InnoWerft

What InnoWerft does

InnoWerft (legal entity: innoWerft Walldorf GmbH) is an early-stage investor and startup accelerator headquartered in Walldorf, Germany. It was established in 2019 as a joint initiative of SAP SE, the City of Walldorf, and the State of Baden-Württemberg (represented by FZI — Forschungszentrum Informatik / Karlsruhe Research Centre for Information Technology). The organization provides pre-seed funding, acceleration programming, and curated network access to B2B high-tech startups operating in industry tech, enterprise software, B2B platforms, and green tech. It holds accredited "Startup BW Pre-Seed Betreuungspartner" status, allowing it to co-invest alongside L-Bank's €50k-€200k startup loan facility and to issue convertible loans of up to €50,000 to portfolio companies.

The firm's product surface is organized around acceleration programs and investor services rather than proprietary software. Core programs include the Up2B Accelerator (jointly operated with next Mannheim and Technologiepark Heidelberg), the AI Accelerator (launched 2024 with CampusFounders and IPAI — Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence), Open Pitch (free pitch-feedback events with the potential for investment), and a Deal Alert investor newsletter. Program services are free of charge for participating startups. InnoWerft's revenue model is investment returns — realized and unrealized equity gains on portfolio companies — supplemented indirectly through its public-private ownership structure; revenue is not publicly disclosed. Since 2019 the firm has supported 50+ portfolio companies across verticals including healthcare AI, document/process automation, industrial quality, agri-tech, sustainable food, and mobility/logistics, drawing on a curated network of 22+ venture capital firms (including 42cap, b2venture, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Earlybird, Visionaries Club, Vsquared Ventures, and Yabeo) and 100+ potential corporate customers.

Name

InnoWerft

Legal name

innoWerft Walldorf GmbH

Website

https://innowerft.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

InnoWerft is a Walldorf-based early-stage investor and startup accelerator — a joint initiative of SAP SE, the City of Walldorf, and the State of Baden-Württemberg — that provides pre-seed convertible loans and acceleration programs to B2B high-tech startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator and Early-Stage Venture Capital

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Startup accelerator
• Early-stage investment
• Pre-seed funding
• B2B venture funding
• Startup mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Walldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: As an investor and co-investor, InnoWerft generates returns through equity stakes in portfolio companies. They provide convertible loans of up to €50k and participate in Startup BW Pre-Seed funding rounds (€50k-€200k). Their success is tied to portfolio company growth and exits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

InnoWerft is an early-stage investor and startup accelerator that provides convertible loans of up to €50,000 and serves as an accredited partner for the Startup BW Pre-Seed funding program (€50k-€200k loans). It operates free acceleration programs including the AI Accelerator (with IPAI and Campus Founders) and the Up2B Accelerator, and supports B2B high-tech startups with fundraising, sales, and business development through its network of 22+ venture capital firms and 100+ potential corporate customers.

Product overview

InnoWerft is an Early-Stage Investor and Startup Accelerator based in Walldorf, Germany, operating as a joint initiative of SAP SE, the City of Walldorf, and the State of Baden-Württemberg. The organization offers a multi-product portfolio consisting of acceleration programs and investment services, alongside a diverse portfolio of 24+ portfolio startups. The core service offerings include: Venture Funding (convertible loans up to €50,000), the Startup BW Pre-Seed program (accredited partner for €50,000-200,000 loans via L-Bank), the Up2B Accelerator (jointly with next Mannheim and Technologiepark Heidelberg), the AI Accelerator (in partnership with IPAI and Campus Founders), Open Pitch (free pitch feedback and investment opportunity), and Deal Alert (investor newsletter). The portfolio startups span multiple verticals including Healthcare AI (Integria.AI, Kiso Health, Onuava), Document/Process AI (myScribe, scitlab/DocCape, adric, BetterLife API), Industrial/Quality AI (FAIBRICS, Varmo, Auditect), Agriculture AI (Heliopas.ai, SenseING), Sustainability/Food Tech (AIPERIA, Lemontaps, BRC Solar, PV2+), and Mobility/Logistics (chargeIQ, QRaGo, Volcanicblue), among others. This accelerator-plus-portfolio model provides startups with funding, mentorship, and network access while the portfolio companies develop specialized B2B AI-powered solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Up2B Accelerator: Joint accelerator program with next Mannheim and Technologiepark Heidelberg offering free acceleration programs for startups
• AI Accelerator

