It was based on data on the German Fintech ecosystem from the startup platform Startbase, which is operated by the Stuttgart Stock Exchange Group.
According to the German Fintech Report, there are currently 639 active FinTechs in Germany. Between 2018 and 2020, the study identifies 243 Fintech startups – around ten percent of all startups in Germany. This makes Fintech the second strongest sector in terms of startup activity in the German startup ecosystem.
Currently, the smallest German Fintech hub is in Baden-Württemberg. Around eight percent of all Fintechs have their headquarters there. The state does not yet have a clearly defined cluster. Young Baden-Württemberg Fintechs are primarily dedicated to the area of personal financial management: the companies want to help private customers keep track of and manage their personal finances.
With a share of 28 percent, the startup metropolis of Berlin is home to the most Fintechs in Germany. The focus of established Fintechs there is on asset management and investment. Young Fintechs, on the other hand, are more active in banking & API banking. They market their banking license and provide services to their customers as part of banking-as-a-service. At the same time, the capital also accounts for a disproportionate amount of media attention. Around 50 percent of the coverage of start-up-related media on Fintechs is about companies based there.
According to the German Fintech Report, young Fintechs are currently mainly attracted to Hamburg. At 61 percent, the Hanseatic city has the largest share of Fintechs that are less than five years old. This new generation is focusing in particular on the new „Defi“ focus – decentralized financial services based on blockchain technology.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, a distinct cluster can be observed in the area of personal financial management – with both established and young Fintechs. However, this cluster has hardly been noticed so far: Almost exclusively young North Rhine-Westphalian Fintechs from the field of asset management & investment are mentioned in the reporting of start-up-related media.
In the Rhine-Main region, young fintechs focus primarily on credit & factoring. This is also the area where by far the most early-stage financing rounds take place. Otherwise, fintechs in the Rhine-Main region also focus on asset management & investment.
Despite all the diversity among the Fintechs and the regional hubs, the German Fintech Report also reveals a common trend: the largest group among the Fintechs are single-service providers. With 230 companies, they account for around 36 percent of the Fintechs. These Fintechs deal with one specific product and are not active in several business areas at the same time. This is particularly evident in the area of asset management & investment. But also in the area of credit & factoring, the Fintech scene is increasingly focusing on breaking down the classic financial advisor provider into different offerings.
The German Fintech Report 2021 is available for download here: go.startbase.de/fintech-report
Startbase’s underlying data on the German Fintech ecosystem is available here:go.startbase.de/fintech-liste
Picture: Germany Finance
