Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V.

What Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V. does

Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V. (BVCS) is the national trade association for the German coworking industry, structured as a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) under German law and headquartered in Berlin at Langhansstraße 28. Founded in 2019 and operating with 1–10 employees, BVCS represents coworking space operators, founders, industry-adjacent companies (Fördermitglieder), municipalities, and real estate stakeholders. Its portfolio centres on a tiered membership program (individual, space, and supporting tiers) that bundles networking, consulting, legal templates (Musterverträge), member discounts, and access to a scientific research function through the Bundesfachkommission Coworking & Flex Office. The organization also publishes the #SPACES magazine (issues in 2021, 2022, 2023) and runs recurring flagship programs including the annual #zukunftcoworking industry congress and the Deutscher Coworkingpreis award (inaugurated 2025, with a 2026 edition announced).

BVCS's underlying technology stack is non-proprietary and association-administrative rather than product-oriented: a WordPress-based website, MailChimp for newsletter delivery (subject to a Standard Contractual Clauses-compliant data processing agreement), Zoho CRM for member management, and Veristore (AIXhibit AG) for verified member reviews. Revenue mechanics are membership-fee-driven across three annual subscription tiers, supplemented by event sponsorships (e.g., Fellowes, Salto Systems, cobot, Fenyx, technologywithin/twiindata for #zukunftcoworking 2025), paid workshops/webinars (including anti-money-laundering training ahead of the EU AMLA regime effective July 10, 2027), and founder consulting services (Gründerworkshop, Gründungsberatung, Gründungstalk). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on a quote-based, tiered annual billing cadence. The organization is led by President and Chairman Tobias Kollewe (also CEO and founder of Aachener cowork AG) and Vice President Prof. Dr. Axel Minten, with no external shareholders or parent company.

The addressable market context is mixed: BVCS's own May 2020 market survey counted 1,268 coworking spaces in Germany (a fourfold rise from early 2018), but President Kollewe disclosed in 2025 that 196 spaces had closed since the prior survey, indicating consolidation. Against this backdrop, BVCS is expanding its event franchise (award, conference), broadening verticals served (municipalities, real estate developers), and deepening regulatory advisory offerings rather than pursuing headcount-led scaling.

Name

Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V.

Legal name

Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V.

Website

http://www.bundesverband-coworking.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V. (BVCS) is the Berlin-based national non-profit trade association representing Germany's coworking industry through tiered membership, annual conferences (#zukunftcoworking), and the Deutscher Coworkingpreis award.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The BVCS generates revenue through various membership tiers: individual membership, coworking space membership, and supporting/ sponsor membership. Members receive benefits including networking opportunities, discounts, knowledge sharing, and access to workshops and webinars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V. (BVCS) operates a tiered membership-based trade association for the German coworking industry, offering individual, space-operator, and supporting-company memberships that bundle networking, knowledge transfer, consulting, legal resources, and member discounts. The association supplements memberships with founder-focused consulting programs (workshops, advisory, talks), the annual #zukunftcoworking congress, the Deutscher Coworkingpreis award, the #SPACES coworking magazine, ongoing workshops and webinars, coworking-specific insurance, and a research/science program supporting standardized market demand analysis.

