STARTPLATZ
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersCologne, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
STARTPLATZ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STARTPLATZ
- Legal name
- Familie Gräf Holding GmbH
- Website
- https://startplatz.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STARTPLATZ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Accelerator and Incubator Services
- NAICS
- Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Management Consulting Services (54161), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
Keywords
Where STARTPLATZ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cologne
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
STARTPLATZ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Coworking & Office Rentals: Flexible coworking spaces, team offices (2-30 persons), and business addresses in Köln and Düsseldorf. Day passes available from €10, monthly memberships from €10
- Conference Room Rentals: Hourly bookable conference rooms for 4-80 persons with hybrid conference technology at both locations
- Accelerator Programs: KI Accelerator (4 months, 10 startups) and Open Incubator programs with associated fees
- AI Academy Education: AZAV-certified AI training programs, masterclasses, and workshops. Funded through government education vouchers (Bildungsgutschein)
- Corporate Innovation Services: Business Club membership, Corporate Enablement, Corporate Activation, and Hackathon-as-a-Service for enterprises
- Events & Sponsorships: Event hosting including Meetups, Hackathons, Rheinland-Pitch with potential sponsorship revenue
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Day Pass |
| Subscription | Monthly | Community Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Coworking & Team Offices |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Conference Rooms |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
STARTPLATZ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STARTPLATZ operates the largest startup hub in North Rhine-Westphalia, providing flexible coworking and team offices, conference rooms, a 4-month KI Accelerator program, an Open Incubator, AZAV-certified AI training through its AI Academy subsidiary, Germany's largest startup pitch series (Rheinland-Pitch), and corporate innovation services (Business Club, Corporate Enablement, Corporate Activation, Hackathons). The business model combines physical workspace subscriptions, membership fees, accelerator/education program revenue, and enterprise professional services engagements.
Product overview
STARTPLATZ is a startup inkubator and accelerator ecosystem operating from Köln (Mediapark) and Düsseldorf (Mediahafen) locations. The offering combines physical infrastructure (coworking spaces, private team offices, conference rooms, and business address services) with startup development programs (KI Accelerator NRW, Open Incubator, Gründungsstipendium NRW) and community platforms (Rheinland-Pitch, Speed Networking, Mentoring). The AI Hub and subsidiary AI Academy extend the ecosystem into AI education and training, offering AZAV-certified courses with four progression stages. For corporates, STARTPLATZ provides Business Club membership, Corporate Enablement (in-house training), and Corporate Activation (innovation days). The portfolio totals 4,500m² in Köln and 2,000m² in Düsseldorf, supporting over 1,500 startups since 2012.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AI Hub Rheinland: AI-focused ecosystem connecting builders, researchers, and companies; includes AI Fridays, Mistral Meetups, and the Franco-German Open-Source AI initiative (Köln × Paris).
- KI Accelerator NRW
- Rheinland-Pitch
- Open Incubator / Open Accelerator
- AI Academy (STARTPLATZ KI Akademie)
- Gründungsstipendium NRW
- Corporate Enablement / Corporate Activation
Products and services
- Coworking Spaces (Köln & Düsseldorf) Flexible coworking workspaces in Köln Mediapark and Düsseldorf Medienhafen offered via €10 day passes and monthly memberships, providing members 24/7 access and ecosystem networking.
- Team Offices (Teambüros) Private office space for teams of 2-30 persons in both Köln and Düsseldorf, targeted at growth-stage startups and small companies needing dedicated space.
- Conference Rooms (Konferenzräume) Hourly bookable meeting, workshop and event rooms accommodating 4-80 persons at both locations, including hybrid conference technology for remote participants.
- Business Address (Geschäftsadresse) Prestigious Geschäftsadresse service with postal handling for startups and small companies needing a registration address without physical office presence.
- KI Accelerator NRW 4-month cohort program for 10 AI startups per batch, providing mentoring, investor access and pilot projects with corporate partners. Batch 1 launched in 2025-10; Batch 3 is open for applications for Summer 2026.
- Open Incubator Incubation program for early-stage startups providing support, infrastructure and resources for founders developing their business concepts.
- Gründungsstipendium NRW Founding scholarship program for early-stage startups in North Rhine-Westphalia, providing financial support for entrepreneurs in the pre-launch phase.
- Rheinland-Pitch Germany's largest startup pitch series, running regular competitive events that connect startups with investors and corporate partners.
- AI Academy AZAV-certified AI education platform with four stages (Einstieg, Vertiefung, Spezialisierung, Dranbleiben) plus Masterclasses, Intensivprogramme, KI Campus and Inhouse training; financing available through Bildungsgutschein education vouchers.
- Hackathons 48-hour AI-themed hackathons including open hackathons, corporate hackathons and Hackathon-as-a-Service for enterprises seeking innovation solutions.
- Business Club Membership program for established companies seeking innovation partnerships, startup networking and structured access to the STARTPLATZ ecosystem.
- Corporate Enablement In-house training programs for corporate teams to build AI capabilities and digital transformation skills, delivered through the Corporate Academy offering.
