Start-up Platform

What Start-up Platform does

Gründerplattform (Start-up Platform) is a publicly funded German digital platform that supports aspiring entrepreneurs from idea validation through company registration. It is structured as an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie) with funding from KfW Bankengruppe, and is technically built and operated by BusinessPilot GmbH, whose co-founder Jan Evers is the public face of the platform. The service is free to end users and targets a horizontal segment of German would-be founders, including full-time and part-time founders, female founders via the FemPower vertical, and Ukrainian nationals via a dedicated community. Cumulative registered users exceed 600,000, monthly visitors exceed 200,000, and approximately 7,000 new founders register each month.

The product surface combines four core digital tools – the Businessplan-Tool (business plan builder), Geschäftsmodell-Tool (business model tool with an embedded KI-Assistent), Vertragsgenerator (legally compliant contract generator) and Rechtsformfinder (11-question legal-form decision tool) – with a Gründerplattform-App on iOS and Android that integrates directly with Germany's ELSTER electronic tax portal for combined tax registration (steuerliche Erfassung) and business registration (Gewerbeanmeldung). Complementary offerings include the Rechnungstool, Sprechstunden (expert office hours), Gründerseminare and Online-Trainings, and three community verticals (GemeinsamGründen, FemPower, Ukrainian Founders). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via web and mobile plus a channel network of more than 745 regional public funding bodies, financing partners and advisors. The platform holds a 4.4 out of 5 rating from more than 10,000 user reviews; a 17,013-response Autumn 2024 survey found 18% of new registrants had already implemented a business idea, 91% of the remainder planned to found within six months, and 80% rated the platform 'perfect' or 'very helpful'.

Gründerplattform is not a venture-backed SaaS business. Its revenue mechanics rest almost entirely on a public funding envelope from KfW and BMWK, with a marginal secondary stream of nominal fees on selected premium online trainings intended only to defray trainer cost. The legal operating entity is BusinessPilot GmbH, a privately held German GmbH domiciled in Germany. Because funding cycles and ministry mandates set the operating budget rather than per-user subscription pricing, the platform's growth, hiring and product roadmap are tied to policy-level decisions about German entrepreneurship support.

Name

Start-up Platform

Legal name

BusinessPilot GmbH

Website

https://gruenderplattform.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gründerplattform is a publicly funded German digital platform offering free tools, AI-assisted business model development, content, and communities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Operated by BusinessPilot GmbH and backed by KfW and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, it serves 600,000+ founders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Formation Platform

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Compliance, GRC Workflow & Audit Automation Platforms (HDAEAHAL)

Keywords

• Startup formation platform
• Business plan tools
• Entrepreneurship support
• Company registration app
• Founder education

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (KfW & Bundesministerium): The platform is publicly funded by KfW and the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie, making it free for end users. This is the primary revenue structure — government subsidy covers operational costs.
2. Premium Online Training (Fee-based Add-ons): Some advanced online training offerings charge a nominal fee to cover trainer costs. This is the only exception to the otherwise free platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gründerplattform is a publicly funded, free-to-use digital platform operated by BusinessPilot GmbH that guides aspiring entrepreneurs in Germany through every step of starting a business — from business model development, business plan creation, legal form selection, and contract drafting to digital tax and business registration via its mobile app integrated with the ELSTER system. It complements these tools with expert consultations, online seminars, paid premium trainings, and themed founder communities (co-founding, female founders, Ukrainian founders).

