We took this main question to the stage during the live launch of the new season of Unboxing The Future, created in partnership with Startup Berlin by Berlin Partner.
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During the new 5-episode series "Unboxing The Future of Berlin's Startups Ecosystem" we explore how Berlin can become Europe’s capital of Deep Tech and Impact.

Why this season, why now?

The evening opened with remarks from Berlin Partner, who shared why they chose to collaborate with Unboxing: to make complex topics like deep tech and impact more accessible and memorable and to connect meaningfully with the startup community.

Deep Tech and Impact are central to Berlin’s startup agenda. This partnership is about making that agenda visible, discussable, and actionable.

Kicking off with Questions Out of the Box

From there, Jan Berewinkel from Berlin Partner and Norbert Herrmann from the Berlin Senate joined us on stage and we handed them out the Box of the Future, with rapid-fire questions offering insights into how Berlin’s policy teams are actively supporting the city’s founders, from funding to internationalization to real-time policy support. The audience quickly took over asking them questions how this helps is put into practice.

Season trailer premiere & guest panel

The heart of the evening came with the premiere of the official season trailer, followed by a live talk show with our five featured guests:
Ina Remmers, Lia Carlucci, Ruth R. Shah, Robert Gerlach, and Martin Schilling, each representing a different vertical in the Berlin startup scene, from climate and food tech to corporate innovation, policymaking, and deep tech investment.

The audience led the conversation, asking the guests their own questions and surfacing the evening’s biggest theme:

Why Is Germany struggling to stay on top?

Someone from the audience asked Martin why Germany, and Berlin, seem to struggle to stay relevant as innovation leaders in Europe. His response was striking:

“Because of 50 years of success.”

Martin explained that after 50 years of consistent economic and social prosperity post-WWII, Germany is now facing a very different kind of global landscape, and it hasn’t adapted fast enough. The systems and mentalities built in a time of stability are not well-equipped to handle today’s accelerating pace of change.

In short: Germany’s past success has created inertia. Now, in the face of geopolitical shifts, climate urgency, and fast-moving tech revolutions, the country must learn to act with more agility, risk tolerance, and vision, or risk falling behind.

Spotlight on Martin Schilling

We byturning the spotlight to Martin Schilling, whose episode opened the season with a direct challenge:
“Are we bold enough to become Europe’s capital of Deep Tech and Impact?”

Martin is no stranger to bold moves. As former COO of N26, he helped scale the company from 300 to 1,500 employees in two years. Today, he’s the founder of Deep Tech Momentum and an outspoken advocate for a European deep tech renaissance.

His episode is packed with hard truths and clear calls to action.

It all ends in Unboxing pure style

As always, we wrapped the evening the only way we know how: With a live electronic jam session led by Ain TheMachine, featuring a surprise guest appearance by Norbert Herrmann, kalimba in hand, turning the audience into the closing act of the show.

Why you should watch Martin's episode

It offers practical insights for founders, funders, and policymakers, but also invites all of us to reflect on what kind of tech culture we want to build in Europe, and how Berlin can lead that charge.

His episode is packed with hard truths and clear calls to action. Here's what stood out:

What Berlin (and Europe) needs to lead in Deep Tech

1. A Clear North Star
   Martin believes startups and ecosystems need a unified sense of direction. “You should be able to wake your team up at 3 a.m. and everyone should name the same North Star,” he says. In Berlin’s case, that means clarity on purpose, ambition, and execution: Why are we doing this? How far are we aiming? And how are we organizing to get there?
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2. Triple-A Teams
   His second lesson? Invest early and seriously in building world-class teams. “Let the fire burn, hire the fire crew,” he says, emphasizing that founders often wait too long to recruit the right people under pressure. Ecosystems are no different: to level up, we need top-tier talent across sectors , and we need to keep them here.
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3. Growth Capital (and more of it)
   Martin pulls no punches: Germany and Europe are still undercapitalized, especially at early and growth stages. “In Europe, you’re building your startup with the handbrake on,” he says. We need new funding structures, stronger incentives for family offices and pension funds, and local policies that match the ambition of the founders they're meant to support.

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What’s working, and should stay

• Berlin’s global appeal
  Martin calls Berlin “the only real metropolitan city in Germany.” Its mix of culture, affordability, and international flair makes it attractive to both founders and talent — and that’s something Berlin must fiercely protect.
• Policy support that’s actually there
  He gives credit where it’s due: Berlin Partner and other public actors are making real efforts to support the ecosystem. What’s needed now is scale and visibility, and more founders taking advantage of what’s available.
• Momentum is building
  Initiatives like Deep Tech Momentum, Berlin’s role as a capital city, and increased awareness at the European level mean the timing is right. “If not now, when?” Martin asks. “This is the moment to collaborate.”

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📺 Watch the trailer of the season →

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📺 Watch Martin Schilling’s episode →

‍Listen on Spotify →

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