Entrepreneurship Ranking: WHU Bests the Competition

Which university produces the most start-ups? A new study has the answer: WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, with campuses in Vallendar and Düsseldorf. Relative to the size of its student body, WHU is, with considerable distance, the top competitor within the DACH area comprising Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In fact, just over a third of the school’s students establish a company (350 start-ups per 1,000 students), as shown in this new study from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), ETH Zurich, and the University of Innsbruck, analyzed and published as an exclusive in Wednesday’s edition of Handelsblatt. 

When looking at the total number of all start-ups founded, TUM is at pole position across all countries considered: the university has produced 1,116 entrepreneurs over the past ten years. On average, private schools produce the most start-ups per 1,000 students, with study co-author Philipp Lemanczyk stating in Handelsblatt that they are “more productive” in this area.

Most entrepreneurs from private schools found tech start-ups

As shown in the study, most graduates of private universities found start-ups in the technology sector or bring their expertise and business savvy to existing founder teams in this area—Enpal and Flink, among them, two young companies with roots at WHU. Indeed, the school is also ahead of the pack as it pertains to deep-tech start-ups, with ten such companies funded per 1,000 students between 2014 and 2025. Particularly notable, many of the companies started by WHU students tackle societal challenges—whether it be in sustainability, healthcare, or technological innovation.

Yet, for as strong as some German universities are in this area, entrepreneurial activity in Germany is still far too low in comparison to other nations, a fact reaffirmed by Professor Christian Andres, Dean of WHU in Handelsblatt. “We’re excited about these figures,” he said. But, as he noted, there is room for much more engagement and more entrepreneurship—which is not only possible, but necessary.

Start-ups play an important role in the national economy. They help increase the pressure placed on already existing companies to remain competitive and to innovate. They test and drive forward new technology and structures, and they generate new jobs. WHU’s entrepreneurs alone have founded over 1,000 companies over the past 20 years, creating over 60,000 new jobs in Germany, according to data analyzed by the school itself.

“Our curriculum—which is international and practice-oriented — is strongly tethered to having an entrepreneurial mindset and approach to business. And not just in specialized programs, such as our Master in Entrepreneurship,” Dean Andres commented. “Our students benefit from guest lectures held by successful entrepreneurs, forums designed for networking, and the opportunity to assume new responsibilities and transform their ideas into reality, such as through our student initiatives or other student-led projects. And beyond even that, we accompany and assist our students as they embark on their own entrepreneurial journey, both during and after their time at WHU. For example, through our WHU Entrepreneurship Center, which promotes an active exchange of knowledge, resources, and contacts, as well as through our global network of like-minded individuals.This explains the positive outcome – which, of course, was only possible thanks to the strong commitment of everyone involved.”

Click here to read the full article from Handelsblatt (in German, accessible with your WHU log-in).