News & Podcast

Munich-based startup Padelcity has secured 12 million euros in a Series A financing round. Compagnie des Alpes, one of Europe’s largest leisure groups, is joining as a strategic investor. Together, the partners intend to capitalize on the padel boom and drive expansion in Germany and other European markets.

More than 500 guests from the Munich startup scene gathered at the summer party of the Munich Technology Center (MTZ). Together with Baystartup, the MTZ invited guests to mark the end of the season – with networking, startup pitches, and the awarding of the winner of the Bavarian semi-final of the Female Founders Cup.

Munich solar tech startup Sono Motors has announced the initiation of insolvency proceedings for Sono Motors GmbH. Following the end of the Sion solar car, a restructuring in 2024, and a fresh start with solar technology for commercial vehicles, the former flagship startup’s second attempt has now failed as well.

New look, fresh capital, and innovative solutions: This week we present the new look of Munich Startup, which is more than just a new design. What else has happened in the ecosystem? While 5U AI and Celsio report successful financing rounds, Treesense makes the water requirements of urban trees measurable, and Knowmanity preserves valuable experiential knowledge in companies. In addition, Helsing takes the top spot in the German unicorn ranking. Find these and other topics in our weekly review. Enjoy!

Landeshauptstadt München has launched the application phase for the Phönix Award 2026. Every two years, the city presents the award to honor successful entrepreneurs with a migration background who have been active in the market for at least three years and contribute to Munich as a business location through economic success and social commitment.

The German Startup Monitor is considered Germany’s largest startup study and serves as a central barometer of the startup scene. The results regularly feed into political debates, media coverage, and economic analyses. Accordingly, the Startup Association is calling on startups from all sectors and regions to take part in the current survey.

On November 26, 2026, the fourth City Demo Day will take place at Munich Urban Colab. Startups with digital solutions for the circular economy can apply now for a pitch or an exhibition booth and present their technologies to representatives from city administration, science, and industry. Munich Startup will also be part of the event.

AI enables young founders to develop products within a few weeks and market them internationally – at the same time, around 186,000 family businesses in Germany are up for handover between 2026 and 2030. At the Munich Startup Festival 2026, experts discussed why speed alone is not enough and what opportunities business succession offers for the next generation.

You shouldn’t miss these Munich startups! Our photo gallery brings together all the promising young companies we featured in July. Have fun clicking through!

You’ve surely noticed our new look here at Munich Startup. However, the relaunch is more than just a new design: With Munich Startup 2.0, the platform is evolving from a classic news portal into a personalized entry point for the Munich startup ecosystem. The new platform was presented as part of the Munich Startup Festival.

Trees can’t say when they’re thirsty. The Munich startup Treesense wants to change that. With sensors directly inside the tree, the team makes water stress measurable – helping cities water their trees more purposefully. This saves water, working hours and, in the best case, thousands of trees. Semir Babajic, co-founder of Treesense, in conversation on Pitch & People.

Taking a mattress to Odeonsplatz: The founders of Munich startup Xleep put their products to an unusual endurance test. Instead of in a showroom, they slept right in the heart of the city to show that their mattress delivers even under far from ideal conditions.