InnovationPort Wismar

What InnovationPort Wismar does

InnovationPort Wismar operates a publicly-funded digital innovation center in Wismar, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, providing workspace, coaching, and event services to early-stage founders, startups, SMEs, and IHK member businesses. Its three core service pillars are: (1) coworking spaces and event/room rentals, (2) a Beratungsnetzwerk consulting network offering one-on-one coaching and methodology training, and (3) a recurring calendar of community events including the Gründungsworkshop founding series, Webseiten-Werkstatt website workshops, Fly & Surv networking evenings, and monthly "Lerne uns kennen" onboarding info sessions.

The underlying technology is conventional web infrastructure rather than a proprietary platform. The site is built on WordPress with Elementor, hosted on IONOS, with Microsoft Bookings for appointments, Anny.co for space bookings, Eventbrite for event ticketing, Brevo for email newsletters, and WP Statistics for analytics. There are no proprietary software products, APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML components. The organization is a non-commercial public project rather than a venture-backed entity: its legal entity is Forschungs-GmbH Wismar, and it is funded primarily through the European Social Fund (ESF+) 2021-2027 program and the Ministry for Inneres, Bau und Digitalisierung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is one of six digital innovation centers under the "digitales MV" umbrella, physically located in the historic Kruse-Speicher harbor building in Wismar.

The business model is grant-funded with a thin layer of ancillary commercial revenue. Because ESF+ subsidies cover operating costs, coaching, workshops, and info sessions are offered free of charge. Space rental — flex desks, meeting rooms, and an event venue — generates modest direct revenue, with IHK Schwerin members receiving two complimentary coworking days as a promotional arrangement. Distribution is regional (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and community-driven, relying on event marketing, partner referrals from IHK and Hochschule Wismar, and word-of-mouth within the regional entrepreneur ecosystem. The headcount is 1-10 and no revenue figure is disclosed.

Name

InnovationPort Wismar

Legal name

Forschungs-GmbH Wismar

Website

https://innovation-port.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Publicly-funded digital innovation center in Wismar, Germany, offering free coworking, coaching, workshops, and networking events to early-stage founders, startups, and SMEs as one of six "digitales MV" centers, operated under Forschungs-GmbH Wismar with ESF+ and state ministry support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Innovation Center / Startup Incubator

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Systems Integration & Implementation Services (BPAEAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Documentation & Knowledge Management (Playbooks, Runbooks, Enablement Kits) (BPAEANAM)

Keywords

• Digital innovation center
• Startup incubation
• Coworking space
• Business coaching
• Digital transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

Wismar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (ESF+): InnovationPort Wismar is funded through the European Social Fund (ESF+) and the Ministry of Interior, Building and Digitalization of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This public funding covers operational costs and allows services to be offered free of charge to users.
2. Coworking and Space Rental: Revenue is generated through renting coworking spaces, meeting rooms, and event venues. IHK members receive 2 days of free coworking as a promotional offer. Spaces can be booked via the website for workshops, meetings, and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

InnovationPort Wismar is a publicly funded digital innovation center providing coworking workspaces, a coaching/consulting network (Beratungsnetzwerk), and structured workshop programs (Gründungsworkshop, Webseiten-Werkstatt) for startups, founders, and established companies undergoing digital transformation. Located in the historic Kruse-Speicher harbor building in Wismar, it combines physical workspace, advisory services, and networking events into a single regional ecosystem funded by the European Social Fund (ESF+) and the Ministry of Interior, Building and Digitalization of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Product overview

InnovationPort Wismar is a digital innovation center operating as a unified service platform, not a modular software product. It offers an integrated ecosystem of physical and advisory services centered around three core pillars: (1) Coworking Spaces for flexible workspace needs, (2) Beratungsnetzwerk (Consulting Network) providing coaching and advisory services for founders and companies undergoing digital transformation, and (3) Events including workshops (Gründungsworkshop, Webseiten-Werkstatt), info sessions, and networking evenings (Fly & Surv). Additional offerings include room rentals for meetings and events. All services are funded by the ESF+ and are free or low-cost for users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coworking Spaces Flexible coworking desks and workspaces available for booking by individuals, startups, and IHK members, with complimentary 2-day coworking promotions for IHK members.
• Beratungsnetzwerk (Consulting Network) Network of coaches providing structured support for founding, business model development, persona creation, and digital transformation, requiring completion of the Gründungsworkshop as a prerequisite for individual coaching.
• Event Venue and Room Rental Meeting rooms, workshop spaces, and event venues available for booking through the Anny.co platform for meetings, workshops, and corporate events.
• Gründungsworkshop (Founding Workshop) Interactive workshop series (Parts I and II) covering business modeling, target group analysis, persona development, Golden Circle methodology, prototyping, and pitching, serving as the prerequisite for individual coaching programs.
• Webseiten-Werkstatt (Website Workshop) Free open workshop providing hands-on technical assistance for starting new websites or improving existing ones, led by technicians as part of the center's service portfolio.
• Onboarding Info Sessions Monthly information sessions ('Lerne uns kennen') introducing founding aspirants and startups to the free coaching and workshop offerings of InnovationPort Wismar.
• Fly & Surv Network Evening Regular networking evening events (Angels, Allianzen & Afterwork) bringing together founders, innovators, and business angels for exchange and collaboration.

