herne.business

Name

herne.business

Legal name

Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Herne mbH

Website

https://herne.business

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses) (531120)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Entity Setup & Expansion Advisory (Market Entry, Subsidiary Formation) (BPACAHAM)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business consulting
• Startup support
• Commercial real estate
• Location marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Herne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal Economic Development Funding: As a municipal economic development company (mbH), Herne.Business is primarily funded through municipal budgets and economic development programs. Services to businesses and investors are generally provided free of charge as part of the city's economic promotion activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

herne.business provides free municipal economic development advisory services for businesses, founders, and investors in Herne, Germany. Core offerings include business location and site selection consulting (Immobilienservice), strategic business consulting (Wirtschaftsserviceplus), startup support through the STARTERCENTER NRW program, networking facilitation, and project management for urban development initiatives. The organization also rents office space (27-70 sqm) and meeting rooms at its Innovationszentrum facility at market rates.

Product overview

Herne.Business (Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Herne mbH) is the municipal economic development agency of the city of Herne, Germany. Rather than a unified software product, it offers a portfolio of advisory services, physical facilities, and regional programs. Core services include the Immobilienservice (commercial real estate consulting), Wirtschaftsserviceplus (strategic business consulting), and STARTERCENTER NRW (startup support). Physical offerings include the Innovationszentrum (IZ) - a managed workspace and conference center. The organization also operates specialized programs such as the 5-StandorteProgramm (urban development), Kompetenzzentrum Frau & Beruf (women's career center), Regionalagentur Mittleres Ruhrgebiet (regional workforce agency), and the Mentoring-Programm Mittleres Ruhrgebiet. The Digital.Herne.Business initiative supports digital transformation, while PRO|transfer e.V. facilitates university-industry collaboration. The portfolio is structured around advisory services, real estate/immobilien offerings, startup and business support, and regional development programs - collectively serving as a one-stop partner for companies, founders, and investors in the Herne area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PRO|transfer: Transfer between economy and science

Products and services

• Immobilienservice (Real Estate Service) Provides free commercial real estate consulting, property search, and site selection services for businesses seeking to relocate or expand in Herne.
• Wirtschaftsserviceplus Strategic business consulting and support services for companies, including networking, innovation promotion, and digitalization support. Launched as part of the 2022 Herne.Business relaunch.
• STARTERCENTER NRW Startup support program offering guidance on business formation, financing, growth strategies, and access to funding for new entrepreneurs in North Rhine-Westphalia, hosted at herne.business.
• Innovationszentrum (IZ) Managed office spaces (27-70 sqm) and conference rooms available for rent in Herne-Baukau, featuring fiber optic connections, kitchen facilities, and proximity to public transit (U35 campus line), billed monthly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Companies receive coordinated support from a single point of contact for all business-related matters in Herne.

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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• PRO|transfer e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRO|transfer e.V. serves as an interface between industry and science. The association facilitates knowledge transfer through projects, events, and networks, helping businesses and universities understand each other's needs and achieve targeted results. The organization is hosted at WFG Herne.
• RuhrvalleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuhrvalley is a university alliance in the Ruhr metropolitan area, fostering collaboration between higher education institutions for research and innovation in the region.
• Regionalagentur Mittleres RuhrgebietcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional agency for the Middle Ruhr area, working on regional development initiatives including workforce development and employment.
• Business Metropole Ruhr (BMR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization for the entire Ruhr metropolitan area, coordinating economic promotion across 11 cities and 4 districts.
• Stadtmarketing HernecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity marketing organization for Herne, promoting the city's image and coordinating urban development initiatives.
• Herner SparkassesupportiveGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal savings bank partner, co-exhibiting at EXPO REAL to promote investment opportunities in Herne.
• SEG Herne (Stadtentwicklungsgesellschaft)supportiveGTM or Marketing PartnerUrban development company of Herne, co-exhibiting at EXPO REAL for real estate and investment promotion.
• E-GruppesupportiveGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal partner co-exhibiting at EXPO REAL for investment and economic development promotion.
• HGW mbH (Herner Gemeinnützige Wohnungsbaugesellschaft)supportiveGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal housing company, supporting partner for EXPO REAL and regional development projects.
• RECKLI GmbHsupportiveGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal company, supporting partner for EXPO REAL showcasing Herne's business landscape.
• Technologiezentrum Ruhr (chip-tzr)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology center providing infrastructure and support for technology-oriented businesses in the Ruhr region.
• Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK) BochumsupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber of Commerce providing business support and networking for companies in the Bochum/Herne region.
• Kreishandwerkerschaft HernesupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber of Crafts representing trade and artisan businesses in Herne.
• Gemeinnützige Beschäftigungsgesellschaft Herne (GBH)supportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit employment and qualification society, subsidiary of the city of Herne, operating the cafeteria in the Innovationszentrum.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Berlin's municipal/state economic development and location-marketing agency; comparable function (advisory plus innovation-centre operations) but serving a different, much larger metro.
• WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH: Bremen's combined economic development, tourism and city-marketing entity; operates innovation centres and business support programmes analogous to Herne.Business's Innovationszentrum and STARTERCENTER roles, but in a different federal state.
• Business Metropole Ruhr (BMR) / Wirtschaftsförderung metropoleruhr: Regional coordinating body covering all 11 cities and 4 districts of the Ruhr area (Herne already partners with it); overlaps with Herne.Business on location marketing and macro-level investor promotion at a wider geographic scope.

Broad incumbents

• NRW.Global Business: State-level economic development agency of North Rhine-Westphalia handling foreign direct investment; competes/coordinates for the same inbound investors herne.business courts through STARTERCENTER NRW and EXPO REAL.
• IHK Bochum (Industrie- und Handelskammer): Regional Chamber of Commerce offering business advisory, founder support and networking across the Bochum/Herne region; already a listed partner of herne.Business and overlapping significantly in startup and SME support mandates.

Direct peers

• Wirtschaftsförderung Dortmund: City of Dortmund's economic development entity providing real estate services, founder support and corporate relocation consulting in direct competition for Ruhr-investor attention and tenant demand.
• Wirtschaftsförderung Bochum GmbH: Municipal economic development agency for the neighbouring city of Bochum, offering the same mix of business advisory, real estate/site selection, startup support and investor attraction services; IHK Bochum already partners with Herne.Business, evidencing the direct comparability.
• Essener Wirtschaftsförderungs-GmbH (EGF): Municipal economic development agency for Essen, delivering commercial real estate brokerage, business consulting and innovation-centre operations across the same Ruhr value chain that herne.business serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hernebusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herne-business

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 herne.business