THE CATALYSTS

What THE CATALYSTS does

THE CATALYSTS is a Berlin-based sole proprietorship founded in 2014 by AC Coppens, operating as a boutique professional services firm at the intersection of digital technology and creative industries. The company delivers four interconnected service lines: strategic consulting and foresight (research, coaching, workshops, think tanks for companies, startups, and institutions), event curation and content programming (bespoke agendas for conferences and festivals), moderation/hosting/speaking (with AC Coppens personally booked as keynote, MC, and panel moderator), and trade-mission organization (international delegation programs connecting Berlin-based and European creative companies with the US, France, and other markets). The offering is supported by a content engine spanning the Fast Forward podcast, a Vodcast series, and a quarterly newsletter.

The client base spans film festivals and cultural institutions (Berlinale, San Sebastián, Venice, Locarno, Cannes, Series Mania, Reeperbahn), arts/tech festivals (Ars Electronica, Falling Walls), corporates in technology and media (Volkswagen Group, Kobalt, Brighter AI), and startups (why do birds). Revenue mechanics are project-based professional-services fees: bespoke consulting retainers, per-event curation and moderation fees, and public-funded trade missions co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and regional bodies such as media:net, Berlin Partner, and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. No software platform, app, or proprietary technology is built or sold; the operating model is talent- and reputation-driven, with a small core team led by the founder and supported by one long-tenured collaborator (Anna Desponds) and editorial contributors.

Go-to-market is event-driven and content-led rather than sales-led: the firm's presence at major international venues functions as the primary demand-generation channel, while the podcast and vodcast funnel top-of-funnel awareness and the newsletter moves prospects to mid-funnel. Distribution is direct: consulting and curation contracts are negotiated enterprise-to-firm, with deals sourced from repeat festival relationships, institutional partnerships, and inbound inquiries from the content channels. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; services are quote-based and tailored to client scope. The business is privately held under the founder's name (legal entity: AC Coppens, Berlin, VAT ID DE201572809) with no external investors or parent organization.

Name

THE CATALYSTS

Legal name

AC Coppens

Website

https://catalysts.agency

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

THE CATALYSTS is a Berlin-based, founder-led boutique founded in 2014 that provides strategic consulting, event curation, and moderation/speaking services to companies, startups, and cultural institutions in the creative industries at the intersection of digital technology and creative content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Industries Consulting

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Conferences & Sales Kickoffs (MPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD)

Keywords

• Creative industries consulting
• Event curation services
• Strategic foresight consulting
• Trade mission facilitation
• Speaking moderation services

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. Consulting Services: Strategic foresight, market research, coaching, and consulting engagements for digital tech, media, film, music, design and arts organizations. Delivered through bespoke workshops, think tanks, and one-on-one coaching sessions.
2. Event Curation: Custom event conception, format design, content curation, speaker scouting, and hosting/moderation services for conferences, corporate summits, VIP dinners, and workshops. Revenue generated through project-based fees for event programming and moderation.
3. Speaking and Moderation Services: Professional moderation, hosting, and speaking services for in-person, hybrid and online events. AC Coppens serves as keynote speaker, MC, and moderator at major international events.
4. Trade Mission Services: Organized delegation programs connecting international companies for business development. Funded partially through institutional partnerships with European Regional Development Fund and regional economic development agencies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

THE CATALYSTS is a Berlin-based consulting and event agency that delivers strategic research, business development, and coaching for companies, startups, and institutions in the creative industries. It conceives bespoke content programs for conferences and festivals, ranging from single sessions to multi-day events, and provides professional moderation, hosting, and keynote speaking services through founder AC Coppens. Additional offerings include international trade missions, workshops, think tanks, and thought-leadership content via its Fast Forward Podcast and Vodcast Series.

Product overview

THE CATALYSTS is a Berlin-based consulting and event agency that offers a portfolio of professional services including Consulting & Strategic Foresight, Curation & Event Programming, and Moderation/Hosting/Speaking. The company also organizes Trade Missions and Business Development programs, conducts Workshops and Think Tanks, and produces content through its Fast Forward Podcast and Vodcast Series. These services work together to help innovative players in the creative industries develop and succeed at the intersection of digital technology and creative content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consulting & Strategic Foresight Strategic research, business development, and coaching services for companies, startups, and institutions in the creative industries, with expertise at the intersection of digital technology and creative content.
• Curation & Event Programming Bespoke content programs for events and conferences, ranging from single sessions to multi-day festivals, with expertise in Business, Tech, Science, Digital Media, Film, Music, Design, Advertising and Culture.
• Moderation, Hosting & Speaking Professional moderation, hosting and speaking services for in-person, hybrid and online events, including keynotes, fireside chats, panels, and workshops, delivered primarily through founder AC Coppens.
• Trade Missions & Business Development International delegation programs connecting companies with business opportunities abroad, including AI-focused missions to New York and Paris, and VR/AR/XR trade missions to Los Angeles.
• Workshops & Think Tanks Bespoke workshops for companies, conferences, startups, and cultural organizations, designed to address unique requirements and achieve specific goals.

