Startup Events

Must Attend Startup Events in Berlin, Germany

Berlin's next four weeks are packed: Europe's biggest women-in-tech summit, Berlin Science Week, Falling Walls with its science start-up pitches, and a €25 funding forum where women founders meet Berlin's banks. In 2027 the big moments are a busy week in mid-May, IFA in September, and a steady line of trade fairs at Messe Berlin.
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in Berlin from late October 2026 to the end of 2027. We checked every date on the organiser's own website. Where a date isn't published yet, we say so, and we mark each event as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (date from a reliable second source) or Expected (based on past editions only).
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.

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Must Attend Startup Events in Berlin 2026–2027: Calendar from October 2026 to October 2027

DatesEventVenueTypeStatus
29–30 Oct 2026Women in Tech EMEA Summitsmartvillage BerlinWomen-in-tech conferenceConfirmed
1–10 Nov 2026Berlin Science WeekAcross the cityScience festivalConfirmed
5 Nov 2026Women's AI BreakfastMerantix AI CampusWomen AI foundersConfirmed
6–9 Nov 2026Falling Walls Science Summit and VentureFalling Walls Science HouseScience start-up pitchesConfirmed
10 Nov 2026DigiFin26BerlinFintech conferenceConfirmed
14 Nov 2026DevFest BerlinSRH BerlinDeveloper festivalConfirmed
16–20 Nov 2026Transfer Week Berlin-BrandenburgIHK Berlin and partnersScience-to-business weekConfirmed
16–22 Nov 2026Global Entrepreneurship WeekVariousFounder eventsConfirmed (global week)
17 Nov 2026Finanzierungsforum für GründerinnenWeiberWirtschaftFunding forum for women foundersConfirmed
3–5 Feb 2027FRUIT LOGISTICAMesse BerlinAgrifood fair, Startup WorldConfirmed
17–18 Feb 2027E-commerce Berlin ExpoMesse BerlinE-commerce showConfirmed
9–11 Mar 2027MPE (Merchant Payments Ecosystem)BerlinPayments conferenceConfirmed
16–18 Mar 2027ITB BerlinMesse BerlinTravel trade showConfirmed
17–18 Mar 2027TRANSFORMSTATION BerlinDigital transformationConfirmed
10–12 May 2027re:publicaSTATION BerlinDigital society festivalConfirmed
12 May 2027Rise of AI ConferenceBerlinAI conferenceConfirmed
12 May 2027Ecosummit.AI BerlinFlussbad BerlinClimate tech investor pitchesConfirmed
13 May 2027German Startup AwardsVenue not announcedStartup awardsConfirmed (date)
7–11 Jun 2027SuperReturn InternationalInterContinental BerlinPrivate capital and VCConfirmed
13–15 Jun 2027Berlin BuzzwordsKulturbrauereiData, search and MLConfirmed
14–16 Jul 2027WeAreDevelopers World CongressMesse BerlinDeveloper congress, startup passConfirmed
3–7 Sep 2027IFA Berlin and IFA NextMesse BerlinConsumer tech showConfirmed
21–22 Sep 2027AIDAQbcc BerlinAI, data and quantumConfirmed
5–7 Oct 2027Smart Country ConventionMesse BerlinGovTech fairConfirmed

Autumn 2026: October and November

Women in Tech EMEA Summit: 29–30 October 2026

📅 Women in Tech EMEA Summit 2026 (FemTechConf)Confirmed
Dates29–30 October 2026
Wheresmartvillage Berlin
TypeWomen-in-tech conference
Who it's forWomen in tech, founders and the companies that hire them
TicketsSee the site
Official sitefemtechconf.com
The organisers expect about 1,200 people. A good place to find hires, partners and speaking slots.

