The ranking among the top 12 in Europe reflects the continuous work in the areas of quality of support services. Science & Startups brings together expertise, programs, and networks across universities to systematically support science-based start-up projects and bring them to market in the long term – especially in research-intensive deep tech fields.

For the “Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs 2026” ranking, Financial Times, Statista, and Sifted evaluated start-up hubs in Europe that offer at least one incubation or accelerator program and have been active since 2020. Alumni who had participated in start-up support programs between 2018 and 2023 assessed mentoring, infrastructure, legal support, networking, and financing opportunities, among other things. Assessments from investors and entrepreneurs were also taken into account.

"Berlin, as a center of knowledge and innovation, is already one of Europe's leading start-up hubs. With the expansion of Science & Startups into the joint start-up center of Berlin University Alliance, we will further increase Berlin's innovation momentum in the future. Where cutting-edge research meets entrepreneurial spirit, progress is made that connects science and society and advances them together," says Prof. Dr. Günter M. Ziegler, spokesperson for Berlin University Alliance and president of Freie Universität Berlin.

“We see this ranking as further motivation to continuously expand our services for start-ups, for example through thematic launchpads in the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, green chemistry, communication, and space travel. We are also working intensively on expanding our digital and AI-driven offerings for entrepreneurs,” says Florian Frank, member of the management team at Science & Startups.

One example of this is AI NATION, an incubator and accelerator for science-based AI start-ups. Over 350 start-up teams have applied for the current batch alone, reflecting the increase in spin-off activities.

The criteria highlighted in the ranking, such as track record and mentoring, can also be illustrated with concrete examples. One such example is Green Fusion, a start-up from the scientific community that is transforming energy management in the housing industry and thus helping to shape the heat transition. Green Fusion is a prime example of start-ups that emerge from long-term science-based work and can be successfully brought to market thanks to reliable transfer and support structures.

About Science & Startups

Science & Startups is the joint start-up center of the partners of Berlin University Alliance: Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin, in close cooperation with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The aim is to translate the excellent research results of Berlin's universities into innovative startups whose products and services are socially relevant, highly scalable, and sustainable.

The Berlin University Alliance

The Berlin University Alliance—a network of excellence comprising Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin—is positioning Berlin as one of the world’s leading knowledge and innovation hubs for integrated collaboration across various disciplines and sectors of society. Together, this ecosystem contributes to the sustainable success of major transformations. The Berlin University Alliance is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR) and the State of Berlin as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments.

Further information

• on the ranking „Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs 2026"
• on Science & Startups

• on the start-up scene around Berlin University Alliance

Media Contact

• Suhana Reddy, Head of Communication of Berlin University Alliance, Email: suhana.reddy@berlin-university-alliance.de

Contact Science & Startups

• Ronja Kolls, Science & Startups: Email: ronja.kolls@science-startups.berlin