27pilots
27pilots is a Munich-based B2B firm that helps large corporations build and operate Venture Client Units through consulting services, proprietary cloud software, and data solutions. Founded by the inventor of the Venture Client Model, it serves Fortune 2000 enterprises globally as a subsidiary of Deloitte Germany.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 27pilots does
27pilots is a Munich-based B2B firm that enables large corporations to build, improve, and operate internal Venture Client Units — structured programs for sourcing and adopting startup innovations without taking equity stakes. Founded in 2018 by Gregor Gimmy, the inventor of the Venture Client Model at BMW (2014), the company delivers its offering through three integrated lines: Venture Client Services (consulting and advisory), Venture Client Technology (a native cloud-based, white-label Venture Client Management System covering end-to-end project management, startup assessment, portfolio management, and community collaboration), and Venture Client Data Solutions (Corporate Problems Data and Startup Evaluations & Ratings derived from real-world deployments). Revenue is generated through professional services engagements, software licensing, and recurring data subscriptions, all sold through quote-based enterprise contracts.
The firm's customer base includes BMW, Bosch, Holcim, and Siemens Energy, alongside over 10 Fortune 2000 corporations and multiple family-owned enterprises across 10+ countries and 10 industries. Go-to-market is global enterprise field sales, increasingly delivered through Deloitte's network following the January 2023 acquisition that converted 27pilots into 27pilots Deloitte GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deloitte Germany operating under its original brand. Country operations span Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, and France, each led by dedicated country leads.
Beyond commercial offerings, 27pilots has invested in category ownership through the "Buy, Don't Invest" book, the State of Venture Client Report, the Venture Client Glossary, regular webinars, and the Venture Client Awards co-branded with Deloitte's Technology Fast 50. Academic partnerships with INSEAD, ETH Zurich, European Business School, and University of Passau reinforce thought leadership. The company has 25+ specialists on staff, with headcount reported in the 11-50 range, and has not publicly disclosed revenue.
27pilots firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 27pilots
- Legal name
- 27pilots Deloitte GmbH
- Website
- https://27pilots.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 27pilots is a Munich-based B2B firm that helps large corporations build and operate Venture Client Units through consulting services, proprietary cloud software, and data solutions. Founded by the inventor of the Venture Client Model, it serves Fortune 2000 enterprises globally as a subsidiary of Deloitte Germany.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
27pilots industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Innovation Consulting
- NAICS
- Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)
Keywords
Where 27pilots is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
27pilots business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Venture Client Services: Professional consulting services for building and operating Venture Client Units, including Strategy & Structure, Startup Culture, and Technology & Data service solutions.
- Venture Client Technology: Licensing and customization of the proprietary Venture Client Management System (Venture Client OS) to corporate Venture Client Units.
- Venture Client Data Solutions: Corporate Problems Data and Startup Evaluations & Ratings data solutions providing insights into corporate challenges and startup technology assessments through real-world application lens.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
27pilots product offering
Product offeringCore offering
27pilots provides a comprehensive suite of Venture Client Solutions that helps corporations build, improve, and operate in-house Venture Client Units to strategically source and adopt startup innovations without taking equity stakes. The offering combines professional consulting services, a proprietary cloud-based white-label Venture Client Management System software, and data solutions covering corporate problems and startup evaluations. The company was founded by the creator of the Venture Client Model, which originated at BMW in 2014, and serves enterprise clients globally.
Product overview
27pilots offers a comprehensive suite of Venture Client Solutions organized into three core offerings: Venture Client Services (consulting to build and operate in-house Venture Client Units), Venture Client Technology (native software platform for managing venture client operations), and Venture Client Data Solutions (data on corporate problems and startup evaluations). The flagship software is the Venture Client Management System, which includes modules for end-to-end project management, startup assessment, portfolio management, and community collaboration. Additional products include research publications (State of Venture Client Report), educational resources (Venture Clienting Book, Glossary), and recognition programs (Venture Client Awards). The offering is provided as a unified platform-plus-services approach rather than individual standalone products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Venture Client Services Professional consulting and advisory services to build, improve, and operate in-house Venture Client Units. Includes strategy and structure design, startup culture development, and technology and data enablement for enterprise clients.
- Venture Client Technology Proprietary native cloud-based white-label software platform (Venture Client Management System) designed for corporate Venture Client Units to manage, monitor, and measure strategic impact of startups. Provides end-to-end project management, startup assessment, portfolio management, and community collaboration capabilities.
- Venture Client Data Solutions Subscription data products providing corporate problems data and startup evaluations and ratings derived from real-world application of startup technologies by corporate users. Includes Corporate Problems Data and Startup Evaluations & Ratings datasets with industry and functional categorization.
