Sharif Innovation Station

What Sharif Innovation Station does

Sharif Innovation Station (ایستگاه نوآوری شریف) is a privately operated, 27,000 square-meter innovation campus in Tehran, Iran, founded in August 2018 and managed by Rahbar Sharif Business Ecosystem. The station provides co-located workspace, business services, and community infrastructure for startups, accelerators, knowledge-based companies, and research and technology funds, with a stated minimum deployment requirement of 100 square meters per resident. Its core offering is shared workspace complemented by on-site legal and financial consulting, an amphitheater, cafe and restaurant, sports facilities, parking, and an installment-based product purchase program for residents.

The company's product surface extends beyond generic coworking to include four specialized assets: the Audio and Video Media Innovation Center, a 2,000 square-meter facility established in July 2020 in collaboration with SATRA (the national Audio-Visual Regulatory Organization); four thematic accelerators under that center (Tanzim Yar for regulatory technology, Baresh for children's and youth content, Acxin for foreign content adaptation, and Toska for content production and platforms); an Intellectual Property Technology Center offering blockchain-based content timestamping and AI-powered content authenticity verification; and a Media Innovation Laboratory providing industry analysis and a think tank for idea-to-product development. Technology deployment focuses on computer vision applied to intellectual property detection in audio, video, and image content.

The business model combines a one-time license revenue stream from workspace rental with subscription/recurring revenue from shared amenities such as amphitheater reservations, sports facilities, and insurance services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered via a formal deployment application process. Distribution is entirely direct and on-site, with a single Tehran campus serving as both headquarters and the sole point of delivery. Customer segments span startups, knowledge-based companies, accelerators, and research and technology funds, with named resident companies including Snap, Irancell, Irancell Labs, Tosan, Etemad Insurance, Hamrah Mechanic, DigiShahr, Avia, and Tabesh. The station operates within the broader innovation ecosystem aligned with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology of Iran and the Sharif University of Technology Science and Technology Park.

Name

Sharif Innovation Station

Legal name

Sharif Innovation Station (ایستگاه نوآوری شریف)

Website

https://sharifstation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Hub / Business Incubation Services

NAICS

Computer Facilities Management Services (541513), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

akta.pro primary industry

HPC / AI-Optimized Data Center Facilities (HDABACAJ)

Keywords

• Innovation campus
• Shared workspace
• Startup accelerator
• Business consulting services
• Technology incubation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehran

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Workspace/Office Rental: The station generates revenue primarily by renting office and workspace to startups, knowledge-based companies, accelerators, and research and technology funds. The minimum deployment requirement is 100 square meters. The total campus spans approximately 27,000 square meters.
2. Shared Facilities and Amenities: Revenue from shared amenities including amphitheater reservations, sports facilities, insurance services, and installment-based product purchases for resident companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sharif Innovation Station operates a 27,000-square-meter innovation campus in Tehran that rents shared office and co-working space (minimum 100 sqm) to startups, knowledge-based companies, accelerators, and research/technology funds. It also provides on-site legal and financial consulting, shared welfare amenities (amphitheater, cafe, sports facilities, parking, insurance), and runs a specialized 2,000 sqm Audio and Video Media Innovation Center with affiliated accelerators and an intellectual property technology center featuring AI-based copyright detection and blockchain timestamping.

Product overview

Sharif Innovation Station is an innovation campus that provides a comprehensive ecosystem for technology companies, startups, and accelerators. The core offerings include shared workspace facilities with a minimum 100 sqm requirement, and the specialized Audio and Video Media Innovation Center with approximately 2,000 sqm. The station operates four specialized accelerators under the media center (Tanzim Yar for regulatory tech, Baresh for children's content, Acxin for foreign content adaptation, and Toska for content platforms). Additional services include business consulting (legal and financial), welfare amenities (amphitheater, cafe, sports, parking, insurance), and an intellectual property technology center with blockchain timestamping and AI-powered content authenticity verification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shared Workspace (فضای کار اشتراکی) Office and co-working space rental services for startups, knowledge-based companies, accelerators, and research/technology funds. Minimum deployment requirement of 100 square meters within the 27,000 sqm Tehran campus.
• Audio and Video Media Innovation Center (مرکز نوآوری رسانه‌های صوت و تصویر) A specialized 2,000 sqm innovation center for audio and video media startups and accelerators, providing content production facilities, intellectual property protection, and regulatory compliance support in collaboration with SATRA.
• Business Services (خدمات کسب و کار) On-site legal, financial, and business advisory consulting services offered to resident companies as part of the station's business support offering.
• Welfare Facilities and Amenities (امکانات رفاهی) Shared amenities including amphitheater reservations, cafe/restaurant, sports facilities, parking, insurance services, and installment-based product purchases for resident companies and their employees.
• Intellectual Property Technology Center (مرکز فناوری‌های مالکیت فکری) Facility focused on intellectual property protection including content registration, blockchain-based timestamping, AI-powered copyright detection, and content authenticity verification.
• Media Innovation Laboratory (آزمایشگاه نوآوری رسانه)

