House of Finance & Tech Berlin

What House of Finance & Tech Berlin does

House of Finance & Tech Berlin (HoFT) is a public-private Financial Wellbeing Ecosystem founded in 2024 as Germany's official FinTech hub under the federal de:hub initiative. It operates a membership-based community connecting fintech startups, banks (Deutsche Bank, Berliner Volksbank, DKB, Quirin Privatbank, BBBank), payment and wealth firms (VISA, DWS), consulting and legal (KPMG, Roland Berger, Luther, Schalast), insurers, VCs, research institutions, and regulators (BaFin, Berlin Senate, FCA) around a shared measurement framework — the Financial Wellbeing Score adapted from the US CFPB methodology.

The platform is built on three product lines: (1) a tier-based Member Services offering (Benchmarks & Intelligence, Access to Innovation, Agenda Authority), (2) a physical Campus at Backfabrik in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin (workspace from €350/month, FinWell Showroom & Sandbox, event hosting up to 70 persons via the Clinker and Unicorn Bakery spaces), and (3) Community Services including the FinWell Summit (December), Next Banking Summit (July, €350 non-member ticket), co-branded research with Roland Berger and Financial Health Initiative e.V., and the Fintech Immersion Programme (EU/State of Berlin co-financed delegations to UK and Nordic markets). The technological core is an AI-enabled ecosystem intelligence platform tracking 10,000+ companies across 18 sub-clusters, plus the FinWell Showroom's AI Companion and benchmarking API (launching April 2026).

HoFT generates revenue primarily through enterprise membership fees (tier-based, undisclosed pricing), workspace subscriptions (€350+/month), ticketed events (€350/non-member), research publications, and programme fees, with €3.5M in startup financing from the State of Berlin for 2024/25. The company is a private GmbH headquartered at Saarbrücker Straße 36, 10405 Berlin, governed by a 5-person Aufsichtsrat with IBB Unternehmensverwaltung AöR (parent of Investitionsbank Berlin) as controlling shareholder, operating as a 1–10 employee organisation led by CEO Dr. Sebastian Schäfer.

Name

House of Finance & Tech Berlin

Legal name

House of Finance and Tech Berlin GmbH

Website

https://hoft.berlin

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HoFT Berlin is a public-private Financial Wellbeing Ecosystem connecting 70+ fintechs, banks, insurers, investors, and regulators via tiered membership, a Backfabrik campus, and the FinWell Showroom & Sandbox.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Services Industry Hub

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Financial Wellness Platforms (Workplace PFM) (FSAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Financial Management & Budgeting (PFM) (FSAGAAAH), Finance & Investment Conferences (MPAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Fintech ecosystem platform
• Financial wellbeing research
• Industry benchmarking services
• Regulatory advisory services
• Ecosystem membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

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. Membership Fees: Tier-based membership fees granting access to ecosystem intelligence, benchmarks, innovation access, and agenda authority. The ecosystem connects fintechs, banks, financial institutions, investors, regulators, and policymakers. Membership is the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. Campus Workspace Rental: Fintech-exclusive workspace at Backfabrik, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. Offers flex desks, fixed desks, and private offices with 24/7 access. Pricing from €350/month. Application-based entry.
3. Community Events & Summits: Ticketed events including FinWell Summit (December), Next Banking Summit (July), roundtables, and workshops. Non-members pay €350 per summit ticket. Members attend as part of membership. Event hosting services also generate revenue.
4. Research Publications & Studies: Co-branded research reports including 'The State of Financial Wellbeing in Germany 2025' (with Roland Berger), 'Berlin Financial Wellbeing Score' (with Financial Health Initiative e.V.), and Employee Financial Wellbeing Studie 2026. Reports serve as lead generation and positioning tools for the ecosystem.
5. Fintech Immersion Programme: Internationalisation programme for Berlin fintechs entering European markets (UK, Nordic region). Co-financed by EU and State of Berlin. Includes delegation trips to fintech conferences, regulatory briefings, investor sessions, and structured founder exchanges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

House of Finance & Tech Berlin operates a membership-based Financial Wellbeing Ecosystem that connects 70+ fintechs, banks, financial institutions, insurers, investors, consultancies, and regulators around a proprietary CFPB-based Financial Wellbeing Score. Core deliverables include tiered annual memberships (Benchmarks & Intelligence, Access to Innovation, Agenda Authority), fintech-exclusive workspace at the Backfabrik campus in Prenzlauer Berg, flagship summits (FinWell Summit in December, Next Banking Summit in July), the FinWell Showroom & Sandbox testing environment, and the Fintech Immersion Programme for internationalisation.

