What DIGITALHUB.DE does

DIGITALHUB.DE (legal name: Digitaler Hub Region Bonn AG) is a privately held startup accelerator and coworking operator founded in 2016 and headquartered in Bonn, Germany. The company runs three core accelerator programs — HUBGRADE INVEST (digital startups at pre-seed and seed), HUBGRADE CYBER (cybersecurity), and HUBGRADE HEALTH (digital health) — alongside LEVELHUB (growth-phase scaling) and INVESTMENT SHEroes (female founders and diverse teams). Programs explicitly carry no participation fees or mandatory equity during the program, with the economic model relying on selective equity participation, follow-on investments, and post-program financial support. The company also operates two physical coworking locations — CITYHUB at Bonn Central Station and RHEINHUB on the Rhine — with Basic and Premium monthly memberships, business address services, and meeting-room rentals, supported by app-based access control via Danalock and Tapkey.

The hub is one of six members of the NRW HUBs network across North Rhine-Westphalia (Aachen, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Köln, Münsterland, Bonn), which receives up to €7.2 million over three years from the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs. DIGITALHUB.DE additionally organizes signature events including Startup Open Air (Germany's largest outdoor startup event with 2,000+ participants), Phish & Chips (cybersecurity conference with 400+ attendees), the Female Founders Venture Summit, and Startup Week Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, and runs the TransferHealthAcademy knowledge-transfer program in partnership with Universität Bonn. Customer segments span early-stage startups (primary), coworking subscribers, corporates seeking innovation partnerships, and investors seeking deal flow. The company has built a partnership network of over 35 organizations including BSI, Fraunhofer FKIE, Bundeswehr Cyber Command, NRW.BANK, Sparkasse KölnBonn, Scopevisio, and LeanIX, anchored by Bonn's position as Germany's federal cybersecurity capital. Recent activity includes the addition of AI startup Inzipio to the portfolio (January 2026), the first follow-on investment in EdTech startup Lenabo (May 2026), and the extension of the Stadt Bonn municipal partnership (May 2026), alongside a new board appointment (Sven Wittich) and back-to-back Gold wins at the German Coworking Prize.

Name

DIGITALHUB.DE

Legal name

Digitaler Hub Region Bonn AG

Website

https://digitalhub.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DIGITALHUB.DE is a Bonn-based startup accelerator and coworking operator running HUBGRADE (INVEST/CYBER/HEALTH) and LEVELHUB programs, coworking at CITYHUB and RHEINHUB, and signature events such as Startup Open Air and Phish & Chips for early-stage cybersecurity and digital health startups, coworking subscribers, corporates, and investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator and Coworking Services

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual Desktop & Application Delivery (VDI/DaaS, Remote Apps) (BPAEAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

End-User Computing Outsourcing (EUC / Desktop Services) (BPAEAMAE), Cloud, DevOps & Infrastructure Staffing (BPACADAD)

Keywords

• Startup accelerator programs
• Coworking space rentals
• Venture capital investments
• Cyber security startups
• Digital health incubation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coworking Space Rentals: Revenue generated from renting coworking spaces, meeting rooms, and office facilities with various membership tiers including Basic, Premium, and business address services. Access is available 24/7 with appropriate memberships.
2. Accelerator Program Participation: Startups can participate in accelerator programs without fees or equity requirements during the program. The hub offers optional participation options as a sales tool for startups and to enable continued financial support post-program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

DIGITALHUB.DE operates a startup accelerator and coworking space business in Bonn, Germany. Its core offering consists of equity-free accelerator programs (HUBGRADE INVEST, HUBGRADE CYBER, HUBGRADE HEALTH) for pre-seed and seed-stage startups, the LEVELHUB scaling program for growth-phase companies, and the INVESTMENT SHEroes program for female founders. Complementing these, the company operates two physical coworking locations (CITYHUB and RHEINHUB) offering flexible workspace, meeting rooms, and business address services under Basic and Premium subscription tiers.

Product overview

DIGITALHUB.DE is a startup accelerator and coworking provider based in Bonn, Germany, offering a multi-product portfolio centered around three HUBGRADE accelerator programs (INVEST for digital startups, CYBER for cybersecurity, HEALTH for health startups), a LEVELHUB scaling program for growth-stage startups, and the INVESTMENT SHEroES program for female founders. The organization operates two physical coworking locations (CITYHUB at Bonn Central Station and RHEINHUB on the Rhine) providing workspace, meeting rooms, and business address services. Additionally, DIGITALHUB.DE runs signature events including the Startup Open Air (Germany's largest outdoor startup event), Phish & Chips cyber security conference, the Female Founders Venture Summit, and the annual Startup Week Bonn/Rhein-Sieg. The TransferHealthAcademy facilitates knowledge transfer between SMEs and scientific experts. With over 35 partners and shareholders, the hub connects startups with pilot customers, investor networks, and mentorship across the NRW startup ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HUBGRADE INVEST: Accelerator program for digital startups
• HUBGRADE CYBER
• HUBGRADE HEALTH
• LEVELHUB
• Investment SHEroes
• CITYHUB
• RHEINHUB
• TransferHealthAcademy
• STARTUP OPEN AIR
• Phish & Chips
• Female Founders Venture Summit
• Startup Week Bonn/Rhein-Sieg

