Open State
Open State Strategies GmbH is a Berlin-based transformation studio founded in 2015 that designs real-laboratories, innovation camps, and consulting programs for corporate clients (Daimler, Weleda), foundations, and impact startups using its proprietary Transition Design methodology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Open State does
Open State (legal entity: Open State Strategies GmbH) is a Berlin-based, privately held transformation studio founded in 2015 that designs and executes real-laboratories, innovation camps, and organizational development programs for corporate clients, foundations, and impact-oriented startups. Its underlying methodology, branded "Transition Design," combines Theory U, mindfulness, Sociocracy 3.0, human-centered design, and agile development, applied through experiential formats (e.g., the five-week POC21 camp, Living Soil Camp, The Open State of Politics retreat, the four-part Daimler Global Training series, and the Refugee Open Cities participatory shelter program). The firm operates as a network of independent designers, consultants, and coaches rather than a traditional consultancy, and has spun out several affiliated entities — Skyseed GmbH (drone-based forest restoration), Akademie für Transformationsdesign (a one-year part-time certification program training 18 participants per cohort), 10HOCH16 (social design studio), Kiepstein GBR (circular furniture systems), and Wir Bauen Zukunft eG (a 10-hectare rural co-living/co-working venue near Hamburg).
Commercially, Open State generates revenue through professional services: transformation consulting, facilitation, and event design delivered via direct client engagements with corporate organizations (Daimler/Mercedes-Benz Global Management Training, Weleda AG, TLGG, Trendone) and foundations (Arnfried & Hannelore Meyer Stiftung, Advocate Europe, BMW Foundation). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is regional (Germany-led with selected France activity), reliant on project portfolio and case-study-driven content marketing via the openstate.cc website, LinkedIn profiles, and media contributions (book chapters, podcasts, Salto Magazin interview). The firm has 11-50 employees, no external institutional investment, and reports no funding rounds, signaling an organic, founder-financed operating model. There is no evidence of AI/ML capability, software product lines, or API offerings — the offering is fundamentally human-facilitation-led.
Open State firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open State
- Legal name
- Open State Strategies GmbH
- Website
- https://openstate.cc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Open State Strategies GmbH is a Berlin-based transformation studio founded in 2015 that designs real-laboratories, innovation camps, and consulting programs for corporate clients (Daimler, Weleda), foundations, and impact startups using its proprietary Transition Design methodology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open State industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting / Organizational Transformation Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW) (EDAGAJAB), Open-Source & Developer Communities (BPAMABAM)
Keywords
Where Open State is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Open State business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Transformation Consulting Services: Organizational development, transformation consulting, sustainability processes, team building, coaching, and facilitation services for corporate clients and organizations.
- Training and Education Programs: The Akademie für Transformationsdesign offers a 1-year part-time certification program in systemic transformation consulting, educating 18 people per cohort annually.
- Event and Camp Design Services: Design and execution of real-laboratories, innovation camps, and retreat formats for organizations seeking transformation experiences.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Open State product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open State is a Berlin-based transformation studio that designs and delivers real-laboratories, innovation camps, and organizational development programs for companies, foundations, and social entrepreneurs. Its core service is facilitating deep cultural, leadership, and team change through bespoke multi-day experiential formats (e.g., POC21, Living Soil Camp, Daimler Global Training, The Open State of Politics) plus a year-long Akademie für Transformationsdesign certification. Methods draw on Theory U, Sociocracy 3.0, mindfulness, human-centered design, and agile development, adapted to each engagement.
Product overview
Open State operates as a transformation studio offering a portfolio of real laboratories, innovation camps, and consulting services designed to help organizations and individuals navigate change toward a sustainable future. The core offerings include innovation camps such as POC21 and Living Soil Camp, transformation programs like the Inner Work Accelerator, and educational offerings through the Akademie für Transformationsdesign. Several subsidiary ventures have emerged from Open State: Skyseed (drone-based forest restoration), Kiepstein (circular furniture systems), and Wir Bauen Zukunft eG (rural co-living/co-working retreat space). Additional services include cardboard architecture solutions (Papparchitektur), live visualization for visioning processes (Zukunftsbilder), meeting facilitation (Nice Meeting You), and the Refugee Open Cities real laboratory for inclusive shelter solutions. The company functions primarily as a consulting and service organization rather than a software product company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Inner Work Accelerator A transformation program offering processes, tools, and formats designed to create clarity about the inner dimension of teams and leadership, helping startups and organizations unlock blocked energy. Targeted at teams and leaders facing complexity and change.
