Link Community

What Link Community does

Link Community, legally operating as Shortlist, is a Berlin-based community organization founded in 2022 by Max Brenner and John Schanbacher that curates in-person Startup Ecosystem Trips to leading startups, venture capital firms, and corporates worldwide. The platform operates an application-based membership model: prospective members apply via online forms to join a 10,000+ member community, then apply for individual curated tours such as the recurring Berlin Startup Ecosystem Trip. Members gain access to executives and offices across 80+ Visit Partners including Tesla, HelloFresh, Cherry Ventures, Lightspeed, Speedinvest, Earlybird, ProjectA, and seedcamp, while the community maintains an intentional 50/50 gender balance, 50/50 tech-to-business composition, 35+ nationalities, and representation from 35+ partner universities including Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD, Wharton, and HEC Paris.

The core offering is not a software product but a structured, event-driven experience layer built on relationships, curation, and physical access. Distribution is community-led: growth is driven by university partnerships, word-of-mouth referrals, organic social (LinkedIn and Instagram under the 'joinshortlist' handle), and direct application forms. The organization's primary customer segments are top-tier university students and ambitious young professionals seeking entry into European startup ecosystems, while startups, VCs, and corporates function as Visit Partner hosts rather than paying customers. Specific monetization mechanics, including any membership fees, trip fees, or sponsor revenue, are not publicly disclosed.

Business model and pricing are not detailed on the public site, and the entity operates as a founder-owned private company with no disclosed institutional investors, no parent organization, and a six-person core team. Operational evidence points to an active program: ongoing community applications, a Visit Partner onboarding pipeline, recurring tour scheduling, and named participant testimonials from students at EPFL, Columbia, and ETH Zurich. The legal entity is registered in Germany under the name Shortlist, with headquarters at Lohmühlenstraße 65, 12435 Berlin.

Name

Link Community

Legal name

Shortlist

Website

https://joinlink.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Link Community is a Berlin-based, application-based community founded in 2022 that curates in-person Startup Ecosystem Trips for 10,000+ students and young professionals to visit 80+ leading startups, VCs, and corporates worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking and Community Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Alumni, Reunion & Affinity Group Educational Travel (THAKAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH), Partner, Channel & Alliance Summits (THAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Startup ecosystem tours
• Community networking events
• Entrepreneur community platform
• Curated startup visits
• Professional networking trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership/Community Access: Revenue model not publicly disclosed. The organization appears to operate as a community platform connecting entrepreneurial talent with industry leaders through organized in-person trips. Specific monetization mechanics (membership fees, trip fees, sponsorship) are not detailed on the website.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Link Community operates an application-based membership community that organizes in-person Startup Ecosystem Trips to visit leading startups, VCs, and corporates worldwide. Members gain access to curated multi-day tours, networking opportunities with industry leaders, exclusive job opportunities, and a cohort of like-minded peers. Visit Partners host the trips and provide access to their offices and executives in exchange for talent pipeline exposure.

