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Why Munich

Munich has the strongest economic power of all the German cities – the metropolitan region’s gross domestic product is just under EUR 300 billion. 8 of the 30 largest German Blue Chip companies are based in Bavaria, including global players like Allianz, BMW, Siemens, Infineon and Linde. Besides major corporations though, there are also many hidden champions as well as innovative start-ups who have their head office or branch offices in Munich. Thanks to this variety of different companies and sectors, the Bavarian regional capital has been able to establish itself as a flagship location for new business fields, such as digitalization and cross-industry innovations. There are a growing and thriving start-up community, especially in the B2B space, that benefits from and further strengthens the Munich and Bavaria technology base. This also has attracted a fair number of venture capitalists to Munich, complemented by a host of business angels.

Top 10 Reasons


  1. Strong economy in the heart of the EU
  2. Powerful and diverse company landscape
  3. Europe’s leading innovation hub
  4. Supportive start-up ecosystem
  5. Excellent education system
  6. Modern infrastructure
  7. High quality of living
  8. Safe, secure, financially stable
  9. One of Germany’s favorite tourist destinations
  10. Breathtaking landscapes, rich culture

Facts and Figures


  • Munich is Europe’s top ICT hub
  • Munich is Europe’s leading hub for IoT
  • Important FinTech & InsureTech hub in Germany
  • 7 of the 30 DAX corporations are at home in Munich and the region 
  • 32 of the 50 world’s most innovative companies have a subsidiary in Bavaria, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Bayer, General Electric, Daimler, Dow Chemical, Pfizer,Disney, Intel, 3M & Huawei 
  • 90.000+ companies in the Munich metropolitan region 
  • Patents applications in Bavaria in 2016: 15,867 – regularly # 1 in Germany 
  • 17 universities, 2 of them elite universities 
  • Munich Airport: 46 million passengers and 405,000 flights a year; 266 travel destinations; central hub in the geographical center of Europe 
  • 2.4 million visitors to Messe München every year – one of the largest exhibition centers in Europe
  • Residents: 6 million in the Munich metropolitan region; 1.5 million in the City of Munich 
  • Bavaria’s GDP (2016): €568 billion - # 7 in the EU; Munich’s GDP (2016): €100 billion 
  • Annual average spending power per resident:
    Munich: €31,000, Bavaria: €24,840, Germany: €22,897

Europe’s hotspot for innovative start-ups



Bavaria in general and Munich in particular offer perfect conditions for start-ups, especially for technology-based start-ups. As Germany's innovation hub and Europe's top ICT location, Bavaria is a driver of innovation in digitization. Global tech-companies like Google, Intel or Huawei have chosen Bavaria to establish their research and development centers in Germany. 

  • According to a recent study by the European Commission, Munich is the leading ICT hub in Europe, even before London and Paris 
  • The Munich metropolitan area ranks 1st in ICT start-up formations (3,5 per 10.000 inhabitants) in Germany 
  • Start-ups in Munich have a much higher survival rate than start-ups elsewhere, largely due to the enormous B2B and B2C potential that the Munich metropolitan area has to offer 
  • With UnternehmerTUM, Munich is home to one of the biggest centers for innovation and business creation in Europe 
  • Accelerator programs by leading companies such as Allianz, Plug & Play, Telefonica, Siemens and Wayra

 

Selected start-up centers, communities and co-working spaces


Bayerisches Filmzentrum – Film Center 

Plug and Play – RetailTech 

W1 Forward InsureTech Accelerator

InsurTech Hub Munich – InsurTech 

BayStartUP – Supported by the Bavarian Ministry of Economics 

UnternehmerTUM – Center for Innovation and Business Creation at TU Munich

IZB – BioTech 

Media Lab Bayern – Digital Media 

MTZ – Münchner Technologiezentrum – Technology Center supported by the City of Munich 

WERK1 – Consulting, Coworking, Events

You are an innovative start-up that wants to open an entity / office in Germany? 



Apply now for the "Invest in Bavaria Soft Landing Package":

  • Free office space in a start-up incubator for the first 3 months at your ideal location in Bavaria
  • Coaching: Advice and counseling on your business plan and on entering the German market
  • Help with setting up an entity in Bavaria if required
  • Access to the Bavarian start-up ecosystem
  • Contact with the Bavarian industry, your future clients & partners
  • Support with administrative formalities & visas

Invest in Bavaria helps you to get started!  

Check out our website or contact us at startup@invest-in-bavaria.de

Focus industries

Munich is a major center for Automotive, Aerospace, Information Technology, Biotechnology, Engineering, Creative, Marketing & Media, New Sector, Financial & Insurance Services and Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals & Plastics.

Learn about our Focus industries.