Announcing Techstars Berlin 2019: Our 10 New Companies
Feb 18, 2019
When I took over as Managing Director of Techstars Berlin a few months ago, I set out to find ten amazing companies with founders and teams that had extensive backgrounds in the industries they were aiming to disrupt. Within a couple of months, we had engaged with thousands of startups from around the world, giving them feedback on their businesses and helping them understand how Techstars helps entrepreneurs succeed. In response, we received applications from a diverse pool of talent, covering markets across the world.
Starting today, we’re embarking on three months of growth and development with 10 amazing and diverse companies who have come to Berlin from all over the globe. We’ll cap it all off with a Demo Day for investors in mid-May 2019.
The Berlin Startup Ecosystem
Techstars launched in Berlin in 2015, and in three short years—together with our partners in Berlin—we’ve invested in over 100 companies. Together, these investments total €20 million that Techstars has injected into early-stage startups coming to Berlin. When we invest in these companies, the founders join our worldwide network, making connections and gaining access to resources to grow their companies. Some of these founders joined Techstars even after having led companies that achieved tremendous successes, including those who’ve previously raised tens of millions of dollars from top tier VC firms like Sequoia, and even some that had led their previous companies through an IPO.
The Techstars footprint in Berlin doesn’t just cover our accelerator programs. We also run events like Techstars Startup Weekend empowering the local community to foster an ecosystem that is equipped with all the necessary tools and knowledge we’ve honed over the years. Techstars Startup Digest Berlin supports the entire startup ecosystem and connects local founders. I’m pleased to see proof of startup communities like this one maturing across Europe—one of the companies we’re announcing today was formed when the founders launched their idea at a Techstars Startup Weekend in Romania just a few years ago.
More Diversity, More Profit
I’m a firm believer that individuals who come from different backgrounds will bring a wide variety of ideas, which spur innovation, and in turn, profit. The ten companies we’re announcing today prove our commitment to diversity and inclusion, with a number of founders from underrepresented groups. All 10 teams have at least one founder from a group that has been underrepresented in tech, seven of our CEOs are women, and we have eight teams with female cofounders. I’m proud that Techstars is working to increase every person’s access to entrepreneurship, and our investments in these ten companies shows the results of those efforts.
Not only are the founders themselves diverse, but their companies are as well. This Techstars Berlin class includes startups in HR tech, fintech, hardware, SaaS, IoT, and more. They are solving global problems worth solving.
I would like to thank our esteemed mentors, investors, Global Network Partners, Techstars alumni, and the wider Berlin ecosystem for their generous support throughout the gruelling selection process. Together with my wonderful colleagues Sebastian Campos Groth, Marco Muccini, and Samir Mirza, I’m super-thrilled today to announce the ten high-growth companies joining the ranks of incredible teams who have been part of Techstars Berlin.
Here are the ten companies Techstars Berlin is investing in, for 2019:
Note-taking and file storage for web 3.0 era
Creating Safe Workplaces Worldwide
The mobile-only banking alternative
Next Generation Piggy Banks
Making the Future a Fairer Place to Work for Small Businesses Everywhere
Career Marketplace for Healthcare Recruitment
Every woman deserves a bra that fits
All-in-One Training Administration Software
The emotional fitness game
The AI Communication Platform