- Akademie für Transformationsdesign A 1-year part-time professional certification program training 18 participants per cohort in systemically founded, evolutionary transformation consulting, with emphasis on personal development and societal impact. Targeted at aspiring transformation consultants and coaches.
- Living Soil Camp An intensive 6-day development camp and real laboratory for corporate teams (6 teams per cohort) combining gestalt psychology and systemic organizational development to strengthen psychological safety. Targeted at corporate teams navigating change, exemplified by the Weleda AG engagement.
- The Open State of Politics A five-day retreat for political startups and democratic innovators using Theory U, mindfulness, empathy theater, and sociocracy to slow down, question their work, and connect for the bigger picture. Targeted at political entrepreneurs and democratic innovators across Europe.
- Young Innovators Camp A 2-day developer camp for 30 young creatives working on sustainable future technologies in energy and mobility through collaborative design and prototyping. Commissioned by foundations (Arnfried & Hannelore Meyer Stiftung) for young innovator cohorts.
- Refugee Open Cities A participatory real laboratory developing inclusive shelter solutions, creating an inclusive 'village of possibilities' from empty emergency shelter floors through collaborative building festivals in Berlin-Neukölln. Targeted at humanitarian organizations, foundations (BMW Foundation), and municipal stakeholders.
- Nice Meeting You A clear and adaptable meeting process combining elements from sociocracy, Scrum, design thinking, and mindfulness practices for efficient and empathetic meetings. Targeted at consulting, advertising, and professional services firms (e.g., TLGG) seeking to embed self-organization internally.
- Zukunftsbilder A co-creative format for live visualization of innovation and visioning processes, where an illustrator collages and illustrates participant impulses in real-time, making shared visions visible. Targeted at innovation research and foresight firms (e.g., Trendone) running visioning sessions.
- Daimler Global Training Transformation Program A four-part workshop series for trainers and training managers designed to directly experience the benefits of a learning organization, supporting Daimler/Mercedes-Benz's largest cultural transformation. Targeted at enterprise L&D leaders undergoing organization-wide cultural change.
- POC21 (Proof of Concept 21) Innovation Camp A 5-week real-laboratory innovation camp held at Château de Millemont near Paris, bringing together 300 makers, designers, engineers, and innovators to collaboratively research sustainable open-source technologies for a climate-compatible future. Targeted at sustainability innovators, eco-tech entrepreneurs, and foundation partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25 million media contacts generated from POC21 innovation camp
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Open State
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Open State technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Open State partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OuiSharecoreFrench partner organization that co-created POC21 innovation camp with Open State. Together they brought 300 makers, designers, engineers, and innovators to a 5-week real-laboratory in a French château near Paris.
- Advocate EuropecoreAn idea challenge for European initiatives funded by Stiftung Mercator, implemented by MitOst and Liquid Democracy. Co-organized The Open State of Politics camp for democratic innovators.
- Wir Bauen Zukunft eGcoreFounding member and co-development partner. Rural innovation community near Hamburg operating in a former botanical garden. Hosts retreats, seminars, and co-living/co-working spaces on 10 hectares.
- Institut für Achtsamkeit und Nachhaltigkeit (IFAN Berlin)minorPartner in The Open State of Politics project, contributing mindfulness expertise to the democratic innovation camp.
- International Alumni Center der Robert Bosch StiftungminorPartner in The Open State of Politics project, providing alumni network support for the democratic innovators camp.
- MaltesercoreKey partner in Refugee Open Cities project, co-developing inclusive operating systems for emergency shelters in Berlin-Neukölln.
- BMW FoundationminorFunder and strategic partner in Refugee Open Cities initiative supporting inclusive shelter solutions.
- AshokaminorSocial entrepreneurship organization partner in the Refugee Open Cities project.
- Universität der Künste BerlinminorAcademic partner contributing to the Refugee Open Cities inclusive shelter design project.
