Startup
Southern Germany Sweeps European Start-Up Hubs Ranking
The Financial Times newspaper has named three Bavarian hubs at the top of its annual list.
Feb 23, 2026
At the apex of the financial times ranking was UnternehmerTUM from the Bavarian capital. The name is a portmanteau of the German for entrepreneur(ship) and the initials of the Technical University of Munich.
It was the third-straight time UnternehmerTUM has topped the list. Since its founding in 2002, it has incubated more than a thousand fledgling firms.
Start2Group, also from Munich, took second place with the FT citing its “strong international presence across 18 countries.” BayStartUP from Nuremberg ranked third, with the newspaper praising “its consistent track record in connecting early-stage founders with financing opportunities across Bavaria.”
The 2026 list includes 180 hubs in 25 European countries.
