EZN

What EZN does

EZN Erfinderzentrum Norddeutschland GmbH is a German innovation consulting firm headquartered in Hannover that has operated continuously since 1981 (incorporated as a private GmbH in 1986). The firm supports inventors, companies, universities and research institutions, startups, and founders across the full innovation lifecycle, with services spanning inventor consultation (Erfinderberatung), objective patent valuation using the SIGNO Patentwert standard (Patentbewertung), patent management and coordination with attorneys (Patentmanagement), IP marketing and licensing support (Patentvermarktung), and advisory on public funding programs including ZIM, Forschungszulage, WIPANO, and EU instruments (Fördermittelberatung). It also operates INNOLAND, a curated matching platform that publishes vetted patented technologies from EZN, companies, and universities for licensing, purchase, or development cooperation.

Revenue is generated through individually negotiated professional services engagements at approximately EUR 1,400 per consulting day and EUR 300 per workshop, supplemented by funding-program advisory, licensing-support retainers, paid digital products (templates, expert interviews), and a free-consulting tier delivered through the BMWE/EU-funded Impact Peers project for social innovators. The company is fully employee-owned (all shareholders come from employee ranks), self-financing with no institutional funding or external venture capital, and is an official cooperation partner of both the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) and the European Patent Office (EPO).

The team consists of a small group of graduate engineers (mechanical, electrical, civil, horticulture, process engineering) holding formal Patent Engineer and QPIP (Qualified Patent Information Professional) credentials, with cumulative scale of more than 50,000 consultations, 17,000+ inventions evaluated, 5,000+ projects supported, and 8,000+ national and international patent procedures managed since 1981. Notable technology assets include the INNOLAND matching platform and an AI tool co-developed with IPH Hannover for evaluating patents against the UN Sustainable Development Goals; the firm's most recognized commercialization case is the cryptography chip in EC-cards, developed by inventor Holger Sedlak with EZN support and licensed to Siemens/Infineon as the global standard.

Name

EZN

Legal name

EZN Erfinderzentrum Norddeutschland GmbH

Website

https://ezn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EZN is an employee-owned German innovation consulting firm that provides patent valuation, IP management, technology commercialization, and funding-program advisory to companies, universities, startups, and private inventors, operating the INNOLAND technology-matching platform since 1981.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation & Patent Consulting Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology Errors & Omissions (Tech E&O) / Professional Liability (FSAJAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

ESG/Sustainable & Thematic Digital Investing Platforms (FSAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Patent consulting services
• Innovation management
• Technology commercialization
• Intellectual property advisory
• Patent valuation

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: EZN provides consulting services for innovation realization, patent management, technology evaluation, and commercialization. These services are individually quoted and negotiated. The company is financially independent and self-financing through revenues from its own business operations, receiving no institutional funding.
2. Seminars and Workshops: EZN conducts seminars and workshops on IP topics. Individual workshops have a value of approximately 300 EUR, and individual consulting days have a value of 1,400 EUR. Some services are provided free through the Impact Peers project.
3. Patent Marketing and Licensing Support: Services include R&D project support, patent evaluation, market analysis, development of marketing strategies, creation of advertising materials, technology offer publications, trade fair presentations, and contract negotiations. These lead to license agreements (e.g., the million-euro licensing deal for the cryptography chip).
4. Funding Program Advisory: Support with proposals for funding programs (ZIM, Forschungszulage, WIPANO, EU) and acquisition of venture capital. Many services can be subsidized through innovation funding programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

EZN provides consulting and operational support across the full innovation lifecycle — from idea evaluation and patent protection through to commercialization. Core services include inventor consultation, objective patent valuation, end-to-end patent management, IP marketing and licensing support, and advisory on public funding programs (ZIM, Forschungszulage, WIPANO, EU). These services are complemented by the INNOLAND online matching platform, IP training seminars and workshops, and downloadable templates and resources.

Product overview

EZN (Erfinderzentrum Norddeutschland GmbH) is an innovation consulting company founded in 1981, offering a comprehensive portfolio of services for technology realization, intellectual property protection, and commercialization. The core offerings include Erfinderberatung (inventor consultation), Patentbewertung (patent valuation), Patentmanagement (patent management), Patentvermarktung/IP-Marketing (IP marketing), and Fördermittelberatung (funding consultation). These services are supported by INNOLAND, a technology matching platform, and complemented by downloadable IP knowledge resources, an innovation blog, and training seminars. The company serves companies, universities, founders, and private inventors throughout Germany and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• INNOLAND: A matching platform for technical ideas, inventions and technologies offered by EZN, companies and universities for licensing, purchase or development cooperation.