- Corporate Activation Innovation Day programs enabling companies to engage with startup methodologies and rapid prototyping, structured as facilitated corporate innovation sprints.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,500+ startups fostered since 2012
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use STARTPLATZ
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
STARTPLATZ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
STARTPLATZ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OVHcloudcoreOVHcloud startup program partner offering up to €100,000 cloud credits for startups. French cloud provider with European data sovereignty focus, supporting GAIA-X initiative.
- HubSpot for StartupsminorUp to 90% discount for first 12 months for startups with financing < €2 million. 50% discount for startups with financing > €2 million.
- KravagminorInsurance partner offering group insurance plans with up to 40% discounts for startups through BVIZ.
- QontominorBusiness banking partner for startups.
- BestGruppeminorInsurance broker partner providing business insurance solutions for startups.
- Techniker KrankenkasseminorHealth insurance partner providing special rates for startups and coworking members.
- Wirtschaftsministerium NRWcoreState government ministry supporting NRW startup ecosystem and funding programs.
- Köln BusinesscoreCologne economic development agency supporting local startup ecosystem.
- WiFö DüsseldorfcoreDüsseldorf economic development agency supporting startup ecosystem in the city.
- STRATOSFAREminorCollaboration initiative with Miele, Dr. Oetker, WAGO, it's OWL, and Fraunhofer IEM connecting startups with established companies for innovation projects.
- Startup Nation Central (Israel)coreInternational partnership for STARTUPNATION TO MITTELSTAND program connecting Israeli startups with German corporations.
- IHK KölnminorChamber of commerce providing guidance on founding, financing, internationalization, innovation and law through mentorship programs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
STARTPLATZ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mindspace: European flexible office and coworking operator with locations in Germany (Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt). Comparable in coworking, team office, and event space offerings; less focused on accelerator and community programming.
- Station F: World's largest startup campus located in Paris. Comparable as a mega-hub combining coworking, accelerators, and corporate programs; STARTPLATZ's Franco-German AI initiative directly leverages this neighboring ecosystem.
- Y Combinator: The benchmark global startup accelerator. Comparable in cohort-based accelerator model and alumni network effects; STARTPLATZ operates at a regional scale with more emphasis on physical hub and corporate services.
- Rocket Internet: Berlin-headquartered company builder and incubator active across global markets. Comparable in incubation and startup development model, though Rocket Internet operates a venture studio approach with equity stakes rather than membership/fees.
Direct peers
- Techstars: Global startup accelerator operating mentorship-driven cohorts with corporate partner networks. Directly comparable in accelerator model, mentor structure, and corporate innovation services, though at a much larger, global scale.
- Wayra (Telefónica): Corporate-backed global accelerator providing cohorts, mentorship, and corporate pilot access. Comparable in accelerator-plus-corporate-innovation model, with broader geographic reach and corporate backing from Telefónica.
- Factory Berlin: Berlin-based startup campus combining coworking, events, and corporate innovation programs. Comparable in coworking-plus-community positioning and corporate membership model, but serving a different German metro market.
- Betahaus: Berlin-based coworking and event-driven community hub. Comparable in coworking, event programming, and community-led GTM, though more focused on general creators than AI/tech specialization.
- Spin Lab: Cologne-based accelerator and innovation hub (HHL SpinLab in Leipzig + SpinLab Cologne). The most direct local competitor in the Köln startup ecosystem, with overlapping accelerator, coworking, and corporate partnership offerings.
Regional players
- Hubs by The Family: Paris-based startup community and education platform supporting European founders. Comparable in education-plus-community positioning and Franco-European founder support; serves a different geography but is a relevant cross-border peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
STARTPLATZ social profiles
Digital presenceSTARTPLATZ compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
STARTPLATZ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STARTPLATZ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
STARTPLATZ subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
STARTPLATZ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STARTPLATZ M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments11 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STARTPLATZ
What does STARTPLATZ do?
STARTPLATZ operates the largest startup hub in North Rhine-Westphalia, providing flexible coworking and team offices, conference rooms, a 4-month KI Accelerator program, an Open Incubator, AZAV-certified AI training through its AI Academy subsidiary, Germany's largest startup pitch series (Rheinland-Pitch), and corporate innovation services (Business Club, Corporate Enablement, Corporate Activation, Hackathons). The business model combines physical workspace subscriptions, membership fees, accelerator/education program revenue, and enterprise professional services engagements.
Is STARTPLATZ a public or private company?
STARTPLATZ is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was STARTPLATZ founded?
STARTPLATZ was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is STARTPLATZ based?
STARTPLATZ is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does STARTPLATZ make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Coworking & Office Rentals are the primary driver. The others are conference Room Rentals, accelerator Programs, AI Academy Education, corporate Innovation Services and events & Sponsorships.
Who are STARTPLATZ's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mindspace, Station F, Y Combinator and Rocket Internet. Direct peers are Techstars, Wayra (Telefónica), Factory Berlin, Betahaus and Spin Lab. Hubs by The Family is listed as a regional player.
Does STARTPLATZ have an API?
No public API is recorded for STARTPLATZ.
What industry is STARTPLATZ in?
STARTPLATZ's product category is Startup Accelerator and Incubator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of EDAMAHAB, Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days). Its NAICS code is 6114 and its SIC code is 8742.