Product overview

HoFT operates as a membership-based Financial Wellbeing Ecosystem rather than a traditional software product. The core offering consists of tiered membership services (Benchmarks & Intelligence, Access to Innovation, Agenda Authority), campus access with physical workspace at Backfabrik, and community services including flagship events. The standout product is the FinWell Showroom & Sandbox — a purpose-built testing environment with an AI Companion and benchmarking API — launched in April 2026. Additional offerings include the Fintech Immersion Programme for international market entry and Scale-Up Academy for regulatory education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HoFT Member Services (Ecosystem Membership) Tier-based annual membership for banks, fintechs, financial institutions, investors, insurers, consulting firms, tech platforms, and research institutions, providing access to proprietary Financial Wellbeing benchmarks, ecosystem intelligence, curated fintech innovation pipelines, and standard-setting agenda authority within the HoFT ecosystem of 70+ member companies.
• Campus Access (Workspace) Fintech-exclusive physical workspace at the Backfabrik campus in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, offering flex desks, fixed desks, and private offices with 24/7 access, priced from €350/month on application-based entry. Campus residents include Scalable Capital, Pliant, and Upvest.
• Community Services & Flagship Summits Recurring flagship summits (FinWell Summit in December, Next Banking Summit in July), roundtables, masterclasses on topics such as Embedded Finance, AML, Platform Sovereignty, and Agentic Payments, plus co-branded research reports. Non-members pay €350 per summit ticket; members attend as part of membership. The December 2025 flagship drew 185 attendees from 115 companies with 79% decision-makers and a 4.5/5 satisfaction score.
• FinWell Showroom & Sandbox Germany's only purpose-built Financial Wellbeing testing environment, enabling institutional buyers to evaluate Financial Wellbeing solutions live and run proofs of concept without their own IT infrastructure. Includes an AI Companion and a benchmarking API.
• Fintech Immersion Programme Internationalisation programme for Berlin-based fintechs entering European markets (UK and Nordic region), combining delegation trips to fintech conferences with regulatory briefings, investor sessions, bank scouting, and structured founder exchanges. Co-financed by the EU and the State of Berlin.
• Scale-Up Academy Educational programme for fintech scale-ups (Series A and beyond) covering regulatory roadmap, compliance architecture, and growth strategies. The Regulation & Compliance module is co-developed with Schalast law firm and covers BaFin licensing under ZAG, KWG, WpIG, plus AML/GwG, DORA, GDPR, and EU passporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Germany's Financial Wellbeing Score baseline: 53 out of 100. Collective ecosystem target: 60+ by 2035.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers36 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• BaFin (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026BaFin conducted a flagship masterclass on 'Capital Markets in Transition – Digital Assets' at Next Banking Summit 2026. Representatives Pawel Grischuk (Senior Expert Financial Innovation) and Stephan Mögelin (Lead Senior Officer) participated as speakers. This represents a direct regulator-ecosystem engagement on digital assets and tokenisation.
• msgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026msg Rethink Compliance conducted the 'Licensed. Now What? Building Institutional Credibility in the Post-MiCA Market' masterclass at Next Banking Summit 2026. Emanuel Gedeon from msg Rethink Compliance participated as speaker.
• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026UK regulator represented at Next Banking Summit 2026. Ekaterina Borisova (Technical Specialist – Smart Data Accelerator, FCA) participated as speaker, providing perspective on UK's approach to open finance and financial technology regulation.
• UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The FCA participated in HoFT's Fintech Immersion Programme London delegation and provided regulatory briefings to Berlin fintechs on UK market entry requirements, licensing routes (Appointed Representative vs. direct FCA authorisation), and compliance expectations.
• Innofinance / LSEG Issuer ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Represented at Next Banking Summit 2026. Nico Felici, Chris McGahan and Ella Morgan from LSEG Issuer Services participated as panellists, providing London Stock Exchange perspective on UK listing rules and exit pathways for European scale-ups.
• Financial Health Initiative e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Core co-development partner for Financial Wellbeing research. Co-presented Berlin's Financial Wellbeing Score (August 2025 launch with Senator Giffey). Co-conducted Employee Financial Wellbeing Studie 2026 (n=5,020). Joint development of CFPB-based measurement methodology for German context.
• Roland BergercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-authored 'The State of Financial Wellbeing in Germany 2025' report with HoFT Berlin. Roland Berger is a premium member of HoFT ecosystem. The partnership combines Roland Berger's consulting expertise with HoFT's ecosystem positioning to produce landmark Financial Wellbeing research.
• Schalast Law FirmcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for regulatory roadmap content. Schalast partner Simon Waldbröl authored the comprehensive 'Regulatory Roadmap for FinTech Scale-Ups' article published on HoFT's blog, covering BaFin licensing, ZAG/KWG/WpIG frameworks, DORA, AML, and cross-border EU passporting. Schalast is a premium member of HoFT.
• Berlin Partner for Business and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025HoFT Berlin operates in partnership with Berlin Partner, FIBE Berlin, and Berlin Finance Initiative to strengthen Berlin's fintech ecosystem. Berlin Partner provides business development and internationalisation support for the ecosystem.
• FIBE BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner organisation in Berlin's fintech ecosystem support infrastructure. Works with HoFT to strengthen Berlin's position as a leading international fintech hub.
• Berlin Finance InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner organisation strengthening Berlin's financial ecosystem. Maximilian Riege (CRO of Hawk AI) is Co-CEO of Berlin Finance Initiative, indicating direct cross-pollination between the two organisations within the HoFT ecosystem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Station F: World's largest startup campus located in Paris, hosting thousands of entrepreneurs across vertical programmes including fintech. Operates a tiered membership model, corporate partner programming, and on-site events — comparable to HoFT in community-led GTM but serves a broader startup base rather than a fintech-specialist niche.
• Plug and Play Fintech: Global fintech accelerator and corporate innovation platform connecting startups with banks, insurers, and investors through curated cohorts, demo days, and corporate partnership programs. Operates a multi-region hub model with strong corporate-member flywheel — directly comparable to HoFT's community-led, membership-driven approach to fintech ecosystem building.
• Rise by Barclays: Fintech innovation hub operated by Barclays in London, hosting fintechs in a physical workspace with curated access to bank decision-makers, programming, and demo events. Direct peer in the bank-anchored fintech hub model, though sponsored by a single bank rather than a multi-bank member ecosystem.
• Level39: London-based technology accelerator for fintech, cybersecurity, and smart city companies owned by Canary Wharf Group. Operates a physical campus with workspace, corporate programming, and curated access to financial institution members — a direct competitor in the European fintech ecosystem hub category, with stronger London financial market anchoring but weaker German regulatory proximity.

