburg's start-up ecosystem and to raise the visibility of the city for fledgling companies on both a nationally and international level. The website is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Economics and Innovation, Hamburg Innovation, Hamburg Invest and Hamburg Marketing, as well as the Institute for Innovation and Technology (IIT).