Series A, Month Three: Why DACH Engineering Teams Stop Growing

You close your Series A. Investors expect a product update in six months. Your CTO posts three engineering roles on the same day. Month three: you are still at five developers. 74% of European employers report significant difficulty filling developer roles. Germany's gap between open engineering positions and filled roles widened again in Q1 2026. At Berlin market rates — EUR 70-100K for senior engineers — seed and Series A companies are outbid before a first interview happens. Berlin's Engineering Market Breaks After a Funding Round Three specific dynamics make local senior hiring fail exactly when you need it most. The seniority trap. Series A teams need engineers who own features without hand-holding. Junior engineers need mentoring that slows velocity. The market for mid-level, independently capable engineers in Berlin is thin and contested. Candidates at that level know their options. The four-to-six month funnel. From job post to merged PR, German hiring averages 14-20 weeks. By