What Navispace does

Navispace GmbH is a German open innovation platform operator founded in 2003 and headquartered in Herrsching a. Ammersee, Bavaria. The company operates the Innovation World Cup Series, which it describes as a global market leader for open innovation platforms, connecting technology entrepreneurs ("techpreneurs") with major technology corporates including Google, Intel, STMicroelectronics, Ericsson, Samsung, Texas Instruments, Swisscom, Telefonica, Cisco, Bluetooth SIG, and MediaTek Labs. Its core function is to curate and operate multi-sided networks that surface breakthrough technologies for large technology buyers and provide international exposure to growth-stage technology companies.

The company's core product, the Innovation World Cup Series, is a recurring open innovation competition platform supported by an underlying network that, per the company's own statements, accesses over 325,000 developers through partner ICT clusters. Around this platform, Navispace offers modular services: the Exclusive Open Innovation Program (custom-designed competitions for individual organizations), Innovation Strategy and Management (consulting on innovation insights, technology search, and go-to-market), Innovation Events (global conferences, roadshows, developer workshops, hackathons), and Innovation Community services that include the creation and operation of vertical ecosystems such as WT | Wearable Technologies, Cisco Connected Health, MEDICINE + SPORTS, and BIM World. The proprietary technology layer is described in terms of integration and interoperability and domain specialization rather than as a deep software stack; no APIs, SDKs, AI/ML capabilities, or patents are publicly disclosed.

Navispace generates revenue through professional services (innovation consulting, strategy workshops, expert advisory) and platform/event sponsorships and participation programs tied to the Innovation World Cup Series and the managed vertical ecosystems. The company is privately held, founder/management-owned with no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds disclosed, and operates a relatively flat leadership structure headed by CEO Christian Stammel and Managing Partner Dr. Sonja Sulzmaier. With 51-100 employees and an active 2025 events calendar spanning HANNOVER MESSE and MEDICA, it is a boutique professional services and platform business that monetizes curated access to a global technology network rather than a software-as-a-service model.

Name

Navispace

Legal name

Navispace GmbH

Website

https://navispace.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Navispace GmbH operates the Innovation World Cup Series, a global open innovation platform connecting technology startups with enterprise technology corporates through competitions, managed vertical ecosystems, and industry events. Founded 2003, Germany-based, 51-100 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Innovation Consulting

NAICS

Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual & Hybrid Event Platforms (Webinars, Virtual Venues, Event Hubs) (THAHAOAA)

Keywords

• Open innovation services
• Technology scouting
• Innovation consulting
• Ecosystem development
• Corporate innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Herrsching Am Ammersee

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services and Innovation Consulting: Navispace delivers services including innovation strategy workshops, expert advisory, technology search, and go-to-market strategy. Services are tailored to corporate clients seeking to accelerate innovation through open innovation programs and competitions.
2. Open Innovation Platform Services: Organization and hosting of the Innovation World Cup Series, which connects tech entrepreneurs with technology corporates worldwide. Revenue generated through partner sponsorships and participation programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Navispace runs an open-innovation platform that connects technology startups (techpreneurs) with the world's largest technology corporates. Its flagship offering, the Innovation World Cup Series, is a global competition platform supported by modular services: customized open-innovation programs, innovation strategy consulting, international events/roadshows/hackathons, and ecosystem-building communities for verticals such as wearable technologies, connected health, and BIM.

Product overview

Navispace operates a platform-based model centered on open innovation. The flagship offering is the Innovation World Cup Series, the global market leader for open innovation platforms that connects thousands of tech entrepreneurs with tech corporates worldwide. Supporting this core platform are modular services including the Exclusive Open Innovation Program (custom innovation competitions for organizations), Innovation Strategy and Management (consulting and advisory services), Innovation Events (conference series, roadshows, workshops, hackathons), and Innovation Community (ecosystem creation and management for domains like Wearable Technologies, Connected Health, and BIM). The company has operated since 2003 and maintains a network accessing over 325,000 developers through partnerships with leading ICT clusters globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Innovation World Cup Series: The Innovation World Cup Series is a global market leader for open innovation platforms connecting innovative entrepreneurs, developer communities, and industry partners. It acts as a catalyst for future innovations with an impressive track record in introducing new breakthrough technologies and solutions in the market.

