July 7, 2025
After spending time in India during the winter, I knew I wanted something that feels a bit more like home. I wanted to be in Europe, somewhere dynamic, affordable, with access to a strong talent pool and a decent founder scene. Berlin seemed like the obvious candidate.
I'd already had a small taste of the ecosystem during an LBS PE/VC trek, where we visited a few funds in Berlin and Munich. Names like Cherry Ventures and UVC were already familiar. But that trip was just a glimpse. This time, I wanted full immersion. I didn't go in with a packed schedule or existing network. Just wanted to explore the ecosystem firsthand and see what it was like to build there solo.
First thing I always do when I land somewhere new is to build a routine fast. For me, that means locking in a gym, a good co-working space, and a flat close enough to both.
I toured a few co-working options:
I signed up at John Reed Fitness, probably the most over-the-top gym I've been to. It had a full nightclub vibe, complete with a live DJ and solid equipment.
Once that was in place, I started settling in. But here's where it got interesting: culturally and energetically, Berlin was very different from what I'd gotten used to in places like Bangalore or London.
In Mindspace, the atmosphere was…quiet. Too quiet at times. People showed up, worked, and left. There was limited small talk. Fewer random collisions. And on the weekends? I was usually the only person in the office.
That doesn't mean there weren't interesting people there, there were, but the German culture is a bit more reserved. You don't just "fall into" a conversation. You have to initiate. And if you're used to ecosystems where everyone is constantly pitching, colliding, brainstorming, Berlin will feel a few notches more closed off.
That said, once I did get into conversations, people opened up. I met some seriously impressive founders: technical, deliberate, thoughtful. And quite a few weren't German — a lot were international entrepreneurs who had moved to Berlin ten or fifteen years ago and decided to stay.
Run by Serop and the CR Opening crew, this one was a breath of fresh air. There were Saturday morning runs, low-pressure conversation, and a surprising density of interesting people. It was a lot about getting to know the humans behind the startups, instead of just pitching ideas.
They also launched a spin-off: Founders Hub Berlin. Every couple of weeks, they'd gather in a new space. It was a solid excuse to explore the coworking landscape while staying plugged into the community.
This was the highest-signal event I attended. Hosted at the Black Forest Labs office, the night featured eight AI-focused founders presenting their side projects, and honestly, the level of thought and execution was quite impressive.
These weren't casual weekend projects. People were deep in it, talking LLMs, context windows, fine-tuning, edge cases. Not everything was polished, but the ambition was clear. And the energy in the room was pretty good.
I went to a couple of the casual AI drinks nights. Had a couple of decent conversations, and met a few engineers. There was nothing groundbreaking, but it was worth doing once or twice. The typical crowd skewed more hobbyist or early-stage.
Besides Mindspace, I also visited:
If you're technical or building something AI-native, Merantix is probably where you'd want to orbit. If you want style & convenience, Delta is a strong contender.
Germany has an extremely strong local talent pool — engineers from places like TUM, ETH Zurich, RWTH Aachen, TU Berlin. They're smart, practical, and tend to stick around. But they're also expensive. If you're used to building teams in SEA or Eastern Europe, you'll feel the difference.
And most founding teams still include at least one German speaker. That's not a coincidence because it helps with fundraising. Which brings me to...
Here's the unspoken stuff that founders should know:
Berlin is a fantastic place to build from. It's international, still relatively affordable, and full of smart, serious people.
There's no shortage of interesting startups either: I met teams working on everything from sustainability platforms to AI engines to real estate software for PE firms. One team was even building a flat sourcing marketplace to help people rent out short-term housing to mutuals.
But what I missed at times is that all-in, high-urgency startup energy.
People work hard, but they don't necessarily live their startups.
In Bangalore, I'd be in coworking spaces until 10pm, surrounded by others doing the same. In Berlin, most people leave the office by 6pm.
That's great for quality of life. Less great if you're wired to build aggressively and want to be surrounded by many others doing the same.
Berlin is a strong ecosystem, but it's not for everyone.
You'll need to dig to find your tribe. You'll need to push to meet the right people. You'll need to be okay with some friction, both social and bureaucratic.
But if you're building something that benefits from proximity to German customers, access to serious technical talent, and a stable European base, Berlin delivers.
Just don't expect it to throw its arms open and pull you in. You have to earn & find your spot.