• On average, startups in Germany have 13 employees
• Three-quarters expect employee numbers to rise this year

The recent difficult economic situation has also had an impact on jobs at startups. On average, they currently have 13 employees, down from 15 a year ago. However, the trend is different this year: on average, there are two vacancies at every start-up. These are the findings of a survey of 152 tech start-ups commissioned by the digital association Bitkom. “The general economic uncertainty has not left many start-ups unscathed. Now the signs are pointing to growth again in terms of employee numbers,” says Bitkom President Dr Ralf Wintergerst.

The vast majority of founders are confident about employment trends in the current year. Three quarters (75 percent) expect the number of employees to rise in 2025, while just 2 percent anticipate a decline.

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 152 tech start-ups in Germany were surveyed online. The survey took place between calendar weeks 12 and 21 of 2025. The survey is not representative, but provides a meaningful snapshot of the mood among tech start-ups in Germany. The questions were: ‘How many employees, including all founders, are currently employed in your start-up?’, ‘How many vacancies are there currently in your start-up?’ and ‘How do you expect the number of employees in your start-up to develop in 2025?’