From startup community builders to venture builders inside Germany’s leading applied research institute – here’s how we got here, what we offer, and why our accelerator might be exactly what your deep tech startup needs next.
Part 1: How we got here, here’s the story.
Jump to Part 2: What we offer ⏩
Chapter 1: The birth of Silicon Allee
First, let’s rewind a bit. ⏪
Silicon Allee was founded in 2011 by Schuyler Deerman, David Knight, and Travis Todd. Drawing from their experiences in the US and San Francisco, they set out to create a home for international founders in Berlin. This started with community events and the first English-language tech news site in the city.
In those early years, they focused on building a community, hosting meetups in Mitte, opening co-working spaces, and connecting founders, investors and tech folk together. 🤠
In 2016, they joined Factory Berlin to build a working, living, and event space for their growing network. The Silicon Allee campus opened in 2017, with a vibrant group of local and international tech companies in residence.
By the end of 2019, they launched the Berlin Founders Fund (BFF), an equity-free fund to support early-stage founders with capital, mentorship, and network.
BFF backed startups like Kittl, Formly AI, and Finmid, which have gone on to raise over €100m. Silicon Allee also launched programs like Skytrain to build a US to Germany investor network and Residency to support International startups landing in Berlin. 🇩🇪
Even today, our monthly meetups and bi-weekly newsletter are still going strong. Sign up for the newsletter here.
Chapter 2: When two become one. Silicon Allee meets Fraunhofer HHI.
In 2023, the last batch of the Berlin Founders Fund wrapped up. Our team were between projects, letting things breathe a little.
Then Fraunhofer HHI called. 📞
They invited us in for a team interview. They saw what we’d done over 13 years in startups and community building, and saw a clear fit with what they needed.
It was quite the contrast from our (rather cramped) startup-y office on Torstraße. We found ourselves standing outside a silver, modern building with massive glass windows, clean grey bricks, and a quietly serious energy.
We were taken to the top floor – boardroom style – where we met Professor Thomas Wiegand, Executive Director of Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute. 👔
He laid out the vision: Fraunhofer HHI is home to some of the brightest minds in applied research, with projects that hold strong potential to grow into successful companies and Berlin is full of ambitious founders building in deep tech and AI.
They were looking for a partner with experience in shaping early-stage startups, building teams, and a strong network – a team who could bridge the gap between research and entrepreneurship and help build the foundation for the next generation of deep tech startups coming out of Berlin.
We walked out of that meeting thinking, wow, we could actually change things. Not just for us, but for how the startup and research world work together. It felt exciting! 🙌🏽
There’s a real sense of purpose in what we’re building, we’re here to challenge and improve old systems, making space for new startups, new voices, and doing things differently. That’s what gets me out of bed.”
Vitoria, our Platform Manager
The Perfect Match 💞
Silicon Allee
- Berlin’s innovation network since 2011
- Impact startup accelerator experience
- €100M+ raised by portfolio companies
- Worldwide investor network
Fraunhofer HHI
- 1000 researchers & PhD students
- World leaders in AI, Video, Wireless, Photonics
- Research legends since 1928
- Two Emmy Awards
Chapter 3: We’re hired! Let’s build this thing. 🛠️
Our team were hired! We joined Fraunhofer HHI in late 2023 and launched our Accelerator program in January 2024. To be honest, stepping into the corporate world was a new challenge. Our team of eight was thrown in the deep end, navigating the usual hurdles and bureaucracy of a big institution like Fraunhofer. But that’s exactly why we’re here – to bring some startup spirit to a place that’s been around for decades and shake things up. 💪🏽
We were live! Our first press release went out, and applications started rolling in. With our Berlin Founders Fund experience, we jumped straight into shaping the new program, using the same vetting process with help from Fraunhofer HHI and external investors.
We were used to moving fast in the startup world, so working with a respected research institution meant balancing agility with careful collaboration. We worked closely with Fraunhofer’s team to agree on founder-friendly terms – knowing this was a real opportunity to bring a new mindset to a major German institution. 🤓
Chapter 4: Present day – How far we’ve come.
