Software

Bitkom: DefTech start-ups warn – Germany hardly ready to defend itself

February 16, 2026. Russia’s war against Ukraine, tensions between the EU and the USA and hybrid attacks on our infrastructures, administrations and companies: Despite the massively changed world situation, Germany is still barely in a position to defend itself. German DefTech start-ups warned of this in the run-up to the Munich Security Conference. 9 out of 10 rate Germany’s defense capability as low (76%) or very low (11%). In the previous year, 71 percent had described the defense capability as low and 25 percent even as very low. The study is based on a survey of 37 founders of DefTech and dual-use start-ups by Get Started, the start-up initiative of the digital association Bitkom.

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“Defense capability and resilience are now widely debated in society and things are moving, but the urgency is too often not yet noticeable. We can’t wait years for changes, we need operational solutions quickly,” says Bitkom President Dr. Ralf Wintergerst. “Today, defense capabilities also include data, AI and networked systems. Software-defined defense must be the guiding principle of German defense policy.”

In the opinion of startups, the biggest stumbling block remains the lengthy procurement process. 90 percent therefore call for accelerated award and procurement procedures such as fast tracks. 87% are also in favor of more funding from the defense budget for the procurement of innovative solutions. 76% would like to see early cooperation between the Bundeswehr and start-ups, for example in the form of challenge formats. And 84% believe it is important for politicians to promote cooperation between DefTech startups and established companies more strongly. “Startups are constantly developing innovations in very short cycles. We need to take advantage of this and set up testing and procurement in such a way that new solutions can be put into practice without delay,” says Wintergerst.

USA loses significant appeal, Germany gains

Despite all the criticism, confidence in Germany as a business location is growing among start-ups. Around one in two DefTech start-ups (49%) would choose Germany if they were to set up again, an increase of 10 percentage points compared to the previous year. 24% would set up in another EU country (2025: 16%). The attractiveness of the USA, on the other hand, is declining significantly: only 8 percent would start a business there, compared to 25 percent a year ago, which is three times as many.

And there is another area where an improvement is perceived: At 65 percent, two thirds now feel that their commitment as a founder in the defense sector is valued in this country. A year ago, it was not even one in two (41 percent).

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