Free startup directories in Germany (checked October 2026)

A startup in Germany can get a free listing on Startbase, the Munich Startup Platform, the Berlin tech ecosystem map, the Gründerküche Startup-Guide, the startupmag.de Startup Datenbank and the Projektify Startup Verzeichnis, and a free article on Meet New Brands. Two well-known German directories charge for a profile, so we name those too. We checked every site in October 2026; terms change, so look at the current conditions before you fill in a form.

Why bother with directories?

When a journalist, an investor or an AI assistant looks for new startups in Berlin or Munich, the answer is often assembled from public databases and lists. A complete profile on a few trusted sites, with the same one-line description, logo, city and website everywhere, makes it more likely that your company shows up, described the way you want. It also gives your site a handful of links from established domains. None of this replaces customers, so keep it to an afternoon: the sites below are the ones worth that afternoon in Germany.

Startbase: the German startup database

Startbase is the largest German-language startup directory, with thousands of companies listed by city and founding year, plus news and statistics. Adding your company goes through "Firma hinzufügen" after you create an account, which Startbase says takes less than a minute and is free ("in weniger als 1 Minute kostenlos anmelden"). There is also an English edition at startbase.com. Good for: being in the database German startup media and researchers use most.

Munich Startup Platform: Munich and the region

The Munich Startup Platform lists around 1,500 startups from Munich and the surrounding region, with filters for business model, industry, founding year, team size and stage, next to a knowledge hub, events and jobs. Founders register through "Startup eintragen", which asks for an account (name, email, password) and then a startup profile; the form shows no fee. Good for: Munich startups that want to be found by the city's investors and support organisations.

The Berlin tech ecosystem map, powered by Dealroom

startup-map.berlin shows startups, scaleups, investors and accelerators in Berlin and Brandenburg, with funding rounds, jobs and reports. It runs on Dealroom, so a Berlin company appears here through its Dealroom profile: create or claim the profile on Dealroom and keep it correct, and the Berlin map picks it up. Dealroom's founder help pages say founders who claim their profile get six months of free Premium access. Good for: Berlin startups, and for making sure investors see correct funding and team data.

Gründerküche Startup-Guide

Gründerküche is a German founders' magazine with a Startup-Guide and map. The entry is free (the form says "kostenlos" and the menu says "Eintrag erstellen Gratis") and needs no account up front: you give a name and email, a title, a description of about 250 to 300 words, a one or two sentence summary, at least one category, tags and your contact details, and login details arrive by mail afterwards. Good for: a German-language profile with a proper description, which search engines like.

startupmag.de Startup Datenbank

The Startup Datenbank on startupmag.de lists German startups by industry with founding year, location and business model. The button says "Startup kostenlos eintragen" and leads to a free profile form; a premium entry with more detail exists but is on request and not priced on the page. Good for: another German-language profile that costs you ten minutes.

Projektify Startup Verzeichnis

Projektify runs a German-language directory of young companies and digital projects. Listing is free, no account is created, and Projektify checks each entry before it appears, which keeps the list clean. It is not Germany-only; you will find companies from other countries in it. Good for: a quick, free German-language entry for a product or project.

Meet New Brands: a free article, not just a listing

Meet New Brands writes free stories about young European startups and keeps a brands directory, both in English so that they are found internationally. It is editorial: the editors choose the startups, check every fact with the founders before publishing and never take payment; the only thing asked in return is a repost on the founder's personal LinkedIn. German startups with recent news are also added to the running lists of new startups in Berlin, Munich and Germany. You can pitch your story in about five minutes.

Two German directories that charge

Two sites that come up in every search are not free, so you can skip them unless you want to pay. mystartups.de sells a startup profile for 59.99 euro (one-off, marked as a paid entry) and a founder interview for 149.99 euro; only the account is free. Hamburg Startups lists companies through its Startup Club membership, and the club page prices its packages, so check it before you count on a free entry. deutsche-startups.de and Gründerszene are news sites, not directories: there is nothing to register, but both take news tips from founders.

What to prepare before you start

Have these ready and you can do all of the above in one sitting: a one-sentence description (what you make, for whom), a longer description of about 250 words in German and in English, your logo as a square PNG, the founding year, city, website, the founders' names and roles, your industry and business model, and one product image. Use exactly the same wording and website address everywhere; small differences between profiles are what make AI assistants and journalists unsure which version is right.

FAQ

Which startup directories in Germany are free? Startbase, the Munich Startup Platform, the Berlin tech ecosystem map (via Dealroom), the Gründerküche Startup-Guide, the startupmag.de Startup Datenbank and the Projektify Startup Verzeichnis all let a startup create a profile for free, checked in October 2026. Meet New Brands writes free articles about young European startups.

Which ones charge? mystartups.de charges 59.99 euro for a profile, and Hamburg Startups works through its Startup Club membership with priced packages.

Do I also need the European and global directories? Yes, if you want to be found outside Germany. See our checked lists of free startup directories in Europe and free websites to submit your startup.