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Young people are starting businesses! According to the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 18- to 24-year-olds have become the age group most active in starting businesses. Read more about the reasons behind this here.
Beyond the new season of “Shark Tank,” a genuine structural shift is taking place in Germany’s startup scene, as 18- to 24-year-olds have become the most active age group in terms of starting businesses.
As the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, commissioned by the Bertelsmann Foundation, shows, the startup rate in this age group rose to 23.2% in 2025—a huge jump from the previous year (12.9%) and more than double the rate in 2023 (11.0%). In addition, just under 40% of 14- to 25-year-olds say they can imagine taking the step toward self-employment; 9% have already firmly planned to start a business before their 30th birthday. High school students and younger age groups show noticeably more enthusiasm than older generations.
The younger generation is rarely driven by the dream of a quick million-dollar valuation, but rather by the desire to shape their own future: For 88%, building independence is the top priority, while 76% simply want to bring their own ideas to life. The fact that many projects never make it to market is rarely due to a lack of venture capital. Rather, 75% of those interested in starting a business fail before even taking the first step due to a lack of knowledge about the startup process. According to experts, traditional support programs come into play too late at this stage. If Germany doesn’t want this wave of startups to fizzle out, it needs early hands-on programs in schools, mentoring networks, and the removal of bureaucratic hurdles.
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This text first appeared as an editorial in the weekly politjobs newsletter. If you’d like to receive this newsletter—featuring the latest jobs in the political arena—directly by email every Wednesday, you can subscribe here.