Meetups are the ultimate place for networking with people who share your passion. They are the breeding ground for success stories. You'll end up forming solid friendships, finding mentors, and maybe even teaming up for a business venture. And you never know who you'll bump into. I once met a founder at a meetup who became a great friend — he ended up on Forbes 30 under 30! 

The great thing about Berlin is that meetups are still very much alive! Most, if not all, are back up and running with in-person gatherings held at least once a month. So if you’re looking to connect with a community and meet some new people, here’s a list of some great tech meetups in Berlin, from technology specific to more generalist.  

1. PyLadies Berlin

When: Monthly

This is one of the most exclusive meetups in Berlin. PyLadies is only for ladies in tech (plus non-binary, trans people, and marginalised genders). If you meet that criteria and have a passion for Python, you should get yourself to this meetup. 

PyLadies has chapters around the world. They basically promote and educate the Python community through regular talks, workshops and social gatherings. It’s held once a month so mark it in your calendar. 

2. Unity 3D Germany User Group

When: Monthly

Unity 3D Germany is a regular meetup organised for Unity game developers. They talk about Unity (obviously), game development, new technologies, and best practices. Come through and meet fellow devs, programers, and artists in Berlin. 

You can look forward to a few talks from industry specialists — some of the recent talks included Metaverse, GPT, and AI-powered software development. After the talks, you can grab some food and drinks and chat with like minded members. 

3. Vue.js // Berlin

When: Monthly

Vue.js // Berlin is the official meetup for Vue.js users, fans and all who are interested in learning more about the exciting framework. The group has monthly meetings with talks specifically about Vue and the ecosystem. If you’re a Vue dev and would like to hone those public speaking skills, there are slots available each month to present for 10 minutes. 

You can expect to meet other Vue developers, enjoy Mate & beer, plus anything else exciting that comes up like swag giveaways and ticket raffles. The meetup is held at Wunderdog GmbH right off of Maybachufer. 

4. Google Developers Group Berlin

If you’re looking for a fun generalist meetup, the Google Developer Group is the spot to be! GDG is a great place to meet local developers working in various companies and industries. They organise workshops, events and the occasional watch party.

In the past the group has discussed HTML, VScode, React, Golang — but from the looks of it the group is super social and regularly organises mixers with the local Women Techmakers Berlin. They aim to meet every 1 to 2 months at different locations. You can find GDG Berlin on Meetup.com or the Google Developer Groups website.

5. OpenTechSchool Berlin

When: Bi-weekly 

OpenTechSchool is a community initiative offering free programming workshops and meetups to technology enthusiasts of all genders, backgrounds, and experience levels. You will have the chance to learn Rust, Python, Ruby, JavaScript and much more at this meetup. Co-learning is online for the moment (due to COVID-19) but there is the possibility that in-person learning will take place in the near future.

This is a great meetup for newbies to software development, whether you’re just starting out or trying to add some more skills to your stack, I recommend you jump online and get learning. Online workshops are organised quite regularly so you can check in twice a week and learn something new!

6. Diconium expert academy | from developers for developers

When: Every couple of months

At the Diconium expert academy you can discuss technical issues with colleagues from other companies in a relaxed atmosphere and in small groups and find solutions to the problems that really affect you – in practical lectures and workshops. 

The academy has held workshops and talks on agile teams and tech leadership. The content is less about actual technologies and more about leading and team building in the tech space. Some of the meetups/workshops will make more sense for IT consultants or engineering managers but I believe it’s open to all tech professionals.

7. Berlin Prompt Engineers Meetup

When: Every couple of months

So if you haven’t noticed, prompt engineering is the hot new thing and it’s soon going to be a very valuable skill to have as a developer. So I’ve added the Berlin Prompt Engineers Meetup to this list for those who are curious. The group gathers every couple of months and shares tips and tricks on generative AI. 

At each meetup there’s usually a couple of keynotes from prompt enthusiasts and some time for networking over drinks. You can also join remotely if you can’t make it! 

8. Berlin Hack and Tell

When: Monthly

This is the Berlin fork of the original NYC Hack and Tell. If you've ever visited Hacker News, you've almost certainly seen the "Show HN" or "Ask HN" posts. Well, it's time to get off the Internet and tell your fellow devs about it face to face. The group will provide you with honest feedback if you provide them with a great hack, or idea.

You’ll get five minutes to show off your new tool or hack – it’s all fair game. After you present the audience will ask questions and provide feedback. Participation is everything. This is the forum to talk and discuss and be open to criticism. 

9. Silicon Allee Events

When: Monthly

Silicon Allee is the pride and job of Berlin, it’s like our Silicon Valley. It’s a very successful startup incubator if you haven’t heard. This is their meetup where they host workshops but mostly get together to meet and connect with entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, investors, business coaches, experts, and folks from the Silicon Allee and Berlin Founders Fund team. 

Silicon Allee has a monthly meetup which is great for anyone interested in tech and startups who would like to connect with some other great minds.  It doesn't matter if you're a new or an expert in Berlin, our doors are open to all the incredibly diverse ecosystems to mingle and make the best out of the morning. 

10. Flutter Berlin

When: Every couple of months

Flutter Berlin is where the brightest minds from Berlin’s mobile development community gather… look, I’ve never been but that’s what I’ve been told. Do you love cross-platform mobile developer technologies created by Google? Then this is the meetup for you!

You can expect to hear from professionals in the Berlin community (Delivery Hero etc.) on Flutter based topics and afterwards enjoy some drinks and snacks. I hear they keep a stocked beer fridge so drinks are on them! 

Best tech meetups in Berlin 

That wraps up our list of the top tech meetups in Berlin. You’ve got everything from game development to leadership to female-only – they don’t call it the city of sin for nothing!  Also if you’re in Berlin you must check out the World Congress (July 27-28) and other great tech events that happen annually. If you know of a meetup that you think should be on this list, let me know ✌️.