opencampus.sh

What opencampus.sh does

Opencampus.sh is the umbrella brand of the non-profit association Campus Business Box e.V., headquartered at the Wissenschaftszentrum Kiel (Fraunhoferstraße 13, 24118 Kiel, Germany). The organization manages 11 documented interlinked initiatives targeting founders, creatives, students, lifelong learners, and schools in Kiel and the Schleswig-Holstein region: the Edu continuing-education platform (offering free courses, many of which confer ECTS credits), the Starterkitchen startup incubator and coworking space, the Waterkant innovation festival, the now-closed Kosmos concept store (with online shop still active) that previously channeled products from over 120 local startups, the SEEd school-education initiative, the StuJo student job platform, the Fablab.sh open high-tech workshop, the Maker Cube mobile FabLab, the COBL coworking café and event venue at Legienstraße 40, the Westküste Plus Digital Learning Campus operated jointly with Fachhochschule Westküste and VHS Heide, and the EEK Entrepreneurship Education Kompetenzzentrum for schools. The organization employs approximately 24 people, with about 11 dedicated to the Kosmos store prior to its February 14, 2026 closure due to fire-safety regulations.

The business model is overwhelmingly non-commercial and publicly funded. Educational offerings through Edu are free and open to all, while revenue-generating activities are limited to (i) COBL room and event rentals on tiered cancellation terms, (ii) Kosmos marketplace commissions handled via Campus Business Box e.V. as trading partner (winding down in 2026), and (iii) a layered public-funder base that includes the Landesprogramm Wirtschaft, EFRE (European Regional Development Fund), the state of Schleswig-Holstein, the city of Kiel, plus foundation grants from Karl Schlecht Stiftung and Joachim Herz Stiftung. Pricing tiers are either freemium (educational programming) or unit-priced (COBL room rentals); product prices on the Kosmos marketplace historically ranged from approximately €2.95 (coconut tablets) to €129.00 (surf ponchos).

The technology footprint is modest: no proprietary AI/ML platform is described, and the digital surface is composed of conventional owned properties (edu.opencampus.sh, starterkitchen.de, waterkant.sh, stujo.net, fablab.sh, makercube.sh, cobl.opencampus.sh), a Substack newsletter, and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, Mastodon, LinkedIn). Distribution is primarily direct — through physical locations, in-person and hybrid course delivery via the DLC, and an internal referral network among the 12 initiatives — rather than through resellers or marketplace intermediaries. The competitive position rests on the integration of education, startup incubation, maker facilities, and community programming under a single publicly-backed non-profit umbrella, a structure that would be difficult to replicate without comparable institutional and funding support.

Name

opencampus.sh

Legal name

Campus Business Box e.V.

Website

https://opencampus.sh

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Opencampus.sh is the Kiel-based non-profit umbrella of Campus Business Box e.V., running 11+ education, startup, and innovation initiatives — including ECTS-credited Edu courses, Starterkitchen coworking, Waterkant festival, Fablab.sh, COBL, and EEK — serving founders, students, and schools in Schleswig-Holstein via public grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education and Innovation Services

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)