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• media:net Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership organizing trade missions for digital media and creative industries companies. THE CATALYSTS curates delegation programs connecting Berlin-based companies with international markets. Multiple missions executed together including AI-focused delegations to New York and Paris.
• berlin.digitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative of media:net connecting SMEs with startups and digital experts. THE CATALYSTS has organized trade missions through this partnership, including the AI-focused delegation to Paris in 2019.
• Medienboard Berlin-BrandenburgmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm and media funding body for Berlin-Brandenburg region. Supported NY Digital Media trade mission (2013) and media fellowship programs connecting Berlin professionals with New York.
• Berlin Partner for Business and Technology GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness and technology support organization for Berlin. Partnered on AI trade missions including berlin.digital goes NYC (2021) and AI Delegation to Paris (2019).
• TEDmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing speaking and moderation partnerships at TED, TEDx, TEDNext, and TED2026 conferences. AC Coppens has moderated Spotlight Conversations and Discovery Sessions at multiple TED events.
• Marché du Film / Festival de CannesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual curation and moderation partnership for Cannes Next program. Hosting producer pitching sessions and moderating panels on AI, virtual production, and film financing.
• Berlinale TalentsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing hosting and moderation partnership for Berlinale Talents program. Daily moderation of Talent Circles from 2016-2026.
• Ars ElectronicamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-curation and hosting of conference days including AI & Theatre (2025) and AI & Artistic Creation (2024). Deep involvement in program design and speaker curation.
• Series ManiamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosting Series Mania Forum TV broadcasts and moderating creative industries panels. Partnership spanning multiple years.
• San Sebastián International Film FestivalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual hosting of Zinemaldia Startup Challenge and moderation of technology roundtables since 2020.
• NY Tech AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on AI trade mission to NYC (2021), highlighting New York as city of AI networking and education.
• NYCEDC (New York Economic Development Corporation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on AI trade mission programming, emphasizing NYC's attractiveness as global business destination.
• German AcceleratorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated during NY VR/AR trade mission (2017) to connect German entrepreneurs with US market entry support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cannes Lions: International Festival of Creativity owned by Ascential/Informa. Comparable as a major international creative-industries event where THE CATALYSTS moderates Cannes Next content, representing the same intersection of advertising, media, and creative-tech.
• Web Summit: Lisbon-based major global tech conference. Comparable in large-scale event programming and corporate partner engagement, though at vastly larger scale and broader geographic breadth.
• The Next Web (TNW): Amsterdam-based tech media and event company. Comparable in combining event programming with content production and a tech-industry focus, although at much larger scale and with broader geographic footprint.
• Slush: Helsinki-based leading global tech conference with strong startup/VC focus. Comparable in operating major industry events with similar conference programming and corporate partnership structures, though at substantially larger scale.
• SXSW: Austin-based multi-track festival and conference spanning film, music, and technology. Comparable in curating large-scale events with creative industries programming where AC Coppens has appeared as a speaker/moderator.

Direct peers

• re:publica: Berlin-based annual conference on digital society and internet culture. Comparable to THE CATALYSTS in Berlin-based event curation for the creative industries, with overlapping speaker networks and frequent collaboration between the two organizations.
• NEXT Conference: Berlin-based conference on design, technology, and digital innovation. Comparable to THE CATALYSTS in curating events at the intersection of design, technology, and creative industries, with similar boutique scale and consulting-programming hybrid model.
• OMR: Hamburg-based marketing and digital events platform that combines large-scale conferences (OMR Festival) with a strategy consulting arm and content media. Directly comparable to THE CATALYSTS in pairing consulting services with event leadership in the German-speaking market.

Emerging players

• Factory Berlin: Berlin-based innovation community operated by Rocket Internet. Comparable in Berlin-based community event programming for the tech and creative community, with overlapping partner ecosystem (media:net, Berlin Partner).
• Berlin Buzzwords: Berlin-based boutique conference on search, data, and large-scale infrastructure. Comparable as a similarly-scaled Berlin-based independently curated conference with technical/creative audience overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AC_catalysts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-catalysts

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 THE CATALYSTS