Seezing The Best Business Opportunities In Dusseldorf

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If you want to grow big in business, Dusseldorf is a place worth thinking of. This guide can help you to become a startup star in the city of media, innovation and growth.

Dusseldorf is known for its variety of industries and as the Germany’s centre of fashion, advertisement and communication. Furthermore, the city stands out for its major fairground in Dusseldorf Stockum, the great transportation facilities and international airport.

During the past few years the startup scene in Dusseldorf became bigger and more multifunctional – many young people took the chance to start their own business and it worked out. Currently there are many events in Dusseldorf organized specifically for startups helping them find their ways into business world. Besides, there are really good consulting companies, which are focused on startups and support them during their way to real business world. In addition, Dusseldorf has different co-working spaces, which serve as startup incubators and meeting points for startups.

By The River Of Rhine

Advantages Of Starting Up In Dusseldorf:

  • International airport hub with low-cost airlines. Dusseldorf Airport offers you more than 180 flights all around the world.
  • Big international community.
  • The most prominent scientist in the field of advertisement, telecommunication and management consultancy.
  • One of the most important exhibition centres in Nordrhein-Westfalen.
  • Dusseldorf has a well-expanded infrastructure.
  • One of the highest buildings of Germany is located in Dusseldorf, the “Fernsehturm” reaches 240,50m up in the air.
  • A good traffic connection.
  • Perfect city for networking.
  • Dusseldorf is the best region to start your own business, if you want to design a fancy startup company.

What Startup Founders Have To Consider:

  • The startup scene in Dusseldorf has just started.
  • Costs of living are very high.
  • German darkbeer is very special 😉

With over 600.000 inhabitants, Dusseldorf is a medium-sized city that has everything you need – culture, great restaurants and a relaxing atmosphere. Dusseldorf is a multicultural city.

#1 Get Around In Dusseldorf’s Neighbourhood

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Dusseldorf has a very friendly ecosystem of entrepreneurs. Many international companies are using the meetups as an effective channel for networking, looking for talents and business opportunities. When you move to Dusseldorf, you have to know that there are many events and meetups, where you can get in touch with other people who want to start own company.

Upcoming Events, Meetups And Other Occasions:

  • Meetup is a monthly event for educating, inspiring and connecting entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneurs Anonymous Meetup & B.U.I.L.D Meetup offer the opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn from each other and build up new concepts. It is the best way to be connected and to register on their website for all resources.
  • StartupDorf believes that Dusseldorf, capital city of the state of NRW and center of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region with 11 million people, is a hub of entrepreneurial driven innovations, creativity and high-technology. Innovators and entrepreneurs are everywhere, they just need to come together to collaborate and share the clear vision that leads to a vibrant startup community.
  • Lean DUS offers frequently events, where speakers talk about their experience and give an overview of important startup topics. A chapter of Global Internet Startups Meetup group.
  • Startplatz is a network of inspiring speeches and ideas, and short impulse talks. You can discuss your ideas, talk about your individual problems and create possible solutions.
  • Für Gründer gives you the chance to visit an international event in Dusseldorf, which takes place in more than 100 countries. 54 hours just to build new ideas, discuss in powerful sit-togethers and to be well-prepared for the next steps.
  • Deutsche Startups is the ticket service for startups. Inform yourself about global events.

Yearly Or Major Events, Festivals, Conferences:

  • Gründerküche is the portal, where here you can find a lot of events, not only the ones that take place in Dusseldorf but also in other cities of Germany.
  • Gründerszene is the portal to search for events suitable for your individual founder situation. A lot of these events are once a year, so look what your favourite event is and visit it.

#2 Boost Productivity In Dusseldorf’s Co-working Spaces

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Dusseldorf is on the verge of becoming the city with the highest co-working density in Germany. Due to high unemployment rate, shared workplaces have emerged all around the city. Dusseldorf offers many consolidated co-working spaces. According to the local representatives, more than 20 co-working spaces are already in operation. With such a high diversity of locations, you can be sure to find the right place for you. The average monthly cost of a private desk is 300€. Various membership packages are available: teams, hourly, part time and even night time!

Co-working Spaces In Dusseldorf:

  • Startup Dorf connects your startup with the local startup community and helps the Dusseldorf ecosystem thrive. It maps the Startup Ecosystem in Dusseldorf. Simply add your startup, accelerator, hackspace, co-working, investment company or anything else that is part of a vibrant startup community.
  • Startplatz is more than just a co-working space. It functions as well as an incubator supporting young founders with the strategic development strategies and successful conversion of their enterprise ideas into success.
  • Gewächshaus offers startups the possibility to rent office premises, not separated and in productive atmosphere. For sure it gives you creative surrounding and communicative atmosphere. Beside the opportunity to work in Gewächshaus Dusseldorf, it also offers a big variety of seminar and conference spaces for workshops, seminars, presentations, meetings and employee’s trainings.
  • Garage Bilk is the number one co-working space of Dusseldorf. Its slogan says ‘Work where and when you want’. But you do not have to work alone. Meet people, visits events and talk to other people about your projects. It will help you to concretize your ideas. Built your own routine, find strong working connections and, at the same, be inspired by the different impression you get.
  • Design Offices offers enterprises an excellent presence, flexibility and networking.

