What Asia Berlin Forum e.V. does

Asia Berlin Forum e.V. (ABF) is a German-registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in February 2000 and headquartered within the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises (SenWEB). It functions as the operating body behind AsiaBerlin — the Berlin Senate's flagship initiative for cross-continental collaboration — and connects Berlin's startup ecosystem with Asian markets through the annual AsiaBerlin Summit, delegation trips, year-round events, and a six-tier membership program. The organization has approximately 10 honorary board members and 3 paid core staff (Managing Director, Senior Project Manager, Senior Office and Finance Manager).

ABF's core products are programming-based, not technology-based: there is no proprietary software, API, or AI model. The flagship is the AsiaBerlin Summit (3,025+ attendees, 93 speakers, 15 international delegations, and a 4.75/5 satisfaction score in 2025; 2026 edition scheduled for November 23–27). Supporting offerings include delegation trips focused on matchmaking and political dialogue, year-round ecosystem events, and a membership program (€50 Student through €3,000 Corporate, plus a Supporting tier starting at €1,500). Distribution runs through five-plus Asian embassies in Berlin (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Korea, Philippines), eight-plus Asian innovation hub partners (TechSauce, NextRise, S-Tron, 123Factory, InnoEfra, The Drivery, German Japanese Business Association, DIHK), and corporate anchors including Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, and SAP.

The revenue model is diversified across three streams: annual membership fees across six tiers, corporate sponsorship from a small set of large German-Asian corporates, and grants/institutional funding (notably from SenWEB). The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and is not publicly traded. Geographic reach covers Germany and ten Asian jurisdictions (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, China, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong) across Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia.

Name

Asia Berlin Forum e.V.

Legal name

Asia Berlin Forum e.V.

Website

https://asiaberlinforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Asia Berlin Forum e.V. is a Berlin-based non-profit, founded in 2000, that operates the AsiaBerlin Summit and surrounding programs to connect Berlin's startup ecosystem with Asian markets through delegation trips, year-round events, and a tiered membership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cross-Border Innovation and Trade Networking Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Innovation diplomacy services
• Cross-border startup networking
• Ecosystem bridge programs
• Delegation and summit management
• Trade and innovation facilitation

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: Annual membership fees from various tiers (Student €50, Individual €100, Non-Profit/Public Entity €150, Small Business €250, Corporate €3,000, Supporting €1,500+)
2. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship from partner organizations including Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, and SAP
3. Grants and Donations: Funding from institutional grants, particularly from Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises (SenWEB)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Asia Berlin Forum e.V. operates as a non-profit innovation diplomacy organization that builds bridges between Berlin's startup ecosystem and Asian markets. Its core offerings are the AsiaBerlin Summit (annual flagship event), the AsiaBerlin initiative (Berlin Senate's flagship cross-continental collaboration program), and a six-tier membership program (Student through Corporate and Supporting), complemented by delegation trips, year-round events, and partnership brokering across 11+ Asian countries.

Product overview

Asia Berlin Forum e.V. operates as a non-profit organization that connects Berlin and Asia through innovation, diplomacy, and collaboration. The organization's primary offerings include the AsiaBerlin Summit (annual flagship event platform) and the broader AsiaBerlin initiative (the Berlin Senate's flagship initiative for cross-continental collaboration), supported by a multi-tier membership program. The organization functions as a networking and ecosystem-building platform rather than a traditional software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AsiaBerlin Summit Flagship annual platform of AsiaBerlin and Asia Berlin Forum e.V., bringing together founders, investors, corporates, policymakers, public entities, and ecosystem builders across Berlin and Asia for high-level political dialogue, startup pitching, partner sessions, matchmaking, and ecosystem networking; 2026 edition scheduled November 23–27 at Rotes Rathaus, CIC Berlin, and partner locations.
• AsiaBerlin Initiative The Berlin Senate's flagship initiative for cross-continental collaboration, operated by Asia Berlin Forum e.V., connecting Berlin's startup ecosystem with Asia's markets through innovation diplomacy, year-round programming, delegation trips, and partnerships across AI, green tech, mobility, health tech, fintech, and creative economy sectors.
• ABF Membership Program Six-tier membership program for individuals, students, non-profits, small businesses, corporates, and supporting members, providing access to ABF's extensive networks, priority event invitations, and voting rights in organizational decisions; annual fees due January 31, non-refundable.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,025+ attendees at AsiaBerlin Summit 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

