SIBB Launches Specialized Incubator for Secure, Trustworthy AI and Cybersecurity

Early-stage startups can apply for the new program until May 4

Berlin, April 28, 2026 - The digital association SIBB e.V. is launching a new startup incubator focused on trustworthy AI and cybersecurity. The program is aimed at early-stage founders developing technologies for a secure and trustworthy digital future.

The incubator is part of the Berlin Startup Scholarship, funded by the EU (ESF+) and the Berlin Senate. Over a period of ten months, the program supports teams in developing their ideas into market-ready companies. Founders receive 2,500 euros per month, equity-free and risk-free.

Participants also benefit from, among other things:

* Individual coaching and mentoring
* Access to the SIBB network of companies in the digital economy
* Support with product development and business models
* Networking with investors and other partners

"There are an enormous number of early-stage startups in Berlin. That is a real strength, even if not all startups will survive," says Sinan Arslan, Managing Director of SIBB, "but it is precisely in this fragmented startup landscape that the potential for innovation lies. This requires an entrepreneurial spirit, courage, and strong incubator programs--which is why the Berlin Startup Grant is not just a nice-to-have for SIBB, but a crucial lever for promoting regional innovation."

Former participants also emphasize the program's added value. Iwa Eck, co-founder of GrantHive, says: "Through the SIBB incubator, we were able to integrate startup-specific systems to set financial, time, and community priorities when everything is on the line in our daily work life with a child. The sparring sessions--often spontaneous, always constructive--revealed our blind spots and opened up perspectives we wouldn't have seen from within our own tunnel." GrantHive helps founders navigate the funding jungle and is launching shortly.
Eck elaborates: "In doing so, we're putting into practice exactly what we learned in the incubator: structured yet flexible support is crucial, especially in the early stages of entrepreneurship."

Since its launch in 2020, the SIBB Incubator has established itself as a key driver of innovation and entrepreneurship in Berlin and beyond. Across six cohorts to date, 51 startups have been supported and 120 founders mentored. Around 60 percent of the teams subsequently successfully founded a company. The diversity of the participants is particularly noteworthy: 52 percent are women (62 female founders), and 69 percent have an immigrant background (83 individuals). In this way, the incubator not only contributes to strengthening the startup ecosystem but also to greater diversity and participation in the digital economy.

The incubator launches on June 1, 2026. Applications are accepted until May 4.

SIBB // Digitalverband Berlin-Brandenburg
Friedrichstr. 68, Mindspace im Quartier 205
10117 Berlin
Germany

https://www.sibb.de

Herr Clemens Glade

clemens@sibb.de

About SIBB e.V.
SIBB e.V. is the association for the digital economy in Berlin and Brandenburg. With around 200 members and over 10,500 employees, the association champions technological progress and is committed to a livable digital future. Since 1992, the association has been connecting tech companies, startups, and research institutions, promoting innovation, and supporting founders.
www.sibb.de

This release was published on openPR.