Climate-friendly coal is central to Novocarbo’s successful business model. The startup produces biochar from plant residues such as fruit stones, which is used in animal feed and landscaping. Novocarbo began operating its own laboratory at the TecHHub in Science City this year. Click on Startup City Hamburg to learn more about research there and why the sale of coal is not the startup‘s only one source of revenue.
Top news and reports from Hamburg's startup ecosystem - deadlines for applications
A record 1,500 startups were set up in Germany in the first half of 2025 – a rise of 9 per cent over the second half of 2024, according to the latest “Next Generation” report issued by the Bundesverband Deutsche Startups and Startupdetector in early July. This is the best result since the first half of 2022. Saxony had the highest growth at 71 per cent, followed by Bavaria (23 per cent) and North Rhine-Westphalia (16 per cent). Meanwhile, Hamburg remained stable with 84 new startups and maintained the level of the previous six months. Berlin topped the rank of federal states by startups per 100,000 inhabitants with 6.7 followed by Hamburg with of 4.5.
Novocarbo's startup story
Check your funding
The IFB Innovationsstarter admitted four new startups to its funding programme in May and June:
- Conductr.io aims to speed up approval processes for energy transition projects and to link up companies with suitable partners.
- WAIV-FTIR develops particularly small spectrometers, e.g., for medical analyses.
- Zemmi builds large cargo bike trailers as an alternative to small transporters.
- Mutly provides a platform for social activities, including pick-up and drop-off services for senior citizens.
Following startups also received funding in July:
- Rabot Energy is being backed by Busch Ventures to bring dynamic electricity tariffs to individuals and companies.
- Another energy company, 1Komma5°, recently expanded its circle of investors to include Sabanci Climate Ventures.
- Stackgini has completed its earliest funding phase. The AI startup is supported, among others, by various business angels like xdeckVentures, and the High-Tech Gründerfonds.
From Two to One
The fintech startup, Nect, aims to become the European market leader of personal identification and verification. The company is now one step closer to this goal after its acquisition of Acadias, an automated platform for anti-money laundering checks.
Another fintech company, Finstep, offers young people an app that is now being integrated into the Berlin-based Bling family banking app.
Win and dive
Startup-Champs Germany is offering founders in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich or Cologne an investment of €300,000. Startups working on artificial intelligence now have until the deadline of September 14, 2025, to submit their applications. Startup City Hamburg ‘s video shows what being part of the Hamburg startup scene is like. A picture is sometimes worth more than a thousand words,
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Sources and further information
- Next Generation Report | startupverband.de
- mutly.org
- novocarbo.com
- zemmi.de
- conductr.io
- Linkedin | waiv-ftir
- rabot energy | startupcity.de
- 1Komma5Grad | startupcity.de
- Stackgini | startupcity.de
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