Startup loans in Berlin
15 loans and investment programs founders in Berlin can apply for: 8 from Berlin, 7 nationwide and EU-wide. Each one with the amount, who qualifies and the next deadline, checked against the official source.
Nearest deadlines
Check which of them fit you
Answer a few questions about you and your project. The co-pilot starts with Berlin selected and shows which programs fit, what blocks you and what to do next.
- Concrete reasons, not a score
- Nearest deadlines first
- Next step for each program
From Berlin
- IBB Ventures (B# Pre-Seed and VC funds)B# pre-seed: EUR 100k to 400k in convertibles (+EUR 100k if at least one female founder); IBB Ventures seed/Series A EUR 200k to 1m, follow-ons up to EUR 4m (6m in individual cases)Investment · Berlin · Apply any time
- Medienboard Games and Interactive Content FundingSuccess-contingent, interest-free loan: development/prototype usually up to EUR 300k (typically 50% of costs, up to 80% in exceptions), production usually up to EUR 600k (up to 50%); ILB fee 3%Loan · Berlin · Next deadline: 27 October 2026
- Berlin microloanUp to €50,000; 6 years incl. 1 repayment-free year; quarterly repayment; 7.50% nominal (7.71% effective) for founders, 7.00% for existing firms, fixed for 6 years (Sep 2026)Loan · Berlin · Apply any time
- Berlin Start (IBB start-up loan with guarantee)Loan from EUR 5,000 to EUR 1.5m, up to 100% of the project, 6 to 10 years, up to 2 repayment-free years, fixed rate; BBB guarantee up to 70% (1.5% one-off fee + 1.75% p.a.)Loan · Berlin · Apply any time
- IBB SME Fund start-up and growth loan (direct loan)Direct IBB loan up to EUR 250,000 without a house bank (up to 100% of the project, term up to 20 years, grace years possible, market interest); with a house bank up to EUR 10mLoan · Berlin · Apply any time
- Medienboard Innovative Audiovisual Content (XR / immersive)Interest-free, conditionally repayable loan for development and/or production; own contribution normally 50%; ILB fee 3% (min. EUR 500 for loans of EUR 10,000 to 16,667); no maximum publishedLoan · Berlin · Next round not announced yet
- BBBwelcome guarantee for refugee and non-EU foundersGuarantee for your bank loan: up to 70% (exceptionally 80%) of the loan; fees 1.5% one-off plus 1.75% p.a.Loan · Berlin · Apply any time
- BBBsocial guarantee for social-impact foundersGuarantee for your bank loan: up to 70% (exceptionally 80%), max. guarantee EUR 2.0m; fees 1.5% one-off plus 1.75% p.a.Loan · Berlin · Apply any time
Nationwide and EU
- KfW ERP Start-up Loan StartGeldUp to EUR 200,000 (working capital up to EUR 80,000); KfW takes 80% of the bank's risk; fixed, ERP-subsidised interest (current rates at kfw.de/konditionen)Loan · Germany · Apply any time
- KfW ERP Founding LoanLoan up to EUR 500,000 for up to 35% of costs; 15 years with 5 repayment-free, or 10 with 2; a Bürgschaftsbank guarantees 100%, so no other collateralLoan · Germany · Apply any time
- Micro-Mezzanine Fund GermanySilent participation up to EUR 100,000, or EUR 150,000 for social and ecological firms; about 8% a year effective plus up to 2% profit share; 10 years, no collateralInvestment · Germany · Apply any time
- Antler ONE ResidencyUp to EUR 500,000 pre-seed (EUR 200,000 at once, the rest as follow-on) for about 10% equity; co-founder matching for solo foundersInvestment · Germany · Apply any time
- High-Tech Gründerfonds Seed InvestmentPre-seed/seed first tickets with a 'sweet spot' of EUR 800,000+, sized to need; follow-on growth rounds of up to EUR 30m per portfolio companyInvestment · Germany · Apply any time
- ERP Capital for Founders (subordinated loan)Subordinated loan up to EUR 500,000 that counts as equity; tops up own funds to 45% (50% in eastern states and Berlin) of costs; no collateral; 15 years with 7 repayment-freeLoan · Germany · Apply any time
- ERP Digitalisation and Innovation LoanLoan from EUR 25,000, up to 100% of costs (up to EUR 7.5m for innovative companies, EUR 25m per project); plus an ERP grant of 3% of the loan for digitalisation or innovation projectsLoan · Germany · Apply any time
Questions founders ask
Which loans and investment programs can I get as a solo founder in Berlin?
13 of the 15 programs accept solo founders under their official rules: Medienboard Games and Interactive Content Funding, Berlin microloan, Berlin Start (IBB start-up loan with guarantee), IBB SME Fund start-up and growth loan (direct loan), Medienboard Innovative Audiovisual Content (XR / immersive), BBBwelcome guarantee for refugee and non-EU founders and 7 more. For the others, the team rule is on each program page.
When is the next deadline?
The next fixed deadline is 27 October 2026 for Medienboard Games and Interactive Content Funding. 13 of the 15 accept applications all year round.
Facts are checked against official sources; each program page shows the verification date and sources. Orientation, not an eligibility decision.