New York, Tel Aviv and Berlin join forces to expand their lead as top startup locations

"Start Alliance Berlin" kicks off May 2^nd, enabling young entrepreneurs to accelerate new market entries in Europe and North America

The startup scenes in Berlin, Tel Aviv and New York City are booming. Berlin has taken over London as Europe’s No.1 startup city, with EUR 2.1bill. in accumulated venture capital, New York City heads the East Coast as buzzing tech and investors’ hub. Tel Aviv is the #1 city for entrepreneurs in the startup nation Israel.

To accelerate startups’ international market expansion, New York City, Tel Aviv and Berlin have joined forces on the new program Start Alliance Berlin. This initiative enables select entrepreneurs to expand faster and cheaper then ever through offering co-working spaces, networking opportunities and soft landing support.

Under the patronage of the Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology is celebrating this dynamic program in an event on May 2^nd in New York, together with industry partner METRO AG, co-working space providers Wework and Rise and New York International. The first New York startup to go to Berlin will be selected in a live pitch.  Start Alliance Berlin is already counting Tel Aviv as a member.

Michael Müller, Mayor of Berlin, salutes the fast moving initiative: “New York and Berlin have a lot in common: both are international, cosmopolitan cities, whose dynamics, and economic growth is being accelerated by young people, full of energy and creative ideas. We are excited to have New York and Tel Aviv now as the leading digital cities to rollout our startup exchange program, that offers business founders ideal opportunities to explore new markets.”

For WeWork’s Arana Hankin the co-working space’s involvement is a perfect fit: “Berlin runs on the same creative energy that powers WeWork communities around the world. From its vibrant art scene to its booming tech industry and successful big businesses, Berlin is an ideal place for us to share our mission of bringing passionate people together who will help each other thrive on a global scale. We are very excited to be opening WeWork in Berlin and to be participating in Berlin Partner's exchange program that will allow startups from New York to expand to this great city.”

Berlin Partner for Business and Technology has long been involved in partnering programs on this side of the Atlantic, i.e. supporting and liaising with TEP, the Transatlantic Entrepreneur Partnership Conference in New York City or facilitating the collaboration between the Urban Future Lab in Brooklyn and the CleanTech Business Park in Berlin Marzahn. Developing the Start Alliance is another milestone in creating an open platform for vital international exchange.

Dr. Stefan Franzke, Managing Director Berlin Partner: “With our program Start Alliance, we open and support international exchange and conversation of driven, smart and creative minds. Startups from Berlin can profit from networking with local Venture Capitalists while in New York. Young founders from New York City have the opportunity to work together with German industry leaders in Berlin.”

Start Alliance Berlin invites other cities, corporate and community partners, as well as young entrepreneurs to actively participate in discussing and finding solutions for common issues on urban, social and economic development. Partners and participating co-working spaces in Berlin are: Rainmaking Loft, Bethaus, HWR, GTEC German Tech Entrepreneurship Center, Center of Entrepreneurship at Technische Universität.

Berlin Partner will be actively involved in New York’s DLD, the Digital Life Design (DLD) is a global conference network and acts as a platform for an exchange of future visions and experiences, on May 4^th with an exciting panel discussion circling around the topic Innovation Hubs Around the Globe.