BusinessPilot

What BusinessPilot does

BusinessPilot GmbH is a Hamburg-registered (Amtsgericht Hamburg HRB 189232) joint venture between EVEREST, a project developer and idea generator for digital platforms, and individee, a Berlin-based software company. Founded in 2018, the company operates the Gründerplattform (Founder Platform), a free digital resource for aspiring entrepreneurs and startup founders in Germany, designated as an official initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie) and KfW. The platform serves a horizontal persona segment (early-stage founders and entrepreneurs) by aggregating a curated partner network of more than 745 organizations (Landesförderbanken, Bürgschaftsbanken, IHKn, HKWn, banks, Sparkassen, and other Gründungsförderer) offering more than 2,100 services across consulting, events, competitions, and funding products.

The Gründerplattform is delivered as a standard web application using Cloudflare for CDN and load balancing, with no public mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed SDK or MCP. As of June 2024, the platform reports 300,000 monthly visitors, 100,000 registrations in 2023, and over 600 monthly requests routed from founders to partners. Self-reported outcomes include 73% of users having founded or planning to found within 6 months, 61% rating the platform as perfect or very helpful, and a 4.6/5 average rating. The service is free for end users, and no pricing tiers or paid plans are disclosed. Underlying revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; the platform is described as an initiative backed by the Federal Ministry and KfW, implying government funding or framework contracts rather than direct user monetization.

The leadership team comprises four named shareholders: Claudia Menz serves as Geschäftsführerin (Managing Director) with responsibility for organization and development; Frank Basner (co-founder of individee) oversees marketing; Marco Habschick (partner at EVEREST) manages stakeholder relationships; and Dr. Jan Evers (Managing Director and co-founder of EVEREST) oversees strategy and development. BusinessPilot has no disclosed external funding rounds, no subsidiaries, no patents, no certifications, and no disclosed AI or machine learning features in the platform. Geographic scope is DACH/Germany only.

Name

BusinessPilot

Legal name

BusinessPilot GmbH

Website

https://businesspilot.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BusinessPilot GmbH operates the Gründerplattform, a free, government-backed digital platform connecting aspiring German entrepreneurs with over 745 partner organizations offering consulting, events, competitions, and funding products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Support Platform

NAICS

Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Business Services Marketplaces (Freelancers, SMB Services) (BPAMAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

• Startup support platform
• Entrepreneur enablement services
• Founder resource platform
• Business founding tools
• Digital startup ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partner Network Services: The platform connects founders with over 745 partners including Landesförderbanken, Bürgschaftsbanken, IHKn, HKWn, banks, Sparkassen, and other founding promoters who offer services on the platform. Revenue is not explicitly disclosed but the platform is free for users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

BusinessPilot operates the Gründerplattform (Founder Platform), a free digital platform that supports aspiring entrepreneurs from idea conception through business formation. The platform aggregates more than 2,100 offers from over 745 partner organisations — including Landesförderbanken, Bürgschaftsbanken, chambers of industry and commerce, banks and Sparkassen — covering consulting, events, competitions and funding products. It is an official initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie) and KfW, and is provided at no cost to end users.

Product overview

BusinessPilot operates the Gründerplattform (Founders Platform), a single unified digital platform that serves as a comprehensive toolkit for entrepreneurs. Launched in 2018 as a joint venture between EVEREST and individee, the Gründerplattform provides free practical support to help people realize their vision, start new businesses, and drive innovation. The platform connects users with over 745 partners offering more than 2,100 services including consulting, events, competitions, and funding products. As of June 2024, the platform receives 300k visitors per month and has facilitated 100k registrations in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gründerplattform (Founders Platform) A free, government-backed digital platform that supports aspiring entrepreneurs from idea conception through business formation. It aggregates more than 745 partners — including Landesförderbanken, Bürgschaftsbanken, IHKs, HKWs, banks, Sparkassen and other founding promoters — exposing over 2,100 offers covering consulting, events, competitions and funding products. Targeted at individual founders and early-stage startups in Germany.

Quantifiable outcome

• 73% of users have founded or plan to found within 6 months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EVERESTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018EVEREST is a project developer and idea generator for digital platforms. Together with individee, they launched the Gründerplattform in 2018 as a joint venture. Marco Habschick (partner at EVEREST) and Dr. Jan Evers (Managing Director and co-founder of EVEREST) serve as shareholders of BusinessPilot, overseeing stakeholder management and strategy.
• individeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018individee is a Berlin-based software company and joint venture partner in BusinessPilot. They provide the technical expertise for the Gründerplattform and are known for intuitive software and demanding digital products. Frank Basner (co-founder of individee) serves as shareholder of BusinessPilot, overseeing marketing.
• Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy)coreOthersThe Gründerplattform is an official initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, providing institutional backing and credibility to the platform.
• KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau)coreOthersThe Gründerplattform is an official initiative of KfW, one of the world's largest promotional banks, providing institutional backing and credibility to the platform.
• Partner Network (Landesförderbanken, Bürgschaftsbanken, IHKn, HKWn, Banken, Sparkassen, and other Gründungsförderer)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 745 partners offer services on the Gründerplattform, including Landesförderbanken (state promotional banks), Bürgschaftsbanken (guarantee banks), IHKn (Chambers of Industry and Commerce), HKWn (Chambers of Skilled Crafts), banks, Sparkassen (savings banks), and other founding promoters. They provide over 2,100 offers including consulting, events, competitions, and funding products.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• F6S: Global founder and startup community platform connecting entrepreneurs with accelerators, investors, and government programs. Directly comparable as a digital platform serving aspiring founders with curated partner ecosystems.
• EU-Startups: European startup community and media platform covering funding, events, and founder resources across the EU. Comparable as an ecosystem-building platform targeting European founders with curated partner and program listings.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator and founder development program operating across multiple countries with structured programs from idea to launch. Comparable as a structured support platform for aspiring entrepreneurs with similar ideation-to-founding journey.
• Companisto: German equity crowdfunding and startup investment platform connecting founders with investors and support services. Comparable as a German-headquartered digital platform supporting founders with funding access and partner ecosystems.
• SeedBlink: European equity crowdfunding and venture investing platform supporting founders across multiple European markets. Comparable as a digital platform offering structured funding pathways alongside founder support resources.

Broad incumbents

• Startup Genome: Global ecosystem development organization producing reports, research, and ecosystem-building services for startup communities and policymakers. Comparable as a broader entrepreneurship ecosystem builder with government/institutional relationships.
• Y Combinator: World's largest startup accelerator operating a structured program supporting founders from idea to scale. Comparable as a leading ecosystem player with established brand and partner network, though operating globally rather than government-backed.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network with mentorship-driven programs supporting founders across industries. Comparable as an established incumbent in the structured founder support category with broad geographic reach and partner ecosystems.

Regional players

• Bundesverband Deutsche Startups: German startup association representing founders and advocating for the German startup ecosystem at the policy level. Comparable as a Germany-focused ecosystem organization with government engagement and founder support mandate.

Others

• KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau): German state-owned promotional bank providing funding programs for founders and SMEs. Comparable as a key ecosystem partner and institutional backer of BusinessPilot's Gründerplattform, with overlapping founder-support and funding mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 BusinessPilot