Berlin Tech Hiring In The First Quarter Of 2026: What The Numbers Show
There were +700 jobs by over 380 startups in Berlin in the first quarter of 2026. Here's what the data from Tech in Berlin reveals about where the city's startup ecosystem is headed.
Engineers and salespeople dominate
Software engineering leads all categories with 155 open roles — but what's striking is how closely sales follows at 142. For every engineer being hired, there's nearly one quota-carrying sales rep. Berlin's startups aren't just building; they're pushing hard into revenue.
Product & Design (64) and Marketing/Growth (63) sit neck-and-neck in third and fourth place. The pattern is consistent: companies scaling across all functions simultaneously.
The market wants experience, not entry-level
Only 39 junior roles were posted across the entire quarter. Senior titles appeared in 189 listings. Managers in 183.
Berlin's tech hiring is not a graduate market right now. Companies are paying for people who can move fast without much hand-holding. This could be the impact of AI on entry level jobs.
AI hiring is real but still selective
Roles range from AI Engineers and Backend Engineers working on ML pipelines to strategic hires like Head of AI Research.
This isn't a wave yet. It's targeted investment. Companies know exactly where they need AI capability and they're hiring for it precisely.
Early-stage startups are building first teams
30 "Founding" roles appeared — Founding PM, Founding GTM Engineer, Founder's Associate. These are companies making their first five to ten hires.
It's a quiet signal that new company formation in Berlin remains active, even in a tighter funding environment.
Who's actually hiring
Moss leads with 13 open roles, followed by Tower (10) and Upvest (9). Most active companies cluster between 6 and 8 postings — consistent with Series A and B-stage hiring pushes rather than enterprise recruitment cycles.
Notably, AI-native companies like Peec AI and Langfuse both appear in the top tier, each with 6–7 open roles.
The shape of Berlin tech in 2026
The data paints a market that is commercially focused, experience-heavy, and selectively investing in AI. Startups are hiring across the full stack — engineers, sellers, marketers, designers — rather than doubling down on any one function.
The founding-role cohort suggests a new generation of companies is forming beneath the surface.
