Collaborations between start-ups and established companies are considered an important innovation factor for growth and progress. They keep Germany competitive as a business location. 87% of companies say that startups have become an important innovation partner for them. In contrast, only 11% of start-ups rate the willingness of companies to cooperate as high. These are two of the findings of the “Collaborate to Innovate” study conducted by the German Startups Association and the consulting firm Accenture.
Sales and innovation as a benefit
For the study, almost 500 companies (360 start-ups and 130 established companies) were asked about their experiences with cooperation projects at the beginning of 2025. What are the challenges for both sides and what conclusions can be drawn from this?
Start-ups see the greatest benefit in the sales opportunities, 72%, and market validation, 50%, that they receive for their product. By working with companies, they can further develop their new product, obtain distribution channels and scale up.
For companies, the biggest driver for collaborations (90%) is the innovation potential that start-ups bring to their companies.
Number of cooperations declining
Despite the win-win situation for both sides, the proportion of start-ups cooperating with companies has fallen from 72% in 2020 to 62% in 2024. While the proportion of successful projects in the cooperation process was still 41% at the initiation stage, this figure has fallen to 27% at the proof of concept stage, 17% at the implementation stage and only 8% of cooperation projects make it to scaling.
Companies are also increasingly focusing on scale-ups (at least 25 employees), 73%, which promise quick results, and less on start-ups, 57%, which can only generate revenue in the medium term.
Touchpoints in the startup ecosystem
The ecosystem in Germany has become more professional in recent years and, with more than 20,000 start-ups, offers great potential for cooperation.
To come together, both sides rely most heavily on events & conferences, 79% startups, 80% companies. Meeting in person, gaining a real impression of each other and building trust is seen as particularly important for successful collaboration.
However, online platforms – 47% startups, 57% companies – and networks & associations – 66% startups, 63% companies – are also used. A clear sign for the ecosystem to continue to provide an appropriate offering here.
Bringing opposing cultures together for successful cooperation projects
63% of startups fear a loss of speed when working with companies, 44% fear a loss of strategic freedom. For 59% of startups, the challenges lie in complex decision-making processes and for 49% in avoiding risks with established companies.
The companies see challenges in the limited resources (48%), a high level of uncertainty due to new products (35%) and the high compliance requirements (31%). Only 28% expect a return on investment from the cooperation.
The study therefore concludes:
For joint projects to work, conflicting corporate cultures and different needs for speed and security must be reconciled. Start-ups should find a way to keep processes and coordination channels lean, even if they have an increased communication effort as a result of the cooperation. Companies, on the other hand, should always be aware of how crucial innovation is for their profitability and competitiveness.
This is also important in order to close the investment gap in the field of AI, but also in economic growth overall, between Germany (4% growth since 2015) and the USA (17% growth since 2015). This is another finding of the study.
The complete study can be downloaded here
