Dear Friends & Partners,

We are delighted to welcome you to the latest edition of our newsletter and we can't wait to share with you the exciting updates, insights and stories from the past quarter.

With this edition we're Introducing or startup spotlight. Be prepared to meet the innovators and trailblazers of Berlin's thriving startup ecosystem. Our new segment shines a spotlight on the brilliant startups that are shaping Berlin's future. 

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin Remains on the Road to Success 🚀

While the German economy has weakened this year, the picture looks somewhat different when you look at Berlin: Economic and employment growth are developing above average in a national comparison - even in these difficult times. Berlin is holding its own despite all the challenges. The latest figures from the business development agency Berlin Partner also show this.

In the first half of 2023 alone, 44 companies settled on the river Spree; more than half of them came from abroad. Investments in research and development in particular, have developed significantly positively:

At EUR 159.7 million, there was an increase of 119 percent (compared to EUR 72.8 million in the first half of 2022). The clusters of transport, mobility, and logistics (EUR 39.7 million) and optics and photonics (EUR 36.7 million) are benefiting in particular. Among the 187 projects that Berlin Partner successfully managed by the end of June 2023 - an increase of 44 percent - 5455 new jobs were created. In addition, companies will invest around EUR 421 million in the Berlin location; by far the most favored of these is the ICT Media and Creative Industries  cluster (with EUR 152 million). For more information, please refer to our press unit.

Contact: Lukas Breitenbach, Spokesperson, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology presse@berlin-partner.de

Copyright: querbeet - istockphoto.com

Looking Back: SKYTRAIN - A Transatlantic Investor Network Connecting LPs and Emerging Fund Managers

"Through this support, and the partnership with the Berlin Business Office, USA, Skytrain has fulfilled its objective and became an active first-of-its-kind international cooperation and support platform."

"U.S. Insights" - FinTech Sector 💸 

We are delighted to present the fourth issue of our "US Insights" magazines, focusing on the FinTech sector!

Check out four interviews with industry experts and founders to learn more about the number one FinTech hub in the US, as well as what drives FinTech companies from Berlin to expand to the US and vice versa:

👉 “Atlanta, Georgia - Payment Processing Capital of the World Aka ‘Transaction Alley’” - Interview with Ellen Kraft, Senior Business Development Manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 
👉 "Expert Insights on the U.S. Fintech Sector" - Interview with Hillery Champagne, Director of FinTech Atlanta.
👉 "Coinbase - Largest Cryptocurrency Exchange in the U.S. - Expands to Berlin in 2021" - Interview with Daniel Seifert, Vice President and Regional Managing Director, EMEA at Coinbase.
👉 "Ecolytiq – A Berlin Fintech Taking Sustainable Finance Global" - Interview with Ulrich Pietsch, Co-Founder and CEO of ecolytiq, and Andy Shankar, Head of Business at ecolytiq.

We are very grateful for everyone who contributed to the magazine and hope to continue fostering a lively exchange between the U.S. and Berlin FinTech ecosystems!

SXSW Pitch returns for its 16th Year 

Ready to take your startup to the next level? Be a part of #SXSWPitch from March 9-11th, 2024! Apply by Sunday, November 12, at 11:59 pm PT.

SXSW Pitch provides an outlet for companies to present the latest ideas in Artificial Intelligence, Voice & Robotics; Enterprise & Smart Data; Entertainment, Media & Content; Extended Reality and Web3 Future of Work; Food, Nutrition & Health; Innovative World Technologies; Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability; Student Startup; to a panel of industry experts, early adopters, and representatives from the Venture Capital / Angel Investor community..

 SXSW Pitch Eligibility Criteria:

👉 The company’s product and/or service must have been conceived no earlier than              March 9, 2022.

👉 Each company may only enter one product or service into SXSW Pitch. 

👉 The Company must not have raised over eight (8) Million Dollars in funding from               combined funding sources. 

👉 Startups should be legally registered and compliant with all relevant regulations               and laws in their respective jurisdictions.

