DIVE INN - The Innovation Agency

What DIVE INN - The Innovation Agency does

DIVE INN - Die Innovationsagentur GmbH is a privately held German branding and innovation agency founded in 2018 and headquartered in Winterberg, in the rural Sauerland region. The firm deliberately positions itself as an "innovation agency" and strategic coaching practice rather than a traditional advertising agency, operating as a five-person team led by CEO Philipp Schäfer (former PwC consultant), Head of Design Natalie Schäfer, and Start-Up Consultant Moritz Schäfer, supported by Consultant & Project Manager Kevin Loer and Designer Mascha Hansen.

The company's product portfolio comprises three core service lines. The first, Markenerfolgscoaching, is a six-month intensive coaching and workshop program targeted at startups, self-employed individuals, and small teams, priced at €4,999 net as a single payment, €879/month over six installments, or €38/month over twelve installments. The second, Business Branding, is a 2-4 day workshop-based brand strategy and corporate design engagement for established German Mittelstand companies, billed on a project or hourly basis. The third, Graphic Recording, is offered both on-site at €1,999 per day and as a digital/remote iPad illustration service on request, with a separately launched €990 Intensivkurs training product. DIVE INN also bundles post-engagement ongoing advisory into its coaching and branding offerings to extend client relationships.

Distribution and go-to-market are consultative and sales-led: prospective clients book a free 30-minute Calendly discovery call as the universal conversion mechanism, with the website, Instagram (@diveinnrocks), and the founder-led Sauerland Valley Podcast serving as the top-of-funnel awareness layer. Graphic Recording performed live at client events acts as a high-visibility acquisition channel, and a small affiliate partner ecosystem (NeuroFlash, Notion, sevDesk, GetMyInvoices, Raidboxes, Perspective) supplements the recommended-tools narrative. Named clients include Berghotel Hoher Knochen, ysocial.media, apomap, Veltins Eisarena, Sanofi, Wort & Bild Verlag, Lobbe, Schwabe Group, and Pro Aktiv, with apomap being a founder-affiliated company.

Name

DIVE INN - The Innovation Agency

Legal name

DIVE INN - Die Innovationsagentur GmbH

Website

https://dive-inn.rocks

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DIVE INN is a privately held German branding and innovation agency in Winterberg offering six-month brand coaching, Mittelstand Business Branding workshops, and on-site plus digital graphic recording services to startups, self-employed professionals, and established companies in the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winterberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brand Coaching (Markenerfolgscoaching): Intensive 6-month coaching and workshop program for individuals and small teams to build a strong brand strategy. Sold as a packaged program with defined pricing tiers (single payment, 6 installments, or 12 installments). This is a recurring professional services engagement with a defined duration.
2. Business Branding Workshops: Workshop-based brand strategy and design implementation service for established companies (Mittelstand). Sold as project-based engagements with 2-4 day workshops, concept development, design execution, and ongoing advisory. Billed based on time and materials (hourly rates) or fixed project fees per AGB.
3. Graphic Recording: On-site (classical) and digital/remote graphic recording services provided by Natalie Schäfer. Classical recording is priced at a day rate of €1,999. Digital & remote recording is quote-based. Also includes a Graphic Recording course (Intensivkurs) at €990.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DIVE INN is a branding and innovation agency that delivers brand strategy consulting through a 6-month intensive coaching program (Markenerfolgscoaching) for founders, solopreneurs and small teams, and through workshop-based Business Branding engagements for established companies. It also offers live on-site and digital Graphic Recording services for events, meetings and presentations, plus a graphic recording training course. Services are sold via free Calendly discovery calls and project-based or day-rate billing.

