The Berlin Startup Ecosystem | Ep. 33

Berlin's startup scene has changed. When funding was cheap, an idea and a pitch deck were enough. Now, early-stage founders are walking into banks — not VCs — because capital has gotten expensive and the runway has to come from somewhere. The conversation that follows gets into what that shift looks like from the inside, and what it means for the kind of companies being built in Berlin right now.ㅤDaniel Kazani sits down with Visar Ferizi, startup advisor at Berliner Sparkasse, to talk about how one of Berlin's oldest institutions is showing up for its newest founders. Visar has spent the last three years working directly with early-stage companies — helping them navigate financing, connecting them to the city's network, and watching the Berlin ecosystem shift from consumer apps toward deep tech, automation, and defense. The conversation is grounded, honest, and full of the kind of perspective you only get from someone who sees hundreds of pitches and has to make real decisions.ㅤ👤 Guest BioVisar Ferizi is a startup advisor (Firmenkundenbetreuer für StartUps) at Berliner Sparkasse, Berlin's largest bank and a fixture of the city's financial life since 1818. He has been with the bank since 2017 and has spent the last three years working exclusively with early-stage founders — advising on financing, connecting startups to investors, KfW, IBB, and the broader Berlin ecosystem, and being a consistent presence across the city's startup events and university competitions. He's worked with over 80 startups and is part of a three-person team dedicated entirely to the city's founder community.ㅤ📌 What We CoverWhy a 200-year-old savings bank runs a dedicated startup team, and what founders actually get from working with Berliner Sparkasse beyond a free first-year accountHow the funding environment has shifted over the last three years — from easy VC money to founders approaching banks at the MVP stageWhat Visar sees changing in the types of companies being built in Berlin: fewer delivery apps, more deep tech, automation, and defenseWhether AI is still just a tool or whether it's become the product itself — and why Visar thinks the distinction matters for how you buildThe single most common piece of advice Visar gives first-time founders, and why AI's speed advantage makes it more urgent, not lessWho to get feedback from first: customers vs. investors vs. outsiders, and how to think about the differenceWhat a bank actually needs to see before it will finance a startup (business plan, financial model, cash flow, USP) — and why showing up unprepared is the fastest way to get a noThe a2zebra / TukToro story: how a founder who started working at 16 built a math-learning dice toy backed by the founders of tonies, and why that story stuck with Visarㅤ🔗 Resources MentionedBerliner Sparkasse — Berlin's largest bank; startup advisory team led by Visar FeriziVisar Ferizi on LinkedIn — connect directly or search his name to reach the startup teamIBB — Investitionsbank Berlin — Berlin's state development bank; a key financing partner for early-stage companiesKfW — Germany's federal development bank; startup and SME loan programsBerlin Partner — Berlin's economic and technology development agencyBusiness Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg — Berlin's leading angel investor networka2zebra / TukToro — Berlin-based EdTech startup; math-learning dice toy for children aged 4+ backed by the founders of toniestonies — German children's audio brand (Toniebox); founders Patric Faßbender and Marcus Stahl invested in a2zebraEDURINO — Munich-based children's learning startup; physical figurines + app (comparable in the kids' phygital-learning space)Softup Technologies GmbH