Product overview

Gründerplattform is a comprehensive, publicly-funded startup platform that provides an integrated ecosystem of tools, educational content, expert consultations, and community features for aspiring entrepreneurs in Germany. The platform's core offerings include four primary digital tools: the Businessplan-Tool for creating complete business plans, the Geschäftsmodell-Tool with an AI assistant for business model development, the Vertragsgenerator for creating legally compliant contracts, and the Rechtsformfinder for determining the appropriate legal structure. These tools are complemented by a mobile app (Gründerplattform-App) that integrates with Germany's official ELSTER system for tax registration and business registration. Additional services include Sprechstunden (expert consultations), Gründerseminare (founding seminars), Online-Trainings, and community groups. All core services are provided free of charge thanks to funding from KfW and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, with implementation by BusinessPilot GmbH.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Geschäftsmodell-Tool (Business Model Tool) An interactive tool that guides aspiring entrepreneurs through developing their business model with the assistance of an integrated AI assistant.
• Businessplan-Tool (Business Plan Tool) Comprehensive tool that guides users step-by-step through creating a complete business plan, from competitive analysis to financial sections.
• Vertragsgenerator (Contract Generator) A tool for creating and managing legally compliant contracts in minutes.
• Rechtsformfinder (Legal Form Finder) A guided tool that helps users identify the appropriate legal form for their business through 11 questions.
• Gründerplattform-App (Mobile App) A mobile application that enables users to complete their tax registration (steuerliche Erfassung) and business registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) via smartphone and submit both to the relevant authorities online, integrated with the official ELSTER tax interface.
• Rechnungstool (Invoice Tool) A tool for creating invoices and quotes quickly and accurately.
• Sprechstunden (Expert Consultations) Online consultation sessions where experts answer questions about founding a business, covering topics such as business modeling, company registration, marketing, and target group analysis.
• Gründerseminare (Founding Seminars) Text and video lessons on founding topics, covering business modeling, liquidity acquisition, and pitch deck creation.
• Online-Trainings Interactive training modules combining exercises and video lessons with live expert sessions, including product strategy and online marketing training for service providers; premium offerings charge a small fee to cover trainer costs.
• Communities (Founder Community Groups) Community groups where founders exchange experiences and support each other, including GemeinsamGründen, FemPower for female founders, and Ukrainian Founders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600,000 founders registered and >200,000 monthly visits
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered primary and secondary.

• Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy)primaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Gründerplattform is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie), which co-founded and co-funds the platform alongside KfW. The Ministry provides the official mandate and policy backing that gives the platform its national reach and credibility.
• BusinessPilot GmbHprimaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusinessPilot GmbH is the technical and content realization partner responsible for building and operating the Gründerplattform. Founded by Jan Evers, BusinessPilot developed the interactive platform, its tools, and all content. The platform is 'realisiert vom Partner BusinessPilot.' BusinessPilot's co-founder Jan Evers is quoted stating the platform's mission: 'Wir wollen, dass Gründen einfacher und sicherer wird.'
• Regional Partners (745+ public funding bodies and advisors)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 745 regional public funding bodies, financing partners, and advisors across Germany offer services on the Gründerplattform platform. Founders can find and contact regional advisors directly through the platform to get personalized support with their founding process.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lexoffice: Leading German SaaS for SMB invoicing, bookkeeping, and tax prep targeting the same founder and micro-business customer base in Germany. Comparable as a self-serve tool adopted by users during the early stages Gründerplattform supports.
• Doola: US-based business formation and compliance platform offering incorporation, tax, accounting, and registered-agent services for non-US founders and startups. Comparable as a packaged end-to-end founder enablement product with similar target audience (aspiring entrepreneurs) and workflow.
• Stripe Atlas: Global business formation and incorporation service that helps founders set up US companies, banking, and tax infrastructure. Directly comparable in mission (lowering the friction of starting a business) and tooling (digital, end-to-end formation workflow), though operating in a commercial rather than publicly funded model.
• sevDesk: German cloud bookkeeping and invoicing SaaS for SMBs and founders. Comparable customer segment (German SMB and aspiring founders), overlapping use cases (invoicing, tax-relevant bookkeeping), and competing as a destination workflow for newly registered Gründerplattform users.
• Firstbase: Business incorporation and setup platform offering company formation, banking, accounting, and compliance tools. Comparable to Gründerplattform in consolidating the end-to-end founding journey into a single self-serve digital product for early-stage entrepreneurs.
• IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer) Startercenter: Germany's chamber-of-commerce system, which provides official business advisory, registration guidance, and founding seminars to aspiring entrepreneurs. Comparable in offering free, government-backed, end-to-end founding support services to the same German SMB founder audience.

Regional players

• Bpifrance Création: French public initiative supporting business creation with advisory, financing, and tooling resources. Comparable in public funding structure (state-backed development bank), target audience (aspiring SMB founders), and bundled digital advisory offerings.
• Wirtschaftsagentur Wien: Austrian public business-support agency offering funding, advisory, and founder enablement services. Comparable in public-mandate funding model, founder advisory mission, and government-backed credibility, though operating in Austria rather than Germany.

Others

• Gemeinsames Registerportal der Länder (Handelsregister): Germany's official company and business registry portal where founders must register. Adjacent infrastructure that Gründerplattform integrates with via ELSTER for tax registration and Gewerbeanmeldung flows.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gruenderplattform
• Xx.com/gruenderherz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Start-up Platform