Technology
Neukölln startups attract tech talent despite European venture capital slowdown
From coding courses for women to LGBTIQ+ tech conferences, the district is carving out a niche in Berlin’s startup ecosystem, even as venture capital tightens across Europe.
How we reported this
On a warm Wednesday evening in July, a group of founders laced up their running shoes for Endorphins & Exchanges, Founders Co-work & Run, a Neukölln event that pairs fitness with startup networking. Two days earlier, the workshop Science on Tap had drawn another crowd. These are just two of the gatherings that make up the district’s increasingly busy tech-and-meetup calendar, a calendar that, taken together, tells a story about where Berlin’s tech energy is heading.
The Business Context: Why Neukölln Now?
Across Europe, venture capital funding has become harder to land since the peak of 2021-22. Berlin, still Germany’s largest startup hub, has not been spared: early-stage rounds have shrunk, and investors are demanding clearer paths to profitability. Yet the number of local meetups, demo days and co-working jams in Neukölln has grown rather than contracted. Organisers say the shift reflects a deeper trend: when big-money rounds are scarce, founders and engineers double down on peer learning, skill-building, and community, the kind of low-cost, high-touch networking that happens in spaces like FabLab Neukölln and workish.berlin Coworking Space.
Where to Go: The Meetups That Matter
The neighbourhood’s anchor events are clustered around two places. At FabLab Neukölln on Harzer Str. 39, the Berlin Makers meetup runs regular workshops, panels and demo days. Its next session, Makers' Show & Tell #19, kicks off at 7:00 PM. A more specialised crowd gathers at workish.berlin, a coworking space that hosts the recurring Berlin Audio Product Jam, a hands-on session for developers building music and voice technology.
Meanwhile, 42 Berlin, the tuition-free coding school in Neukölln, is opening its doors. On Monday at 5:00 PM, the school holds an Open Doors & Introduction, and on December 1 it launches a free Coding Course for Women+. Both are aimed at diversifying the local talent pipeline, a priority for a district that wants to pull tech workers from more than just the traditional demographic.
Major Conferences: Two Flagship Events
Two bigger conferences put Neukölln on the wider Berlin tech map this year. On September 19, Berlin Global Village gGmbH hosts the BlackInTech Europe Summit25, a daylong event that brings together Black professionals, founders and allies in the industry. On October 11, SchwuZ, a well-known queer cultural venue, hosts UITS25 | The LGBTIQ+ Tech Conference. Both events signal that Neukölln’s tech scene is not just about hardware hacking or coding bootcamps; it is also trying to build an inclusive professional community in a city where the mainstream startup world still skews heavily male and white.
Putting It Together: What Happens Next
For now, the rhythm is set. The summer meetups, the runs, the science talks, the show-and-tells, run through August. In the autumn, the conferences take over. And as investors continue to watch Berlin for signs of a recovery, the small stage of Neukölln’s coworking spaces and school basements may well be where the next round of ideas, and the next set of founders, gets its start.