Targeted expansion of a successful fund

B# Plus builds on Berlin’s existing B# (“be sharp”) pre-seed fund and adds a dedicated financing component for Deep Tech founding teams with at least one female founder. The State of Berlin and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) are providing an additional €1 million in funding for this purpose.

The reason is clear: the first months of the B# fund have shown that the vast majority of applicant teams continue to be male-dominated. As a result, significant innovation potential remains untapped — potential that Berlin urgently needs to further strengthen its position as a leading innovation hub.

“Berlin is the capital of innovation, and innovation emerges and thrives where different perspectives come together. Yet women founders continue to face significantly greater barriers than men when it comes to accessing venture capital. Sometimes, achieving equal opportunities means treating unequal circumstances differently. With B# Plus, we are deliberately addressing the early, capital-intensive stage and providing additional funding to Deep Tech teams with female founders. In doing so, Berlin is making a clear commitment to greater equal opportunity in our startup ecosystem.”

Franziska Giffey, Mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises

How B# Plus works

B# Plus has deliberately been designed as a lean extension of the existing fund, without creating a new funding program or additional bureaucratic structures. Eligible startups can receive up to €100,000 in additional financing, with implementation fully integrated into the existing B# structures. The program is aimed at Deep Tech teams with at least one female founder.

Funded teams benefit in several ways: they receive additional liquidity during the critical early stage, secure improved conversion terms for subsequent financing rounds, and thereby strengthen their equity base. To qualify, at least one female founder must hold a minimum 10 percent stake in the company and play an active role in the business.

“Many excellent Deep Tech ideas are developed by female founders. We want to help ensure that even more innovative ideas can contribute to Berlin’s economic growth. B# Plus focuses precisely where it can have an impact: providing additional capital at the pre-seed stage and better terms for the next financing round. We are integrating the instrument seamlessly into our B# processes — without additional bureaucracy, but with a tangible impact for the teams.”

Katrin Robeck, Managing Director, IBB Ventures

Impact on three time horizons

B# Plus aims to drive sustainable change in Berlin’s startup ecosystem, with impact in the short, medium and long term.

In the short term, more capital will flow to female founders in Deep Tech and the number of funded Deep Tech founding teams is expected to increase. In the medium term, this can create more successful role models whose visibility encourages more women to start companies and helps increase the share of female founders in Berlin’s startup ecosystem. In the long term, this development will translate into more innovation, growth and economic momentum for Berlin.

A signal with nationwide impact

B# Plus is unique of its kind in Germany to date. With the initiative, Berlin is sending a clear message: anyone building an innovative company should have a fair chance of accessing funding.

More female founders mean more ideas, more perspectives and greater economic strength for Berlin.

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