Stable funding with growing impact
Since the program was launched in 2007, over 6,000 applications for funding have been submitted, of which more than 3,300 projects have been approved. The funding rate is therefore around 55 percent. A total of almost 368 million euros in funding has been provided for science-based start-up projects.
Start-up teams from the federal states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg and Berlin are particularly well represented, dominating the statistics in terms of both applications and approved projects.
The university landscape also plays a key role: universities submit the majority of applications, while universities of applied sciences have been increasingly catching up in recent years.
High start-up rate and strong economic development
A key indicator of the program's success is the start-up rate of around 87%. This means that the majority of the funded teams actually found a company.
The report also shows a remarkably high survival rate:
Almost 80% of the start-ups are still active on the market five years after the end of the funding.
The economic development of these companies is also positive. As the age of the company increases, both the number of employees and turnover grow:
- around 2 employees one year after the end of funding
- around 6 employees after three years
- an average of 13 employees after five years
In total, almost 32,700 jobs subject to social insurance contributions were created by the end of 2025 by start-ups that received funding.
Another sign of innovative strength: more than a quarter of the funded projects already bring their own property rights to the funding, and around half apply for a patent or property right within five years of the funding ending.
More women in technology-oriented start-up teams
There is a particularly pleasing trend in the proportion of women in existing funded teams.
This has been rising continuously since 2016 and reached a new high of over 30% in 2025.
This increase is an important signal for the German start-up ecosystem, as technology-oriented start-ups have long been heavily male-dominated. With the exist-Women funding program, HM and SCE, together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, support women interested in founding a company who want to build up their entrepreneurial personality and sharpen their idea in preparation for founding a company and securing follow-up funding such as the exist start-up grant. Programs like exist help to attract more women to entrepreneurial careers in science and technology.
Success factor: maturity of business planning
The monitoring report also examines an important early indicator for the success of start-ups: the maturity of business planning.
A clear correlation emerges:
Start-up teams with a higher level of planning maturity at the start of funding are more likely to found a company and have better chances of raising capital.
The so-called Stage of Business Planning (SoBP) measures the stage of development of a project in key areas such as
- Business model
- Market and competition analysis
- financial planning
- Market entry strategy
The results show that this planning maturity is a strong predictor for the subsequent establishment and financing of a company.
For funding programs and start-up centers, this means:
Structured preparation and sound planning can be decisive in determining whether an idea becomes a successful start-up.
exist as a driver of innovation and technology transfer
Overall, the monitoring report underlines the central role of exist for the transfer of research into marketable innovations.
The combination of financial support, coaching, infrastructure and networks enables start-up teams to further develop their ideas in a targeted manner in the early phase and take the plunge into founding a company.
You can find the full report at: www.exist.de
Support from the SCE
Together with Munich University of Applied Sciences, the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) supports students, researchers and graduates on their way to a successful exist application.
Our services include, among other things:
- Initial consultation and eligibility check
- Support with the development of the business model
- Intensive support during the application process
- Access to an international network of experts and mentors
Are you working on a technology-oriented or knowledge-based start-up idea and would like to check whether the exist start-up grant is suitable for you?
Then arrange a non-binding consultation with our team.
www.sce.de/exist