Attendees from 80 countries converge in Berlin for landmark event

Following rallying calls for global tech, research and innovation ecosystems to 'Choose Europe' and the groundbreaking launch of the EU Startup & Scaleup Strategy, Europe's tech sector embarks on a revitalised era of exponential growth and development, fuelled by a renewed focus on research, tech talent and increasing later-stage investments across the continent.
With Atomico's latest 'State of European Tech' report revealing Europe's tech sector has surged to €2.95 trillion in 2025 – a fivefold increase from €518 billion a decade ago – the most promising startups at forefront of regional tech momentum are showcasing their innovations at the highly anticipated North Star Europe.
Debuting as part of GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything, from 21-23 May at Messe Berlin, North Star Europe stands as the region's largest and most global startup, accelerator, and investor event. It presents the continent's most comprehensive showcase of international startups, as over 750 startups from over 80 countries join 600-plus international investors with over $1 trillion (€880 billion) in assets under management (AUM).
North Star Europe is the startup engine of GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything, which is held in partnership with the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, Startup Germany, and the European Innovation Council (EIC).
Phenomenal International Involvement Drives Urgency to Access New Markets & Capital
Reflecting Berlin's global magnetism, North Star Europe hosts one of the biggest international participations of founders, venture capitalists, ecosystem enablers, and tech leaders, with participation from Germany, France, Italy, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Spain, Netherlands, Morocco, Portugal, Serbia, and South Korea, among the major delegations. Startups revolutionising diverse sectors feature at North Star Europe, with the top five sectors including AI, Climate Tech, Deeptech, Health Tech and Cyber, followed by award-winning ventures in fintech, manufacturing, edtech, and creative economies.
Attendees will also have first-hand experience of groundbreaking innovation from the UAE, spotlighting the country's shared commitment with Europe to advance new frontiers of AI, technology, research and digital adoption. At the event, Dubai's Chamber of Digital Economy, Department of Economy and Tourism, and the Ministry of Economy will present a power-packed lineup of startups and tech hubs transforming AI, finance, healthcare, and more; alongside Dubai Digital Authority showcasing the country's influential interconnected government services.
The Most European-Centric Startup Show Ever Staged
Featuring 35 European states in its landmark first edition, North Star Europe welcomes nearly 400 early-stage European companies alongside a formidable selection of national digital development entities. Germany's most prominent startup and investment hubs, including De:Hub, Start2 Group and Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), present the latest projects and solutions spanning the aviation, space, and deep tech sectors.
Matthias Notz, Global CEO of Start2 Group, said, 'Europe's startup and SME landscape is rich in innovation and entrepreneurial energy, however, it needs a shared momentum where nations, investors, and ecosystem builders move in together to empower growth. Especially for scale-ups, timing is critical: funding needs to keep pace with ideas. Creating the right environment where meaningful, efficient connections between startups, enterprises, and capital can happen in one place is not just useful, it's necessary.'
At the show, Europe's entrepreneurial prowess is further reinforced through a strategic collaboration with the European Innovation Council (EIC) – the EU's flagship deep tech accelerator. EIC launches its largest-ever startup showcase at GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything, where 40+ deep tech ventures backed by a €10 billion programme highlight the future of European innovation. These include ATLAND 3D, Denmark's atomic-precision 3D nanofabricator working with NASA; and Germany's Kiuntra, the world's only cryogen-free sub-Kelvin cooling provider enabling scalable quantum infrastructure.
Illustrating the wider region's surging startup momentum, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and Bulgarian SME Promotion Agency are among those bringing 20+ innovative companies to the German capital. Emerging ecosystem hubs from Latvia, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, and Croatia are also making a significant mark in Berlin, solidifying its status as the continent's most dynamic and open innovation hub.
Driving startup growth through programmes for early-stage and later stage companies
North Star Europe shines at connecting growth stage and later stage founders to enterprise and government customers, as well as late-stage investments. This includes the premiere of its GITEX ScaleX programme, powered by AWS for startups, supercharging 25 venture-backed, fast-scaling companies from around the world whilst Supernova All-Stars, the world's ultimate pitch competition, welcomes aspirational founders to showcase outstanding innovations and win €100,000 in cash prizes.
Europe's Premier Platform for Investor Connections
A global launchpad for investor collaborations and expansion, North Star Europe's Investor Matchmaking Programme sets the stage for accelerated startup growth with leading investors including Austria's Speedinvest; France's Cathay, Partech, Venture Captial, and Serena VC; Germany's Earlybird, High-Tech Gründerfonds, T Capital, Cherry Ventures, 468 Capital, and DN Capital; Japan's ITOCHU Corporation; Luxembourg's Apis; and Netherlands' 33 Equity – at the event to scout new funding opportunities.
The show also features one of the most empowering expert-led conference programmes on 10X stage, diving deep into topics such as scaling from seed to IPO, navigating complex global tech dynamics, rising from local roots to global expansion, and the evolving frameworks of VC funding. An impressive line-up of unicorns is represented on-stage through Alexandre Prot, Co-Founder & CEO, Qonto (France); Justin Grooms, CEO, Bolt (USA); Carsten Höltkemeyer, CEO, Solaris (Germany); Sinead Fitzmaurice, CEO, TransferMate (Ireland); Hannah Huber, SVP Technology / CTO, Flix (Germany), and Mats Solberg, Chief Design Officer, reMarkable (Norway). Joining them are national ecosystem stakeholders and corporate investors including Milena Stoycheva, Board Member, Ministry of Innovation and Growth, Bulgaria; Jager McConnell, CEO, Crunchbase (USA); Joerg Landsch, Head Central Corporate Venture Capital, Deutsche Bank (Germany); and Costanza Carissimo, Investment Director, Cathay Innovation (Germany).
North Star Europe is part of the GITEX global network of tech and startup events, taking place across Germany, Morocco, Nigeria, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the global flagship programme UAE. For more information, please visit: www.gitex-europe.com.
Image Credit: North Star Europe

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