The start-up scene loves Berlin
Berlin is considered the tech and startup hub in Europe and leads the continent with around 500 startups per year. The startup scene, which has been growing rapidly and dynamically for years, finds fertile ground in Berlin.
In addition to an ever-improving infrastructure for support and financing, Berlin is also home to major national and international companies that make startups great with money, professional support, structure and networks. Proof of this are the numerous incubators that are being formed out of the traditional economy.
According to a study by consulting firm EY, the total value of investments in Berlin startups in 2021 was around 10.5 billion euros, about three times higher than in 2020. Berlin is particularly strong in FinTech, e-commerce and software startups. Zalando, Mister Spex, Soundcloud, Helpling, Delivery Hero, Home24 and HelloFresh: All Berlin startups! In addition to the shooting stars with the largest financing rounds of recent years, new stars are currently rising in the sky, which are increasingly dedicated to the future topics of mobility, farming and living.
Changing City
Berlin is thus internationally recognized as a startup hub and a breeding ground for creatives who want to change the world. For the city, the influx of young, highly educated workers is an asset. Efforts to further develop the positive climate and make it even better are correspondingly great. This also includes an attractive residential environment. Even if, from Berlin's point of view, rents and purchase prices in the German capital have risen too quickly, both are very low by international standards. Investors benefit from the fact that the Berlin Senate, under the left-wing housing policy of recent years, has focused on rent regulation rather than housing construction. An entry into high-demand commercial real estate and apartments will continue to offer immense potential in the coming years.
To the point. Berlin offers start-ups:
- A large and agile network of international talent. The high quality of life in Berlin, the creative atmosphere and the opportunity to recruit excellently educated, multilingual experts from all over the world at Berlin's outstanding universities are considered a key success factor.
- There are a great many funding opportunities available to founders in Berlin. In the jungle of possibilities, start-ups are supported in particular by PPP Berlin Partner. The very diversified financing landscape is supplemented by numerous business angels, venture capital and government funding instruments.
- Few start-ups can afford their own office or think tank from the day they are founded. The excellent infrastructure in the form of incubators and technology centers and the largest supply of coworking spaces in Germany with a growing supply are a pillar of the start-up industry. Projects such as the Urban Tech Republic at the former Tegel Airport, the Siemens Campus and ongoing competitions will fuel the momentum for decades to come.
- No other city can offer such a unique scientific landscape with cooperation opportunities with over 100 universities and non-university research institutions. Spin-offs, spun-off departments of excellence, e.g. to the Adlershof Technology Park but also to Potsdam make Berlin unique.
The ultra-creative Berlin environment with interdisciplinary hotspots, networks and events will catapult Berlin's startup scene to the top worldwide by 2030, and with it Berlin. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's choice of the Grünheide megafactory is no coincidence but a proof of concept. For Berlin.