Berlin – Why Berlin - moving back from Silicon Valley
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Berlin – Why Berlin - moving back from Silicon Valley
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I decided to move from Silicon Valley to Berlin in 2008. It was apparent something is growing in Berlin - a start-up scene of global relevance - and I wanted to be part of it. David Hanf |
The hype around Berlin started in 2009/10. Though Berlin has yet to prove it can fulfil this hype by constantly creating start-ups which become international players, realising valuations north of half a billion, the hype is helping make it happen. It is sort of a self-fulfilling hype. It helps drive Anglo-Saxon investors into the city, which fill the huge gap of later stage funding (series B, € 5m and upwards) as we have seen e.g. with Sequoia Capital, a VC which has financed Apple, Google und Facebook in the past, with is first European invest into Berlin based 6Wunderkinder; or earlier Kleiner Perkins into Sound-cloud, Thrive along with Bill Gates into Research Gate, Balderton into Wooga, to name just a few. The hype helps bring leading startup events to the city like Techcrunch Disrupt, it helps make one of the world's leading Entrepreneurs Peter Thiel say "Berlin has the most potential of all cities in Europe." For years Berlin start-ups where successful with the principle "fake it (or copy it) until you make it" but this gradually changes into a "make it" attitude. By far, the most important asset Berlin has, is its talent. Excellent people, be it Entrepreneurs or employees, are floating into the city from all over the world. Moving to Berlin is a "Nobrainer" due to its low cost of living, its fun factor and cultural and creative scene. Berlin is simply inspiring and one of the few cities in Germany, where you do not have to speak German. Berlin pours charm of constant change and re-invention as the city itself has shown several times in history; it is a place to fulfil oneself. And money follows talent. So the Berlin story has just begun.
However, most of the work lies ahead. Berlin needs more success stories: companies which are global market leaders and realise exits of a couple of hundred millions. To some extent, Berlin itself is a startup still which has to grow up. Entrepreneurs and employees exiting successful startups will finance other startups, or they will found their own company. This creates an eco-system which Silicon Valley, New York, Tel-Aviv and London already have. Berlin's startup industry is naturally-grown but politics can help support its further growth by lowering obstacles. The newly by Entrepreneurs created startup association is just another sign of Berlin growing up. And Berlin needs more capital. Nevertheless, the city has a good chance to become an outstanding location for startups and international growth. Hard and detailed work, passion, vision, persistence and grit are the components to make that happen and let Berlin experience a new "Gruenderzeit" (founding period).
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