Hey, dear reader!
Last week, I gave a talk at 12min.me on how I started found and where it's headed. After the talk, someone from the audience asked me if I saw any changes in the Hamburg startup landscape now compared to 1 year ago, when the first issue of the newsletter came out.
One year isn't much time to judge an ecosystem. UnternehmerTUM in Munich took over a decade to become what it is today. Hamburg isn't starting from zero — we have a rich history as a startup city and many real success stories. But we've never reached that tipping point where the conversation shifts from potential to action.
So if you actually wanted to measure progress, what would you look at?
The obvious KPIs come from the yearly reports — startups created, exits, VC capital raised. And by those numbers, Hamburg hasn't recovered to pre-pandemic levels. 203 startups founded in 2025 vs. 205 in 2019. On capital, Hamburg's 2025 (~€200M) sits below 2019 (~€300M), and an order of magnitude behind Munich and Berlin.
But I'd add two more metrics that don't get enough attention — the number of events happening and the communities hosting them.
Looking at the events I've covered in the newsletter over the last 12 months, startup events grew by roughly 25% in the last 6 months compared to the period before (8 vs. 10 events per week on average). English-speaking events now outnumber German ones (59% vs. 41%). More recurring formats than before, and new communities pulling people together every month.
And AI is where a lot is happening right now. Just last week, House of AI opened a Hamburg location offering free, curated workspace for founders building in AI. They're taking applications for residency now — and what makes it even more interesting is the bridge to their San Francisco community.
2026 already feels different. The community side is in much better shape than it was. The question is rather whether that translates into more startups created and more capital raised. We shall see the first signals by the end of this year.
Save the Date 🗓
The events I'm most excited about in the weeks ahead.
Thursday, June 4
Public Funding: IFB Hamburg programmes (German/English) — Walk through Hamburg's current funding programs with IFB experts, with a focus on the new IFB PROFI line and the AI & Robotics call.
Thursday, June 4
AI in Marketing (German) — Get a sharp evening read on AI in marketing — analytics, attribution, real use cases.
Wednesday, June 10
Finance Collective (German) — Exchange with finance, banking, and fintech leaders on AI-driven analysis and new regulation — capped at 40 seats for real conversation.
Weekly Picks📍
All the events on my radar for this week.
This Issue’s Gem 💎
Thursday, May 28
Resilience Forum: Defense, Dual-Use & Critical Infrastructure (English) — Connect with technologists, policymakers, and operators shaping Europe's response to dual-use, defense, and critical-infrastructure challenges at DEEPTECH Campus.
AI Everywhere 🤖
Tuesday, May 26
AI Mix & Mingle: KI-Stammtisch (German/English) — Trade ideas with Hamburg's AI community at the monthly Stammtisch — casual, conversation-driven, every last Tuesday of the month.
Friday, May 29
Shape the Future with AI (English) — Tour ARIC's interactive AI showroom with the Ukrainian Science & Tech Hamburg community, plus a presentation on how AI is reshaping daily work and networking after.
Startup 101 🔨
Tuesday, May 26
Startup2Go (English) — Sparring-walk through Harburg Harbor with startup advisors and fellow founders to talk through your idea over fresh air.
Thursday, May 28
How to: Press (German) — Learn from journalist Ronja Ebeling how reporters think, what makes a story land, and how to pitch your startup across print and digital outlets.
Friday, May 29
build fridays (English) — Ship products alongside other builders, demo your progress, and get feedback from fellow founders.
Get Inspired ✨
Wednesday, May 27
12min.me SUSTAIN #9 (English/German) — Hear three sharp sustainability talks — packaging waste, lightweight construction, and corporate environmental management — for IKS's 15th anniversary.
Saturday, May 30
Founders Running Club (English) — Energize your weekend with founders, investors, and tech folks for an easy 5K — coffee and conversation after.
Open Calls 📣
Grants, programs, and opportunities waiting for your application.
RAISE the STAKES — For AI startups ready to pitch on Europe's biggest AI stage. RAISE Summit's flagship competition takes 10 finalists to Le Carrousel du Louvre in Paris on July 8–9, with €10M+ in total prize value across tracks — including a €100K winner award. Deadline: June 10.
Games Lift Incubator — For game development teams based in or moving to Hamburg. Gamecity Hamburg's three-month incubator selects up to 5 teams for €15,000 in funding, a €1,000 coaching budget, workshops, individual mentoring, and a coworking space. Deadline: June 1.
EWOR Fellowship — For ambitious individuals with the drive to build a generational company. EWOR backs founders at any stage: up to €300K in Ideation Mode (3% equity tuition only if EWOR invests) and €500K in Traction Mode (no tuition, for teams up to €2M ARR). Includes 1:1 mentorship from a network of unicorn founders. Rolling applications.
Job Picks 💼
3 open roles worth a look this week.
Senior Python Engineer at GoodBytz, a robotic kitchen startup (Series A, €12M).
Revenue Operations Manager at shipzero, an emissions tracking platform for freight logistics (Series A, €8M).
Technical Sales Engineer at Holy Technologies, an autonomous composite manufacturing startup for lightweight parts (~$5M total).
Hiring? Submit your job here. Want to feature it in the newsletter? Reply to this email.
That’s a wrap!
Check out the tune of the week from the found playlist
🏄♂
Share found Hamburg with your friends
See you next week,
Kyrylo from found Hamburg