More startups were founded in Germany in 2026 than ever before. That is the finding of the German Startup Monitor 2026 by the German Startups Association, which surveyed 1,803 founders and managing directors. One figure made us particularly happy: 47.9 % of founders start a company to solve a social or environmental problem.
That is exactly why we exist.
Why we founded our company
Hacker School Services GmbH started in 2026 with one clear question: how do non-profit organisations get access to the technology and know-how that the business world has long taken for granted?
Foundations, associations and social enterprises do remarkable work. They deserve modern IT, AI solutions that fit their work, and controlling that takes weight off their shoulders.
What the report shows
A record year
More than 3,000 new startups were founded. By September, around 8 billion euros had already flowed into German startups, more than in the whole of the previous year (7.5 billion euros).
AI moves to the centre
For 53.3 % of startups, AI is now at the core of the product, up from 45.1 % the year before and 39.1 % in 2024. We want to bring this development to the non-profit sector as well, with AI consulting and our own AI assistants.
People found at every age
Around one in four founders is 45 or older (25.7 %), compared with 18.2 % in 2020. Professional experience pays off, and we see that in our founding team every day.
Mostly in pairs or threes
Three quarters of startups are founded by teams, mostly of two (37.5 %) or three (25.4 %) people. We started as five, with backgrounds in IT, AI, finance and hands-on non-profit work. Meet them on our team page.
Female founders remain rare
The share of female founders is 19.6 %, practically unchanged from last year. In our team there are three female founders and two male founders, so 60 %. We are proud of that, and we welcome every woman who takes the step.
Getting started
Founding a company does not mean knowing everything already. It means believing in an idea and getting going.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way, and to our first clients for their trust.
Source: Deutscher Startup Monitor 2026 (German), Startup-Verband, September 2026.