Berlin remains a top destination for investors in Berlin, even as venture capital funding has moderated from its 2021 peak. The city is home to one-fifth of all German startups and continues to attract leading venture capital firms investing in Berlin, such as Earlybird, Project A, and HV Capital. These firms play a crucial role in supporting high-growth European startups, making the city a key hub for both domestic and international investors.In 2024, Berlin saw fewer mega-rounds as deeptech funding shifted to Munich.
Historically, the city has led in securing €100 million+ rounds in fintech and e-commerce, but the past year saw more mid-sized deals and strong seed-stage activity. This indicates sustained investor confidence in Berlin, particularly among early-stage startups.
Public funding has also played a growing role in supporting Berlin-based companies. In May 2024, the city introduced the BIG (Berlin InnoGrowth) program, allowing IBB Ventures to co-invest alongside private investors in Berlin. This initiative focuses on green and digital innovation, offering equity investments and convertible loans to startups, reinforcing Berlin’s position as a leading startup hub.
Berlin remains one of Europe’s most dynamic startup ecosystems, attracting entrepreneurs, international talent, and a thriving tech community. In 2024, total venture capital investment in Berlin reached €2.2 billion—down slightly from 2023—while Munich, for the first time, surpassed Berlin in total funding volume. Despite this, Berlin retained its status as Germany’s most active startup city, leading the country with 256 venture deals in Berlin compared to 164 in Bavaria.
Berlin’s ecosystem is highly diverse, with strengths in fintech, e-commerce, mobility, and creative tech. Industry leaders such as N26, Trade Republic, Zalando, and Tier were founded in Berlin, and the city continues to be a focal point for Web3, blockchain, and AI-driven innovation. While fintech and e-commerce remain strong pillars, there is a noticeable shift toward sustainable business models and digital transformation.
For those looking for investment opportunities in Berlin, the city’s startup scene continues to offer a mix of high-growth scale-ups and early-stage ventures. With a well-established investor network, strong public-private funding initiatives, and a vibrant innovation culture, Berlin remains a prime location for investors seeking to fund the next generation of European tech leaders.
The Berlin venture capital scene is extremely active and there are a number of firms investing in the city’s startups. Some of the most prominent players include Earlybird, Project A Ventures, Capnamic Ventures, Rocket Internet, Point Nine Capital and DN Capital.
These firms have all made significant investments into German tech companies over the past few years. Earlybird has invested in notable startups such as N26 and Delivery Hero, while Project A has backed brands like Kreditech and flaschenpost.
Capnamic Ventures recently led a €30 million round for robotics startup Magazino, while Rocket Internet is one of the biggest investors in Europe’s startup ecosystem with stakes in companies including HelloFresh and Helpling.
Point Nine Capital has backed startups such as Algolia and Contentful, while DN Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in companies across Europe and the US.
Overall, these firms are some of the most active venture capitalists operating in Berlin and have played a key role in helping to grow the city’s startup ecosystem.
The most popular sectors for venture capital investment in Berlin are software, fintech, e-commerce, health tech and artificial intelligence. These areas have all attracted significant investment from venture capitalists over the past few years.
Software companies such as N26 and Delivery Hero have both received large investments from venture capitalists, while fintech startups like Kreditech and SolarisBank have raised millions of euros in among startups in the different stages startup funding.
E-commerce companies such as HelloFresh and flaschenpost have seen a surge of VC activity in recent years, with investors seeing huge potential in these businesses. Health tech startups such as Airmaxx and Health Watchdog are also becoming increasingly attractive to investors thanks to their potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry.
Artificial intelligence is an important area of investment for venture capitalists in Berlin as they look to back promising companies that are developing advanced technologies. AI startups such as Magazino and Algolia have received significant funding from venture capitalists in recent years.
These sectors represent the most popular areas for VC investment in Berlin and demonstrate the city’s potential to become a global hub for technology and innovation.
The average deal size for venture capital firms in Berlin varies significantly depending on the stage of investment. Early-stage deals are typically smaller, with most investments ranging from €500K to €2 million.
Late-stage investments are often larger, with some companies receiving up to €30 million or more in a single round of funding. However, the average size of late-stage rounds tends to be around €10 - 15 million.
Overall, the average deal size for VCs in Berlin is somewhere between €500K and €15 million, depending on the sector and stage of investment. This demonstrates just how active venture capitalists are in Berlin and how much money they’re willing to invest into promising startups.
It also highlights the potential of Berlin’s startup ecosystem and its ability to attract significant venture capital investment. With more VC firms investing in the city and competition for deals becoming increasingly fierce, it’s likely that we’ll see even larger deal sizes in the future.