Keywords

• Continuing education programs
• Startup incubation services
• Coworking space rental
• Innovation festival events
• Open maker workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Sponsorship & Grants: Opencampus.sh operates primarily as a non-profit organization. Educational offerings are described as free and open to all (kostenlos und offen für alle). The organization is funded through public sponsors (Landesprogramm Wirtschaft, EFRE, Schleswig-Holstein state, Kiel city) and membership/organizational support from Campus Business Box e.V.
2. Educational Program Fees (ECTS-linked): The Edu program allows participants to earn ECTS credits for their studies. While courses are largely free, the program supports continuous education and is linked to university recognition.
3. Marketplace / Retail Sales: The Kosmos initiative operated an online marketplace selling products from local startups and companies. Products were sold on a commission/provisions model where Campus Business Box e.V. acted as a trading partner, handling storage, shipping, and fulfillment while the products belonged to third-party vendors. Payment methods include PayPal and Stripe.
4. Venue & Space Rental (COBL): COBL (Coworking Legienstraße 40) rents out event spaces, seminar rooms, and coworking areas. Booking is handled via [email protected], with room rental fees outlined in booking documentation. Cancellation policy shows tiers: no fee up to 4 weeks prior, 25% between 4 weeks and 1 week, 50% within 1 week.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Opencampus.sh is the umbrella brand of the non-profit association Campus Business Box e.V., operating 12 interlinked education and innovation initiatives in the Kiel/Schleswig-Holstein region. Core offerings include free continuing education courses with ECTS credits (Edu), startup incubation and coworking (Starterkitchen), an innovation festival (Waterkant), an open high-tech workshop (Fablab.sh) plus mobile fabrication services (Maker Cube), a coworking café and event venue (COBL), a Digital Learning Campus (Westküste Plus), entrepreneurship education for schools (EEK), school sustainability programs (SEEd), a student job platform (StuJo), and a marketplace for products from local startups (Kosmos).

Product overview

Opencampus.sh is the umbrella brand of the non-profit association Campus Business Box e.V., operating as a multi-initiative education and innovation ecosystem rather than a single product. The portfolio includes the Edu (EDU-Hub) continuing education platform at edu.opencampus.sh offering courses with ECTS credits; Starterkitchen startup incubator and coworking space; Waterkant innovation festival; Kosmos concept store (now closed, online shop active) featuring local startup products; SEEd school education initiative; StuJo job platform for students; Fablab.sh open workshop; Maker Cube mobile fabrication service; COBL coworking café and event venue; Westküste Plus Digital Learning Campus in partnership with Fachhochschule Westküste and VHS Heide; and EEK entrepreneurship education competence center. All offerings are free and open to everyone regardless of educational background or origin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Edu / EduHub: Continuing education programs with ECTS credit opportunities
• Starterkitchen
• Waterkant
• Kosmos
• SEEd
• StuJo
• Fablab.sh
• Maker Cube
• COBL
• Westküste Plus
• EEK

Products and services

• Edu (EDU-Hub) Free continuing education platform where participants can take courses, expand their horizons, network with peers, and earn ECTS credits transferable to their university studies. Targets students, lifelong learners, and curious individuals in Kiel and Schleswig-Holstein.
• Starterkitchen Coworking space and innovation hub in the Wissenschaftspark Kiel offering a diverse range of programs and resources to support startup incubation. Targets founders, early-stage startups, and entrepreneurs in northern Germany.
• Waterkant Festival Innovation festival offering unique opportunities for networking, inspiration, and discovery of new technologies and future topics. Targets founders, creatives, technology enthusiasts, and curious individuals across northern Germany.
• Kosmos Concept store and online marketplace that offered fair-trade products from over 120 local startups, creatives, and companies in Kiel and the surrounding region. Operated as a retail and meeting place with café and workshop/event spaces (physical store now closed; online shop continues). Targets local consumers interested in fair-produced products and local startup brands.
• SEEd School education initiative that helps students identify important societal challenges and develop their own sustainable solutions. Targets schools and students in Schleswig-Holstein, with school workshops and internship programs connecting students to local social startups.
• StuJo Online job platform connecting students and job seekers with nearby employment opportunities. Emphasizes personal, local, and effective job searching. Targets students, graduates, and entry-level job seekers in the Kiel and Schleswig-Holstein region.
• Fablab.sh The first open high-tech workshop in Kiel that can be used by anyone, providing access to fabrication tools and digital manufacturing technologies. Targets makers, hobbyists, students, startups, and creatives across the region.
• Maker Cube Mobile FabLab offering companies, craftspeople, and startups access to modern manufacturing techniques including 3D printing, 3D scanning, laser cutting, and CNC milling. Targets SMEs, craftspeople, and startups in Schleswig-Holstein seeking prototyping and small-batch production.
• COBL (Coworking Legienstraße 40) Coworking café offering a cozy working environment with rentable rooms for events, seminars, workshops, and meetings. Located at Legienstraße 40 in Kiel, open Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00. Targets remote workers, freelancers, event organizers, and corporate teams needing off-site space.
• Westküste Plus (Digital Learning Campus) Regional network strengthening access to high-quality, flexible, and practice-oriented learning offerings for students, professionals, and companies in the Westküste region. Delivered through hybrid learning formats in collaboration with Fachhochschule Westküste and VHS Heide.
• EEK (Entrepreneurship Education Kompetenzzentrum) Entrepreneurship education competence center that supports schools in Schleswig-Holstein in integrating entrepreneurship education into teaching — from initial impulses and teacher training to connecting schools with startups and learning locations. Targets school administrators, teachers, and students across Schleswig-Holstein.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 local startups and companies gained a retail platform through the Kosmos store

