BayStartUP: the startup network.

BayStartUP is the Bavarian startup network for startups, investors and corporates. As the central institution for startup financing in Bavaria, we support innovative founders in building up their companies and raising venture capital.

BayStartUP coordinates one of the largest investor networks in Europe and has become one of the most important contact points for startups seeking venture capital. Founders with innovative and, above all, technology-based business ideas receive targeted support from us in order to successfully enter the market and arrange the first financing rounds. We act as a neutral and non-commercial contact for startups and investors alike.

For private and institutional investors, BayStartUP ensures a qualified deal flow and offers startup insights at exclusive business angel meetings and investor conferences.

We bring established companies and startups together through nationwide startup industry cooperations and provide conceptual advice on the development of suitable strategies between startups and medium-sized companies.

BayStartUP and its predecessor organizations have been active in the Bavarian startup scene since 1996. In over 20 years on the market, we have built up both a  vast knowledge and network in the areas of startup financing and growth that is unique in Germany. Since the dotcom bubble at the beginning of the 2000s, we have seen almost every hype come and go and have learned to identify the really strong startups out there.

• We provide startups with real expert insights into financing issues and the needs and requirements of investors. 
• We only present pre-qualified business models to investors in our network; we know all investors personally and know what investment interests they are pursuing. 
• In cooperation projects with industrial companies, we respond individually to search fields and requirements and can put ourselves in the shoes of both the startup and industrial perspective. 
• Our sponsors actively support the startup scene with their expertise and industry experience – we actively involve them in the cooperation with the founders.

We are proud to be able to act as an absolutely neutral authority between startups and other stakeholders. This is made possible by our shareholder structure, which is based on two support associations. At BayStartUP, we are open to the topics of our startups, investors and industrial customers. We operate throughout Bavaria, and are also contact partners beyond Bavaria's borders, especially in the context of our Venture Conferences and industry cooperations.

We offer startups, investors and industrial companies networking opportunities on a wide variety of platforms, ranging from high-caliber and in some cases exclusive award events of our business plan competitions to the legendary Startup Demo Nights. Our partner network runs throughout Bavaria – with universities, municipalities, start-up institutions and coworking spaces. Last but not least, our coaching in all Bavarian digital incubators gives us an excellent overview of the regional startup scene and actively brings together founders and other players from the ecosystem.

• Companies supported by BayStartUP are now active in the market with over 13,100 employees and generate sales of almost €1.4 billion (as of December 2017). 
• These include ten IPOs and success stories such as Flixbus, eGym, Exasol, Magazino, Voxeljet, numares, Transporeon and va-Q-tec AG.
• Between 2015 and 2019 alone, the BayStartUP investor network actively mediated over 259 financing rounds and was able to arrange a financing volume of over EUR 263 million.
• Over 350 business angels and family offices are active in the BayStartUP investor network. In addition, more than 150 venture capitalists from the early-stage sector rely on our deal flow. 
• The ticket amount for financing rounds in the BayStartUP investor network is around 200,000 euros, which is above the German average. 
• BayStartUP was founded in 2014 from the predecessor organizations netzwerk nordbayern e.V. and Evobis GmbH.
• The Munich Business Plan Competition was – together with the Berlin-Brandenburg Business Plan Competition – the first business plan competition in Germany. 
• The Northern Bavaria Business Plan Competition, which was first held in 1999, is the first business plan competition in Germany that is specifically aimed at founders from the region and is not tied to a metropolitan area.

In all our activities we are supported by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs as well as corporations from various industries.