A man giving a presentation to an audience in a conference room with a large screen behind him. The audience is seated, attentively listening.

By migrants, for migrants, with migrants

We deliver trainings and networks that enable highly skilled migrants to build successful businesses in europe.

What we do

Founded in January 2018 by Maria Amelie and Nicolai Strøm-Olsen, Startup Migrants was established to address the unique challenges faced by migrant entrepreneurs.

Recognizing the pivotal role of diversity in fostering innovation, we have developed programs that support the growth and success of migrant-founded businesses.

Since our first Startup Preschool, we have expanded our reach and impact, collaborating with startup ecosystems, business support organizations, and universities across Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and the UK. Over 1100 individuals have participated in our programs, and we continue to grow our network of partners and alumni.

A person placing a copy of the book titled 'Startup Migrants' on top of a stack of similar books, with an orange background.

In 2018, Maria Amelie and Nicolai Strøm-Olsen started to write a book on migrant entrepreneurship. The book Startup Migrants, quickly led to the establishment of Startup Migrants AS in Norway. The idea was to help communities to build more resilient startup ecosystems, by gathering data and best practices on how the private and public sectors foster more potential entrepreneurial immigrants.

Our story

In 2019, together with Welcoming International, we started to work in Germany comparing migrant entrepreneurship on the local level. During conversations in 2019 with the leading minority think tank Minotenk, the idea of the Startup Preschool was born. Minotenk contributed to developing the successful concept of the Startup Preschool, and has been a key partner of the Startup Preschool since the beginning.

Two people, a woman with pink hair and a man in a dark suit, sitting at a wooden table in a cafe. They are holding copies of a book titled 'Startup Migrants' and smiling at the camera. There is an open book with black and white images and a glass vase with a flower on the table, along with a smartphone, eyeglasses, and earphones. Other cafe patrons can be seen in the background.

Core team

Our strength is our diversity.

Our team is made up of experienced startup professionals and founders from all around the world.

Woman with black hair sitting on a modern metal chair in front of a dark green background, wearing a white shirt and black pants.
A man with glasses wearing a dark suit and white shirt standing against a light-colored wall.

Nicolai Strøm-Olsen
CEO and co-founder

Maria Amelie
Co-founder and Chairwoman

Young woman with long dark hair wearing earrings and a light gray top, smiling at the camera.
A woman with a purple hijab and purple top, wearing a large silver necklace, smiling outdoors in front of stone steps.

Norhan Othman
Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships

Idil Berivan Kaya
Digital Marketing and Communication

Whether you are a migrant entrepreneur looking to start or scale your business, a potential partner interested in supporting our mission, or someone who wants to volunteer, we welcome you to join our community.

Together, we can create a more inclusive and prosperous future for migrant entrepreneurs in Europe.