Berlin Science Week and Falling Walls: 1–10 November 2026

📅 Falling Walls Science Summit 2026, with Falling Walls VentureConfirmed
Dates6–9 November 2026; Venture pitches on 6 November
WhereFalling Walls Science House, Karl-Marx-Allee 34
TypeScience and business summit with pitches by the top 100 science start-ups
Who it's forDeep tech and science founders, investors and researchers
TicketsPaid tickets
Official sitefalling-walls.com
Falling Walls Venture is one of the best global stages for science start-ups; nominations for 2027 open in February 2027. Berlin Science Week (1–10 November, festival centre open 6–8 November) adds more than 300 events across the city, most of them free.

DigiFin26 and DevFest Berlin: 10–14 November 2026

📅 DigiFin26Confirmed
Dates10 November 2026
WhereBerlin; venue on the site
TypeBitkom's fintech conference with the Fintech of the Year award
Who it's forFintech founders, banks and investors
TicketsSee the site
Official sitedigifin.berlin
Berlin Fintech Week is gone, so DigiFin is the city's main fintech date. Four days later, DevFest Berlin (14 November, SRH Berlin) is a cheap way for technical founders to meet developers or look for a co-founder.

Transfer Week and the women founders' funding forum: 16–20 November 2026

📅 Finanzierungsforum für Gründerinnen: "Geld spielt (k)eine Rolle!?"Confirmed
DatesTuesday 17 November 2026, 9:30–14:00
WhereWeiberWirtschaft, Anklamer Str. 38
TypeFunding forum for women founders, in German
Who it's forWomen founders and women planning to start
Tickets€25
Official sitegruenderinnenzentrale.de
Speed dating with IBB, Bürgschaftsbank Berlin and other lenders, plus a talk on bootstrapping. It falls in Global Entrepreneurship Week (16–22 November) and in Transfer Week Berlin-Brandenburg, which opens on 16 November at IHK Berlin. Berlin Partner

Winter and spring 2027: February to May

FRUIT LOGISTICA and E-commerce Berlin Expo: February 2027

📅 FRUIT LOGISTICA 2027Confirmed
Dates3–5 February 2027
WhereMesse Berlin
TypeGlobal trade fair for fresh produce, agrifood and logistics, with a Startup World area
Who it's forAgrifood, foodtech and logistics founders
TicketsSee the site
Official sitefruitlogistica.com
Startups can register for Startup World and meet global buyers. Two weeks later, E-commerce Berlin Expo (17–18 February) is the place for online-shop and D2C founders to find tools, suppliers and partners.

MPE, ITB and TRANSFORM: March 2027

📅 MPE 2027 (Merchant Payments Ecosystem)Confirmed
Dates9–11 March 2027
WhereBerlin; venue on the site
TypePayments conference, 20th edition
Who it's forPayments and fintech founders, merchants and acquirers
TicketsDiscounted early registration
Official sitemerchantpaymentsecosystem.com
A week later, ITB Berlin (16–18 March, Messe Berlin) brings the whole travel industry together, and TRANSFORM (17–18 March, STATION Berlin), Bitkom's digital transformation event that replaced hub.berlin, is good for B2B founders who sell to corporates.

Berlin's May week: 10–13 May 2027

📅 re:publica Berlin 2027Confirmed
Dates10–12 May 2027
WhereSTATION Berlin
TypeFestival on digital society, 20th anniversary
Who it's forFounders, media, policy and tech people
TicketsTicket shop open
Official sitere-publica.com
Then two events on 12 May: the curated Rise of AI Conference for about 300 business, policy and investor people, and Ecosummit.AI at Flussbad Berlin, where climate tech founders pitch to green investors (startup ticket €750 plus VAT). On 13 May, the Startup-Verband holds the German Startup Awards; the 2026 ceremony was in Berlin, and the 2027 venue is not announced.

Summer 2027: June and July

SuperReturn International: 7–11 June 2027

📅 SuperReturn International 2027Confirmed
Dates7–11 June 2027
WhereInterContinental Berlin
TypePrivate capital conference for fund managers and their investors
Who it's forVC and private equity managers, LPs and later-stage founders
TicketsPremium pricing
Official siteinformaconnect.com
More useful if you are raising a fund or a big round than for an early-stage startup. The same week, Berlin Buzzwords (13–15 June, Kulturbrauerei) gathers open-source data, search and machine learning engineers.

