Connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken

What Connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken does

Connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken e.V. is a non-profit IT networking association (eingetragener Verein) founded on July 15, 2014, and headquartered in Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The organization operates as a regional community platform that connects IT professionals, IT companies, educational institutions, and public stakeholders across the Heilbronn-Franken region, which houses approximately 14,000 IT professionals generating roughly €3.5 billion in annual IT sector revenue. Its core offerings are event-based: Barcamps, After Work meetups, IT-Jobshuttle bus tours connecting students with employers, Expeditions to member sites, and recurring forums such as the Scrumtisch and IT-Stammtisch.

The association's underlying technology is limited: it maintains a Jamstack/Headless CMS website and the CONNECT2KNOW member management and regional competence database (beta.connect2know.de), but it does not develop proprietary technology products. Notable sub-brands include connect.IT Women (diversity initiative launched February 2025), CONNECT2KNOW, and FabLab Heilbronn (a makerspace operated with Code for Heilbronn). The association is funded through tiered annual membership dues (€35/year for individuals, €75–€2,000/year for corporates by employee count, free for schools and research institutions), event fees, and project grants from the Ministry for Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg (smart businessIT) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (JOBSTARTER plus). The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, attracting ~130+ member organizations through strong ties to anchor members such as Bechtle, Fujitsu TDS, Schwarz-Gruppe, FÖRCH, Karl Marbach, Hochschule Heilbronn, and regional innovation hubs including GRAVITY, 42 Heilbronn, and Campus Founders.

Name

Connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken

Legal name

connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken e.V.

Website

https://connect-it.hn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken e.V. is a non-profit IT networking association founded in 2014 that connects roughly 130 member organizations, IT professionals, and educational institutions across the Heilbronn-Franken region through events, talent programs, and regional IT promotion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Industry Networking Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Systems Administration & IT Operations (Windows/Linux, Monitoring, ITSM) (EDABAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Enablement & Adoption Services (Change Management, Adoption, Champions) (BPAEANAC), Technical Documentation & Knowledge Management (Playbooks, Runbooks, Enablement Kits) (BPAEANAM)

Keywords

• IT networking association
• Regional IT community
• IT talent development
• IT vocational training
• Community events

Headquarters

HQ city

Heilbronn

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from corporate and individual members form the primary revenue stream. Fee structure is tiered by company size (employees) and individual membership types.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from paid seminars, workshops, and events where participants pay attendance fees. Some events like the Business-Knigge seminar charge fees to cover speaker honorariums.
3. Project Funding: connect.IT receives project funding from government initiatives like smart businessIT (Ministry for Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg), JOBSTARTER plus (Federal Ministry of Education and Research), and Cluster Accelerator Programme for specific projects such as CONNECT2KNOW member management system and Berufsausbildung.IT vocational training initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken e.V. is a non-profit IT networking association that organizes networking events (Barcamps, After Work meetups, Expeditions), talent connection programs (IT-Jobshuttle), professional forums (Scrumtisch, IT-Stammtisch), vocational training initiatives (JOBSTARTER plus / Berufsausbildung.IT), and a member competence database (CONNECT2KNOW). Its products/services are aimed at IT companies, IT professionals, educational institutions, and students in the Heilbronn-Franken region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Product overview

connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken e.V. is a non-profit IT networking association (Verein) established in 2014, not a traditional software product company. The organization operates as a platform connecting IT professionals, companies, educational institutions, and public entities in the Heilbronn-Franken region. Its offerings center on event-based networking (Barcamps, After Work events, Expeditions), professional forums (Scrumtisch, IT-Stammtisch), youth development programs (IT-Jobshuttle, vocational training initiative), and member services including the CONNECT2KNOW platform for member management and a regional competence database. Key initiatives include connect.IT Women for diversity and FabLab Heilbronn for maker education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• connect.IT Women: A diversity initiative launched in 2025 to promote women in IT, create networking opportunities, and make female role models visible in the technology sector.
• CONNECT2KNOW

Products and services

• Barcamp Heilbronn Annual flagship unconference and community gathering for the IT community in Heilbronn-Franken, providing an open-format venue for knowledge exchange and networking. Targeted at IT professionals, companies, and students in the region.
• connect.IT After Work events Recurring evening networking events (e.g., After Work Heilbronn) aimed at IT professionals and enthusiasts in the Heilbronn-Franken region for informal networking and discussion of IT and digitalization topics.
• connect.IT Expedition Guided company and institute visits (e.g., Expedition GRAVITY, Expedition hfcon) showcasing regional players in the IT and innovation ecosystem. Targeted at IT professionals, students, and member companies.
• IT-Jobshuttle Career-oriented shuttle program connecting IT students and graduates with companies in the Heilbronn-Franken region through guided company visits and networking events. Targeted at IT students from Hochschule Heilbronn and other institutions, and regional employers seeking IT talent.
• connect.IT Women Diversity initiative launched in 2025 to make women in IT more visible, build networks for mutual support, and promote diversity in the IT industry in Heilbronn-Franken. Targeted at women working in IT and organizations promoting diversity.
• JOBSTARTER plus - Berufsausbildung.IT Heilbronn-Franken Contact and advisory service for IT vocational training, supporting small and medium enterprises with training partnerships and connecting training-seekers with companies. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research through the JOBSTARTER plus program and implemented by BIBB (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung).
• CONNECT2KNOW Project comprising a member management system (CRM-analog) and regional competence database, designed to professionalize the network and increase visibility of IT competencies in Heilbronn-Franken. Targeted at member companies seeking to be discovered by partners, customers, and talent.
• connect.IT Foren (Scrumtisch, IT-Stammtisch) Regular forum meetings including the Scrumtisch (quadriweekly meetup for Scrum and agile methodologies) and IT-Stammtisch (monthly IT professional meetup) facilitating knowledge exchange and networking. Targeted at regional IT professionals.
• FabLab Heilbronn Makerspace facility for digital fabrication (3D printing, laser cutting, CNC milling) operated in cooperation with Code for Heilbronn in the Coworking Heilbronn premises. Supported by experimenta and Dieter Schwarz Stiftung. Targeted at IT enthusiasts, students, and makers in the region.
• MeetIT Firmenkontaktmesse IT-specific company contact fair (Firmenkontaktmesse) held annually at Hochschule Heilbronn - TechCampus, connecting IT students with regional employers. Targeted at students and IT employers in Heilbronn-Franken.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000 IT professionals and 3.5 billion EUR market in Heilbronn-Franken

