What TEDxBerlin does

TEDxBerlin is an independently organized TEDx event platform founded in 2009 and operated by red onion GmbH from Berlin. The organization produces flagship conferences, TEDxBerlin Salons, and TEDxBerlin Women events that convene speakers across technology, entertainment, design, science, and social impact. It holds an official license from TED and is described as one of the largest and most established TEDx communities in Europe, with 15,000+ attendees, 200+ speakers, 500+ volunteers, and 50M+ online video views accumulated since inception. The business is founder-led by Stephan Balzer, with a small core team (fewer than 10 paid staff) supplemented by 500+ volunteers.

The product portfolio is structured around one core offering and three B2B service lines. The core is the live event program — flagship annual conferences plus themed Salons and the TEDxBerlin Women "Momentum" event — delivered at venues such as Factory Berlin, Kraftwerk Berlin, Fotografiska Berlin, the Admiralspalast, and the Mountain Plaza Hotel in Davos. The three B2B sub-products are TED@Work (tailored corporate keynotes, workshops, and offsites for organizations with 500–5,000 employees), Talk like TED (storytelling and presentation coaching for executives, sales, marketing, and HR teams), and TEDxBerlin Travel (curated paid delegations to global TED conferences in Vienna, San Diego, Atlanta, and Davos).

TEDxBerlin generates revenue through ticket sales via booking.tedxberlin.de, corporate fees for TED@Work and Talk like TED engagements, travel packages for TEDxBerlin Travel, and a multi-tier sponsorship and partnership model (lead, media, hospitality, ecosystem, and sponsor tiers). GTM is community-led and event-driven, with reach amplified by media partnerships (Handelsblatt, heise, tip Berlin, The Berliner, The Columbist), TED.com distribution, and earned media coverage. The organization operates no proprietary technology beyond standard website, ticketing, and newsletter infrastructure; its moat is built on the TED brand license, the curated speaker and volunteer network, and the integrated multi-format event-service ecosystem.

Name

TEDxBerlin

Legal name

red onion GmbH

Website

https://tedxberlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

TEDxBerlin is an independently licensed TEDx event platform operating since 2009, producing flagship conferences, Salons, and TEDxBerlin Women events, plus B2B services (TED@Work, Talk like TED, TEDxBerlin Travel) for individuals, enterprises, and global TED event delegations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference & Event Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Tour Operators (561520)

akta.pro primary industry

Hybrid Conferences & Conventions (In-Person + Streamed) (MPAGAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual, Hybrid & Livestream Event Coordination (HSACAAAO), Live Streaming & Broadcast Production (Multi-camera, Encoding, CDN Delivery) (THAHAOAB)

Keywords

• Event management services
• Corporate workshop programs
• Executive storytelling coaching
• Curated travel experiences
• Conference production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets: TEDxBerlin generates revenue through ticket sales for its flagship events, TEDxBerlin Salons, and TEDxBerlin Women events. Ticket pricing is handled via booking.tedxberlin.de. This is a primary revenue stream.
2. TED@Work Corporate Events & Workshops: TEDxBerlin offers tailored keynotes, workshops, and offsites for corporate teams through its TED@Work service. This targets organizations with 500–5,000 employees seeking cultural transformation and leadership development. Revenue is generated through corporate bookings and fee-for-service engagements.
3. Talk like TED — Storytelling Coaching: TEDxBerlin provides TED-style storytelling coaching for teams and individuals, including team workshops (in-person and virtual), 1:1 executive coaching, keynote + breakout series, data storytelling deep dives, and speaker labs. This is a paid B2B training service generating professional services revenue.
4. TEDxBerlin Travel: Curated global travel experiences to TED events worldwide. Participants pay for exclusive access, backstage passes, and curated delegations to TED conferences. This service targets entrepreneurs, executives, and change-makers.
5. Sponsorships & Partnerships: TEDxBerlin partners with brands and organizations (lead partners, media partners, hospitality partners, ecosystem partners, sponsors) who pay for association with the TEDxBerlin brand, event visibility, and access to its audience. Partnerships include logo placement, speaking opportunities, and audience access.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

TEDxBerlin organizes and produces live TEDx conferences and themed Salon events in Berlin, operated under license from TED by red onion GmbH. It complements the public event series with three B2B service lines: TED@Work (corporate keynotes and workshops targeting organizations of 500–5,000 employees), Talk like TED (TED-style storytelling coaching for professionals and teams), and TEDxBerlin Travel (curated global travel experiences to TED events worldwide).

