Finding a team and space

This page explains the steps and names its sources. It is not legal, tax or funding advice. To find out what applies to your plans, check with an advisory service or the authority responsible.

Starting question

I am looking for co-founders, a desk or an office, and later my first employees. Where can I find space and contacts, and who is responsible for staff matters?

In short: the portal does not arrange space or jobs. It names places and the offices responsible. Questions about employment contracts and staff are for the offices in the table below.

Steps

1. Business development in your district. According to the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises (Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe), the Wirtschaftsförderung (business development office) advises on location, financing and networks; each of the twelve districts has its own [1]. One example: the Wirtschaftsförderung Neukölln lists advice, funding options, location questions and support with matters involving the administration [6].
2. University start-up services. The Senate Department names contacts at universities, including Science & Startups, the Berliner Hochschule für Technik, the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, the Universität der Künste Berlin, the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht, the Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin and the Weißensee Kunsthochschule [1]. Science & Startups is the joint start-up service of Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität and Technische Universität Berlin in partnership with Charité; according to its website, its advice is “free of charge and equity-free” [2]. The BHT Startup Hub supports founding teams from academia with, among other things, a free coworking space [3]. The Startup Incubator of the HWR Berlin states that its programmes, rooms and coaching are open even to people without a link to the HWR [4].
3. Finding co-founders. Science & Startups names a “co-founder matching platform” that connects founders with talent from Berlin’s universities [2]. BHT and HWR also offer workshops, events and contacts [3] [4].
4. Technology locations. For technology-based projects, the Senate Department names eleven Zukunftsorte (future locations), such as the Wissenschafts- und Technologiepark Adlershof, the Campus Berlin-Buch, Berlin TXL – Urban Tech Republic and Siemensstadt² [5]. They are locations where networks between science and business exist or are to be developed [5].
5. Coworking and start-up centres. Places with desks are listed under Places. The portal only gives prices if the place states them itself.
6. First employees: establishment number. According to the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), as an employer you need an establishment number (Betriebsnummer) for each of your establishments to report to social insurance [8]. You apply for it electronically at the Betriebsnummern-Service. Since 1 January 2024 you need the company number (Unternehmensnummer) issued by the responsible accident insurance institution [8].
7. Accident insurance and health insurance. According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), the Berufsgenossenschaften are the institutions of statutory accident insurance; you check with the responsible one whether insurance is compulsory [7]. The establishment number is used to register and deregister employees with their health insurance fund [7].
8. Employment law: ask the offices responsible. According to the Senate Department, building a team includes staff planning, recruitment and compliance with employment law [9]. The portal does not give advice on this. The legal department of the Handwerkskammer Berlin advises its members free of charge, including on employment law [10]. The Senate Department names further partners, including the IHK Berlin, the Steuerberaterkammer Berlin (chamber of tax advisers) and the Verband der freien Berufe in Berlin (association of liberal professions) [1]. You will find more offices under Advice.

Who is responsible

Places from the portal’s directory, in no particular order:

• betahaus Kreuzberg · coworking · Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
  Coworking in the former taz building (Rudi-Dutschke-Haus) near Checkpoint Charlie, a betahaus location since 2018; memberships, private offices for teams of 5 to 25+, meeting and event rooms, day pass.
• betahaus LUX · coworking · Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
  New betahaus location in a former lamp factory near Warschauer Straße; opening in early 2027 according to the operator.
• BEYDES Coworking Berlin-Tegel · coworking · Reinickendorf
  Coworking in Tegel with a flex area, private offices and conference rooms, plus a podcast studio and event space; day pass for 29 € net.
• CIC Berlin · coworking · Treptow-Köpenick
  Innovation campus in a historic factory building near Görlitzer Park with private offices, coworking and lab space; access via membership, plus weekly events at Venture Café.
• GESOWORX Coworking Berlin-Pankow · coworking · Pankow
  Small coworking space in Pankow with flexible desks, offices for up to two people and a meeting room; personal membership for companies, freelancers and the self-employed.

See all matching entries (12) →

Offices from the portal’s directory, in no particular order:

• Anlaufstellen für Gründungen (Übersicht der Senatsverwaltung) · Berlin-wide
  The Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe lists points of contact for starting a business in Berlin on its website, from the first idea to the start-up, including contacts at universities.
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie · Berlin-wide
  Berlin Partner, the economic development agency of the State of Berlin, offers business and technology support for companies, investors and research institutions; the advisory services are free of charge.
• BHT Startup Hub · Berlin-wide
  The BHT Startup Hub of Berliner Hochschule für Technik offers open consultations for anyone interested in founding on campus (office hours Tuesdays 1–4 pm) and programmes with coaching, mentoring and co-working space.
• Bürgschaftsbank zu Berlin-Brandenburg · Berlin-wide
  Bürgschaftsbank zu Berlin-Brandenburg takes on the risk when collateral is missing for financing a start-up; with BBBwelcome also for projects by non-EU nationals and refugees.
• Büro für Wirtschaftsförderung Pankow · Pankow
  The Büro für Wirtschaftsförderung of the Pankow district supports businesses, founders and traders with questions on the location, on settling and commercial space, on funding options and on business development.

See all matching entries (29) →

Next step

Contact the Wirtschaftsförderung of your district. The Senate Department links all twelve on its Anlaufstellen (contact points) page [1]: berlin.de – Anlaufstellen

Sources (in German)

1. Anlaufstellen (Gründen in Berlin), Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe. Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
2. Science & Startups – Startup Support at Berlin’s Universities, Science & Startups (Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin). Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
3. Startup Hub: BHT Berlin, Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT). Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
4. Gründungszentrum der HWR Berlin – Startup Incubator Berlin SIB, Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin (HWR). Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
5. Zukunftsorte, Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe. Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
6. Willkommen bei der Wirtschaftsförderung Neukölln, Bezirksamt Neukölln von Berlin. Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
7. Existenzgründungsportal – Behörden, Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE). Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
8. Unternehmen: Betriebsnummern Service, Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
9. Gründung & Durchstarten (Gründen in Berlin), Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe. Page date: none. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
10. Persönliche Rechtsberatung, Handwerkskammer Berlin. Page date: 5 January 2026. Retrieved 6 November 2026.