Berlin strengthens its position as a hub of innovation

Berlin is Germany's startup capital and continues to expand its position as one of Europe's most important innovation hubs. This is also underlined by the Berlin Startup Ecosystem Report 2025 presented today by Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey as part of the "Roundtable Startups" event.

Berlin Startup Ecosystem at a Glance

The report was compiled by the Dealroom agency on behalf of the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises. Berlin's startup ecosystem has been developing extremely successfully for many years. Young startups and scaleups have made Berlin the startup stronghold of Germany. This development is documented in the Berlin Startup Map, and the Berlin Tech Ecosystem Report summarizes this development and the current status in detail. With a total value of €169 billion, Berlin accounts for 43 percent of the total value of the German startup ecosystem.

Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises: "Berlin is the start-up capital and German center for digital innovations and business models. The secret to our success is our agile, creative, and dynamic start-up ecosystem with numerous bright minds and courageous doers, whom we support on behalf of the state of Berlin. The current Berlin Tech Ecosystem Report 2026 reflects the status quo, highlights opportunities that are still open, and sheds light on the existing potential. For example, the Berlin AI Hub initiated by Berlin Partner is an outstanding example of the growing importance and support for new technologies and artificial intelligence.
Our goal is clear: we want to make Berlin the number one location for innovation in Europe. The fact that a new startup is founded in Berlin every 14 hours is an important contribution to this."

Dynamics, Value, and Innovative Strength

The report impressively highlights the dynamism of the ecosystem: over 1,600 VC-financed startups, including 57 unicorns and so-called "thoroughbreds" (companies with annual revenues of over €100 million), shape the innovation landscape. This makes Berlin the largest startup location in Germany and the industry a key driver of employment and technological innovation.

Future Fields: AI, Climate Tech, and DeepTech

Berlin is particularly well positioned in the key future fields of artificial intelligence and climate tech. As an AI hotspot, the capital city is home to over 9,000 experts and ranks among the top three locations in Europe for frontier AI research, behind London and Paris. At the same time, Berlin is consolidating its role as a leading climate tech hub. More than 340 startups in this sector have raised over €800 million in venture capital since 2024.

The report specifically identifies growth potential for the coming years. One focus is on deep tech. Here, the aim is to further strengthen the transfer structures between Berlin's excellent scientific landscape, start-ups, and the capital market in order to convert research results into marketable innovations even faster.

Background on the Roundtable Startups

The Roundtable Startups is the central forum for exchange between the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises and key players in the industry, including the Startup Association, Bitkom, the Berlin-Brandenburg Business Association (UVB), and the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Berlin).

You can find the complete report here.


For more information on the region's economic development or support for businesses, investors, and research institutions, please contact:

Sandra Koletzki ​​​​​​ | sandra.koletzki(at)airport-region.de

(Source: Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, 02|19|2026 | “Berlin Startup Ecosystem Report 2025: Berlin is Germany's leading tech hub”)