Regional players

• Frankfurt Main Finance: Frankfurt-based financial centre initiative promoting the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main financial ecosystem to international audiences. Comparable in public-sector partnership model and European financial centre positioning, but focused on the incumbent banking/asset management cluster rather than fintech innovation.
• Copenhagen Fintech: Danish fintech hub and ecosystem organisation running programming, research, and corporate partnerships across the Nordics. Comparable community-led GTM and Nordic regulatory engagement; competes for Nordic member mindshare with HoFT's Fintech Immersion Programme Nordic expansion.
• Techquartier (Frankfurt): Frankfurt-based fintech and innovation hub with corporate membership, workspace, and programming. Closest German competitor to HoFT in the national fintech hub category, with deeper incumbent banking relationships but weaker emerging-fintech membership and regulatory thought-leadership positioning.

Emerging players

• FIBE Berlin (Fintech Berlin): Berlin-based fintech community organisation partnering with HoFT to strengthen Berlin's fintech ecosystem. Overlaps with HoFT on community building and event programming but lacks HoFT's measurement methodology, regulatory proximity, and corporate-tier membership economics.

Others

• Money 20/20: Global fintech conference and media business owned by Ascential, running flagship events (Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Riyadh). Not a community/hub operator but a primary competing events platform that competes for sponsor attention, speaker time, and senior-level mindshare from the same bank/fintech audience HoFT serves.

Broad incumbents

• 1871 Chicago: Long-established Chicago-based tech hub providing workspace, corporate programming, and curated member services across multiple verticals. Operates a broader incumbent model than HoFT, with longer operating history and larger member base, but lacks fintech specialisation and European regulatory depth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hoftberlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 House of Finance & Tech Berlin