Quantifiable outcome

• The station hosts over 500 professionals in innovation and technology roles
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Vice Presidency for Science and Technology of Iran (معاونت علمی و فناوری ریاست جمهوری)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vice Presidency for Science and Technology is the primary governmental backer and supporter of Iran's technology ecosystem. The station operates within this ecosystem and has received strategic support and recognition from this body. High-ranking officials from this institution have visited and endorsed the station.
• Sharif University of Technology Science and Technology Park (پارک علم و فناوری دانشگاه صنعتی شریف)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Science and Technology Park of Sharif University is the primary academic partner, providing institutional linkage between the station, the university, and the broader research community. The station's location near the university enables collaboration and technology transfer.
• Rahbar Sharif Business Ecosystem (راهبر زیست بوم کسب و کار شریف)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRahbar is the management company responsible for operating the station and coordinating with resident companies. It plays a central role in the station's daily operations and ecosystem development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Station F: Station F is the world's largest startup campus located in Paris, founded in 2017. It hosts thousands of entrepreneurs, dozens of accelerators, and corporate programs on a single multi-thousand-square-meter site — directly comparable to Sharif Innovation Station's model of a large, multi-tenant innovation campus with accelerator programs.
• 1871: 1871 is a Chicago-based innovation hub that combines co-working workspace, accelerators, corporate partnerships, and programming for tech startups. Its hybrid model of workspace + community + programming is a direct analog to Sharif Innovation Station.
• RocketSpace: RocketSpace operates tech campuses designed for startups and corporate innovation teams, with a focus on enterprise-corporate partnerships. Its positioning around 'innovation campus for tech founders' is closely aligned with Sharif Innovation Station's value proposition.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play operates a global innovation platform and accelerator hub based in Silicon Valley, hosting corporate partners, vertical-specific accelerator programs, and a resident startup community. The accelerator + corporate partnership + campus model closely mirrors Sharif Innovation Station's structure.
• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): CIC operates large-scale innovation campuses in multiple cities, providing shared workspace, labs, and accelerator programs to startups, corporate innovation teams, and government entities. Its 'innovation campus as real estate + ecosystem' approach parallels the Sharif Innovation Station model.
• Galvanize: Galvanize runs co-working and learning campuses that combine workspace with coding bootcamps and accelerator programs. The integration of workspace + education + accelerator programming mirrors Sharif Innovation Station's Lenser Sharif (programming education) tenant and accelerator operations.
• MaRS Discovery District: MaRS is a large urban innovation hub in Toronto supporting science, health, and tech startups via workspace, accelerators, and corporate partnerships. The scale, vertical specialization, and institutional/government backing make it a strong comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the largest startup accelerator globally, providing seed funding, mentorship, and demo days. While it has pioneered the accelerator model that Sharif Innovation Station operates (e.g., Toska, Baresh), it does not provide physical workspace infrastructure at comparable scale.
• Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator network with physical hubs and structured mentorship programs across multiple cities. As a broader incumbent, it offers comparable acceleration services but does not run dedicated innovation campuses comparable to the physical scale of Sharif Innovation Station.
• WeWork Labs: WeWork Labs was WeWork's startup-focused offering combining co-working workspace with community programming and venture connections. As part of the broader WeWork platform, it overlaps with Sharif Innovation Station's workspace-plus-community offering but operates as part of a much wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sharif-innovation-station
• Instagraminstagram.com/sharifinnovationstation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sharif Innovation Station