Products and services

• Erfinderberatung (Inventor Consultation) Professional consulting service helping inventors (individual inventors, companies, and research institutions) evaluate technical ideas, choose protection strategies, and define commercialization pathways for their inventions.
• Patentbewertung (Patent Valuation) Objective evaluation and assessment of inventions, patents, and technologies using established methodologies (including the SIGNO Patentwert standard), delivered to companies, universities, founders, and private inventors.
• Patentmanagement (Patent Management) End-to-end management of patent procedures, including coordination with patent attorneys, administrative handling, and rights-portfolio management for clients across companies, universities, and inventors.
• Patentvermarktung / IP-Marketing Marketing and commercialization service for intellectual property, covering R&D project support, patent evaluation, market analysis, marketing strategy, advertising material preparation, technology-offer publications, trade-fair presentations, and contract negotiation toward licensing agreements and patent sales.
• Fördermittelberatung (Funding Consultation) Advisory on public funding programs such as ZIM, Forschungszulage (35% research bonus), WIPANO patent funding, and EU programs, including support with application processes and acquisition of venture capital.
• INNOLAND Matching Platform Online matching platform aggregating patented technologies from EZN, companies, and universities to enable technology transfer through licensing, patent purchase, or development cooperation across national and international markets.
• Seminare und Workshops (Seminars and Workshops) Public seminars and workshops on intellectual-property topics including patents, trademarks, and innovation management, including the proprietary EZN-Patententag format. Also available for in-house corporate training; individual workshops priced at approximately 300 EUR.
• Impact Peers – Free IP Consulting for SIGUs Free IP consulting and workshops for socially-oriented small and medium enterprises (SIGUs) and companies in founding phase, covering patents, trademarks, and IP strategy. Funded by BMWE and the EU via the Impact Peers project.
• Erfindungsmeldung Premium Template Premium downloadable template, reviewed by a patent attorney, specifically designed to document employee inventions (Diensterfindungen) in a clear, complete, and legally compliant manner for employers and employee inventors.
• Interview 'Vom Erfinder zum Millionär' (Holger Sedlak) Paid PDF download featuring an exclusive interview with inventor Holger Sedlak (creator of the cryptography chip in EC cards), telling his path from inventor to millionaire and the role EZN played in commercializing his technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 consultations, more than 17,000 ideas evaluated, over 5,000 projects supported, and more than 8,000 patent procedures managed since 1981
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DPMA (Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial cooperation partner of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, which highlights EZN's credibility and expertise in IP matters. EZN is also partner of the Patentinformationszentrum Niedersachsen.
• EPO (European Patent Office)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial cooperation partner of the European Patent Office. EZN's managing director Dr. Braunsberger is personally involved in building a patent system for universities in Nigeria in cooperation with the EPO.
• IPH Hannover (Institute for Integrated Production)coreTechnology or IntegrationJoint development of a KI (AI) tool for evaluating patents regarding the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. This partnership reflects EZN's development engagement in newest technology areas and brings together consulting expertise with research capabilities.
• BANSON (Business Angel Netzwerk)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEZN is engaged in the BANSON business angel network, enabling consideration of the investor perspective in consulting and facilitating connections between inventors and potential investors.
• TechnologieAllianzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in network sessions and the TechnologieAllianz, a technology transfer network connecting innovation service providers.
• Impact Peers ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEZN is exclusive project partner for IP consulting within the Impact Peers project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and co-financed by the European Union. Partners include IBYKUS AG for Informationstechnologie and Ursula Heimann & Partner UG.
• PIZnet (Patentinformationszentrum Netzwerk)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner of Patentinformationszentrum Niedersachsen and associated with the PIZnet network for patent information services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bayerische Patentallianz GmbH: Patent exploitation agency serving Bavarian universities and research institutions. Closely comparable business model — handling invention disclosures, patent applications, and commercialization for member institutions — but serving a different German federal state.
• PROvendis GmbH: Patent, exploitation, and innovation management agency for universities and hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia. Mirrors EZN's university-facing patent exploitation services and INNOLAND-like technology transfer mission, but in a different German region.
• TransMIT Gesellschaft für Technologietransfer mbH: Technology transfer office affiliated with universities in Hesse, providing IP management, licensing, and commercialization services. Comparable operating model to EZN's university and inventor customer work, though focused on the Hesse region.
• Technologie-Lizenz-Büro (TLB) GmbH: Patent exploitation agency for universities and research institutions in Baden-Württemberg. Directly comparable in service portfolio (patent evaluation, marketing, licensing) but focused on a different German state rather than Lower Saxony / North Germany.

Emerging players

• Innoget: Online technology marketplace connecting inventors, universities, and companies for licensing and collaborative development. Comparable to EZN's INNOLAND platform concept but operates as a global digital-first platform rather than a regional consultancy-led service.

Direct peers

• TechnologieAllianz: German technology transfer network that EZN is a member of. Directly comparable as it aggregates patent exploitation agencies and innovation service providers across Germany for technology transfer — the same core function EZN performs for inventors, universities, and companies.
• innoscripta GmbH: German IP strategy and patent management consultancy serving SMEs and startups with patent applications, FTO analyses, and commercialization. Closely comparable in client base (SME/founders) and core patent consulting offerings.
• ipal GmbH: Munich-based IP consulting firm providing patent searches, evaluations, and infringement analyses for SMEs, inventors, and universities in Germany. Directly comparable in patent evaluation and FTO service offerings, though smaller in scale.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Germany's largest applied research organization with its own centralized Patent and Licensing department handling patent exploitation for member institutes. Overlaps with EZN's IP commercialization role but operates at vastly greater scale and as part of a broader R&D portfolio.
• Steinbeis-Stiftung: German technology and knowledge transfer organization with centers embedded in universities providing IP management, R&D project support, and consulting. Overlaps with EZN's innovation consulting and university-facing services, though much broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCi6r3yR0GBa9aGP3hZiuW3Q

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 EZN