Companies with unicorn status in Berlin
A multicultural, ‘happening tourist spot and a renowned city for art— there are many different ways to describe the city of Berlin. Did you know that Berlin is also well known for its start-up culture?
Reason-Why Berlin states that more than 40,000 new business ventures start in the city every year. No other German city has such a sophisticated and well-functioning business infrastructure that can nurture start-ups. Berlin can truly be considered as the Silicon Valley of Germany.
The business-friendly laws and the diversity of talent found in the city has helped many Berlin-based start-ups achieve unicorn status. The word unicorn is used to refer to privately owned start-ups that have reached a valuation of more than $1 billion.
Read on if you are interested in experiencing the start-up culture in Berlin and would like to know more about unicorn companies in Berlin.
1. N26
Max and Valentin started N26 in 2013 to revolutionise the banking industry in Europe. N26’s vision is to help customers manage their money from the comfort of their homes.
Since then, this German unicorn has blossomed into a huge company comprising of more than 1,500 people and operations spread across Europe and the United States.
N26 achieved a valuation of $2.7 billion and became a unicorn in 2019. That year, it also overtook Revolut as the most valuable mobile bank in Europe.
Recently a GISMA Graduate working at N26 shared her experiences with current GISMA Students, read about it here. https://www.gisma.com/blog/gisma-alumni-hosts-a-talk-on-n26
2. Mambu
Mambu is another renowned German start-up in the fin-tech space. Mambu began its journey by bringing world-class banking technology within the reach of microfinance companies and organisations in Berlin in 2011.
Today, Mambu provides a state-of-the-art SaaS banking platform to more than 100 finance companies across 26 countries. Mambu’s customer list includes top tier banks and telcos like OakNorth, Globe Telecom and Orange.
In 2021, Mambu secured €110 million in funding and reached a valuation of €1.7 billion which made it the first German unicorn of 2021. This new funding will help the company solidify its footprint in more than 50 countries.
3. Wefox group
The Wefox group is the fastest growing insurance company in Germany that uses technology to connect insurance providers, distributors and customers. It is also Europe’s first digital insurance carrier which has helped establish its reputation in the global insurance industry.
Have a great business idea for a start-up but don’t know where to start? The M.Sc. Innovation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship programme from the GISMA Business School can provide the relevant expertise.
The programme is designed to stimulate your entrepreneurial instincts which can help you succeed as a start-up founder in today’s fast-paced business world. Studying at GISMA will also give you access to Berlin’s vibrant start-up scene.
The programme is offered by the Grenoble Ecole de Management which is a triple-accredited institution in Germany. The programme can provide you with many business skills like project management and time management.
Click here to learn more about the programme at GISMA.
Founded in 2015, this unicorn start-up has witnessed impressive growth in just four years. Currently headquartered in Berlin, Wefox achieved unicorn status in 2019.
4. Omio
Omio is a fairly well-known German start-up in the travel space. Established in 2012 as GoEuro, Omio is currently active in more than 15 European countries and employs a little over 300 people.
Omio offers booking and travel comparison services for European travel in 12 languages. The easy-to-use platform covers 207 airports, 10,000 central bus stations and 20,000 train stations in Europe. Omio has also expanded operations to Canada and the USA in 2020.
Omio achieved its unicorn status in 2018. The company has over 27 million monthly users and partnerships with 800 travel partners.
Other names in the unicorn companies of Berlin include Sennder which is a leading digital logistics company, and GetYourGuide which is an online travel agency.
Pursuing courses in business management or entrepreneurship can help you acquire the relevant expertise to start a business from scratch. It also allows you to improve your networking and communication skills which are important in the business world.
At GISMA you can study a wide variety of business related programmes in the triumphant start-up city of Berlin. The GISMA Berlin campus is located in the heart of the city, close to some of the key players in the corporate world as well as prestigious unicorn start-ups. Berlin is an extremely popular destination for students looking to work in Germany after their studies due the vast amount of opportunities on their doorstep.
Invest in one of our programmes today to begin your start-up journey.