We need to demystify the world of scale-ups. Those fast-growing companies are considered as a fundamental growth engine in the emerging digital ecosystem – they sustainably protect existing jobs and generate new economic power, contributing to growth and employment, talent attraction, capital and tax income. With a distinct value-driven approach, we believe that Europe, in the coming years, is capable of creating a coherent continental start-up ecosystem that will give Europe the edge to stand out and look confidently into the future.
About this study: A multifaceted research approach was used for this study. Exploration of existing scientific literature, collection of primary data, detailed secondary data analysis, as well as the performance of individual interviews. The foundation for this report was laid by nine individual scientific papers in cooperation with the Goethe University Frankfurt. More than 34 expert interviews were conducted with founders and CEOs from all over Germany and Europe, as well as from the USA and China. Primary data was surveyed from approximately 400 start-ups, while Startup Genome’s data, sourced from nearly half a million companies and start-ups covering over 12,000 ecosystem stakeholders worldwide, was also used extensively.