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• smart businessITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide IT initiative launched by the Baden-Württemberg state government in 2011 to develop IT-Standort Baden-Württemberg. connect.IT was one of six regional IT networks selected for Cluster Accelerator funding. smart businessIT coordinates statewide IT network with 12 regional IT networks and provides project funding through Ministry for Science, Research and Art (MWK).
• Hochschule HeilbronncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain university partner providing venues for events, student participation in IT-Jobshuttle, coordinate DevCon conference, and academic collaboration. Hosted founding meeting in 2014 and ongoing board meetings.
• JOBSTARTER plus (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal program funding the Berufsausbildung.IT Heilbronn-Franken project (2017-2019) providing contact and consulting services for IT vocational training. Program implemented by BIBB (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung).
• IHK Heilbronn-FrankenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber of Commerce partner for IT networking and business development activities in the region.
• Wirtschaftsregion Heilbronn-Franken GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development corporation partner supporting connect.IT initiatives and promoting the IT region.
• Agentur für Arbeit HeilbronnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment agency partner for IT talent development, qualification initiatives, and international IT recruitment support through Welcome Center.
• experimenta gGmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience center partner in Heilbronn, collaborating on maker/hacker culture, FabLab initiatives, and science education programs with connect.IT support.
• 42 HeilbronnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoding school initiative where connect.IT members participate in discussions about regional tech ecosystem development. Thomas Bornheim (former Google) serves as CEO.
• GRAVITY HeilbronnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup and innovation hub in Heilbronn where connect.IT organizes Expedition events and member meetings, showcasing the growing startup ecosystem.
• Coworking Heilbronn e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-working space provider where connect.IT maintains its Geschäftsstelle and hosts FabLab Heilbronn (operated by Code for Heilbronn).
• Campus FoundersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntrepreneurship and innovation center on Bildungscampus Heilbronn, collaborating with connect.IT on startup ecosystem development. Oliver Hanisch serves as CEO.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bundesverband IT-Mittelstand e.V. (BITMi): BITMi is the federal association for IT small and medium enterprises in Germany. It represents a similar industry-association function for IT SMBs but operates at the national level, providing a benchmark for membership-based IT industry representation.
• Bitkom e.V. Bitkom is Germany's national digital industry association with thousands of members and broad policy advocacy. It is a higher-tier incumbent whose membership, events, and working groups represent what Connect.IT's regional model could feed into at a national level.

Regional players

• Munich Startup: Munich Startup is a regional community platform for founders and tech professionals in Bavaria. It overlaps with Connect.IT in the regional tech-community building mission and event-driven GTM, though its focus is more startup-centric.
• Silicon Alps Cluster GmbH: Silicon Alps is an Austrian tech cluster (Carinthia/Styria) combining public funding, corporate members, and innovation ecosystem programs. It provides a cross-border analogue to Connect.IT's public-private regional IT network model.
• hamburg@work GmbH: hamburg@work is Hamburg's cluster initiative for the digital and creative economy, organizing events, networking, and member services. It is comparable to Connect.IT as a publicly-supported regional digital ecosystem organization.
• Cyber Valley GmbH: Cyber Valley is a Baden-Württemberg AI/robotics research consortium with regional ecosystem and community-building functions. While it operates at a higher research-and-investment level, it shares the geographic boundary and the mission of elevating the state's tech profile.
• digitalHUB Aachen e.V. DigitalHUB Aachen is a regional digital ecosystem network in Germany combining corporates, startups, and academia. It mirrors Connect.IT's Verein-based community model but operates in a different geography, making it a comparable regional peer.

Others

• IHK Heilbronn-Franken: IHK Heilbronn-Franken is the regional Chamber of Commerce and a current institutional partner of Connect.IT. It is an adjacent economic development body rather than a direct competitor, but it overlaps in membership-driven business support for the region.
• Wirtschaftsregion Heilbronn-Franken GmbH: Wirtschaftsregion Heilbronn-Franken is the regional economic development agency and a Connect.IT partner. It is thematically related as a regional economic-development counterpart, though not a direct competitor in IT networking.

Direct peers

• CyberForum Karlsruhe e.V. CyberForum is the largest regional IT network in Baden-Württemberg, operating the same Verein-based model of corporate and individual membership, networking events, and startup support. It is the closest direct peer to Connect.IT in scale, structure, and mission within the same state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/connectit_hn
• Facebookfacebook.com/connect.IT.Heilbronn.Franken
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/connect-it-heilbronn-franken

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 Connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken