Break boundaries and take the next step in your open innovation strategy
It is no wonder that the expression “Made in Germany” has become synonymous with quality all over the world. Germany is a reference in innovation and is in a leading position in several rankings in the area. Good examples of these highlights are the expression Industry 4.0, coined and popularized by Germany; the innovation hubs, originally created in Germany decades ago and which in recent years have become models adapted to Brazilian innovation habitats and; currently, the expression Green and Digital Transition, which seeks convergence between digitization and sustainability.
The country has unique characteristics that make it a great power in the generation and exploration of new ideas, especially those based on high technology. Among the assets they have, we can mention the excellent governance, which collaboratively involves the government, companies and civil society; quality education, which has Dual Training as an example; the agile patent system and; finally, the quality and availability of research institutes aimed at serving the market.
We talk about innovation because it is the theme that drives startups, which need a quality innovation ecosystem to be born, strengthen and gain scale. And that is why, among other reasons, Germany is among the top 10 innovation hubs in the world and one of the main ones in Europe.
Currently, Germany has more than 70,000 startups, which operate mainly in the areas of Information Technology, Industry 4.0, Mobility and Health, and are mostly based in the regions of Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.
WHY CONNECT WITH GERMAN STARTUPS
Among the main reasons to connect with foreign startups, we can mention:
- Scarcity of local startups focused on the solutions that the company’s challenge demands;
- Previous connection made with most of the local startups that could solve the company’s challenges
- Relevant and qualified offers from startups in another country that can solve the company’s challenges.
However, speaking more specifically of Germany, we can mention some characteristics of startups in this country:
- Created from the beginning for international operations, German startups have a significant participation of foreign founders
- They have a high level of digitization and use of new technologies in their processes (mostly hardtech)
- Average age of 2.4 years and the vast majority in the process of making their first sales viable or even more advanced
- Around 30% have revenues above 500,000 euros and more than 80% choose to finance their activities using equity capital (bootstrapping).
HOW TO CONNECT WITH GERMAN STARTUPS
Eventos
Throughout the year, AHK São Paulo’s Innovation and Sustainability Department promotes bilateral events that, in addition to offering high-quality content, provide an opportunity to connect with Brazilians and Germans startups that are part of our ecosystem.
Immersions
The immersions in innovation and sustainability provide, in addition to direct experience with the most diverse sectors of the German innovation ecosystem, the connection with the main companies, research institutes and startups in Germany. Through visits and networking sessions, immersions are an opportunity to expand opportunities and strengthen your company’s open innovation.
Open innovation
Startups Connected is an open innovation program that, for eight years, has been connecting corporates and startups, as well as other players in the German-Brazilian innovation and sustainability ecosystem, to generate impact, projects and business. Some of our tools are: matchmaking, project acceleration, startup acceleration and mapping.
HOW AND WHY AHK CAN HELP YOU
What is AHK – its relationship with Germany and German institutions
The German-Brazilian Chamber of São Paulo (AHK São Paulo) has officially represented the German economy in Brazil for 105 years, acting as a base for strengthening and diversifying its members’ businesses, attracting investment to Brazil, expanding the bilateral trade and cooperation between both countries. The institution represents 800 German and Brazilian companies that together generate around 10% of the Brazilian industrial GDP and directly employ 250,000 people.
What is DIS
Since 2012, AHK São Paulo’s Department of Innovation and Sustainability has provided tools and knowledge so that our ecosystem, made up of associated companies, startups and other actors, takes advantage of opportunities and prepares for the challenges arising from new topics and solutions that are transforming the world as we know it today.
What is DIS’s relation with startups and bilateral cooperation
The Department of Innovation and Sustainability at AHK São Paulo acts as a facilitating agent for the execution of connections and projects between companies and startups. We generate awareness and authority based on tools aimed at improving, growing in existing markets and exploring new markets for our ecosystem, based on cooperation and exchange between initiatives in Brazil and Germany.