Product overview

TEDxBerlin is a suite of event-based offerings centered around the TEDx brand, operating as a single integrated portfolio rather than a modular platform. The core offering consists of flagship TEDxBerlin events and TEDxBerlin Salon events in Berlin, which serve as the primary stage for speakers presenting ideas worth spreading. Complementing the live event experience are three business-focused sub-products: TEDxBerlin Travel (curated delegations to global TED events), Talk like TED (storytelling coaching and workshops), and TED@Work (corporate workshops and keynotes). Additionally, TEDxBerlin Women provides an annual event focused on female leadership and innovation. The offerings are interconnected through shared branding, speaker networks, and the TEDx ecosystem, with revenue generated through ticket sales, partnerships, corporate training engagements, and travel packages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TEDxBerlin Travel: Curated global experiences bringing together curious individuals for exclusive journeys to TED events worldwide with backstage access.
• Talk like TED
• TED@Work

Products and services

• TEDxBerlin Events Flagship TEDx conferences featuring curated talks, workshops, and networking in Berlin, covering topics across technology, business, science, art, and society. Targeted at curious-minded individuals, innovators, and thought leaders.
• TEDxBerlin Salon Smaller-scale themed events exploring specific topics such as AI, energy, education, fashion, and sustainability through focused interviews and dialogues.
• TEDxBerlin Women (Momentum) Annual event celebrating women driving progress across business, science, technology, art, and activism.
• TED@Work Corporate keynotes, workshops, and offsites featuring global TEDx speakers, designed to transform workplace culture, leadership, and innovation capacity for organizations with 500–5,000 employees.
• Talk like TED TED-style storytelling coaching and training programs for individuals and teams, including in-person and virtual team workshops, 1:1 executive coaching, keynote + breakout series, data storytelling deep dives, and speaker labs.
• TEDxBerlin Travel Curated global travel experiences to TED events worldwide, offering backstage access, speaker meet-and-greets, and exclusive community access for entrepreneurs, executives, and change-makers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ attendees since 2009
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered lead partner, core, media partner, ecosystem partner, hospitality partner, sponsor, city media partner, event partner, supporting partner, partner, government partner and music support partner.

