If you’re a startup founder looking to build or even expand your professional network in Berlin, one of the best ways to do this is by joining related meetup groups. It’s great to meet like-minded people, listen to expert talks, get feedback on your ideas, and more.

As Berlin is said to be the Silicon Valley of Europe, there are plenty of local meetups for new and even aspirational founders.

Unfortunately, Meetup tends to be overpopulated with various groups that haven’t hosted an event in years, so browsing through the site or app often results in immense frustration. We’ve done the painful work for you and put this list together of what we consider to be the best Berlin startup meetups. 

1) Startup Incubator Berlin

HWR’s (Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht) Startup Incubator Berlin, offers a space for academic startup teams to pitch ideas, get feedback on business models, work and iterate on prototypes, exchange ideas, and more. They’re open to students and graduates of HWR, as well as Berlin residents with an academic background. As they host regular events, you can follow their meetup group to stay updated.

2) Berlin Startup School

If you’re a startup founder or someone thinking about launching a new business venture and seeking a community of like-minded people who share a similar mindset, attend one of Berlin Startup School’s meetups.

3) Hackers & Founders Berlin

Hackers & Founders is a worldwide community with more than 300,000 people, with this being their Berlin chapter. If you’re the founder of a tech company, join their meetups to attend expert talks or meet other founders at one of their networking events.

4) Berlin Startup: Idea to IPO

Berlin Startup: Idea to IPO is a community of entrepreneurs, developers, educators, investors, content creators, and more. Their goal is to provide their community with knowledge, guidance, tools, and network connections that will help with succeeding with their startup goals.

5) Soul Rebel Coaching

Soul Rebel Coaching offers online events, connections to a community of female business owners, as well as one on one coaching. Get some inspiration from other female founders and learn how to take your business to the next level by joining one of their meetups.

6) Startups.Berlin

The Startups.Berlin meetup is for anyone who is interested in startups and provides a chance for founders to network and tap into the local startup community. This meetup is run by Entrepreneurs Club Berlin, a non-profit seeking to create a “vibrant entrepreneurial culture in Berlin”. Their meetups address topics like creating a pitch deck, investor relations, and more.

7) Christoph’s Feedback: Can your business idea make it?

This meetup group sets itself apart from others, as they host events where startup founders can pitch their ideas and receive feedback about whether or not it’s even worth pursuing in the first place and if it is, suggestions about how to change your approach. For this meetup, there is no need to come with a slide deck or elevator pitch. Just come prepared and open to receiving constructive feedback.

8) Startup Founders & Investors MasterMinds Networking Berlin

Although a mouthful, Startup Founders & Investors MasterMinds Networking Berlin runs meetups in Berlin that can help new startup founders in a number of areas, like raising money, pitching to investors, product development, and more. Join their events to learn, network, and take your business to the next level.

9) Berlin Inner Circle: Business, Startup and Tech Parties

If you’re in want of an informal way to connect with others in the startup industry, consider Berlin Inner Circle: Business, Startup and Tech Parties. Expect rooftop parties and low-key networking events. 

10) Growth Marketing for Startups and Scale ups Berlin

If you’re the founder of an early-stage startup or someone responsible for helping to grow your company’s business, join one of the events put on by Growth Marketing for Startups and Scale ups Berlin. Team up with like-minded professionals to learn techniques aimed to bolster your sales. Apply your newfound knowledge to your business and share your experiences with the group.  

11) Berlin Entrepreneurs And Startup Community (BESN)

If you’re an entrepreneurial type about to launch your own business, a venture capital manager, an investor, or just someone into all things start-up-related, then join one of BESN’s networking events to mingle with potential business partners, investors, and more. In addition to networking events, BESN also hosts pitching and fundraising events. 

12) Startup Commons DE

Startup Commons is a nonprofit that has a yearly event in Amsterdam and Berlin, giving various players in the startup scene a chance to meet in person. This meetup group helps to support connections and networking in between events, hosting many educational online workshops on topics like investor readiness, pitch decks, and finance. 

13) Berlin Startup Founder 101

With more than 12,000 members, Berlin Startup Founder 101 hosts meetups for new and experienced tech founders to gather and collaborate on how to elevate Berlin’s startup scene. Attend one of their events to connect with others in the community, take part in educational workshops, exchange ideas, and more. 

Attend one of these Berlin startup meetups to start building up your network and forging connections with like-minded people in the city. If you wish to recommend a Berlin startup meetup, drop a comment below or get in touch.