Germany's corporate sector is hesitating to embrace artificial intelligence even as startup formation surges and pockets of adoption emerge, according to data released Thursday. The Monopolkommission warned that German industry is slow to adopt AI, noting only 65 percent of companies use the technology compared with 78 percent in the United States, with the figure falling to 40 percent among mid-sized firms.
Berlin presents a brighter picture: 34 percent of the capital's businesses deploy AI, well above the national average of 27 percent, rising to 59 percent in the information and communications sector and 60 percent among firms with more than 100 employees.
Meanwhile, 3,053 new startups were founded in Germany in the first half of 2026, a 52 percent jump from the previous six months, with over a third carrying an AI focus. Berlin led with 429 new ventures, and Germany now counts 36 unicorn companies after six reached billion-euro valuations this year.