In the sports iconography of Germany, it’s usually Berlin and Munich that battle it out for fans and adoration, but in recent years Cologne has silently pulled ahead. In some cases, some even dare to crown it Germany’s secret sports capital. But how does Cologne’s sports and fitness industry achieve this reputation? For one, local residents are estimated to spend €500 million annually on physical activity. Plus, more and more sports companies are choosing the city as their headquarters. Among the standouts is True Motion, a running shoe startup that has quickly gained traction since its founding in 2018. Led by Gert-Peter Brüggemann, a respected biomechanist and former head of the Institute for Biomechanics and Orthopaedics at the German Sport University in Cologne, the company has engineered a shoe that claims to reduce knee pain by up to 50 percent. Rather than rely on flashy marketing or deep-pocketed investors, True Motion has grown organically through word of mouth. Obviously, this strategy has worked as the company has sold more than 180,000 pairs. Another interesting startup worth highlighting here is Prematch, which was launched in 2021. It’s goal to build a digital community for amateur footballers. The platform gives non-professional players a way to showcase their skills and connect with clubs. Cologne is also becoming a serious force in the sports media world. In 2023, DynMedia launched a streaming platform dedicated to sports beyond football. Headquartered in Cologne, Dyn has already streamed more than 1,000 events, including the European Handball Championship in early 2024, expanding its footprint and winning over a fan base seeking alternatives to mainstream football broadcasts. It’s a good thing that Cologne is also a hotspot for major sporting events. Thanks, LANXESS Arena! The arena hosts every kind of sport from basketball to handball.