The startup scene in Lower Saxony is growing: in 2024, 154 new startups were founded in Lower Saxony, meaning that the state has recorded growth of 11.6% in the last two years. Around 51% of all founders in Lower Saxony graduated from a university in Lower Saxony. In the ranking, Osnabrück University - together with Georg August University Göttingen, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg and Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences - is in fifth place.

Leibniz Universität Hannover took first place this year. In total, nine universities made it into the top 5. "This confirms a broad-based university landscape that plays an active role in technological innovation and business start-ups," says the Lower Saxony Startup Monitor 2025.

"As Chairwoman of the State University Conference, I am proud that the universities in Lower Saxony are taking on a pioneering role nationwide and playing a central role in the start-up ecosystem," says Prof. Susanne Menzel-Riedl, President of Osnabrück University.

Other key findings of the report include

• There is a lack of larger sums for follow-up financing. However, the need for capital has increased significantly. Half of the start-ups need more than €500,000 within the next 12 months. In addition, access to established companies as cooperation partners or strategic investors has become more difficult.
• Improved availability of venture capital: With a renewed increase in the number of financing rounds by12%, Lower Saxony is continuing to buck a nationwide downward trend. Access to venture capital from angels and VCs has become easier, especially in the early stages.
• The majority of start-ups take place in rural areas: digitalization is making start-ups increasingly independent of urban start-up ecosystems. In 2024, two thirds of all startups were founded in rural areas or small towns.

The monitor is commissioned by the startup initiative Niedersachsen.next and the NBank and published by the startupdetector database.