The venture capital landscape in Berlin has changed significantly over the past 5 years.
In 2014, there were only a handful of venture capitalists investing in Berlin, and the majority of investments were small seed rounds for early-stage startups. Fast forward to 2019, and we’re now seeing larger late-stage investment rounds from more established VCs such as Earlybird, Rocket Internet and DN Capital.
There are also more international investors entering the market, with firms like Point Nine Capital and Capnamic Ventures leading big rounds for startups across Europe and the US. This increased competition has meant that deals sizes have grown significantly since 2014 - whereas previously investment rounds tended to be around €500K - €2 million, we’re now seeing investments of up to €30 million or more.
The increased level of venture capital investment has had a huge impact on the startup ecosystem in Berlin, allowing companies to scale faster and access more resources than ever before. It has also helped to attract more talent and entrepreneurs to the city, leading to a thriving startup culture that is driving innovation and shaping the future of tech.
In conclusion, it’s clear that the VC landscape in Berlin has changed significantly over the past 5 years. The influx of venture capital investment and larger deal sizes have opened up new opportunities for startups and allowed them to access more resources than ever before. This increased competition amongst investors has only been beneficial for the startup ecosystem, making it one of the most attractive places to launch a business in the world.
As venture capital investment continues to pour into Berlin, it looks set to become an even more powerful global hub for technology and innovation in the years ahead.
Over the past 5 years, there have been a number of notable venture capital exits in Berlin. The most prominent of these include Delivery Hero’s $4 billion IPO in 2017 and Telefonicas $1.5 billion of Gett in 2018.
More recently, Zalando raised €3.2 billion in its public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange – making it Germany’s largest ever IPO by market cap. Other notable VC exits from Berlin-based companies include Blacklane's sale to Daimler AG for $600 million, N26's Series D round raising €470 million and Soundcloud's Series E round exceeding $100 million.
These examples demonstrate how venture capital investments in Berlin can lead to lucrative and successful exits. It's no surprise then that the city is now seen as a hub of innovation and tech, attracting more venture capital firms and investments than ever before.
In conclusion, the past 5 years have seen some of the most notable VC exits in Berlin’s history. The success stories of Delivery Hero, Telefonica, Zalando, Blacklane, N26 and Soundcloud have demonstrated just how profitable venture capital investments in Berlin can be – making it an attractive destination for venture capitalists from around the globe. As these successes continue to build momentum, we can expect to see even more investment activity in Berlin over the next few years.
Berlin is home to numerous promising startups that have attracted venture capital investment. Some of the most notable include Auto1 Group, a car trading platform which raised over $1 billion in total funding; N26, a mobile-only bank with over 5 million customers; and GetYourGuide, an online marketplace for tour bookings that has raised over $200 million to date.
Other exciting VC-backed startups in Berlin include Delivery Hero, an online food delivery service; Adjust, an app analytics and marketing platform; and Clue, a female health tracking app. All of these companies have found success due to their innovative products, strong management teams and access to capital from venture investors.
Berlin has become one of the most attractive destinations for venture capital investments in recent years. With numerous promising startups, a thriving startup culture and access to resources, it's no surprise that more and more venture capitalists are looking to invest in Berlin-based companies. As the city continues to develop as a hub of innovation and technology, we can expect even more VC backed startups emerging from Berlin over the next few years.
To sum up, Berlin has seen a surge in venture capital investment over the past 5 years – with larger deal sizes meaning more money is now available for promising startups. This influx of capital has allowed these businesses to access resources they would not have been able to before, leading to an increase in successful exits and fueling the city’s vibrant startup culture. All in all, Berlin is now becoming one of the most attractive cities for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists alike – making it a great place to launch a business on the global stage.
Berlin is now one of the most important venture capital hubs in Europe. In 2020, the city attracted €4.9 billion in total VC investment and has seen a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39% since 2017.
While other European cities have also experienced increased levels of venture capital investment over the past few years, Berlin continues to be an attractive destination for investors due to its vibrant startup culture and access to resources. London is another leading VC hub in Europe but it trails behind Berlin when it comes to total deal size and CAGR – with 2020 figures showing only €3.6 billion invested into startups across the capital city.
Paris has also experienced strong VC activity, with €2.6 billion invested into the city in 2020. However, Berlin still continues to be an attractive option for venture investors due to its strong network of entrepreneurs and access to resources.
Overall, Berlin is becoming an increasingly important destination for venture capital investment in Europe – with large exits and increased deal sizes demonstrating the potential for lucrative returns. As investors continue to flock to the city, we can expect even more VC backed startups emerging from Berlin over the next few years.