Invest BW
Invest BW is a Baden-Württemberg state innovation funding program administered by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, providing non-repayable grants to SMEs, startups, and research institutions for R&D projects through periodic funding calls.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Invest BW does
Invest BW is a public innovation funding program operated by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH on behalf of the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg. It is positioned as the largest individual-company innovation funding program in the state's history. The program issues non-repayable grants to SMEs, startups, freelance professionals, and research institutions headquartered or operating in Baden-Württemberg, supporting research, development, and innovation projects that target new products, services, business models, processes, and data-based services (Smart Services). Funding rates are tiered by applicant size — small enterprises receive 45% coverage, medium enterprises 35%, companies with under 3,000 employees 25%, and companies with 3,000+ employees 15%, with research institutions eligible for up to 100% of eligible expenses. Individual grants range from €20,000 to €650,000, and consortium projects can receive up to €1.3 million, with a maximum project duration of 24 months.
The program operates through periodic, formally defined funding calls (Förderaufrufe). The current iteration, Innovation IV, opened in December 2025 with up to €30 million in available budget and a submission deadline of 20 February 2026. Applications are submitted to VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, which acts as the project management organization handling inquiries, evaluation, and project administration on behalf of the Ministry. Evaluation criteria include innovation height, sustainability contribution, incentive effect, project quality, commercialization perspective, and team qualifications. The program has progressed through four iterations since 2021 — Innovation I, II (five calls, 2021–2023), III (two calls, 2023–2024), and IV (2025 onward) — with more than 80% of historically funded projects involving SMEs and startups according to Minister Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut. Invest BW is geographically restricted to Baden-Württemberg and operates under European State Aid rules (AGVO Art. 25).
Invest BW firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Invest BW
- Legal name
- VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
- Website
- https://invest-bw.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Invest BW is a Baden-Württemberg state innovation funding program administered by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, providing non-repayable grants to SMEs, startups, and research institutions for R&D projects through periodic funding calls.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Invest BW is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Invest BW business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Innovation Grants: Invest BW is a government-funded innovation support program that provides non-repayable grants to companies and research institutions in Baden-Württemberg for research, development, and innovation projects. The program operates through periodic funding calls (Förderaufrufe) with allocated budgets of approximately 30 million euros per call.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Small enterprises (under 50 employees / annual turnover or balance sheet under €10 million): 45% funding rate |
| Subscription | Annual | Medium enterprises (under 250 employees / annual turnover under €50 million or balance sheet under €43 million): 35% funding rate |
| Subscription | Annual | Companies with less than 3,000 employees: 25% funding rate |
| Subscription | Annual | Companies with 3,000 or more employees: 15% funding rate |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Invest BW product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Invest BW is a government innovation funding program operated by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg. It provides non-repayable grants to SMEs, startups, freelance professionals, and research institutions in Baden-Württemberg to support research, development, and innovation projects involving new products, services, business models, processes, and data-based services. Funding ranges from €20,000 to €650,000 for individual projects and up to €1.3 million for consortium projects, with the current Innovation IV call offering up to €30 million in total.
Product overview
Invest BW is not a technology company offering products or services in the traditional sense. It is a government-backed innovation funding program operated by the Ministry for Economics, Labor and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg (Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Handwerk und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg), administered through the project carrier VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH. The program provides financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups, research institutions, and liberal professionals based in Baden-Württemberg to foster innovation in new products, services, business models, and processes. The program has progressed through multiple funding phases: Innovation I, Innovation II, Innovation III, and currently Innovation IV (Förderaufruf 3 with submission deadline 20.02.2026).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Invest BW Innovation IV (Förderaufruf) Non-repayable government innovation grant providing funding of €20,000 to €650,000 for individual projects and up to €1.3 million for consortium projects. Supports SMEs, startups, freelance professionals, and research institutions in Baden-Württemberg for R&D and innovation projects in new products, services, business models, processes, and Smart Services. Funding rates range from 15% to 45% based on company size, with up to 100% for research institutions.
Companies that use Invest BW
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Invest BW technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Invest BW partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Invest BW competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- KfW Bankengruppe: Germany's federal development bank, providing nationwide innovation, startup, and SME financing programs (e.g., KfW Capital, ERP programs). Comparable as a public-sector innovation funder, but operating at national scale.
- ZIM – Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (BMWK): Federal German program run by the BMWK that funds R&D and innovation projects for SMEs nationally. Comparable as a public innovation grant program; broader geographic scope than Invest BW.
- L-Bank – Landesbank Baden-Württemberg: State development bank of Baden-Württemberg that administers other innovation, startup, and SME funding instruments alongside Invest BW. Comparable as a public-sector financing intermediary serving the same geographic market.
- European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund): EU-level public investor providing equity and grant funding to deep tech and high-growth startups. Directly comparable in mandate and in co-investment alongside Invest BW in NeuroClues' Series A.
Regional players
- Bayern Innovativ: Bavaria's state-level innovation and technology support organization, offering funding advisory, networking, and program management for SMEs and research institutions. Directly comparable as a regional innovation funding intermediary, but serving a different German state.
- Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB): Berlin's state development bank providing innovation, SME, and venture funding. Comparable in role and function as a public-sector regional innovation financier.
- Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH: Hesse's economic development agency that runs innovation and startup funding programs comparable to Invest BW. Peer in role and structure, serving companies in a different German state.
- NRW.BANK: North Rhine-Westphalia's state development bank offering innovation, SME, and startup funding programs. Peer in role and function, but geographically limited to NRW.
Direct peers
- High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF): Germany's leading early-stage venture capital investor, backed by public and private partners. Comparable in funding innovative SMEs and startups, with direct overlap on investee type (deep tech, medtech) and participation in rounds like NeuroClues'.
Others
- VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH: Operating entity that administers Invest BW on behalf of the Baden-Württemberg ministry. Comparable as a project management organization, though not a competitor — it is the same legal entity that runs Invest BW.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Invest BW social profiles
Digital presenceInvest BW financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Invest BW leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Invest BW funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Invest BW M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments7 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Invest BW
What does Invest BW do?
Invest BW is a government innovation funding program operated by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg. It provides non-repayable grants to SMEs, startups, freelance professionals, and research institutions in Baden-Württemberg to support research, development, and innovation projects involving new products, services, business models, processes, and data-based services. Funding ranges from €20,000 to €650,000 for individual projects and up to €1.3 million for consortium projects, with the current Innovation IV call offering up to €30 million in total.
Is Invest BW a public or private company?
Invest BW is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Invest BW founded?
Invest BW was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Invest BW based?
Invest BW is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Invest BW make money?
One revenue line is on record: innovation Grants.
Who are Invest BW's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are KfW Bankengruppe, ZIM – Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (BMWK), L-Bank – Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund). Regional players are Bayern Innovativ, Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB), Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH and NRW.BANK. High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is listed as a direct peer. VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH is listed as an others.
Does Invest BW have an API?
No public API is recorded for Invest BW.