Product overview

DIVE INN is a branding and coaching services company offering a portfolio of services centered around brand development and visual communication. The core offerings consist of: (1) Markenerfolgscoaching - a 6-month intensive coaching program for individuals and small teams to build brand strategy skills; (2) Business Branding - workshop-based brand strategy and design implementation services for established companies; (3) Graphic Recording - both on-site classical graphic recording and digital remote illustration services for events, meetings, and presentations; and (4) Graphic Recording Course - educational program teaching graphic recording skills. The company is headquartered in Winterberg, Germany (Sauerland Valley) and positions itself as innovation consultants rather than a traditional advertising agency, serving startups, self-employed professionals, small teams, and mid-sized companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sauerland Valley Podcast: A podcast hosted by Philipp Schäfer featuring interviews with makers and entrepreneurs from the Sauerland region.
• Markenerfolgscoaching
• Business Branding

Products and services

• Markenerfolgscoaching (Brand Success Coaching)
• Business Branding
• Graphic Recording (Classical / On-site)
• Digitale Illustration (Digital & Remote Graphic Recording)
• Graphic Recording Kurs (Intensivkurs)

Quantifiable outcome

• 6-month coaching program results in a profitable brand positioned for success
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NeuroFlashminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAI copywriting tool partnership. DIVE INN uses NeuroFlash as an affiliate partner, promoting the AI tool to clients and prospects via an affiliate link on the team page. NeuroFlash provides AI-powered copywriting capabilities that DIVE INN integrates into its brand strategy and content creation services.
• NotionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProductivity and workspace tool partnership. DIVE INN promotes Notion via an affiliate link on the team page, recommending it as part of their recommended tool ecosystem for clients.
• sevDeskminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAccounting and invoicing software recommendation. DIVE INN includes sevDesk in its partner ecosystem via an affiliate link, recommending it to clients for business management and invoicing needs.
• Perspective (Grusm.io)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed on the team page partners section with a link to perspective.grsm.io. Nature of partnership appears to be a tool or service recommendation within the DIVE INN recommended ecosystem.
• GetMyInvoicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInvoice management software partnership. DIVE INN promotes GetMyInvoices via affiliate link on the team page as part of its recommended business tool ecosystem for clients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Serviceplan Group: Europe's largest independent, partner-managed agency group, covering brand strategy, creative, digital and media. A dominant incumbent whose brand-strategy practice overlaps with DIVE INN's Mittelstand-facing Business Branding offering.
• Aperto (IBM iX): Berlin-based digital agency now operating within IBM iX, offering brand, experience and technology services. Comparable as a larger German player that can deliver end-to-end brand and digital engagements for enterprise clients.
• Scholz & Friends: One of Germany's largest independent creative agency groups, offering brand strategy, advertising, design and digital services. A broader incumbent that competes with DIVE INN on brand strategy and corporate communications for larger German clients.
• SinnerSchrader (Accenture Song): Hamburg-rooted digital and brand experience agency, now part of Accenture Song. Competes with DIVE INN on brand-driven digital experience and transformation engagements, particularly with mid-market and enterprise German clients.
• Jung von Matt: Major German creative agency network with strong brand strategy and design capabilities across multiple offices. Represents a large, well-credentialed incumbent that DIVE INN competes against for high-value brand engagements.

Direct peers

• Strichpunkt Design: Stuttgart-based brand and corporate design agency with a similar boutique positioning around brand strategy, identity and design implementation for German Mittelstand and enterprise clients. Directly comparable in service mix (strategy + design) and target market.
• Meiré und Meiré: Cologne-based independent brand and design agency offering brand strategy, corporate design and visual communication for German-speaking clients. Closely comparable as a boutique, design-led German agency with a similar founder-driven creative reputation.
• Graphic Recording studios (e.g., visuflow, simply visual): Specialist German Graphic Recording providers offering on-site and digital visual recording for events, similar to DIVE INN's Graphic Recording line. The most direct comparable for this specific service, though typically without the broader brand-coaching offering.
• Loved: Hamburg-based independent creative and branding agency serving German and international clients with brand strategy, design and campaign work. Comparable as a small, founder-led German creative boutique competing for similar brand-strategy engagements.
• KMS Team: Munich-based independent brand and communication agency focused on brand strategy, corporate design and integrated communication. Comparable as a German mid-size creative boutique targeting established corporate clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/5w3KUhLHWkCXD5Erh43RBf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dive-inn
• Instagraminstagram.com/diveinnrocks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 DIVE INN - The Innovation Agency