The startup scene in Germany

Dortmund’s official city economy page identifies information technology, micro- and nanotechnology, logistics, biomedicine, and robotics as local future sectors, and describes the city in a Rhein-Ruhr regional context. [49833]

TU Dortmund reports that the TechnologieZentrumDortmund was established next to campus in 1985 and that more than 300 companies are based in the technology park. The center lists activity in biotechnology, biomedicine, electrical engineering, information technology, logistics, mechanical engineering, micro- and nanotechnology, and production technology. [49836, 49837]

TU Dortmund says its Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer received the Excellence Start-up Center.NRW designation in 2019, and describes the BRYCK Start-up Alliance as focused on technology-oriented startups and deep tech in the Ruhr region. The center also connects startups with established companies, especially regional SMEs, to identify cooperation and knowledge- and technology-transfer opportunities. [49835, 49840]

Examples of companies connected to Dortmund include adesso, which says it was founded in the city in 1997 and reported more than 10,000 employees when it opened an expanded headquarters there in April 2024; TU Dortmund spin-off KyDo Therapeutics, formed in 2024; and iDEL Therapeutics, which NRW.BANK reported was established in September 2025 and based at the Biomedicine Centre Dortmund. NRW.BANK reported that iDEL raised a €9 million seed round on March 17, 2026, including a €3.5 million investment from NRW.Venture, to advance its technology and prepare for clinical evaluation. [49841, 49843, 49846, 49845]