• OneThousandlead partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerOneThousand is a lead partner for the A World With AI event (June 2026). OneThousand is co-creating 1000 AI breakthroughs and is involved in multiple sessions including 'Corset or Backbone? The EU AI Act and the Future of European AI', 'AI Strategy Booster', and KIDD — KI als Kompetenz für die Zukunft.
• Amerialead partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAmeria is a lead partner for the A World With AI event. Albrecht Metter, CEO of AMERIA, is listed as a speaker. AMERIA is a technology company providing office and experience technology solutions.
• Emma (the cloud operations platform)lead partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerEmma is a lead partner for the A World With AI event. Dirk Alshuth, CMO and Cloud Evangelist at emma, is featured as a speaker on 'Who Controls the Cloud in the Age of AI?'
• Factory BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFactory Berlin serves as the Workshop & Innovation Hub Partner and venue for the A World With AI event (June 8, 2026). Factory Berlin is one of Berlin's leading innovation campuses, hosting startups and tech events.
• heisemedia partnerGTM or Marketing Partnerheise is a media partner for the A World With AI event. Johanna Heise (Head of Brand & Culture @heise) is a featured speaker. heise is a major German technology news outlet.
• Handelsblattmedia partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerHandelsblatt is a media partner for the A World With AI event. Lina Sophie Knees (AI Reporter & Data Journalist, Handelsblatt) is featured on the AI at Work panel. Handelsblatt is Germany's leading business news outlet.
• ai.berlinecosystem partnerStrategic or Co-development Partnerai.berlin is an ecosystem partner for the A World With AI event, representing Berlin's AI ecosystem. ai.berlin is a non-profit organization that connects Berlin's AI ecosystem internationally.
• medianet berlinbrandenburgmedia partnerGTM or Marketing Partnermedianet berlinbrandenburg is a media partner for the A World With AI event. Jeannine Koch, Chairwoman of the Board and Managing Director of medianet berlinbrandenburg e.V., is a speaker on the Creative Intelligence panel.
• INNSiDE Berlin Mitte (Meliá Hotels)hospitality partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerINNSiDE Berlin Mitte (Meliá Hotels) is a hospitality partner for multiple TEDxBerlin events, providing accommodation and event hosting services.
• Sunday NaturalsponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSunday Natural is a sponsor for the A World With AI event. Sunday Natural is a sustainable products company.
• Wall (Medienpartner)city media partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerWall is a city media partner for the A World With AI event.
• Reference Studiosevent partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerReference Studios is the partner for the TEDxBerlin TALKS event (February 2, 2026) held at Kraftwerk Berlin, focusing on fashion as a system of ideas.
• Undavossupporting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerUndavos supported the Connecting the Dots event (January 19, 2026) — a TEDxBerlin Salon held during Davos Week, focusing on AI from national, regional, and individual perspectives.
• ReDI Schoollead partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerReDI School is the lead partner for the Future of Tech Education salon (December 16, 2025). Anne Kjær Bathel, Founder of ReDI School, is also on the TEDxBerlin Board. ReDI School of Digital Integration provides digital skills training for migrants and refugees.
• Generali – The Human Safety NetpartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerGenerali — The Human Safety Net is a partner for the Future of Tech Education salon. The Human Safety Net is a global social impact program supporting refugees and migrants.
• Amazon Future EngineerpartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Future Engineer is a partner for the Future of Tech Education salon, supporting tech education initiatives.
• Bundesministerium des Innern (BMI)government partnerOthersThe German Federal Ministry of the Interior is a partner for the Future of Tech Education salon, supporting inclusive tech education initiatives.
• Welcome AlliancepartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerWelcome Alliance is a partner for the Future of Tech Education salon, supporting migrants and integration through tech education.
• The Coca-Cola FoundationpartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Coca-Cola Foundation is a partner for the Future of Tech Education salon, supporting community and social impact initiatives.
• Ignore GravitypartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerIgnore Gravity is a partner for the Future of Tech Education salon. The organization is also listed as a partner for the Evolve event (May 2025).
• Der Divanlead partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerDer Divan is a lead partner for TEDxBerlin Women 2025 (Momentum event, November 2025). Der Divan is an organization supporting dialogue and cultural exchange.
• Dransaylead partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerDransay is a lead partner for TEDxBerlin Women 2025. Dransay is also associated with the Female Leaders Network.
• EO Berlin (Entrepreneurs' Organization)partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerEO Berlin is a partner for the Evolve event (May 2025). EO Berlin is a global network of entrepreneurs.
• SAPmedia partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerSAP is listed as a media partner or supporter for the Evolve event (May 2025).
• TED (Licensor)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTEDxBerlin operates under an official license from TED. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, and TEDxBerlin is one of the largest independent TEDx platforms in Europe. This is the foundational licensing relationship that enables the TEDxBerlin brand and events.
• Coca-Cola DeutschlandsponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoca-Cola Deutschland is listed as a sponsor for the No Time To Waste event (April 2024), a TEDxBerlin Salon on circular economy.
• C. Bechsteinmusic support partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerC. Bechstein is a music support partner for TEDxBerlin events, providing musical performances and instrument support.
• The Columbistmedia partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Columbist is a media partner for TEDxBerlin events, providing coverage and editorial reach.
• tip Berlinmedia partnerGTM or Marketing Partnertip Berlin is a media partner for TEDxBerlin events, providing coverage in Berlin's cultural and events media.
• The Berlinermedia partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Berliner is a media partner for TEDxBerlin events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TEDxLondon: A licensed TEDx event in another major European capital operating the same TED talk format, sponsor model, and community-led event platform as TEDxBerlin, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• TEDxZurich: A licensed TEDx event in the DACH region operating the same TED talk format and community-led event platform; given TEDxBerlin's Davos presence, Zurich is a directly comparable DACH TEDx peer.
• Aspen Ideas Festival: Ideas-stage festival curating talks across technology, business, science, and society with comparable curation-led format, high-profile speakers, and corporate partnership model aimed at executive and thought-leader audiences.
• re:publica: Berlin-based annual conference on digital culture, innovation, and the internet, serving overlapping audiences (innovators, creators, executives) with a comparable multi-stream event and partner-sponsorship model.
• Slush: Annual founder- and tech-focused conference with strong corporate sponsorship, comparable in audience (startups, investors, enterprise tech leaders) and partner-led event production model.

Broad incumbents

• SXSW: Large multi-format conference and festival covering technology, design, and culture, comparable in cross-disciplinary theme structure, sponsor roster, and B2B/B2C attendee mix — though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Web Summit: One of the largest global tech and innovation conferences, comparable in audience (founders, executives, media) and sponsorship-driven revenue model, though operating at materially larger scale than TEDxBerlin.
• HubSpot INBOUND: Annual customer/partner/marketing conference combining keynote talks with training workshops, comparable to TEDxBerlin's mix of flagship events plus corporate TED@Work and Talk like TED training services.
• Dreamforce (Salesforce): Large enterprise technology conference combining keynotes, training, and partner activation; comparable to TEDxBerlin in combining inspirational talks with paid corporate training and large sponsorship commitments.
• TED Conferences (TED): The parent brand and licensor of the TEDx program, hosting the flagship TED Conference and operating the TED.com platform where TEDxBerlin talks are distributed — a broader incumbent that shares the underlying brand and content ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tedxberlin1
• Facebookfacebook.com/TEDxBerlin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tedxberlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 TEDxBerlin