Products and services

• HUBGRADE INVEST Accelerator program for digital startups in the pre-seed and seed phases, offering coworking, mentoring, workshops, DemoDay opportunities, and access to pilot customers and investor networks. Targeted at founders of digital startups seeking structured scaling support.
• HUBGRADE CYBER Accelerator program specifically for cybersecurity startups, providing specialized mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities within Bonn's cyber security ecosystem (BSI, Fraunhofer FKIE, Bundeswehr Cyber Command). Targeted at cyber security founders.
• HUBGRADE HEALTH Accelerator program for health and Digital Health startups, supporting innovation in medical technology and healthcare solutions. Targeted at founders building ventures in the digital health vertical.
• LEVELHUB Scaling program for startups in the growth phase, funded under the Hub Guidelines by the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs. Targeted at later-stage startups ready to scale operations.
• INVESTMENT SHEroES Program for female founders and diverse teams on the path to their first investment, including workshops, coaching, and investor access. Targeted at underrepresented founders preparing for a first investment round.
• CITYHUB Coworking Coworking location at Bonn Central Station (Am Hauptbahnhof 6, 53111 Bonn) with 24/7 access, modern workspaces, business address services, mail handling, and meeting rooms. Targeted at individual professionals, freelancers, and small teams.
• RHEINHUB Coworking Coworking location on the banks of the Rhine (Rheinwerkallee 6, 53227 Bonn) featuring open-air event spaces and modern facilities, with Basic and Premium membership options. Targeted at teams and event hosts in Bonn-Beuel-Süd.
• TransferHealthAcademy Knowledge transfer program connecting SMEs with scientists, students, and experts on health topics, focusing on sustainability, equality, and diversity in healthcare. Targeted at SMEs in the health sector.
• Room Booking Service Meeting room rental service at CITYHUB and RHEINHUB locations with projectors, monitors, and additional equipment available for additional charge. Targeted at teams and corporates hosting offsite meetings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 startup teams currently in portfolio
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Anthropia DuisburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRW HUBs network partner focusing on Impact Factory Accelerator for social-ecological startups.
• digitalHUB AachencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRW HUBs network partner with aixBOOST accelerator for Smart Enterprise, Smart Industry & Smart City startups.
• digihub Düsseldorf/RheinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRW HUBs network partner with ignition accelerator for GreenTech startups.
• Digital Hub münsterLANDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRW HUBs network partner with EnergyTech accelerator and Venture Clienting Track.
• STARTPLATZ KölncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRW HUBs network partner with KI Accelerator NRW focusing on Artificial Intelligence implementation.
• Stadt BonncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtended partnership with City of Bonn to strengthen the innovation location, renewed in May 2026.
• Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey cyber security institution in Bonn participating in Phish & Chips conference and supporting the cyber security ecosystem.
• Kommando Cyber- und Informationsraum der BundeswehrmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBundeswehr cyber command unit located in Bonn, supporting Phish & Chips cyber security conference.
• Fraunhofer FKIEmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics, key research institution in Bonn's cyber security ecosystem.
• Stadtwerke BonnmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Startup Open Air event and local innovation ecosystem.
• Universität BonnmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity partner supporting Startup Open Air and TransferHealthAcademy collaboration.
• IHK Bonn/Rhein-SiegmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber of Commerce supporting startup ecosystem and partnership extension with DIGITALHUB.DE.
• LeanIXmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSuccessful Bonn-based cybersecurity company and event partner.
• Maria 01minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner for cross-border startup collaboration.
• Netherlands Point of EntryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner facilitating Dutch market entry for startups.
• ScaleupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner for scaling support.
• Digital DalmatiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner for Balkan region startup collaboration.
• Cyber Security Cluster BonnmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBonn-based cyber security network supporting ecosystem development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• STARTPLATZ Köln: Cologne-based startup accelerator and coworking operator, partner in the NRW HUBs network running the KI Accelerator NRW. Most directly comparable peer: same region, same dual accelerator-plus-coworking model, same public-funding anchor.
• Hubraum (Deutsche Telekom): Deutsche Telekom's corporate accelerator with programs in Berlin, Krakow, and Tel Aviv. Comparable as a tech-focused European accelerator offering cohort-based programming, investor access, and corporate pilot-customer opportunities to early-stage startups.
• Mindspace: European premium coworking operator with locations across Germany, Netherlands, and Israel. Direct competitor on the CITYHUB/RHEINHUB coworking side, offering comparable premium tier memberships and enterprise office solutions.
• Betahaus Berlin: Berlin-based coworking and innovation community operator. Comparable as a German-speaking coworking-plus-events operator with similar SMB/startup member base, though Berlin-centric rather than NRW-focused.
• Anthropia Duisburg: NRW HUBs network partner running the Impact Factory Accelerator for social-ecological startups. Direct peer within the same state-funded regional accelerator network with comparable structure and funding source.
• digitalHUB Aachen: NRW HUBs network partner running aixBOOST for Smart Enterprise, Smart Industry & Smart City startups. Direct peer sharing the same regional public-funding mechanism and accelerator-plus-coworking structure.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator operator with 3,000+ portfolio companies. Benchmarked against DIGITALHUB.DE because it is the dominant equity-for-services accelerator model that DIGITALHUB.DE's free-program approach is differentiated against.
• High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF): Germany's largest seed-stage VC and an active DIGITALHUB.DE partner. Comparable as a publicly-backed early-stage investor whose deal-flow overlap and program design (funding + mentoring) closely mirror the hub's investment strategy.
• Wayra (Telefónica): Telefónica's global corporate accelerator with a Munich hub. Comparable as a corporate-backed European accelerator targeting digital and deep-tech startups with cohort-based programming and corporate pilot access.
• UnternehmerTUM: Munich-based innovation and startup center affiliated with TU Munich. Comparable as a leading German university-anchored accelerator and coworking ecosystem, providing a benchmark for what mature scale looks like in this category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/digitalhub_de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digitalhub-de
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitalhub.de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments6 records

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

Frequently asked questions about DIGITALHUB.DE