“Cologne as a business location is characterised by an amazingly diverse mix of industries. Trade, industry, services, logistics, media and digitalisation startups – all companies active in these sectors profit from the competition of ideas and the associated networking. The great emotional link that connects all industries and forms the very special bond that the people working here have with this city. It’s knowing you can celebrate anything here in Cologne, announcing a goal, a vision – you don’t have to wait until the project has become a reality.”
“Cologne is the ideal business location for innovative companies because the metropolis on the Rhine, with a long tradition as a centre for creativity and innovation in the middle of one of Europe’s strongest economic regions in terms of turnover, offers the best opportunities for regional and national networking – in an environment that is tolerant, multicultural, cosmopolitan and truly worth living in.”
“Its lightness, cosmopolitanism and quality of life: those are what make Cologne so liveable and lovable, both as a place for living and a place for doing business. I don’t know of a single case where the hiring of new employees would have failed because the applicant and their family did not want to go to Cologne – on the contrary.”
It is known as the city on the Rhine. Cologne amazes with its natural beauty and outstands with a remarkable quality of life. For startups and entrepreneurs, it’s a straight path to success. With a central location – right in the heart of Europe -, great connections and infrastructure – both digital and non digital -, the city thrives to support your business. In Cologne, you will find Massive B2B & B2C opportunities in a friendly ecosystem (helping each other and open to others) and a hotspot for strong verticals, such as Insuretch, Digital Health, Games and much more. By landing on this trade fair city, you can be sure to achieve – cement – sky high talent.
To travel to Germany as a foreigner, you will need a valid passport and visa:
A residence and work permit will also be required. All the info on how to get these documents is right here [pages 5 and 6].
In Germany, there are quite a few taxes that you should be aware of. A brief description of each can be found here [pages 10 and 11].
Feel free to talk to Cologne’s major entrepreneurs and get all the advice you need about the city as a tech hub.
Check out the major accelerators and incubators in the city and pave your way to knowledge sharing and/or advanced mentorship, and other relevant resources.
Wondering how you can set up and start your business in Cologne? This guide is a great source of help. More synthetic info on pages 8 and 9 of this file.
Choose whichever bank you link in Cologne and know that online and direct banks are common in Germany. This should make things much easier for you.
Attractive, innovative and digital. Cologne’s business location has many advantages for you and can all be found here. If you want detailed info about top locations or site offerings, this guide is your best option.
| Advice about Capital | Major VC’s in the region |
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Know all of Cologne’s active VC’s through this link. |
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Germany’s dual education system, as well as the continued education opportunities the country provides, help explain the huge talent you can find there. Get access to all the best human resources you need through the following links: Startup jobs; Startup job list.
Cologne boasts 18+ universities and colleges. The University of Cologne, in particular has been a German University of Excellence since 2012. Check out the list of the city’s universities – that offer both technical or business programs.
Since 2020, more than 30 startups and scaleups have joined Cologne. They’re all here and they keep coming!
“Establishing means diversity”. This was the motto of last year’s startup week, a five day online event that revolved around female entrepreneurship. Since then, Cologne keeps advocating even more founders in the tech scene. Building the #FemupStartups initiative is one of the biggest next steps.
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is funding 24 5G projects, six of which with Cologne participation. Know about the pioneering work the city is doing regarding this subject.
There are five important programs that the Startercenter of ‘KölnBusiness’ promotes for startups. If you still don’t know them, click here.
Whether you’re expanding or relocating your business, The business service of ‘KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderung’ can help you through the process. More details here.
Arriving in Cologne is stepping foot on 2000 years of history. More than 1M people of more than 180 nationalities live in the city, the 4th biggest in Germany. Feel welcomed as well to this modern metropolis on the Rhime and delight yourself with cultural treasures, from museums to romanesque churches. And eat all you feel like in the city’s more than 3000 cafes and restaurants. Here you can explore in detail why you’ll enjoy the city so much.
The Startup in Residence Program allows the municipality to serve as a launching customer to startups by providing the opportunity to solve ..