Products and services

• Open Pitch Free pitch feedback and investment opportunity for B2B startups in industry tech, enterprise software, B2B platforms, or green tech. Startups pitch and may receive investment from InnoWerft.
• AI Start 4-week acceleration program for founding-interested or recently founded startups focusing on development and validation of AI-based business models, including mentoring on value proposition, prototype development and business models. Delivered jointly with Campus Founders and IPAI.
• AI Scale 1-2 day track-based program for AI startups focusing on growth promotion through mentoring in team culture, sales optimization and investor networking. Delivered jointly with Campus Founders and IPAI.
• Venture Funding (Convertible Loan) Early-stage investment offering convertible loans of up to €50,000 for B2B high-tech startups, with unconditional support in fundraising, sales, and other challenges.
• Startup BW Pre-Seed Program (Accredited Partner) Accredited partner service facilitating access to the Startup BW Pre-Seed funding program with loans ranging from €50,000 to €200,000 (80% from L-Bank, 20% co-investment from InnoWerft). Free application and support.
• Up2B Accelerator Joint accelerator program delivered with next Mannheim and Technologiepark Heidelberg, providing intensive acceleration programs free of charge for B2B high-tech startups.
• Deal Alert (Investor Newsletter) Investor newsletter providing exclusive insights into portfolio company developments, strategies, goals and market information for investors interested in B2B high-tech startups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple portfolio startups have completed seed rounds
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• City of WalldorfcoreOthersOne of three shareholders of InnoWerft (joint initiative with SAP SE and FZI). Provides regional support and local ecosystem connections.
• FZI (Karlsruhe Research Centre for Information Technology)coreOthersFZI represents the state of Baden-Württemberg as one of the three shareholders of InnoWerft, providing research and technology connections.
• Campus FounderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the AI Accelerator program together with IPAI and innoWerft. Provides mentorship and coaching for AI startups through AI Start (4 weeks) and AI Scale programs.
• IPAI (Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the AI Accelerator program with Campus Founders and innoWerft. Focuses on supporting AI startups through tailored programs and workshops.
• Up2B Accelerator (next Mannheim, Technologiepark Heidelberg, innoWerft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUp2B is a joint accelerator initiative combining next Mannheim, Technologiepark Heidelberg, and innoWerft. Provides intensive accelerator programs free of charge for startups.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network with German operations. While much larger and broader, Techstars operates in the same accelerator-plus-seed-investment category with comparable mentorship, network, and follow-on capital models.
• Startupbootcamp: Global accelerator network with European presence, offering accelerator programs for early-stage startups. Comparable in accelerator service model, though larger in scale and more vertically specialized than InnoWerft's broad B2B focus.
• SAP.iO: SAP's own internal venture and accelerator arm, directly connected to InnoWerft via shared SAP sponsorship. Comparable in B2B enterprise focus and SAP ecosystem access, though SAP.iO is structured as a global CVC rather than a regional accelerator.

Direct peers

• Campus Founders: Heilbronn-based startup accelerator co-running the AI Accelerator program with InnoWerft and IPAI. Directly comparable in accelerator model, German regional focus, and stage of portfolio companies.
• next Mannheim: Mannheim-based startup hub and co-organizer of the Up2B accelerator with InnoWerft and Technologiepark Heidelberg. Directly comparable as a regional German accelerator targeting B2B and tech startups at pre-seed stage.
• 42cap: Munich-based early-stage VC focused on B2B SaaS and tech-enabled services in the German-speaking market. Part of InnoWerft's investor network, sharing similar ticket sizes and stage focus.
• b2venture (formerly btov Partners): St. Gallen/Berlin-based early-stage VC investing in tech startups. Part of InnoWerft's VC network and shares the German-speaking market focus on B2B and deep-tech startups.
• APX (formerly Axel Springer Plug and Play): Berlin-based early-stage investor and accelerator backing digital startups at pre-seed and seed stage. Comparable in stage, ticket size, and accelerator-plus-investment model serving the German market.
• High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF): Germany's leading early-stage venture capital investor backed by public and corporate partners (federal government, KfW, major corporates). InnoWerft shares HTGF's public-private model, B2B/tech focus, and pre-seed/seed ticket sizes, and HTGF is explicitly part of InnoWerft's investor network.
• Earlybird Venture Capital: Berlin-based early-stage VC with active co-investment in InnoWerft's portfolio (e.g., joint €1.2M round into AIPERIA). Comparable as a European early-stage investor with deep B2B software and tech focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.de/company/innowerft
• Instagraminstagram.com/innowerft
• TikToktiktok.com/@innowerft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments7 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about InnoWerft