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Startups in Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main-Area Raised in H1 2022 more Funding Than in All of 2021

Updated: Apr 30

This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024.

What Is This About?

Startups in the greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main area raised more venture capital in the first half of 2022 than in all of 2021. Large deals drove the numbers despite a worsening funding environment in Q2, signaling that the region's startup ecosystem continues to mature beyond Berlin's shadow.

  • This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.

  • The good news is that large deals drive the investments overall.

  • We are not sure yet if the worsening funding environment is already shown in Q2 since we have seen Q2 performing even worse.

  • Some large deals drove the overall volume.

  • In 2022, we want to be an accelerator for financing in Frankfurt-Rhein-Main as part of the Venture Capital Forum.

About This Data

Startups in Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main-Area Raised in H1 2022 more Funding Than in All of 2021 Startuprad.io brings you independent coverage of the key developments shaping the startup and venture capital landscape across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

This article is part of Startuprad.io's exclusive Rhine-Main Venture Capital Report series — the only continuous, independent tracking of startup venture funding in the Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region. This dataset is not available from any other source and represents years of original research covering every disclosed funding round in the region from 2018 through 2022. The series provides unparalleled granularity on deal sizes, sectors, and trends in one of Germany's most important but historically underreported startup ecosystems.

New Blog


This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024.


Startups in the greater Rhine-Main-Area have raised in H1 2022 more funding, than in all of 2021! So far we have tracked 28 deals worth 470+ m Euros ( ~ 480 m US$, ~460 m CHF). We also found 20 investments over 2020 and 2021 the state of Hessen made as corona aid investments valued at 8,8 m € in companies we classified as startups.


Large Deals Drive Overall Volume


The good news is that large deals drive the investments overall. We had an equal distribution of deals we tracked 14 deals in Q1 worth 393 m Euros and 14 deals in Q2 worth 77,8 m Euros. As so often some of the deals included in our statistics are not public knowledge.

We are not sure yet if the worsening funding environment is already shown in Q2 since we have seen Q2 performing even worse. Looking at the current numbers the area is still on track for a normal fundraising year. Q3 is traditionally low activity, but Q4 should bring a few larger deals. We are aware of several fundraisings going on right now.



Significant Deals

Some large deals drove the overall volume. We just wanted to highlight some here:

Q1 2022


  • And the deal-making Volocopter a unicorn with 150 m Euros. You can learn more here:


Q2 2022


Invitation to the Venture Capital Forum (VCF)

In 2022, we want to be an accelerator for financing in Frankfurt-Rhein-Main as part of the Venture Capital Forum. In this format, quarterly events will be held at which European VCs will pass on their valuable experience to founders and, with the flow of information, hopefully also strengthen the flow of money into the region.

You can learn more and keep an eye on the upcoming events. If conditions permit there will still be one event in September and one in December this year. Learn more here:


Outlook: Already passed half a billion Euros

We are actually very excited about what the rest of the year has in store for us. Looking at the deals that are already published for Q3 so far, our area has surpassed the 500 m Euros in funding already. Just the fundraising of Node Energy (7 m Euros) and Canyon Bicycles (30 m Euros) have pushed the area beyond the threshold. Trivia: investors in Canyon Bicycles include NBA player LeBron James.


Corona Aid Numbers

Adding to all that, we also found the corona aid investments the state of Hessen made with their investment vehicle Hessen Kapital I. The state invested less than 9 mn Euros in companies we would classify as startups in a total of 20 investments. So the average investment was around 440.000 €. Please don’t misunderstand, this surely made a big difference for many companies, but we would have expected an investment north of 10 m Euros at least. Note: The total investments of the vehicle included many more deals and larger total investments, but they did not pass our startup test.

The government invested 2020 5,8 m € and 2,9 m € in 2021 respectively. So the totals are not really changed by the investments. For this post, we will highlight the investments and deals in blue and red, since they are colors also used in the state’s crest.






Rhine-Main Venture Capital Report Series (Chronological)

Browse the complete series tracking venture funding in the Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region:

How Much Did Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Startups Raise in H1 2022?

Startups in the Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main area raised more venture capital in the first half of 2022 than in all of 2021. Large deals drove the volume, including Volocopter reaching unicorn status with €150M, Wingcopter raising €40M, Enviria securing €22.5M, and Tvarit closing €2.8M. By mid-year, the region had already surpassed half a billion euros in total startup funding.

