Berlin startup founders face a two-thirds failure rate within three years, according to economic data from the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises.
A total of 20,748 new businesses launched in Berlin during the first half of 2026, Der Tagesspiegel reported. Many new companies struggle due to a lack of genuine market demand and inadequate marketing strategies.
Max Rank, co-founder of the anti-stress application Aury, spends much of his time on marketing and networking.
He recently attended the Preventure health festival in Hamburg to meet potential partners and users.
“Am Ende sind das noch immer gute Orte, um Menschen kennenzulernen, die man sonst nicht getroffen hätte,” Rank told Der Tagesspiegel.
The Aury application functions as an artificial intelligence coach for workplace stress prevention. It listens to user issues, suggests exercises, and points users toward friends or family for support.
The software does not provide medical diagnoses, crisis interventions, or psychotherapy. Rank and his team built the product through structured target group research and incremental updates.
“Was brauchen die Nutzer, was wollen sie?” Rank told Der Tagesspiegel.
Company research revealed that corporate clients prioritize security above all else. The team invested heavily in ensuring the application does not supply incorrect advice.
“Wie bei einem Sportler, der ist ja auch nie fertig,” Rank told Der Tagesspiegel regarding ongoing product safety updates.
Thomas Andersen, a Berlin-based marketing consultant and startup coach, warns against common founder miscalculations. Entrepreneurs often assume that if three friends like a product, an 84-million-person market will follow.
Platforms such as Deutsche Startups show that 47.3 percent of founders believe they are launching a worldwide market novelty.
“Oft haben sie viele Lösungen, aber keine Probleme,” Andersen told Der Tagesspiegel.
The Founders Foundation identifies missing market demand and poor marketing as leading causes of startup failure. Andersen advises founders to build simple landing pages and ask 100 people if they would click on the offering.
Food startups should test products at weekly markets to face direct competition and talk with buyers.
Founders also need to define an ideal customer profile before launching campaigns. Poor timing can cause strong products to fail, much like Apple Inc.’s Power Mac G4 Cube in 2000.
“Das tollste Produkt zum falschen Zeitpunkt präsentiert, kann ein Flop sein,” Andersen told Der Tagesspiegel.
Entrepreneurs must also master the pitch. Andersen recommends using emotional storytelling rather than dry numbers when presenting to investors.