- AnstiftungminorFoundation partner supporting urban Maker culture and participatory shelter innovation in Refugee Open Cities.
- Werkstatt für AllesminorImplementation partner in the Refugee Open Cities construction festival and inclusive shelter project.
- Earthship BiotechtureminorSustainable building technology partner contributing to the inclusive shelter design approach.
- Weleda AGcorePrimary client and co-development partner for Living Soil Camp 2022, a 6-day development camp for impact startups combining Gestalt psychology and systemic organizational development.
- Mercedes-Benz Global Management TrainingcoreCorporate client partner for global training transformation, with Open State conducting a four-part workshop series for trainers and training managers in Berlin.
- Ursula SaniominorCo-facilitator with Open State for the Daimler Global Training inner journey workshop series.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Open State competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OuiShare: French collaborative-economy community and Open State's actual co-creator of POC21. Comparable as a European network that designs open, community-driven innovation programs around sustainability and shared value.
- Presencing Institute: Otto Scharmer's organization that originated Theory U, the same core methodology used by Open State. Comparable as a thought-leadership and methodology hub that delivers transformation programs and trains practitioners globally.
- Pioneers of Change: German network of social entrepreneurs and change-makers running retreat-based learning programs and community events. Comparable to Open State in network-based structure, German/DACH geography, and experiential transformation formats.
- Impact Hub Berlin: Berlin-headquartered node of the global Impact Hub network running innovation labs, accelerator programs, and community events for impact-driven entrepreneurs. Comparable in target audience (social entrepreneurs, mission-driven teams), Berlin location, and lab/event format.
- School of Systems Change: Forum for the Future's systems-change education program offering multi-month practitioner training. Highly comparable to Open State's Akademie für Transformationsdesign in its cohort-based, certification-style practitioner development model.
- Dark Horse Innovation: Berlin-based innovation and transformation consultancy that designs corporate innovation programs, labs, and cultural change initiatives for large enterprises. Directly comparable to Open State in target customer (Dax corporate clients), Berlin HQ, and methodology-driven consulting model.
- re:frame GmbH: German transformation and organizational development consultancy working with corporates and foundations on cultural change, leadership development, and sustainability programs. Highly comparable in client base, methodology emphasis, and event-driven engagement model.
Broad incumbents
- Impact Hub Network: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs operating labs, accelerator programs, and community spaces in 100+ cities. Comparable as a broader, more established version of Open State's community-and-ecosystem model focused on social innovation.
- IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy serving large enterprises with human-centered design and transformation programs. Operates in an overlapping space (design-led transformation for corporations) but with vastly broader scope and scale than Open State's niche focus.
- frog (part of Capgemini Invent): Global design and transformation consultancy offering innovation strategy, experience design, and organizational change services to large enterprises. Overlaps with Open State's transformation-design positioning but as a much larger, multi-disciplinary incumbent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Open State social profiles
Digital presenceOpen State financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open State leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Open State subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Open State funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open State 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 Open State
What does Open State do?
Open State is a Berlin-based transformation studio that designs and delivers real-laboratories, innovation camps, and organizational development programs for companies, foundations, and social entrepreneurs. Its core service is facilitating deep cultural, leadership, and team change through bespoke multi-day experiential formats (e.g., POC21, Living Soil Camp, Daimler Global Training, The Open State of Politics) plus a year-long Akademie für Transformationsdesign certification. Methods draw on Theory U, Sociocracy 3.0, mindfulness, human-centered design, and agile development, adapted to each engagement.
Is Open State a public or private company?
Open State is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Open State founded?
Open State was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Open State based?
Open State is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Open State make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transformation Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training and Education Programs and event and Camp Design Services.
Who are Open State's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OuiShare, Presencing Institute, Pioneers of Change, Impact Hub Berlin, School of Systems Change, Dark Horse Innovation and re:frame GmbH. Broad incumbents are Impact Hub Network, IDEO and frog (part of Capgemini Invent).
Does Open State have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open State.
What industry is Open State in?
Open State's product category is Management Consulting / Organizational Transformation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAEAL, Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs, with a secondary code of EDAGAJAB, Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW). Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8200.