Quantifiable outcome
- Proficient Venture Client companies can achieve an Adoption Quota of over 60% per year of startup pilot projects
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use 27pilots
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
27pilots technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
27pilots partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- DeloittecoreOn January 1, 2023, Deloitte acquired 27pilots to expand its offering of innovative venture client solutions. 27pilots operates under its original brand as part of Deloitte Germany. This acquisition strengthens Deloitte's corporate venture offering and increases their share in the innovation and venture market. The partnership enables 27pilots to scale internationally and leverage Deloitte's global brand and resources.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
27pilots competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator that partners with large corporations to run startup engagement programs. Comparable to 27pilots in serving enterprise clients seeking startup-driven innovation, although Techstars is primarily an accelerator operator rather than a venture client consulting/technology provider.
- Startupbootcamp: Global accelerator network that partners with large corporates to run innovation programs. Comparable to 27pilots in bridging startups with enterprises, but currently lacks the dedicated venture client methodology (problem-first sourcing vs. deal-first accelerator) that 27pilots commercializes.
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play runs corporate innovation and accelerator programs, connecting large enterprises with startups across multiple verticals. It is comparable to 27pilots as both monetize corporate-startup engagement platforms, though Plug and Play's model leans more on equity/mentorship and 27pilots on structured venture client operating models.
Broad incumbents
- BCG (BrightHouse / Innovation practice): BCG's BrightHouse was a dedicated corporate venture/innovation consultancy serving global enterprises. Comparable to 27pilots in advising large corporations on innovation operating models, though BCG operates at significantly larger scale and does not offer a venture client-specific proprietary software platform.
- McKinsey & Company (Corporate Venturing / Open Innovation practices): McKinsey advises Fortune 500 corporations on corporate venturing, open innovation, and startup strategy. Comparable to 27pilots as a high-end advisory serving enterprise clients on startup engagement, but McKinsey is a broad management consultancy without a proprietary venture client operating system.
Emerging players
- Notch Partners: Niche advisory firm helping multinationals build and manage corporate venture capital and startup engagement programs. Comparable to 27pilots as a specialist consultancy in corporate-startup models, though Notch focuses more on CVC and venture building advisory rather than dedicated venture client operating systems.
- Mass Challenge: Global zero-equity startup accelerator that partners with large corporations on innovation programs. Comparable to 27pilots in the non-equity startup engagement ethos and global enterprise client base, though scope and methodology differ.
- UnternehmerTUM: Munich-based, UnternehmerTUM supports founders and runs corporate innovation programs for major German enterprises. Directly comparable to 27pilots for its DACH footprint and corporate-startup engagement focus, though it operates as a non-profit/ecosystem builder rather than a commercial venture client software/services firm.
Regional players
- High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF): Germany's leading seed-stage venture capital fund, deeply embedded in the German corporate-startup ecosystem. Regional peer to 27pilots in the DACH market, oriented toward equity investment while 27pilots focuses on venture client engagement.
- Startup Autobahn (now ARENA2036): Stuttgart-based corporate-startup engagement platform co-founded with Daimler, Porsche, and others. Comparable to 27pilots as a DACH-rooted corporate innovation platform, but operates as a research consortium rather than a commercial venture client software/services firm.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
27pilots social profiles
Digital presence27pilots financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
27pilots leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
27pilots funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
27pilots M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 27pilots
What does 27pilots do?
27pilots provides a comprehensive suite of Venture Client Solutions that helps corporations build, improve, and operate in-house Venture Client Units to strategically source and adopt startup innovations without taking equity stakes. The offering combines professional consulting services, a proprietary cloud-based white-label Venture Client Management System software, and data solutions covering corporate problems and startup evaluations. The company was founded by the creator of the Venture Client Model, which originated at BMW in 2014, and serves enterprise clients globally.
Is 27pilots a public or private company?
27pilots is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was 27pilots founded?
27pilots was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 27pilots based?
27pilots is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does 27pilots make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Venture Client Services are the primary driver. The others are venture Client Technology and venture Client Data Solutions.
Who are 27pilots's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Techstars, Startupbootcamp and Plug and Play Tech Center. Broad incumbents are BCG (BrightHouse / Innovation practice) and McKinsey & Company (Corporate Venturing / Open Innovation practices). Emerging players are Notch Partners, Mass Challenge and UnternehmerTUM. Regional players are High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and Startup Autobahn (now ARENA2036).
Does 27pilots have an API?
No public API is recorded for 27pilots.
What industry is 27pilots in?
27pilots's product category is Corporate Innovation Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders, with a secondary code of FSANAHAC, Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures). Its NAICS code is 541618 and its SIC code is 8742.