WeAreDevelopers World Congress: 14–16 July 2027

📅 WeAreDevelopers World Congress 2027Confirmed
Dates14–16 July 2027
WhereMesse Berlin
TypeLarge developer congress
Who it's forDevelopers, CTOs and devtools founders
TicketsStartup Pass €299; student €120
Official sitewearedevelopers.com
The organisers expect more than 15,000 people. The €299 startup pass is one of the cheapest ways onto a big stage in Berlin.

Autumn 2027: September and October

IFA Berlin and IFA Next: 3–7 September 2027

📅 IFA Berlin 2027Confirmed
Dates3–7 September 2027
WhereMesse Berlin, Messedamm 22
TypeConsumer electronics show with IFA Next for startups
Who it's forHardware and consumer tech founders
TicketsSee the site
Official siteifa-berlin.com
IFA Next brings startups together with investors, retailers and the press.

AIDAQ and Smart Country Convention: September–October 2027

📅 AIDAQ 2027 (AI, Data & Quantum Summit)Confirmed
Dates21–22 September 2027
Wherebcc Berlin, Alexanderstr. 11
TypeBitkom's AI, data and quantum conference
Who it's forAI and quantum founders, enterprise and public buyers
TicketsSee the site
Official siteaidaq.berlin
Two weeks later, the Smart Country Convention (5–7 October 2027, Messe Berlin) is the main door to public-sector customers for GovTech founders.

Dates not announced yet

  • Falling Walls Science Summit 2027: expected in November again; Venture applications open in February 2027. Falling Walls Venture
  • GITEX AI Europe 2027: the 2026 edition was on 30 June–1 July at Messe Berlin; the 2027 date is not on the official site yet. gitexeurope.com
  • Deep Tech Week Berlin 2027: the 2026 week ran on 18–22 May with many free side events, including Women in Deep Tech Berlin. deep-tech-week.com
  • Berlin Blockchain Week 2027: the 2026 edition ran on 13–21 June. blockchainweek.berlin
  • Female Founders Contest (Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg): the 2026 Berlin semi-final was in June; no 2027 date yet.
  • Berliner Unternehmerinnentag: the city's women entrepreneurs' day; no new date published. berlin.de

Past events

  • NVIDIA GTC Berlin 2026: workshops on 20 October, the keynote at the Tempodrom on 21 October and the conference and expo at STATION-Berlin on 21–22 October 2026. nvidia.com
  • Entrepreneurship Summit 2026: the German-language founders' summit ended on 18 October 2026. entrepreneurship.de

Recurring meetups and communities

  • Startup Grind Berlin: talks and founder evenings, such as its NVIDIA GTC keynote watch party. Startup Grind Berlin
  • GDG Berlin: Google Developer Group meetups several times a year, plus DevFest. GDG Berlin
  • Berlin Hack and Tell: a monthly show-and-tell of hacks at c-base, with more than 5,000 members. Meetup
  • Merantix AI Campus: regular AI events, from unconferences to coffee and code mornings. Merantix AI Campus
  • Science & Startups: the joint startup service of Berlin's universities runs a free Pre-Incubation Club, which starts on 12 November 2026. Science & Startups
  • Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg: its autumn gala and Business Angel of the Year award are on 12 November 2026. Berlin Partner events
Some well-known names have stopped: Startup Night Berlin ended in 2023, Tech Open Air has had no edition since 2020, hub.berlin became TRANSFORM, Berlin Fintech Week's site is gone, the Greentech Festival left Berlin for Asia, and the Techstars Berlin accelerator is paused. Women Who Code closed in 2024 and Femtec was dissolved in April 2026.

