Diversity is a success factor – Migrants as Founders
One of our stage programs this year is hosted by the 2hearts initiative which aims at “building tomorrow’s tech society with cultural diversity”.
Studies in the US point to the outstanding contribution of migrant founders for innovative enterprises. There are also a number of high-profile companies founded by migrants in Germany, such as Raisin, Delivery Hero, Get Your Guide or BioNTech: Diversity is a success factor!
Central results of the 2021 Migrant Founders Monitor published by Bundesverband Deutsche Startups e.V. and Friedrich-Nauman-Stiftung show that founders with a migration background have a share of 20 % in German startups, thus playing an important role in the startup ecosystem. More than 90 % of these founders boast a university degree, compared to an overall average of 84 %. First generation migrants are particularly well represented which indicates the international appeal of German startup hotspots. At the same time, migrant founders of the first generation still have difficulties in the areas of financing and cooperations, which points to cultural and structural barriers.
Berlin in particular attracts talents from abroad to set up a startup in Germany. 57 % of the founders with a migration background were not born in Germany. As the study points out, there are challenges such as language barriers or bureaucratic hurdles, both before and after founding their startup, represent a key difficulty. In contrast, the recognition of international qualifications is unproblematic in the startup ecosystem or of little relevance in the field.
Berlin’s Business Immigration Service, which provides another session of our 2021 program, stands ready to assist founders and talents from outside of Germany to find their way in the capital.
