Germany is founding more than ever. And what about us up here?
More than 3,000 new startups in just six months. That is what the Startup-Verband reports for the first half of 2026, and these are the strongest numbers since the survey began. 52 percent more foundings than in the previous half-year, June alone was the most founding-heavy month ever recorded. Verena Pausder speaks of a founding boom that now has to become a growth boom.
I read the report and I was happy about it. And then, as always, I looked at the map. Because between the lines there is a second story, and it concerns us in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern directly.
The boom is happening. But not equally everywhere.
The good news first: all 16 federal states are growing. The upswing is no longer a Berlin-Munich phenomenon. Hamburg is up 83 percent, Bavaria, NRW and Baden-Württemberg deliver the largest absolute gains. AI lowers the barrier to founding, more than one in three new startups has a clear AI angle.
The honest news right after: measured by foundings per capita, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern still ranks last. No metropolis, hardly any venture capital on the ground, investors concentrated on urban hubs. Those are the usual explanations, and they are not wrong.
I just draw a different conclusion from them than most.
Why last place is the wrong metric
If you only look at foundings per capita you miss three things that speak in favour of our region.
First: rural Germany is not an economic side note. 90 percent of Germany's land area is rural, 57 percent of people live there, 46 percent of gross value added is generated there. Germany's Hidden Champions sit disproportionately often in the province, not in Berlin-Mitte. If you build for the German SME sector, you find your customers here.
Second: MV founds differently, and in the right direction. In terms of the share of green startups among all new foundings, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks first nationwide. 28 percent of foundings in recent years are green startups, more than in any other federal state. Few foundings, but a clear profile: sustainability, renewable energy, climate technology. Exactly the fields where the report also sees the strongest industrial growth nationwide, with 125 percent more new foundings in the industrial sector.
Third: the boom is being carried where startups meet strong industry. The report itself says so. And this exact link is still largely unoccupied here. Between the young teams founding in our region and the established companies of the region there is a gap. We don't call that a location disadvantage. We call it a mandate.
What the boom concretely means for founders in MV
If AI lowers the barriers to entry, it lowers them everywhere. A team in Greifswald, Rostock or on Rügen today has access to the same tools as a team in Munich. What is missing here is not talent and not technology. What is missing are structures: the fast line to the first paying customer, the network that opens doors, the experience that saves you from expensive detours.
That is exactly where we come in with Founders Bay. We connect young companies with the SME sector of the region, through venture clienting instead of through equity. That means: the first revenue does not come from a funding round but from a real order from a real company. We have supported more than 50 startups this way, with a network of more than 150 mentors.
The founding boom is the best opportunity in years to close this gap. Not by copying Berlin. But by doing what works here: proximity to the SME sector, short paths, substance over show.
Frequently asked questions about the founding boom and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Question: How many startups were founded in Germany in 2026?
Answer: In the first half of 2026, 3,053 new startups were founded, a 52 percent increase over the second half of 2025 and more than in all of 2024. The source is the "Next Generation" report by the Startup-Verband and startupdetector.
Question: Is it worth founding a startup in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern?
Answer: Yes. MV has the highest share of green startups among all new foundings in Germany, a tightly connected network with short paths, and direct access to mid-sized companies as first customers. The low founding density also means less competition for attention, funding and partnerships.
Question: What is venture clienting?
Answer: In venture clienting an established company becomes an early customer of a startup instead of taking equity. The startup gets revenue and a reference customer, the company gets innovation without an equity risk. Founders Bay organises exactly these connections between young companies and the SME sector, without taking shares.
Question: Who can apply to Founders Bay?
Answer: Young companies up to five years after founding that want to work in rural areas and build solutions with social or ecological value.
Now is the moment
Germany is founding more than ever. The question is no longer whether the boom is coming. The question is who uses it.
You are founding, or founded in the last five years? Then apply for our next batch. We connect you with mentors and mid-sized companies that can become your first customers.
You run a mid-sized company in MV or beyond? Then let's talk. The most innovative young teams in the region are looking for their first partners right now. Whoever is in early shapes what comes next.
We give the gap courage. Preferably together with you.
Lukas, CEO Founders Bay