👉 The product or service must fall into one of the SXSW Pitch categories.

Application Information

SXSW Pitch Application Fee $220 - September 11th to November 12th, 2023 

GET TO KNOW

LEVY Health 

👉 LEVY Health offers a clinical decision support SAAS, dramatically reducing the diagnosis timeline for endocrine disorders from years to just a few weeks.

👉 Their first product, the LEVY Fertility Code, is a precision fertility diagnostics software capable of detecting 65 health conditions that can lead to infertility.

👉 Founded by Caroline Mitterdorfer, Silvia Hecher and Theresa Vilsmaier, the software empowers fertility clinics and payors to pre-qualify and streamline patients, reducing time to to treatment by 30%.

👉 The company was founded in Berlin, Germany in 2021 and since January 2023 it  is commercially active in the US.  

Welcome to Quantum Berlin goes USA - Delegation Trip

with Focus on Connecting Quantum Ecosystems Around

the Quantum World Congress 🌎

Berlin Partner for Business and Technology connected the Berlin quantum ecosystem with one of the world's leading quantum hubs - Washington D.C. in the USA. The overall objective of the mission was to connect Berlin-based QT companies with their US counterparts, create B2B meetings and networking opportunities and promote information exchange.

Well-Trained Professionals in the Healthcare Industry – The Metropolitan Region has a lot to Offer 

• Where can companies and research institutions find freshly trained specialists for their requirements?
• How and where can their own workforce be trained?
• How can schoolchildren be inspired for the industry?

👉 We present some initiatives and give an overview where you can get further information.

HYBRICK – Modern Laboratory and

Production Space for the Life Science Industry

Berlin-Brandenburg is one of the world’s leading life science locations, resulting in high demand for real estate within the industry here. The demands on this real estate have increased, especially in terms of the flexibility of the premises. Therefore, HYBRICK offers contemporary laboratory and production facilities that meet these and other requirements. A first new building is currently being developed at the heart of the south of Berlin.

Ariceum – Targeting and Eliminating Cancer Cells

Berlin-based Ariceum Therapeutics develops radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat difficult-to-treat cancers. Founded in 2021, Ariceum already has numerous financially strong partners and investors on board and expects the first product to be approved in 2028. 

Berliner Slang of the Quarter! 

- Na, allet in Butta?

   (Everything alright?)

"Allet in Butta!" is an expression that everything is in order or intact. The standard German equivalent for allet in butta is alles in Ordnung. 

New York-Based Pace Gallery Expands to Berlin

Mega-gallery Pace announced in June 2023 the opening of a new space in Berlin and appointed Laura Attanasio as senior director of the new Berlin office.

We got in touch with Laura and had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about her new position, the factors that influenced Pace's choice of Berlin as their new location, and the gallery's future plans for its Berlin space.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Meet the Fashion Forward Network

The Fashion Forward Network (FFN) is an exciting new initiative in the fashion world, working to unite Berlin's fashion powerhouses—brands, agencies, tech startups—with American innovators, experts, and influencers. The mission? To supercharge growth, sustainability, and digitalization on both sides of the Atlantic.

📅 **Save the Date**: Join them from October 16th to 20th in New York City, as they’ll be on-site, connecting with exciting experts and potential network partners. It's a unique opportunity you won't want to miss!

🌍**Transatlantic Connection**: Networking events, workshops, webinars, and delegation trips, are strengthening German-American economic ties, fueling prosperity, and boosting global reach.

💸**Funded Initiative**: FFN is funded by the Berlin Senate Department of Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Save the Date Pitch Night - Fashion Forward Network, 10/19!

Mark your calendars and get ready for an evening of innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity! Join us for our Pitch Night on October 19th - 6pm - here in New York, where promising startups and designers will take the stage to showcase their groundbreaking ideas and designs. The location is yet to be determined, but one thing is for sure: you won't want to miss this exciting event. Stay tuned for more details, and be prepared to be inspired!

www.berlinoffice-usa.com