Week 10: Gender Gap in Startup Scene, first Quantum Hackathon 2026

Weekly Wrap-Up: Highlights of week 10

On International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, FLINTA individuals once again took to the streets worldwide to fight for women’s rights and gender equality. On this day, Science & Startups published figures that serve as yet another reminder that equality and equal opportunity are still not a reality in the startup world. In Germany, only 19.8 percent of startup founders are women. In general, women are less likely to envision themselves becoming founders: In a student survey, 40 percent of men stated that they could see themselves as founders in the future. In contrast, only 21 percent of their female classmates said the same. Founders Dr. Adiba Maignan and Stine Hecht, with whom Science & Startups spoke on Women’s Day, say that scholarships and institutional support were crucial in their decision to ultimately start a business. Furthermore, research shows that role models and the ability to balance work and family life are essential for closing the gender gap in the startup industry.

The performance of quantum computers far exceeds that of classical models. Quantum computing is considered a key technology of the future, as it enables fundamentally new approaches to highly complex problems in business, mobility, energy, and medicine. The potential of the technology became clear at the awards ceremony for the first Berlin Quantum Hackathon 2026. Charité and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe had tasked six development teams with challenges in the fields of medicine and mobility, which they were to solve using quantum computing. All teams arrived at practical solutions. Three of them received awards from State Secretary Severin Fischer: First place went to Team Mayo Clinic, second place to The Depth Compressors, and third place to Beerantum. The project demonstrates how quantum computing is increasingly being put to practical use and solving complex societal problems. The 2026 Hackathon was funded through the Zukunft Berlin project of the Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises, as well as with EU funding. It was organized by Kipu Quantum in collaboration with BERLIN QUANTUM. “The impressive number of applications for the hackathon has once again shown how important the quantum computing scene is for Berlin!” emphasizes HI Managing Director Volker Hofmann.