• © Berlin Partner - eventfotografen.berlin

    © Berlin Partner - eventfotografen.berlin

    26.02.2026

    Excellence meets entrepreneurial spirit: Science & Startups strengthens Berlin’s position in Europe

The start-up centre Science & Startups of the Berlin University Alliance is among Europe’s leading start-up hubs. In the current ranking Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs 2026 by the Financial Times, Statista and Sifted, the centre in the Brain City Berlin ranks 12th out of more than 180 evaluated European start-up hubs. This marks a significant improvement compared to the previous year (19th place). 

The result for Brain City Berlin is even stronger in one of the ranking categories: in the so-called Track Record, which evaluates the proven success of supported start-ups, Science & Startups ranks 6th across Europe. This places the Berlin centre among the continent’s top performers in terms of sustainable start-up success. The national comparison confirms this position: within Berlin, Science & Startups is the leading university-based start-up centre. Across Germany, it ranks second among university hubs. 

The ranking reflects a long-term, structurally embedded approach to start-up support. In a recent statement, the team summarised: “Top 12 in Europe. Built on structure, not hype.” According to Science & Startups, what matters is not the label itself, but what it represents: sustained commitment to science-based start-ups, strong mentoring, and the ability to translate research into real-world impact. For Berlin as a science and innovation hub, this is an encouraging signal – particularly in technology-intensive deep tech fields built on scientific breakthroughs. In these areas, good ideas alone are not enough; reliable support structures are essential. 

Quality of support stands out in European comparison 

For the ranking, Financial Times, Statista and Sifted assessed European start-up hubs that offer at least one incubator or accelerator programme and have been active since 2020. Alumni who participated in start-up support programmes between 2018 and 2023 evaluated mentoring, infrastructure, legal support, access to networks and funding opportunities. In addition, investors and entrepreneurs contributed their assessments. 

As the joint start-up centre of the Berlin University Alliance – comprising the Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin in close cooperation with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin – Science & Startups pools expertise, programmes and networks across institutions. Its goal is to systematically support science-based spin-offs and guide them sustainably into the market, particularly in research-intensive deep tech sectors. 

Innovation spirit in the Brain City Berlin 

“Berlin’s knowledge and innovation ecosystem is already one of Europe’s leading start-up hubs. By expanding Science & Startups into the joint start-up centre of the Berlin University Alliance, we will further increase Berlin’s innovation momentum. Where cutting-edge research meets entrepreneurial spirit, progress emerges that connects and advances both science and society,” says Prof Dr Günter M. Ziegler, spokesperson of the Berlin University Alliance and President of Freie Universität Berlin. 

“We see this ranking as further motivation to continuously expand our services for start-ups, for example through thematic launchpads in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, green chemistry, communications and space. We are also working intensively on expanding our digital and AI-driven services for entrepreneurs,” says Florian Frank, member of the Science & Startups leadership team. 

Growing spin-off activity 

One example of the growth of spin-offs in the Brain City Berlin is AI NATION, an incubator and accelerator for science-based AI start-ups. More than 350 founding teams applied for the current batch alone – reflecting the rising level of spin-off activity. 

The criteria highlighted in the ranking, such as track record and mentoring, can also be illustrated through concrete examples. Green Fusion, for instance, is a start-up emerging from a scientific environment that is now transforming energy management in the housing sector and helping to shape the heat transition. It exemplifies ventures that originate from long-term science-based work and are successfully brought to market through reliable transfer and support structures. 

As a strategic instrument of Brain City Berlin, Science & Startups actively strengthens the location’s international competitiveness and creates a cycle of knowledge, entrepreneurship and economic momentum. In the European and global competition for talent, technologies and investment, Berlin demonstrates that it offers not only creative energy, but also robust structures for science-based entrepreneurship.  

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