Product overview

Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V. (BVCS) is a professional association — not a software product company. Its portfolio consists of membership services, industry events, educational programs, consulting offerings, publications, and an annual award. The core offering is a unified membership program (Space, individual, and sponsor tiers) that bundles networking, consulting, legal resources, member discounts, and professional development. This is supplemented by the annual #zukunftcoworking congress, the Deutscher Coworkingpreis award, the #SPACES magazine, and specialized consulting products (Gründerworkshop, Gründungsberatung, Gründertalk) for founding and operating coworking spaces. Scientific research services and a Bundesfachkommission round out the portfolio. There is no unified software platform — the offerings are entirely association-services-based.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mitgliedschaft (Space/Einzelperson/Fördermitglied) Tiered membership program for individual coworking professionals, space operators, and industry-adjacent companies providing networking, knowledge sharing, consulting, legal resources, coworking-specific insurance, and member discounts in exchange for annual subscription fees.
• Coworking Spaces Gründen und erfolgreich betreiben Comprehensive consulting program for founding and operating coworking spaces, covering business planning, regulatory requirements, financing, and infrastructure setup, targeted at prospective and current coworking operators in Germany.
• Gründerworkshop kompakt Compact founder workshop providing structured guidance on business model development and market entry for individuals and startups planning to launch a coworking space in Germany.
• Gründungstalk Open discussion format offering advisory support and peer exchange for founders navigating the coworking space establishment process as part of BVCS's founder-support services.
• Gründungsberatung Individualized one-to-one consulting service for coworking space founders covering business plans, tariffs, products, bureaucracy, regulation, law, taxes, financing, and infrastructure setup.
• Rechtsberatung (inkl. Coworking Musterverträge) Legal advisory services for coworking space operators, including access to standardized coworking contract templates (Coworking Musterverträge) and guidance on regulatory compliance.
• Coworking Space-Versicherung Specialized insurance product tailored for coworking space operators, provided as a BVCS membership benefit through partner insurers.
• Wissenschaft / Coworking-Forschung Research program offering standardized analysis methods for demand and potential assessment of coworking spaces, enabling longitudinal and cross-sectional studies on the German coworking market for members, researchers, and policymakers.
• Bachelor- und Masterarbeiten zum Thema Coworking Academic collaboration program enabling students to conduct bachelor and master thesis research on coworking-related topics under BVCS scientific guidance.
• #SPACES – Das Coworking-Magazin Official BVCS coworking magazine covering industry trends, best practices, and member stories; three issues published (Ausgabe 01/2021, 02/2022, 03/2023).
• Deutscher Coworkingpreis Annual industry award recognizing outstanding German coworking spaces across multiple categories (innovation, family-friendliness, community management, brand, municipal space, rural space); second edition scheduled for 2026.
• #zukunftcoworking (Jahreskongress) Annual industry congress and leading Fachkonferenz for German coworking operators, real estate professionals, municipalities, and policymakers, held in various German cities with the next edition in 2026.
• Workshops und Webinare (Fortbildung) Ongoing education and professional development workshops and webinars covering anti-money-laundering (Geldwäscheprävention), email marketing (Mailchimp), franchise models, founding topics, and regulatory compliance for coworking operators and founders.
• Bundesfachkommission Coworking & Flex Office Specialist commission within BVCS that addresses policy, regulation, and industry standards for coworking and flexible office solutions, convening industry stakeholders to develop sector-wide positions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,268 coworking spaces documented in Germany as of May 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Salto SystemsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Access control and physical security solutions provider sponsoring the #zukunftcoworking 2025 conference. Presents modern access solutions for digital space control and integration with booking and building management systems.
• FenyxminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Circular furniture solutions provider sponsoring #zukunftcoworking 2025. Offers rental furniture models and existing space analyses.
• cowork AGminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Aachen-based coworking operator and franchise provider, exhibiting at #zukunftcoworking 2025. Shows own franchise model for developing new locations with municipal or commercial sponsorship.
• The Urban VillageminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Urban space solutions provider focusing on community, app integration, and work-life services, exhibiting at #zukunftcoworking 2025.
• worqs Coworking & Flex OfficeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Dynamic German franchise system presenting modular space offerings and digital operational processes at #zukunftcoworking 2025.
• FellowesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Fellowes, a leading office equipment manufacturer specializing in ergonomic solutions, partnered with BVCS to offer members discounts and education on workplace health and ergonomics. The partnership includes workshops and product offerings for coworking spaces.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allwork.Space: Global media, events, and membership community for the flexible-workspace industry. Operates coworking conferences, research reports, and operator content comparable to BVCS's #zukunftcoworking, #SPACES magazine, and market research outputs, but at a global rather than national scale.
• Coworking Europe: European coworking industry association and conference organizer. Most direct comparable to BVCS in mission (industry representation, events, advocacy) but operating across multiple EU countries rather than a single national market.
• GCUC (Global Coworking Unconference Community): Global coworking conference and community operator. Comparable to BVCS on the events/community-building dimension, with similar franchisor/operator audiences but international scope.
• Flexspace Association (UK): UK trade body for the flexible-workspace sector, providing operator membership, standards, advocacy, and events. Functionally equivalent to BVCS but serving the UK market.

Broad incumbents

• Industrious: Premium flex-office operator with growing European presence. Comparable to BVCS's operator members at the enterprise end of the market and a useful reference point for premium-tier industry dynamics BVCS's Bundesfachkommission addresses.
• IWG (Regus / Spaces): Largest global flexible-workspace operator. Relevant as the dominant incumbent whose commercial trajectory (hybrid-work demand, pricing) directly drives health of BVCS's operator members and the German coworking market overall.

Emerging players

• Workfrom: Workspace discovery platform and community for remote workers and coworking users. Adjacent ecosystem participant comparable to BVCS's stakeholder-mapping role but US-centric and consumer-facing rather than operator-facing.
• Office Freedom: Flexible-office advisory and brokerage that publishes industry research and operator content. Overlaps with BVCS on market intelligence but is a commercial broker rather than a member-funded trade association.
• Workplaceless: Remote-work consultancy and community that runs training, certification, and events for distributed-work operators. Adjacent to BVCS in mission (educating workspace operators) but oriented toward remote-work enablement rather than physical coworking spaces.
• Coworking Insights: Industry media outlet covering the global coworking and flex-office sector. Comparable to BVCS's research and magazine (#SPACES) function but operating as commercial media rather than a member association.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Bundesverband Coworking Spaces Deutschland e. V.