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Hochschule WismarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Applied Sciences Wismar is a key academic partner, collaborating on events like 'Wissenschaft trifft Wirtschaft' and providing research connections. The university also co-organizes the Regionale KI-Innovationskonferenz.
• IHK zu SchwerincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber of Commerce and Industry Schwerin partners on events, provides business referrals, and offers IHK members promotional access to InnovationPort services (2 days free coworking). Co-organizes the KI-Innovationskonferenz.
• ESA BIC Northern GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovationPort Wismar is a location of ESA Business Innovation Center Northern Germany, bringing space and technology startup support, including access to 50,000 EUR funding and ESA network connections for technology-oriented founding teams.
• Digitales MV (6 Digital Innovationszentren)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovationPort is one of six digital innovation centers across Mecklenburg-Vorpommern under the 'Digitales MV' umbrella brand, collectively forming the state's innovation space with shared identity and community.
• Wismarer Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft (WWG)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business association WWG co-organizes the Fly & Surv networking event celebrating the 5th anniversary of InnovationPort and 35th anniversary of WWG (40 years combined entrepreneurship spirit).
• GründungswerftmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup ship/catalyst partner supporting founding activities and startup development programs at InnovationPort Wismar.
• Hansestadt WismarmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe city of Wismar supports InnovationPort as part of its economic development and innovation strategy, hosting the center in the historic Kruse-Speicher harbor building.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Startercenter NRW: State of North Rhine-Westphalia's publicly funded startup support network. Directly comparable as a publicly funded regional entrepreneurship ecosystem, though at the state-program rather than city-center level.
• Gründungswerft: Regional startup catalyst partner also referenced by InnovationPort Wismar. Targets early-stage founders in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with comparable programs and partnerships.
• SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator: Leipzig-based startup accelerator and innovation hub affiliated with HHL Graduate School of Management. Comparable as a regional innovation hub serving founders and corporates in eastern Germany, though with a stronger equity/venture model.

Broad incumbents

• Factory Berlin: Established Berlin-based innovation campus offering coworking, programming, and corporate-startup matchmaking. Comparable in service mix but operates at much larger scale in a major metropolitan ecosystem.
• ESA BIC Northern Germany: The broader ESA BIC program of which InnovationPort Wismar is a location. Operates the funding/instrument layer for tech-oriented startups across northern Germany, providing the strategic overlay InnovationPort delivers locally.
• Hubraum (Deutsche Telekom): Deutsche Telekom's corporate incubator offering workspace, mentoring, and partner access to deep-tech and connectivity startups. Comparable in running structured startup programs and connecting founders to a corporate ecosystem.
• NUMA Berlin: European coworking and startup accelerator network with locations including Berlin. Comparable in offering coworking, events, and corporate innovation programs, but at greater scale and without the public-funding backbone.

Direct peers

• Digitales Innovationszentrum Schwerin: Sister digital innovation center in Schwerin under the same Digitales MV umbrella and ESF+/state funding model. Directly comparable in mission, programming, and target customer base within Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
• Digitales Innovationszentrum Neubrandenburg: Another of the six Digitales MV centers, based at Hochschule Neubrandenburg. Same grant-funded model, same target segments (founders, SMEs, digital transformation), and same partnership patterns make it a near-twin peer.

Others

• Hochschule Wismar - Transfer und Entrepreneurship: Local university partner that co-organizes events and provides talent/research connections. Adjacent rather than competing, but materially comparable as a publicly supported entrepreneurship vehicle in the same regional ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovationport-wismar

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 InnovationPort Wismar