What StartUp Stuttgart does

Startup Stuttgart e.V. is a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2011 that operates as the central community hub for founders, startups, experts, and institutional supporters in the Stuttgart region of Germany. The association delivers its value through a portfolio of community programs rather than a single software product: 14 active Themen-Circles (thematic WhatsApp-based peer groups covering verticals from Food & Beverage to Software & AI), a monthly Gründergrillen networking event at Schankstelle Stuttgart, the annual Gründerwasen flagship festival on Cannstatter Wasen drawing 1,200+ attendees, the Night of Innovators year-end gala, a Stellenbörse job board, a monthly newsletter, and editorial content series (Startup Spotlight blog, Startup Bartalk video interviews). The organization has 100+ members, is led by a volunteer board (President Johannes Ellenberg, deputies Karin Pfisterer and Philipp Hagebölling, CFO Tobias Sick), and completed a professional rebranding in 2024-2025.

The underlying technology is community and event infrastructure rather than proprietary software — primarily WhatsApp groups for Circles, a WordPress-based website, email newsletter tooling, and standard social media platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube). No APIs, SDKs, or AI capabilities are disclosed. The association sits at the intersection of regional economic development and grassroots founder community, coordinating with institutional partners including Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart (WRS), Business Angels Region Stuttgart, bwcon, NXTGN (Startup Factory Baden-Württemberg), Start-up BW (state government initiative), Gründerbank Stuttgart, and Hochschule der Medien.

The business model is non-profit association revenue: annual membership fees (per a documented but not publicly itemized Gebührenordnung fee schedule) plus corporate sponsorship and partnership revenue through three formalized tiers (Foundation Partner, Community Partner, standard membership). The association explicitly avoids logo packages and advertising in favor of genuine ecosystem engagement under a 'give-first' philosophy. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; organizational scale (1-10 staff-equivalents, primarily volunteer-led) is consistent with a sub-$1M operating budget.

Name

StartUp Stuttgart

Legal name

Startup Stuttgart e.V.

Website

https://startup-stuttgart.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Startup Stuttgart e.V. is a non-profit community association founded in 2011 that connects founders, startups, experts, and institutional supporters in the Stuttgart region through thematic Circles, monthly and annual networking events, a job board, and editorial content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Community & Entrepreneurship Networking

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Startup community
• Entrepreneurship networking
• Founder ecosystem
• Innovation events
• Member association

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for individuals and organizations seeking to join the Startup Stuttgart community and access networking opportunities, Circles, and events. Fee structure documented in member fee schedule (Gebührenordnung).
2. Sponsorship and Partnership Revenue: Corporate sponsors and partners provide financial support in exchange for visibility at events, brand association with the community, and access to the startup network. No logo packages or advertising per policy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

StartUp Stuttgart operates as a community-driven registered association (eingetragener Verein) that connects founders, startup builders, experts, and corporate supporters in the Stuttgart region. It delivers recurring in-person events, themed WhatsApp-based community Circles, a job board, a newsletter, and editorial/video content to activate and sustain the local entrepreneurship ecosystem. The association also runs a tiered corporate partnership program to fund its community activities.

Product overview

Startup Stuttgart e.V. is a community association (Verein) serving as the central hub for founders, startups, and supporters in the Stuttgart region, operational since 2011. Rather than a single product, its portfolio is built around community programs and events: Themen-Circles (thematic WhatsApp groups) provide peer exchange across verticals; the Gründergrillen monthly event serves as Stuttgart's low-barrier startup networking and pitch platform; the flagship Gründerwasen annual festival brings the ecosystem together on the Cannstatter Wasen; and the Stellenbörse job board connects talent with member startups. Complementary content series (Startup Spotlight blog, Startup Bartalk video interviews) and a monthly newsletter round out the offering, all united by a Give-First ethos and a mission to make Stuttgart one of Europe's leading startup regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gründergrillen

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 attendees at annual Gründerwasen event
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 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 and minor.

