2025 was a year of growth for MediaTech Hub Potsdam.
As the newly designated Startup Centre for the State of Brandenburg, we have further sharpened our role within the ecosystem: with new programmes, new formats, and a growing community that is actively shaping MediaTech.
A strong year for startups: new programmes, new teams, new opportunities
With the launch of our new Bootstrap Seedstrap Programme and the further development of the Investment Readiness Programme, we have consistently expanded our accelerator offering. In total, we had the privilege of supporting 28 new startups across three cohorts – clear proof of just how relevant MediaTech innovations have become in Brandenburg, Berlin, and beyond.
The first MTH Demo Day at the MTH Conference was a particularly special moment: giving our founders centre stage and sending a strong signal to investors, companies, and the international community.
A Hub in motion: events, ideas, and new formats
There was plenty of movement beyond the accelerator, too:
Our MTH Innovator filled the year with diverse formats – from Turntables, the Sprint Zero Workshop, and the de:hub Journey to Dresden, to a new event format: MediaTech meets… Die Grüne Couch. A highlight at the end of the year was the MOVE! Challenge, which we realised together with the startup service of the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. We are delighted to have successfully connected people and brought innovation into our ecosystem!
The MTH Conference once again created a space for exchange, future-facing topics, and key discussions about the location. It placed the future of creative work at the very centre of the conversation. Opened by Maria Schrader with the provocative guiding question, “Is AI still the pen in our hand – or have we long since created the hand that guides the pen?”, the conference brought together over 60 international speakers at Studio Babelsberg for two days. The sessions demonstrated just how strongly the media industry is operating within the dynamic interplay of Generative AI, new distribution channels, creator communities, and global market shifts. Complemented by guest country Denmark and the first MTH Startup Demo Day—where Gretchen AI impressed the audience—the event made it clear that innovation, responsibility, and human perspectives will be inseparable in the future.
We were out and about – in Germany, Europe, and the world
2025 was also a year of international visibility. Together with the de:hub Initiative and GTAI, we were able to participate in key international events with our startups, such as SXSW Austin, VivaTech Paris, Web Summit, and SLUSH Helsinki.
Particularly influential was our delegation trip to Japan, which sparked new impulses for cooperation in the fields of MediaTech, AI, and the Creative Industries.
In Germany, we were represented at re:publica, Transform Berlin, GITEX Berlin, and the de:hub Ecosystem Forum, among others—always with the aim of expanding our network and increasing the visibility of the Babelsberg ecosystem. The special thing here? Every single time, we were impressed anew by the quality of the startups, the enthusiasm and energy of the ecosystem, and the many wonderful people we met!
All of this was made possible through the organisation of the de:hub Initiative and Germany Trade and Invest. A massive thank you to the teams!
Stronger together
Internally, 2025 was also a year of collaboration. Behind every project, every event, and every idea stands a team that drives the MediaTech Hub forward with great commitment, creativity, and heart and soul. A huge thank you goes to our entire team, our partners, supporters, and freelancers – for your dedication, your expertise, and your contribution to ensuring our ecosystem lives and grows.
Together, we can approach 2026 with just as much energy and optimism.
Thank you, Community!
None of these steps would have been possible without you. You – our startups, partners, mentors, supporters, investors, universities, creatives, tech pioneers, and funders – are the heart of the MediaTech Hub. Thank you for your ideas, your courage, your openness, and your tireless contribution to the further development of this location.
We look forward to continuing to build together in 2026, working on a strong, international, and future-oriented MediaTech ecosystem. ✨
You can take a look back at the MediaTech Hub Potsdam annual highlights here!