Introduction

This edition of Startuprad.io's exclusive Rhine-Main Venture Capital Report reveals that startups in the Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main area raised more funding in H1 2022 alone than in the entire previous year. Large deals drove the overall numbers, with Volocopter becoming a unicorn through its €150M raise and Wingcopter securing €40M. The report also covers Q2 2022 deals including Enviria (€22.5M), Compredict (€5.5M), and Tvarit (€2.8M). The Venture Capital Forum (VCF) at vc-forum.eu was positioned as an accelerator for financing in the region.

The Rhine-Main region demonstrated exceptional startup funding momentum in H1 2022, surpassing total 2021 volumes in just six months. Volocopter's €150M raise that pushed it to unicorn status was the standout deal, complemented by Wingcopter's €40M and several other significant rounds. By mid-year, the region had already passed half a billion euros in total funding. The report, part of Startuprad.io's exclusive Rhine-Main VC Report series, also noted corona aid investments from the state of Hessen totaling €5.8M in 2020 and €2.9M in 2021.

  • Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main startups raised more VC in H1 2022 than in all of 2021, driven by several large deals.

  • Volocopter reached unicorn status with a €150M funding round, the region's flagship deal.

  • Q2 2022 saw notable deals including Wingcopter (€40M), Enviria (€22.5M), Compredict (€5.5M), and Tvarit (€2.8M).

  • The region had already passed half a billion euros in total startup funding by mid-2022.

  • The Venture Capital Forum (VCF) at vc-forum.eu served as a regional accelerator for financing connections.

Entities Referenced in This Episode

Startups

  • Volocopter — Air taxi/eVTOL, unicorn status with €150M raise

  • Wingcopter — Drone delivery, €40M raise

  • Enviria — €22.5M raise

  • Compredict — €5.5M raise

  • Tvarit — Industrial AI, €2.8M raise

Organizations

  • Venture Capital Forum (VCF) — Regional VC accelerator at vc-forum.eu

  • State of Hessen — Provided corona aid investments (€5.8M in 2020, €2.9M in 2021)

Regions

  • Greater Frankfurt / Rhine-Main Area — Focus region for the VC report

Topics

  • Venture capital report, startup funding, unicorn status, eVTOL, drone delivery, regional VC ecosystem, corona aid

Relationship Map

  • Volocopter → reached unicorn status → €150M raise (Rhine-Main)

  • Wingcopter → raised → €40M (Q2 2022, Rhine-Main)

  • Rhine-Main region → H1 2022 funding → exceeded all of 2021

  • VCF (vc-forum.eu) → serves as → regional VC accelerator

  • State of Hessen → provided → corona aid (€5.8M 2020, €2.9M 2021)

Quote Highlights

  • On H1 2022 funding: "Startups in the greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main area raised more venture capital in the first half of 2022 than in all of 2021."

  • On deal volume: 28 deals worth 470+ million Euros (~480 m US$, ~460 m CHF) tracked in H1 2022.

  • On Hy2Gen: 200 million Euros — described as the world's largest private investment in green hydrogen.

  • On Volocopter: The deal making Volocopter a unicorn with 150 million Euros.

  • On Cansativa: 13 million Euros raised — the investors include Snoop Dog.

  • On outlook: Already passed half a billion Euros — strong momentum continuing into H2 2022.

  • On corona aid: 20 investments over 2020 and 2021 by the State of Hessen as corona aid, valued at 8.8 million Euros.

Related Episodes on Startuprad.io

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How much did Rhine-Main startups raise in H1 2022?

Startups in the Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main area raised more in H1 2022 than in all of 2021, surpassing half a billion euros by mid-year. Large deals like Volocopter's €150M and Wingcopter's €40M drove the overall volume.

Is Volocopter a unicorn?

Yes, Volocopter achieved unicorn status (valuation exceeding €1 billion) through its €150M funding round in the Rhine-Main region, making it one of the flagship companies in the Frankfurt startup ecosystem.

What is the Rhine-Main Venture Capital Report?

The Rhine-Main Venture Capital Report is an exclusive Startuprad.io series tracking startup funding activity in the Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main area. It is described as the only independent English-language VC report for the region.

About the Host

Joern "Joe" Menninger is the host of the Startuprad.io podcast and covers founders, investors, and policy developments across the DACH startup ecosystem. Through more than 1,300 interviews and nearly a decade of reporting, he documents the evolution of the European startup landscape. Follow Joern on LinkedIn.

Support Startuprad.io

The DACH startup ecosystem continues to attract significant venture capital across its key regions. Startuprad.io partners with a select number of companies seeking high-trust visibility among founders, investors, and operators across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Explore partnership options here: Partner with Startuprad.io

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