In the Bavarian capital, international talent meets an ecosystem built to help startups succeed. Here, founders gain access to capital, expertise, and networks that can turn ideas into thriving businesses.

Berlin

Munich is becoming a prominent center for startups in Europe, with a growing number of founders coming from migrant backgrounds. Programs such as the Migrant Accelerator, funded by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs, offer financial support, mentorship, and networking opportunities specifically for entrepreneurs with immigration backgrounds. These initiatives aim to address challenges such as limited access to networks and unconscious bias in investment decisions.

Startups like DeepSkin AI and a new health app for the LGBTQI+ community illustrate the diversity and innovation emerging from this ecosystem. The support provided by accelerators helps migrant founders overcome barriers and secure funding, contributing to a more inclusive and dynamic startup landscape in Germany. Currently, about one in five startup founders in Germany has an immigration background, with many having originally come to the country for their studies.

Isar Valley: How Munich became Europe's preeminent startup capital

What do all these people have in common? They're start-up entrepreneurs. And first or second generation immigrants, that's still unusual for the German start-up scene. So right now I would say the start-up scene is very elite and very white. That is set to change. The idea, a start-up support program especially for migrantpreneurs. How does it work? Artificial intelligence for skin analysis. DeepSkin AI is the name of this start-up. The woman modeling here programmed the software. And she immigrated to Germany. We're supported by the Migrant Accelerator because we both have a migrant background, especially me. I come from Italy and then I came here in Germany. The founders receive some financial help from TMA, but mainly contacts through workshops, other contacts and mentors who have a history of immigration themselves. The product also focuses on diversity. Their method delivers better results with darker skin, say the founders. The start-up is currently applying for a patent. What we do is we standardize the lighting conditions of the images to reduce noise. So we basically make it easier for the AI to factor in light differences and therefore make it hopefully also work better on different skin tones. Tech start-ups are the focus of TMA. The Migrant Accelerator is funded by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs. The incubator also wants to offer a network. As that's something that's often lacking for people with an immigration background. Today on Demo Day, the program participants pitch their business models. It's all about visibility and contacts. It's a fresh perspective. Migrants typically come with a different background. So they're able to identify opportunities that locals may not be able to identify. So they may see some hidden doors. And on the other hand, as a migrant, you need a lot of resilience, you need a lot of grit. Because you need to establish yourself in the new country, in the new society. And grit and resilience, it is the key characteristics of any entrepreneur. And that's why I think migrants make such excellent entrepreneurs. For example, he's currently developing a health app specifically for the LGBTQI plus community. The need is great, says the Canadian, because many people feel they're in poor hands and don't go to the doctor in time, even in industrialized countries. But good ideas aren't enough. For start-ups, it's all about financing their business idea. They have to convince investors. It's always more difficult for founders with an immigration background to find investors than for those whose families have always lived in Germany. I wouldn't put always the discrimination topic on everything. It's bias and it's unconscious bias. How do you connect by knowing them or thinking, you know, how they tick and how they think. And if they're similar to you, then it's easy for you to get to know them and feel comfortable with them. Financing is also the key issue for Loretta's founders. With its training courses and contacts, the migrant accelerator has compensated for disadvantages and opened some doors. So what these kind of accelerators do for us is they level the playing field a little bit, right? So this is the magic of it, I would say. And I can tell you, a needed outcome is, during the time that we were in the migrant accelerator, we did, the knowledge that we gained helped us to get more funding. The health app specifically for the LGBTQI plus community is due to go online this year. In Germany, one in five start-up founders now has an immigration background. Most of them originally came to Germany to study.

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Ottawa

Middle East Conflict

Canada to recognize Palestinian state in September if conditions met

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Canberra

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Washington

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Birmingham

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Jerusalem

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Hawaii

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New York

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London

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

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Bogotá

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Moscow

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Zaporizhzhia

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Traverse City

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Bangkok

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Kuala Lumpur

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Stockholm

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Riedlingen

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Athens

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Breakdown