• Innovation Heroes (Philipp Hagebölling)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 April 2025Digital agency partnership for Gründerwasen branding and website development. Innovation Heroes led the creation of the new Gründerwasen website (gruenderwasen.de) and event branding system, including visual guidelines connecting Wasen tradition with startup modernity.
• Gründerbank StuttgartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional bank serving startups and founders, partnering on events including Gründerwasen pre-events and Gründergrillen sponsorship. The bank provides startup-friendly banking services and community support.
• Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH (WRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development corporation; joint initiative on startup-region-stuttgart.de portal and broader ecosystem coordination alongside Business Angels Region Stuttgart e.V. and bwcon.
• Business Angels Region Stuttgart e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAngel investor network; co-supports the startup-region-stuttgart.de platform for ecosystem coordination.
• bwconcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation and startup support organization; co-supports the startup-region-stuttgart.de platform for ecosystem coordination.
• Schankstelle StuttgartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome venue for Gründergrillen events; referred to as 'Gründerwohnzimmer' (founders' living room); located at Jägerstraße 19, Stuttgart.
• Superschanke GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent venue partner for Gründergrillen events; hosted official branding unveiling in summer 2025.
• NXTGN (Startup Factory Baden-Württemberg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-backed startup factory initiative with goal of 300 deep-tech startups by 2030; Startup Stuttgart supports ecosystem coordination and startup engagement for this new innovation driver.
• Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg / Start-up BWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government initiative supporting startup ecosystem; Startup Stuttgart participates in Start-up BW Summit with own stand; coordinates with state startup programs.
• AI Xpress BöblingenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup hub in Böblingen providing affordable office space, coworking, company addresses, and maker space with 3D printers and laser equipment; hosted 2025 Christmas party.
• 0711 Art Gallery (Mustafa Göktas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt gallery venue hosting rebranding workshop for Startup Stuttgart in 2025; provided inspirative setting for strategic planning sessions.
• Wir machen Technik (Matthias Geertsema, Max Kessler)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnical workshop and prototyping service for founders; sponsors Gründergrillen events; supports technical innovation in the startup community.
• NEW Stuttgart (Innovationsmetropole)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional innovation initiative; co-supports the startup-region-stuttgart.de portal for ecosystem coordination.
• Hochschule der Medien StuttgartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Techstars Startup Weekend Stuttgart and ASAP BW programs; student entrepreneurship development.
• Gründermotor / Center for Entrepreneurship (Hochschule Reutlingen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent entrepreneurship center hosting Move Your Idea competition and ASAP BW accelerator program; connects academic startups to regional ecosystem.
• Campus Founders (Heilbronn)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStartup accelerator offering Leadership Talent Academy program for growing startup teams; Startup Stuttgart promotes programs to community.
• CARS 2.0 / Wirtschaftsförderung Region StuttgartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized Startup Area at XR EXPO for VR/AR/MR startups to showcase innovations at regional tech expo.
• Immobilienjunioren StuttgartminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReal estate professionals group; partnered on special Gründergrillen event with building challenge competition.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BayStartUP: Bavaria's leading startup network, organizing founder events, financing programs, and ecosystem coordination for the Munich startup scene. Most structurally similar peer in Germany — comparable mix of events, investor matchmaking, and community programming targeting regional founders.
• Munich Startup: Munich-based startup community portal providing editorial coverage, job board, event calendar, and ecosystem directory for the Munich founder scene. Operates a comparable community-plus-content-plus-jobs model in another major German startup region.
• Campus Founders Heilbronn: Startup accelerator and community operator in Heilbronn (also Baden-Württemberg), offering Leadership Talent Academy and ecosystem programs. Direct regional peer within the same state ecosystem, with whom Startup Stuttgart already runs joint programming.
• Hamburg Startups: Hamburg's regional startup community portal covering events, jobs, news, and ecosystem players. Closely analogous community-information-and-events model applied to a different major German startup hub.

Broad incumbents

• Startup Verband: National German startup industry association representing the broader startup ecosystem at the federal policy level. Wider scope and policy orientation than Startup Stuttgart, but overlapping community/advocacy mission.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network with active presence in Germany (and existing relationship with Startup Stuttgart's Tobias Sick as a mentor). Broader, equity-based accelerator model; thematically adjacent to Startup Stuttgart's founder-support programming.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator operating chapters worldwide, including Germany. Offers structured founder programs at a much larger scale, partially overlapping with Startup Stuttgart's startup-support mission.

Others

• Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart (WRS): Regional economic development corporation for the Stuttgart region, co-operating with Startup Stuttgart on the startup-region-stuttgart.de portal. Public-sector counterpart rather than competitor, but tangentially shapes the same ecosystem.
• NXTGN Startup Factory Baden-Württemberg: State-backed startup factory initiative targeting 300 deep-tech startups by 2030. Strategic partner of Startup Stuttgart, not a direct competitor, but a major institutional actor shaping the regional startup agenda.
• bwcon: Baden-Württemberg's leading innovation and high-tech business network, already a strategic partner of Startup Stuttgart. Adjacent ecosystem player with broader industry and corporate-innovation focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@StartupStuttgart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startup-stuttgart
• Instagraminstagram.com/startup_stuttgart
• Xx.com/StartupStgt
• Facebookfacebook.com/StartupStuttgart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about StartUp Stuttgart