Main area of focus
Innovation, fintechs and insurtechs
Innovations are an important driving force for prosperity, employment and value creation – for society, business and sustainable growth.
Dynamic fintech scene in NRW
A vibrant, dynamic fintech scene is developing in NRW. Fintechs are taking the solutions of the financial sector one step further. They are cooperation partners in digitalising the financial sector and rendering it sustainable. This is because their innovativeness allows them to speed up and support the necessary transformation. Smart ideas, promising business models, and sustainable investments and financing are the best way to tap into new opportunities, particularly in challenging times.
What makes fintechs so unique?
Fintechs benefit from a wide supporting environment and from ecosystems consisting of accelerators, incubators, local initiatives and venture capital investors. The digital hubs provide well networked focal points that drive collaborations between start-ups, industry and mid-sized companies. The fintech landscape is extremely diverse, including everything from challenger and cooperation models, start-ups in various stages of development all the way to established listed companies.

According to the latest report by findexable in cooperation with Mambu (Top Funded DACH Fintechs and Top DACH Fintech Cities), Düsseldorf in particular is showing an upward trend and is listed in 10th place in the findexable global ranking, 2021.
This is why NRW is an ideal fintech location
Fintechs find everything they need in NRW: First-class infrastructure in the heart of Europe, attractive location factors, access to financing opportunities and a very appealing proposition for qualified employees and new talent. Looking to the new future trend that is embedded finance, NRW offers the fintech world direct market access to 755,000 companies from the region.
The fintechs value these local conditions greatly. Their areas of activity and range of solutions is extraordinarily diverse. Whether payment, savings or crypto trading, whether insurance, trade finance or comparison, whether B2B or B2C – there is hardly any area that is not covered by fintechs. This diversity includes challenger and cooperation models, start-ups in various stages of development all the way to established listed companies.
According to the German FinTech Report 2021, NRW has a cluster in the Personal Financial Management segment, where the largest share of young fintechs can be found. The Credit Factoring segment is also represented to an exceptionally high degree.
Green start-ups are on the up and NRW is a leading location for these young companies.
Largest insurtech initiative and fintech hub in NRW
As the largest insurtech initiative in Germany with 89 members, InsurLab Germany is making collaboration standard practice by building bridges between start-ups and established insurance companies. The aim is to transform the German insurance sector through digitalisation and sustainability and to create and optimise business models. Start-ups and scale-ups are given exclusive access to top decision makers in the insurance sector.
In addition, leading technology providers, service providers and higher education institutions are assisting InsurLab Germany in its digitalisation mission. Together with Cologne trade fair company Koelnmesse, InsurLab organises insureNXT, an international congress fair for innovation in the insurance industry. InsurLab is the leading platform for traditional insurance companies, start-ups, higher education institutions, service providers and cross-industrial partners.

#finplaceNRW – network meetings especially for fintechs
With #finplaceNRW, banking association Bankenverband NRW has established a networking platform for ideas and capital, where above all young fintechs and veteran start-ups benefit from being integrated into the financial hub. The association supports the federal state’s efforts to attract more fintechs and insurtechs to North Rhine-Westphalia and to continue systematically strengthening the start-up scene.
Accordingly, the fintech NRW ecosystem represents the future and makes a key contribution to the digital and sustainable transformation and to the advancement of the financial sector as a whole.
Links to the topic
#finplace NRW– Netzwerktreffen insbesondere für FinTechs
finplace-nrw.de
Deutsche Bundesbank: FinTech
bundesbank.de
DWNRW-Hubs
dwnrw-hubs.de
Finanzierungsangebote im Bereich Gründung
wirtschaft.nrw
InsurLab Germany e.V.
insurlab-germany.com
Lebendige Startup-Szene in NRW
nrwglobalbusiness.com
Themen Gründung
wirtschaft.nrw
Unternehmensstart und Gewerbezulassung
service.wirtschaft.nrw
Wirtschafts-Service-Portal.NRW
service.wirtschaft.nrw
Downloads
Innovationsberichte NRW 2020-2022,
Download unter: innovationsbericht.nrw
Further topics
More on Innovation, fintechs and insurtechs
Events
Planned events relating to sustainable and digital transformation can be found in our event calendar. We look forward to seeing you there!
News
In the news blog, you will find the latest information and reports on past events on digital transformation and how it is financed.
Cooperation partners
Further information on this topic is available from our cooperation partners.