Products and services

• Innovation World Cup Series Global market-leading open-innovation competition platform that connects thousands of tech entrepreneurs and developer communities with technology corporates to surface breakthrough innovations and forge new ecosystems. Used by large technology companies as their primary open-innovation program.
• Exclusive Open Innovation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of companies have gained international exposure and positioned themselves as innovation leaders through the Innovation World Cup Series
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• STMicroelectronicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in the Innovation World Cup Series. STMicroelectronics participates as an industry partner, engaging with innovative entrepreneurs and accessing breakthrough technologies through the open innovation platform.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in the Innovation World Cup Series. Google engages with the platform to identify innovative technologies and connect with emerging tech entrepreneurs globally.
• IntelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in the Innovation World Cup Series. Intel participates as an industry partner accessing innovation ecosystem and emerging technology companies.
• EricssoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in the Innovation World Cup Series, providing industry expertise and engaging with innovative technology companies in the telecommunications and IoT space.
• SwisscomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in the Innovation World Cup Series, participating in open innovation initiatives and ecosystem development for telecommunications innovation.
• Texas InstrumentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in the Innovation World Cup Series, engaging with semiconductor ecosystem and identifying innovative technologies and solutions.
• Samsung SemiconductorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner in the Innovation World Cup Series ecosystem, participating in open innovation platform activities to identify breakthrough technologies.
• Bluetooth SIGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology standards organization partner in the Innovation World Cup Series, engaging with innovation ecosystem for wireless connectivity technologies.
• MediaTek LabscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner in the Innovation World Cup Series, providing technology ecosystem access and engaging with mobile/wireless innovation community.
• EBV ElektronikmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner providing electronics distribution expertise and participating in Innovation World Cup Series open innovation initiatives.
• Würth ElektronikmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in Innovation World Cup Series, contributing electronics components expertise and accessing innovation ecosystem.
• TelefonicamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in Innovation World Cup Series, engaging with telecommunications innovation ecosystem and startup community.
• GemaltomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in Innovation World Cup Series, participating in security and digital identity innovation ecosystem.
• SamsungmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent and past partner in Innovation World Cup Series, engaging with technology ecosystem and identifying innovative solutions.
• ESA (European Space Agency)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference customer and industry partner, collaborating on space technology innovation and ecosystem development.
• Cisco Connected HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNavispace manages, organizes, and grows Cisco's healthcare community ecosystem, providing ongoing ecosystem implementation and growth services.
• WT | Wearable TechnologiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's leading market development platform for wearable technologies in the US, Europe, and Asia, created and managed by Navispace.
• BIM WorldflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading platform for innovative BIM solutions, construction IT, and new IoT technologies for the building industry, established by Navispace.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wazoku (formerly InnoCentive): Wazoku operates one of the longest-running crowdsourced open-innovation platforms, running themed challenges that connect large corporates with a global solver/startup community—directly comparable to Navispace's Innovation World Cup Series model.
• NineSigma: NineSigma runs open-innovation programs and technology-scouting engagements for global enterprises, matching corporate R&D needs with external innovators—mirroring Navispace's combination of competitions and bespoke open-innovation programs.
• Yet2.com: Yet2 is a technology-scouting and open-innovation services firm that connects large companies with emerging technologies and startups globally, comparable in buyer base and service model to Navispace.
• Brightidea: Brightidea provides an innovation management platform that lets enterprises run idea challenges, hackathons, and innovation programs—directly analogous to Navispace's Innovation World Cup and Exclusive Open Innovation Program offerings.
• Imaginatik: Imaginatik (formerly part of the Planview portfolio) runs innovation consulting and crowdsourced challenge programs for enterprises, overlapping with Navispace's innovation-strategy and ecosystem-management services.
• Spigit: Spigit offers enterprise innovation-management software that powers internal and external idea challenges—a direct competitor for the platform layer underlying Navispace's innovation-program services.

Emerging players

• Hyve (formerly Crowdstorm): Hyve runs crowdsourced innovation and idea-management programs for brands and enterprises; smaller and more campaign-focused than Navispace but addresses the same sponsor-driven challenge market.
• OpenIDEO (IDEO): OpenIDEO operates an open-innovation challenge platform for social and corporate innovation topics; comparable open-call/community model to the Innovation World Cup Series, though with a different thematic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Capgemini Invent: Capgemini Invent delivers large-scale innovation consulting and corporate venture services to global enterprises—an incumbent competitor for the corporate open-innovation consulting budget that Navispace targets.
• KPMG Ignite: KPMG Ignite is a Big-Four innovation and emerging-technology practice that runs open-innovation and ecosystem programs for global clients—competing for the same enterprise innovation mandate Navispace serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IWCNavispace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/navispace-ag

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 Navispace