Events for women founders in Berlin

  • Women in Tech EMEA Summit (29–30 October 2026) at smartvillage Berlin.
  • Women's AI Breakfast: From Idea to Startup (5 November 2026, 9:00–11:00) at the Merantix AI Campus, for women at the idea stage of an AI startup. Merantix AI Campus
  • Finanzierungsforum für Gründerinnen (17 November 2026, €25): meet IBB, Bürgschaftsbank Berlin and other lenders.
  • Gründerinnenzentrale and WeiberWirtschaft: online founder evenings on 28 October and 25 November, a founders' get-together on 5 November, and "Pitch it, baby!" on 16 December 2026. gruenderinnenzentrale.de
  • Berliner Startup Stipendium, Batch IV: this round is for FemTech teams; apply by 4 November 2026. Science & Startups
If you organise an event for women founders in Berlin, send it to us and we'll add it.

Funding and support to know before you go

  • Berliner Startup Stipendium: €2,500 per person per month for six months. Batch IV (FemTech) closes on 4 November 2026 at 12:00 and starts on 4 January 2027. Science & Startups
  • EXIST: the federal founder stipend pays for 12 months, from €1,000 a month for students to €3,000 for PhDs, plus material costs and coaching. EXIST Women adds support for women founders; its next round is around December 2026. exist.de
  • Founder residence permit (§21 Residence Act): non-EU founders need a business with an economic interest or a regional need, a positive expected effect and secured funding. It is granted for up to three years. Residence Act §21
  • Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte): up to one year in Germany to look for work, with up to 20 hours of work a week allowed on average. Residence Act §20a
  • GmbH or UG: a GmbH needs at least €25,000 in share capital. A UG (haftungsbeschränkt) can start with less, but must put a quarter of its yearly profit into a reserve. GmbHG §5a
For events in the rest of the country, from Munich to Hamburg, see our guide to startup events in Germany.

How to get the most out of Berlin startup events

  1. Use the autumn. The Women in Tech EMEA Summit, Falling Walls, DigiFin and the women founders' funding forum all fall between 29 October and 17 November 2026.
  2. Pick your Messe fair. Agrifood: FRUIT LOGISTICA. E-commerce: E-commerce Berlin Expo. Travel: ITB. Hardware: IFA. GovTech: Smart Country Convention.
  3. Book the May week. re:publica, Rise of AI, Ecosummit.AI and the German Startup Awards fall on 10–13 May 2027.
  4. Apply, don't just attend. Falling Walls Venture (from February 2027), Ecosummit's investor pitches and the Berliner Startup Stipendium all take applications. See more startup competitions.
  5. Check the language. Most conferences are in English, but the Gründerinnenzentrale events, the Entrepreneurship Summit and many Berlin Partner events are in German.

List your event in this guide

Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Berlin? Send us the name, dates, venue and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this guide. We list events for founders, with a real date and an official page.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.

🔗 Add an awesome event

Startup events in other places

FAQ

What are the biggest startup and tech events in Berlin?

IFA (3–7 September 2027), re:publica (10–12 May 2027), WeAreDevelopers World Congress (14–16 July 2027), ITB (16–18 March 2027) and, this autumn, Falling Walls (6–9 November 2026).

Are there events for women founders in Berlin?

Yes: the Women in Tech EMEA Summit (29–30 October 2026), the Women's AI Breakfast at Merantix AI Campus (5 November 2026) and the Finanzierungsforum für Gründerinnen (17 November 2026, €25).

Is Tech Open Air still running?

We found no edition since 2020, and Startup Night Berlin ended in 2023. Berlin's main startup moments are now spread over themed events and trade fairs.

Are there free startup events in Berlin?

Yes. Most Berlin Science Week events are free, as are the Science & Startups Pre-Incubation Club, Berlin Hack and Tell and many Startup Grind and Merantix AI Campus events.

When is GITEX AI Europe 2027?

The date is not on the official site yet. The 2026 edition took place on 30 June–1 July at Messe Berlin.

What funding can Berlin founders apply for now?

The Berliner Startup Stipendium (€2,500 a month for six months; the FemTech round closes on 4 November 2026) and EXIST, the federal founder stipend for university teams.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-10-17 15:30 By city