EP10 - Ecosystem Spotlight - Berlin: The Heart of Europe's Innovative Startups
About this episode
Berlin: Heart of Europe's Innovative Startups. What makes Berlin the second-largest European startup ecosystem by capital invested, after London? In this episode we review the pillars that made Berlin a magnet for founders, investors and tech talent from around the world.
From the underground scene of the Nineties to the birth of the first internet companies in Berlin-Mitte in the Zero years, to the generation of unicorns that included Zalando, HelloFresh, Auto1, N26 and Delivery Hero — Berlin built its ecosystem on specific foundations: historically lower cost of living compared to London and Paris, an international community that breaks down language barriers, an abundance of technical talent from German universities and Eastern Europe, and a system of incubators, accelerators and corporate ventures that structured itself over time.
In this episode we explore the specific dynamics of the Berlin ecosystem: the role of funds like Earlybird, Cherry, Project A and Global Founders Capital; the historical link with Rocket Internet that shaped a generation of operators; the challenge of fundraising in one of Europe's most competitive VC markets; and direct comparison with London, Paris, Amsterdam and Stockholm. An essential episode for anyone wanting to understand how innovation ecosystems are born and replicated.