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

• Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs (SenWEB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerABF is located within SenWEB and serves as the driving force behind AsiaBerlin – the Berlin Senate's flagship initiative for cross-continental collaboration. Deep integration with Berlin's economic policy-making.
• Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), ThailandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership facilitating digital economy collaboration between Thailand and Berlin.
• Embassy of Thailand in BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic partnership supporting Thailand-Germany innovation and business relations.
• Embassy of Malaysia in BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic partnership supporting Malaysia-Germany innovation and business relations.
• Embassy of Vietnam in BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic partnership supporting Vietnam-Germany innovation and business relations.
• Embassy of Korea in BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic partnership supporting Korea-Germany innovation and business relations.
• Embassy of Philippines in BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic partnership supporting Philippines-Germany innovation and business relations.
• Port City Colombo Economic CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Sri Lanka's port city economic zone development through Berlin-Asia connections.
• TechSauce (Thailand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation hub partner facilitating Thailand startup ecosystem connections with Berlin.
• NextRise (Seoul)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation hub partner facilitating Seoul/Korea startup ecosystem connections with Berlin.
• S-Tron (Shanghai)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation hub partner facilitating Shanghai/China startup ecosystem connections with Berlin.
• The Drivery (Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin-based innovation hub partner supporting mobility and deep tech ecosystem connections.
• InnoEfra Accelerator (Thailand)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThai accelerator partner supporting startup collaboration between Thailand and Berlin.
• 123Factory (Korea)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorean innovation hub partner supporting startup ecosystem connections.
• Startup GenomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal startup ecosystem network partner providing research and global ecosystem intelligence.
• German Japanese Business Association (DJW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partner supporting Germany-Japan business relations and innovation exchange.
• SiemenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing expertise in government affairs, Asia-Pacific relations, and industrial innovation. Sabrina Zenow from Siemens serves on the ABF board.
• Mitsubishi ElectriccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing technology, external relations, and Japan-Germany collaboration expertise. Niels Meinke serves as Berlin Representative and Head of Government & External Relations.
• SAPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing enterprise technology, business AI, and international startup collaboration expertise. Clas Neumann and Caroline King (ex-SAP) serve on the ABF board.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Startup Genome: Global startup ecosystem research and network organization with which ABF has a core strategic partnership. Both map, connect, and rank innovation ecosystems worldwide, including major Berlin–Asia corridor coverage.
• TechSauce: Leading Southeast Asian innovation hub and conference organizer headquartered in Thailand. ABF has a core strategic partnership with TechSauce, and both run major cross-border ecosystem events linking startups with corporates and investors.
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Berlin's official business and technology promotion agency, directly comparable as another Berlin-based organization operating at the intersection of Berlin's economic policy and international (including Asian) business development. Both serve as institutional gateways connecting Berlin's ecosystem to global markets.
• WHub: Hong Kong-based startup platform and investor network whose co-founder Karena Belin sits on ABF's board. Both connect startups, investors, and corporates across Asia and Europe, with comparable community-building and event-driven business models.
• S-Tron (Shanghai): Shanghai-headquartered technology and innovation conference organizer that is a core ABF partner. Both run flagship events that bring together international founders, investors, and corporates, with explicit focus on China–Europe corridors.
• StartupVerband: Germany's leading startup association representing founders and investors. Like ABF, it organizes convening events, advocates for ecosystem policy, and operates with a member-based governance model.
• German-Israeli Business Forum: Bilateral innovation and business diplomacy platform linking Germany and Israel, structurally analogous to ABF's Berlin–Asia focus. Both serve as convening organizations facilitating cross-border partnerships, delegation trips, and ecosystem exchange.
• NextRise: Seoul-headquartered innovation conference and ecosystem platform that is a core ABF partner. Both serve as flagship convening points for their respective startup ecosystems and facilitate bilateral Korea–Berlin and broader Asia–Europe deal flow.

Broad incumbents

• Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI): Germany's official foreign trade and investment promotion agency. Both GTAI and ABF are publicly-supported bodies facilitating inbound and outbound business flows; GTAI operates at significantly larger scale across all geographies.
• Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO): Government-backed agency promoting trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. Comparable in function to ABF's Berlin Senate-backed role, JETRO operates at much larger scale, connecting Japanese corporates and startups with European and global markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asia-berlin-forum-e-v

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Asia Berlin Forum e.V.