Berlin's tax money, steered by Berliners.
Berlin Venture 50 is a public platform where Berliners decide which local startups receive a share of their tax money — transparent, democratic, once a year.
Projected if every Berliner voted
€200M
funding pool per cycle
2M
Berliners voting
Top 50
startups funded each cycle
These are the model, not a tally. The live board at BAD1 counts real votes only — it starts at zero.
How it started
Berlin has one of Europe's densest startup scenes — yet most of the growth capital still comes from abroad. At the same time, more and more citizens want a real say in how their tax money is spent.
Berlin Venture 50 was born out of that tension: a small, fixed share of Berlin's business and income tax revenue flows into a municipal growth fund — and Berliners collectively decide which startups receive capital from it.
From taxes into growth capital
A small share of Berlin's tax revenue flows each year into a fund that exclusively backs local startups.
You help decide
You choose where the money goes. Every Berliner gets one vote per cycle — direct, equal, transparent.
Top 50 receive capital
The fund is distributed across the 50 startups with the most votes. Fund managers size each ticket based on stage and capacity.
Where Berlin stands in 2026
Berlin is still a top-15 global startup ecosystem, but has slipped behind the leaders in capital availability. Berlin Venture 50 is built to reverse that — re-igniting the city as Europe's most ambitious founder hub.
| # | City | Country | Ecosystem value | VC funding (2.5y) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco Bay | USA | $5.9T | $278B | — |
| 2 | New York | USA | $2.8T | $162B | ▲ 1 |
| 3 | London | UK | $1.4T | $104B | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | Los Angeles | USA | $1.1T | $71B | — |
| 5 | Beijing | China | $1.0T | $58B | — |
| 6 | Boston | USA | $680B | $54B | ▲ 1 |
| 7 | Tel Aviv | Israel | $235B | $31B | ▼ 1 |
| 8 | Shanghai | China | $420B | $41B | ▲ 2 |
| 9 | Bengaluru | India | $390B | $38B | — |
| 10 | Singapore | Singapore | $310B | $26B | ▲ 1 |
| 11 | Paris | France | $240B | $22B | ▲ 2 |
| 12 | BerlinWe are here | Germany | $190B | $14B | ▼ 3 |
| 13 | Tokyo | Japan | $170B | $11B | — |
| 14 | Stockholm | Sweden | $155B | $9B | ▲ 1 |
| 15 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | $140B | $8B | ▼ 1 |
Sources: Startup Genome Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026 & StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026. Ecosystem value in USD over the trailing 2.5 years.
The annual cycle in five phases
From tax revenue to investment decision — the entire process is public and auditable.
- Jan – Mar01 · Tax inflow
A pre-agreed share of Berlin's tax revenue is booked into the Berlin Venture 50 fund.
- Apr – May02 · Nomination
Berlin startups apply. An independent jury verifies HQ, substance and eligibility.
- Jun – Aug03 · Voting
Every Berliner casts one vote. The ranking updates in real time.
- Sep04 · Tally & cutoff
The top 50 are locked in and the fund allocation is calculated and published.
- Oct – Dec05 · Payout & report
Capital is paid out. The following year, startups deliver growth, jobs and impact reports.
Ready to have a say?
The first live cycle is running at BAD1 right now. The €200M pool is the projection — your 3 votes are real and build the ranking.
Vote now