#3 Look For Budget Securing Options In Dusseldorf

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You have a great idea, you have analyzed the market and you need to grow fast to keep your competitive advantage, what’s next? Funding. Mentors. This is a scary stage for most entrepreneurs as they are fearful about giving up control of ‘their baby’ or being too protective over their IP (intellectual property).

Don’t worry, Dusseldorf has a well-established network of mentors, infrastructure and support from an startup ecosystem. They understand startups, their fears, their dreams and aspirations. Rest assured, you are in safe hands! If you already have your co-founder and/or your team and a good idea for your product, here are the early-stage options for you: incubators, government grants and crowd investing platforms.

Incubators:

  • Startplatz is an incubator that supports young founders with the strategic development strategies and successful conversion of their enterprise ideas into a company.
  • Universität Dusseldorf CEDUS provides office space for start-ups in the Life Science Center. They are free-of-charge for a period up to six months. Utilization is conditional upon submitting an outline of a concrete idea for a startup project and supervision by the HHU service for entrepreneurs. The rooms can be used during the opening hours of CEDUS. Concretise ideas for a start-up project and get supervisions by the HHU service for entrepreneurs.
  • 1st Mover is a startup incubator & enterprise consultancy for new digital business. Seed funding and powerful partnerships for startups. Innovation power and digital growth for enterprises.
  • Digitale Stadt Dusseldorf is the best page for new startups to find incubators in Germany. Check out this page and search for the best partner to cooperate.

Accelerators:

  • Celebrating Innovation is the event tailored around Germany’s most innovative high-growth startups with the highest likelihood to reach global success. Learn how to start your rapid US expansion with our government and accelerate your program. Get to know our US-Team and mentors. Meet exciting new companies and technologies “Made in Germany” ready to invest in innovative companies and underline your strengthes. Celebrating innovation is your link to cooperation, academia and policy makers.
  • :agile accelerator is an open innovation hub, that fosters energy related ideas to develop competitive business models. They want to develop new business ideas and bring them to life using the knowledge from the energy sector. The project started in May 2013.

Grants & Subventions:

  • Warth & Klein Grant Thornton provides prize-winning technical expert’s assessment.
  • Startplatz is an incubator that supports young founders with the strategic development strategies and successful conversion of their enterprise ideas into a company.

Crowd Investing Platforms:

  • Startnext wants to support starters of refugee-related projects as much as possible in the financing and implementation of their ideas. On this page you can read articles about the best startups in Germany.
  • Fundsters is the platform where you can find a lot of investors for your startup. As well here you can get in touch with a potential cooperation partner.
  • Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers and other creators to find the resources and support them to build their concrete ideas. Up to now there are ten thousand of creative projects coming to life with the support of the Kickstarter community.

Venture Capital Investors:

  • Capnamic is an fast-paced, down-to-earth, and fair VC with a passion for good ideas and teams. It combines know-how, coaching, network and financial strength of numerous established companies in a fund.
  • Neuhaus Partners  selectively supports companies with outstanding management and technological advantages – in particular in growing markets. Since its founding, the fund has led portfolio companies to several IPOs and numerous trade sales. It is a good address for your startup.
  • Earlybird is an optimistic risk-takers who roll up sleeves. Earlybird is an international venture capital company that invests across multiple stages. It has the potential to reshape markets and change the world around us.
  • eCAPITAL focusses on risk capital for startup companies from the high-tech sector with growth-oriented and profitable projects.
  • High-Tech Gründerfonds is Germany’s most acting and leading seed stage investor. It finances technology-driven companies – whether active in the fields of clean-tech and robotics or are developing chemical processes or new software.
  • Holzbrinck is one of the most successful European venture capital firms that supports founders in building market-leading internet companies. They also invested in Zalando, eDarling and Groupon.

Other Investment Opportunities:

  • NRW Bank is the best coaching service when you need some help to found your startup.
  • Business Angels Netzwerk Deutschland (BAND)  is engaged to build up the Business Angels Culture in Germany. BAND organizes the exchange of experiences and supports co-operations. As an umbrella organization of the German informal venture capital market, BAND is the speaker of the German Business Angels and Business Angels networks.

#4 Seek For Experienced Advisers In Dusseldorf

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There are so many different types of support and initiatives available for startups who consider Dusseldorf as their place to do business. The city wants you to focus on your success and supports your startup idea; Dusseldorf’s startup ecosystem helps you scale faster, have access to a high level of seed funding and integrate into successful startup clusters.

Dusseldorf offers many competent coaching services to provide you with the best way to start your  independence. Two best possibilities to be supported are Startplatz and Garagebilk introduced above. Both of them are experts in their field of work, who guarantee you extensive and individual services. A lot of specialists are united at Startplatz and Garagebilk to assure an uncomplicated and professional cooperation. Moreover, there are great experts that can tell your strengths and weaknesses from the professional point of view, and you can reflect yourself better and widen your soft skills. The following persons are great coaches to talk to: Gabriela Mai, Andrea Mende and Waldemar Trenkel. Also check out Frontline consulting group soft skills seminars, where you can get more info on how to improve your skills.

As you can see now, there are enough preparations done in Dusseldorf to start your dream, what are you waiting for?

 

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Last updated: August 2nd, 2016

The guides are like startup communities – they constantly change and grow. Make sure to check for updates and if you have something to add or want to publish one for your city, get in touch right away! And don’t forget to enrich the startup ecosystem by creating your company profile at StartUs!

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