It may be successful now, but the German biotech sector has had a bumpy past. When the global financial crisis overcame Europe in 2008, it hit rock bottom. Merely a decade later, Germany’s biotech sector has bounced back and is flourishing more than ever. With this boom of economic growth and stability comes the formation, support and establishment of new companies.
Germany’s thriving life sciences ecosystem provides the perfect foundation for startups: universities, research institutions, large companies, medium-sized companies, venture capital providers, government funding programs, incubators and accelerators. They all create a tightly woven support network, which gives biotech startups a foot in the door and provides them with funding opportunities, equipment, office space, expertise and networking opportunities.
The German government sees the formation of startups as an essential part for the development and expansion of the German biotech industry. BIO Deutschland is the sector association of the German biotech industry. Based in Berlin, it has more than 330 members, who promote and support the development of the German biotech sector as a strong economic entity.
Participating member companies and their experts work in organized groups to ensure the improvement and development of legal affairs for small and medium-sized companies. They deal with bio-IT, big data and e-health, entrepreneurship, innovation and jobs, diagnostics, financing and taxation, German-American co-operation, health policy, human resources, industrial bio-economy, industrial cell technology, public relations, regulatory affairs, protection rights and technical contracts, and technology transfer.
But without money not much can be done. In order to strengthen their business models and their financial resources, many companies decide to list on the stock exchange. Many of them turn their backs on their domestic markets and look towards foreign ones instead. Euronext, is one such stock exchange, which has recently expanded across Europe. Especially in the life science sector, it has become a listing choice for many European companies.
Euronext has recognized the current biotech momentum taking place in Europe, and is determined to contribute to the biotech industry by raising money, creating jobs and consequently supporting companies. Especially SMEs can benefit from this, as Euronext is allocating dedicated resources to the financing of SMEs within the life sciences sector.
BIO Deutschland and Euronext have teamed up with Labiotech to create the first ever German Biotech Startup Report. To date, we have released the first article introducing the German biotech startup scene, and there are more to be released periodically. Also, we have collected company profiles on all Startups founded between 2016 and 2017. Company profiles feature key information, including leadership and financial data.
The German Biotech Startup Report will give you an insight into the history of the German biotech sector, delve into Germany’s flourishing biotech ecosystem, deliver companies’ success stories and show you how to thrive as a biotech startup in Germany. Check it out here!