Product overview

Link Community operates as a unified community platform connecting entrepreneurial talent with industry leaders through in-person Startup Ecosystem Trips. The service is structured as a single, integrated community offering—not a platform with multiple modules or add-ons. Members gain access to organized trips visiting leading Startups, VCs, and Corporates worldwide, along with networking opportunities, exclusive job opportunities, and community membership. No distinct sub-products, modules, or branded service tiers are identified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Link Community Membership Application-based membership community for top-tier students and young professionals seeking access to the startup ecosystem. Members gain access to organized in-person trips, networking with industry leaders, exclusive job opportunities, and potential co-founder matching. The community is curated with a 50/50 gender ratio and 50/50 tech-to-business ratio from 35+ nationalities and 35+ partner universities.
• Berlin Startup Ecosystem Trip Multi-day in-person tour of Berlin's leading startups, VCs, and corporates. Members visit company offices and meet executives from partners such as HelloFresh, Tesla, Flink, SumUp, CELUS, Cherry Ventures, and many others. Open to accepted Link Community members who apply for the trip.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HelloFreshcoreOthersHelloFresh is a Visit Partner hosting Link community members at their offices as part of Startup Ecosystem Trips, providing exposure to the meal kit and food delivery industry.
• CELUScoreOthersCELUS is a Visit Partner providing Link community members with insights into no-code electronics design platforms and startup operations.
• SumUpcoreOthersSumUp is a Visit Partner hosting Link community visits, offering exposure to fintech/payment solutions startup ecosystem.
• Visonaries ClubcoreOthersVisonaries Club is a Visit Partner providing Link members access to their startup ecosystem and investment network.
• Y42coreTechnology or IntegrationY42 is a Visit Partner offering Link community members insights into data integration and analytics platforms.
• TeslacoreOthersTesla is a Visit Partner hosting Link community visits, offering exposure to corporate innovation and electric vehicle industry operations.
• FlinkcoreOthersFlink is a quick commerce startup Visit Partner offering Link members insights into rapid delivery and urban logistics startup operations.
• 10x FounderscoreOthers10x Founders is a Visit Partner providing Link members access to startup ecosystem insights and entrepreneurial mentorship.
• Marvel FusioncoreOthersMarvel Fusion is a Visit Partner offering Link members insights into fusion energy technology and deep tech startup ecosystem.
• Finn AutocoreOthersFinn Auto is a Visit Partner providing Link members with insights into automotive subscription services and mobility startup ecosystem.
• Entrepreneur FirstcoreOthersEntrepreneur First is a Visit Partner providing Link members with access to talent and co-founder matching ecosystem.
• BunchcoreOthersBunch is a Visit Partner providing Link members with insights into leadership development and startup culture.
• EmpioncoreOthersEmpion is a Visit Partner offering Link members insights into HR tech and talent management startup ecosystem.
• Luminovo.aicoreTechnology or IntegrationLuminovo.ai is a Visit Partner offering Link members insights into AI solutions and semiconductor startup ecosystem.
• EdurinocoreOthersEdurino is a Visit Partner providing Link members with insights into EdTech and learning solutions startup ecosystem.
• Meine ErdecoreOthersMeine Erde is a Visit Partner offering Link members insights into sustainability and climate tech startup ecosystem.
• SolarisbankcoreOthersSolarisbank is a Visit Partner providing Link members with insights into Banking-as-a-Service and fintech startup ecosystem.
• SureIncoreOthersSureIn is a Visit Partner offering Link members insights into InsurTech startup ecosystem.
• rembergcoreOthersremberg is a Visit Partner providing Link members with insights into B2B sales and CRM startup ecosystem.
• JuntocoreOthersJunto is a Visit Partner offering Link members insights into venture building and startup support ecosystem.
• trivagocoreOtherstrivago is a Visit Partner hosting Link community visits, providing exposure to travel tech and marketplace startup ecosystem.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Antler: Antler is a global early-stage VC and founder community that recruits talent cohorts, supports co-founder matching, and hosts in-person residencies across multiple cities. Comparable to Link Community in its curated talent approach and global startup-ecosystem positioning.
• On Deck: On Deck runs curated, application-based fellowships and communities for founders, operators, and investors, charging for participation. It is the closest comparable: a paid, selective community targeting similar early-career entrepreneurial talent with curated programming and access.
• Station F: Station F is the world's largest startup campus in Paris, hosting founders, programs, and corporate partners. Comparable as a curated hub connecting entrepreneurial talent with corporate and VC partners through structured programming.
• Entrepreneur First: Entrepreneur First is a talent-first VC that sources individuals globally and helps them find co-founders and build companies. Overlaps directly with Link's value proposition around co-founder matching and exposure to European startup ecosystems; EF is also a Link Visit Partner.
• Slush: Slush organizes large-scale founder and investor conferences and year-round community programming focused on the European and global startup ecosystem. Comparable as a community-and-event player connecting early-stage founders with VCs and corporates.
• Startup Grind: Startup Grind operates a global community and event series connecting startup founders and ecosystem participants. Comparable to Link in its mission-driven community model for entrepreneurial talent, though it operates at much larger scale and is event-centric.
• Founders Forum: Founders Forum hosts invitation-only gatherings for tech founders, investors, and executives. Comparable as an invite/curated network convening top entrepreneurial talent and industry leaders through curated events.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Techstars operates a global accelerator network and founder community. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering structured access to mentors, corporates, and investor networks for early-stage founders.
• Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the leading global startup accelerator with a large founder community, events, and talent network. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the founder/community space; Link's curated talent audience overlaps with YC's applicant pool.

Others

• Masterclass (curated learning community analog): While not a direct competitor, Masterclass represents the curated, premium, application-driven learning/community model that Link's premium tiers could evolve toward - paid cohort-based access to industry leaders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/link-community
• Instagraminstagram.com/joinshortlist?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

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 Link Community