Alternative financing solutions are finding increasing acceptance: Around 10 percent of the more than 300 ICT startups surveyed in the “Trendbarometer Young ICT Industry 2015” on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) stated that they had used crowdfunding and crowdinvesting during the founding or growth of their company.
© Trendbarometer Young ICT Economy 2015
34 percent of the ICT startups surveyed are also open to crowdfunding. Wolfram Groß, project manager of the "Start-up Competition – ICT Innovative" at VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH:
"More than half of German startups in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector are convinced they must grow quickly to survive. However, one in three startups is considering moving abroad to do so. To offer startups better financing and growth opportunities and prevent exodus, further work must be done to create favorable conditions for growth."
About the start-up competition
The "Start-up Competition - ICT Innovative" recognizes start-up projects whose business models are primarily based on innovative applications in the field of ICT. Since the first round in 2010, 179 founders have received support in their projects. Next year, this highly successful initiative will be relaunched under the name "Start-up Competition for Digital Technologies" as a measure in the "Digital Economy and Digital Work" field of action of the "Digital Agenda 2014-2017." About the Young ICT Economy Trend Barometer 2015: Since 2011, the "Young ICT Economy Trend Barometer" has been regularly surveying young ICT companies on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) about their economic situation, their expectations for the future, and current ICT and start-up-related topics.