It’s been 18 months since we started at Fraunhofer HHI. Apart from our whole team low key becoming deep tech and AI experts, we’ve launched our accelerator, reviewed hundreds of applications, and welcomed our first startup teams.
We also started Deep Tech Night – a monthly community event that brings together researchers, engineers and founders to connect, share, and build. It’s become a regular space for Berlin’s deep tech community, welcoming thousands each year. Check out our events here.
We’re Silicon Allee at Fraunhofer HHI – a team driven to turning Germany’s research power and Berlin’s deep tech talent into successful startups that shape the future.
Part 2: What we offer
And why our support could be just what your deep tech startup needs next.
Why Berlin, why now?
Germany has gone all-in on deep tech, and so have we. Technology like AI and Quantum Computing will shape the future of the European economy. Plus, Berlin is full of smart founders solving hard problems.
As mentioned in Part 1, in late 2023, we officially joined Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) – one of Europe’s leading research institutes in AI, video & imaging, wireless communications, quantum and photonics – to lead their startup and venture building department. 🎉
By combining Fraunhofer HHI’s technical excellence with Silicon Allee’s startup DNA, we’re offering something rare: a trusted place for early-stage deep tech founders to build, backed by one of Europe’s most credible R&D institutions – and surrounded by a community that genuinely wants you to succeed.
We are uniquely positioned to provide access to leverage cutting edge technologies expert guidance, and the practical help it takes to grow a company.
The Accelerator:
Built for deep tech founders, backed by Fraunhofer HHI.
We know that deep tech founders need more than a slide deck and a pitch coach. They need capital, a strong team, technical credibility, and access to networks that most accelerators often can’t offer.
The Silicon Allee at Fraunhofer HHI Accelerator is a full-time, founder-first program designed to help early-stage, pre-funded startups grow from MVP to €1m. 🚀
What you actually get
- Full team funding (Yes, actually) – We hire your core team (three full-time roles including a co-founder) and cover salaries for 1–2 years.
- Research infrastructure access – Leverage Fraunhofer HHI’s research, labs, specialists, and technical IP to sharpen your product.
- Physical workspace – An office near Tiergarten where you can build alongside other founders (and coffee).
- Focused mentorship – Our advisors don’t just pop in for a keynote. They’re here to help you build.
- Berlin’s startup network – Get plugged into Berlin’s startup scene through Silicon Allee’s 15-year old ecosystem.
- Sensible terms – Clean cap table so you keep full ownership. We take a virtual share (~10%).
Who we’re looking for
We’re not for everyone. And that’s by design. We support startups who are:
- 🌍 Based in Berlin, or open to relocating.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Two + in a founding team, including strong technical skills and industry experience.
- ⚙️ Deep tech-focused, working on scalable technologies in fields aligned with Fraunhofer HHI (AI, photonics, 6G, visual computing, etc.)
- 🚀 Pre-funding, with no prior equity investment.
- 🧪 Post-MVP, with some early market validation (customers, pilots, LOIs).
- 🕐 Fully committed, or ready to go full-time upon acceptance.
This isn’t a fit for solo founders, idea-stage projects, or teams building with off-the-shelf AI tools alone. We’re looking for startups with strong fundamentals and clear ambition.
Apply now to our Accelerator program
If you’re an early-stage deep tech founder with a product, a solid team, and a big vision – this is your sign.
A quick note on our internal programs
While the accelerator is our main external program, it’s part of a larger journey that also includes two internal Fraunhofer initiatives:
- Venture Building: We validate research-led concepts internally and, when they show promise, bring in external founder teams to build them.
- Incubation: We help Fraunhofer researchers become founders themselves, from idea to MVP.
Together, these programs create a pipeline of strong, validated tech – and ensure that when a startup reaches our accelerator, it’s ready for serious momentum.
If you’re interested in joining on of the startups in our venture-building, incubation or accelerator phase, join our talent network and we’ll be in touch with relevant opportunities.
Deep tech investor?
We’re humble enough to know we don’t know everything. We work with leading VCs to review and select startups in our accelerator. If you’re an investor, and deep tech is your jam, we’d value your expertise in our Investor Advisory Committee.
Get early access to top-tier deep tech teams, direct influence on selection, and visibility across Germany’s applied research ecosystem.