Berlin
Berlin chapter

Berlin Startup Community

Founders Network is connecting Berlin’s local startup scene with a global network. We’re a mentorship program that facilitates peer-to-peer mentoring for Founders across the world. As Berlin’s startups look to grow, Founders Network can connect our Berlin members with valuable resources they may not have current access to.

Berlin chapter

Our Local Leadership Team

Leadership positions are open for this chapter. Members interested in leading can apply here.

A Founders Network member speaking at an event

The Berlin startup scene

Berlin is the #22 startup ecosystem in the world in Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026, with 20 active unicorns.

The profile counts $29 billion in venture funding from 2021 to 2025 and more than 280 AI startups. Amboss, Talon.One and Parloa are among the best-funded local companies of the last two years, and fintech, AI and cleantech are the listed sector strengths.

Founders Network in Berlin

Founders Network is a peer mentorship community for tech startup founders. Members get mentorship from other founders, chapter events, and introductions to investors and founders across a global network.

The Berlin chapter is run by volunteer member leaders, who are listed on this page. Members in the city meet at chapter events.

Founders listening at a Founders Network sessionFounders talking at a Founders Network eventA Founders Network roundtable
600+
Vetted tech founders
$50B+
In exits by members
55%
Serial founders
100+
Events a year
Next step

Meet us in Berlin

Membership is by nomination and approval. Request an invitation and we'll review your background. If it's a fit, we arrange a nomination and invite you to the Nominee Preview Q&A, a 30-minute Zoom where current members walk through how Founders Network works and take questions. The next one is Thursday, November 19 at 9:30 AM PT.

Request an invitation

Already nominated? RSVP to the Nominee Preview.

Frequently asked questions

What startup events can I attend in Berlin before joining?

The Berlin chapter doesn't have a regular local meeting yet. Members here join the weekly online program and the annual conferences, and local events start once there are enough members to host them. Request an invitation if you'd like to help get one going. Chapter events in other cities are open to guests by invitation, and your first one is on us with a one-time guest pass. Dates are on the events page.

How do I get a feel for the members before I apply?

Listen to our podcast. It features the network's most successful members telling the story of how they built and sold their companies. Most members are somewhere along that journey, from first-time founder to serial founder, and the episodes show the kind of founder they are learning from.

Is Founders Network a Berlin group or a global one?

Global. Founders Network started in San Francisco in 2011 and now has city chapters and sector groups around the world, with the largest concentration of members in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Most of the program is online and runs every week: facilitated peer roundtables, live expert sessions, moderated founder forums, and 1-1 introductions to members in any city. Members meet in person at the annual conferences, fnIRL and fnSummit. Everything above is open to Berlin members from day one, and local meetings come as the chapter grows. The full program is on the mentoring tracks page.

Who are the members?

Founders of tech startups at every point on the journey, from a first company getting to market to serial founders who have exited. Each is nominated and approved, and what we select for is alignment with the network's values and vision rather than stage or sector. Members join to find customers, raise their first rounds, hire co-founders and early teams, and work through the hard parts of running a company with peers who have done it.

Can Founders Network help me raise money?

Founders Network can make you a more competent and better-connected fundraiser. It can't guarantee funding. The Scale plan is built for founders getting to market and raising seed: 1-on-1 pitch mentoring from VCs, a curated investor directory with warm opt-in introductions, and a pass to fnIRL, the annual San Francisco conference. On every plan you can ask the forums and get introduced to members who have raised at your stage. Plan details are on the membership page. Pricing is shared on approval.

How do I join Founders Network in Berlin?

Membership is by nomination and approval. Request an invitation and we'll review your background. If it's a fit, we arrange a nomination and invite you to an info call with current members. All memberships are annual, and we never take equity.

Not a member yet?

Get an invitation to the community.

Founders Network is an invite-only peer mentorship community for tech startup founders. Drop your email — we'll take it from there.

No spam. We review every request individually.