Miriam Partington
2 min read
hile the German city of Frankfurt is known for its financial expertise, startups in the region are gaining ground in many areas - not just in fintech.
While Frankfurt Rhine-Main has long been associated with its esteemed financial industry and corporate reputation, the evolution of the startup scene has given the region an entrepreneurial makeover.
Fintech is naturally Frankfurt's dominant area of expertise. During 2012 and 2017, 55 percent of all local VC investments were acquired by fintech startups. But this is not all that the region has to offer. Frankfurt has an impressive landscape of industries from engineering to logistics and is set to become a global contender in areas such as AI, cybersecurity and blockchain.
To get you in the know about Frankfurt’s startup scene, we’ve put together a list of companies to keep on your radar. All of the startups are featured in our Startup Guide Frankfurt book which can be pre-purchased online here.
Africa GreenTec is the startup behind the Solartrainer, a mobile 50kW power plant that provides power, water, and internet to rural areas in Africa. The company aims to become one of the largest eco-driven, renewable and decentralized energy, water and communications providers by empowering people toward “self-determination and prosperity.”
Cargosteps is a B2B logistics platform aimed at streamlining communication in the logistics industry. The team have designed a web and mobile app for couriers which automates backloads, the extra packages a courier picks up on their return journey, through a tracking solution. The app proactively checks the status of shipments and automatically updates all stakeholders, saving time and money.
Clark is a robo-advisor for insurance, aimed at making the complex world of insurance cheaper and more comprehensive. The Clark iOS, Android and web app uses algorithms that analyzes the customers’ current insurance coverage and automatically searches for and recommends a new and better coverage solution at the most favorable price.
Emma Matratze set out to revolutionize the way people buy their mattresses through a “convenience-driven” approach. Instead of visiting an endless amount of stores, customers can purchase a mattress online where it will delivered to their home in a box in a matter of days.
FRAMEN enables people to stream high-quality photos to any screen – including Smart TVS, tablets and mobile phones – turning previously dark spaces into beautiful, inspiring photo displays.
Lizza boasts of making the “world’s healthiest pizza.” Made of organic flaxseed and chia seeds, this pizza has barely any carbohydrates, and is rich in fibre, protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Cofounder Matthias Kramer says that what they sell is “healthy convenience.”
MINDS Medical aim to reduce the time doctors spend in inputting medical code (the aplhanumeric system used to describe all diseases and maladies in medical records). Using artificial intelligence, the company automates medical coding in order to maximize the time doctors spend with their patients.
This clean-energy company provide software and services to industrial clients in order to help them move to local, renewable power production. This saves cash and reduces overall CO2 emissions. Cofounder Matthias Karger says that nodeenergy is their way of creating “a climate-friendly landscape.”
Read also: Inside Frankfurt's top coworking spaces
Just so you’re aware of how we selected these startups in Frankfurt Rhine-Main, we sorted through nominations from the community before a local advisory board helped us curate the final list.
All photos: Daniela Carducci/Startup Guide
Miriam Partington
Miriam is a freelance writer and content strategist covering tech, sustainability, art and culture. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out in Berlin's galleries, or tucked behind the pages of a book in a cafe.
