• Number of commitments increased by 34 percent compared to the same period last year
• Promotional business volume increased by 75 percent to EUR 225 million
• KfW supports start-ups with loans of up to EUR 200,000

More and more companies are being established in Germany, as shown by the KfW Entrepreneurship Monitor in May of this year. This growing start-up activity is now also reflected in the promotional figures: in the first half of 2026, KfW recorded a significant increase in demand for the ERP Start-up Loan - StartGeld. Between January and June, the promotional programme approved commitments for approximately 2,320 start-ups, company successions and for the development of young companies. This is 34 percent more than in the same period last year. The committed promotional business volume increased by 75 percent compared to the first half of 2025, to EUR 225 million.

Melanie Kehr, member of the Executive Board responsible for domestic promotion at KfW, had the following to say: Start-ups drive innovation, strengthen competition and secure the economic future of Germany. The rising demand for the ERP Start-up Loan - StartGeld shows that many people are now wanting to put their entrepreneurial plans into practice. As a promotional bank, we are firmly on the side of these entrepreneurs. Through our promotional offer on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, we help them to obtain the necessary financing. By assuming 80 percent of the credit risk, we make it easier for on-lending banks to grant loans, thereby improving access to financing.

Last December KfW increased the maximum amount of the ERP Start-up Loan - StartGeld from EUR 125,000 to EUR 200,000. The promotional programme is aimed at entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals, and young companies that have been operating for a maximum of five years. Company successions can also be financed with the loan. Small commercial enterprises operating on either a full-time or part-time basis are eligible to apply. In addition, small enterprises focused on the public good are eligible to apply for the loan – this applies to both non-profit organisations and commercial social enterprises operating for profit. The application is submitted via the respective on-lending bank.

More information about the programme can be found here: ERP Start-up Loan – StartGeld: Support for start-ups, acquisitions and growth (German page).