I’m incredibly excited to announce that I’m the new managing director for the Techstars Berlin Accelerator, taking over from Rob Johnson.

Rob oversaw our Berlin accelerator for the last three years and had invested in forty amazing teams since he joined Techstars in 2015. I’m very aware that I’ve got big shoes to fill. Techstars is grateful for all of Rob’s effort growing the Techstars Berlin Accelerator program and we are excited to stay connected with Rob as he focuses on his next adventure. #techstarsforlife

As one of Europe’s most active angel investors, I meet with dozens of startups every week, and I’m constantly reminded of how difficult it actually is for founders to navigate the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and to get the right advice.

From taking the right legal steps when establishing and incentivising a founding team, to negotiating with customers and determining pricing, and from building a cap-table to raising a round from high quality investors, it’s incredibly important that entrepreneurs surround themselves with mentors who have experienced the joys (and pains) of building and growing companies.

At Techstars, we strongly believe that entrepreneurs are the primary drivers to creating a better future. Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, and we do this by supporting entrepreneurs throughout their journey, from inspiration to IPO.

I’ve been a Managing Director at Techstars for a year now, and can attest to the power of the local networks that Techstars has cultivated in every corner of the world. These local networks are complemented by a pool of partners and mentors that can adapt to, and support, a young company’s experiences at every step of their entrepreneurial journey. Don’t just take my word for it, though – you can read how we at Techstars showed Xeno, a startup I’d previously invested in, the steps required to build and scale a startup.

This network has never been stronger before, and my newly adopted home city of Berlin, is the easiest place to showcase this fact. After all, Techstars runs more programs in Berlin, than any other city in the world. Whilst Berlin is a city that is renowned for its open-mindedness and independent thinking, there’s another reason why Berlin has become a major startup hub in the past few years. It’s an ideal breeding ground for creativity and successful businesses with its high quality of life relative to the low cost of living, which naturally attracts great talent but still has an active angel and VC ecosystem. It’s also cemented its reputation as a creative hub for sustainable and social businesses.

We’ve now opened applications for our 2019 Berlin City accelerator program, and we’re searching all over the world for entrepreneurs who have exciting and scalable ideas, and want to build great companies with the support of our worldwide network, by launching in Berlin at our Demo Day in May 2019.

We’re looking in particular for technology-first companies that aim to solve real, everyday problems for individuals and businesses, in areas that include AI, blockchain, cryptography (including cryptocurrencies and platforms), distributed systems, edtech and govtech, social enterprise, travel, and ad-tech as well as marketing.

Applications close in early November, and the program will commence in mid-February. If you’ve got questions, you can message me on Twitter, or find me on LinkedIn. Click here to start your application.

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