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU Kiel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Kiel is listed as a key network partner supporting opencampus.sh. The partnership enables the Edu program to award ECTS credits and connects the initiative with academic resources and talent.
• Fachhochschule Kiel (FH Kiel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFH Kiel is listed as a network partner. As a university of applied sciences, FH Kiel likely supports practical skill development and may provide student participants for opencampus.sh programs.
• Wissenschaftszentrum Kiel (Science Center Kiel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wissenschaftszentrum Kiel hosts the headquarters of Campus Business Box e.V. at Fraunhoferstraße 13. This central location provides physical infrastructure and academic credibility.
• Fachhochschule WestküstecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Digital Learning Campus (DLC) Westküste Plus initiative, together with VHS Heide and opencampus.sh. Focuses on hybrid learning and connecting the Westküste region with educational offerings.
• VHS HeideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the DLC Westküste Plus initiative, contributing to adult education and hybrid learning formats in the Westküste region.
• IHK Schleswig-HolsteinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for Schleswig-Holstein is listed as a network partner, connecting opencampus.sh with the broader business community.
• KIWI KielminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a network partner. KIWI Kiel (Kieler Wirtschaftsförderung) is the local economic development agency supporting the region's business and startup ecosystem.
• Muthesius KunsthochschuleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a network partner. The Muthesius University of Fine Arts contributes to the creative and cultural network supporting opencampus.sh initiatives.
• SEEd-InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEEd is an initiative of opencampus.sh focused on school education. The Kosmos store cooperated with SEEd to conduct school workshops and internships, connecting students with local social startups and sustainability-focused entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Factory Berlin: Berlin-based innovation community and coworking hub that, like opencampus.sh, runs multiple cross-referral programs for founders, creatives, and corporates under a single membership with curated events and learning content.
• Mindspace: Premium coworking/workspace operator across major German cities offering flexible offices and event programming - comparable in workspace product (COBL) and target member segments.
• Impact Hub Germany: Global network of social-impact-driven community hubs running incubation, education, and innovation programs with a non-profit orientation - closely mirrors opencampus.sh's mission and multi-program structure.
• betahaus: German coworking and community operator in Berlin/Hamburg offering workspaces, events, and educational programming for entrepreneurs and creatives - directly comparable to opencampus.sh's COBL plus event-driven GTM model.
• Social Impact gGmbH: German non-profit operating social entrepreneurship and innovation programs (including impact hubs and learning formats) - similar mission to opencampus.sh with comparable non-profit structure and educational intent.
• STARTUP TEENS: German non-profit delivering entrepreneurship education to school and university students nationwide - directly comparable to opencampus.sh's SEEd and EEK school-focused entrepreneurship programs.
• Founders Foundation: Bielefeld-based non-profit delivering structured entrepreneurship education and founder training programs - analogous to opencampus.sh's EEK Kompetenzzentrum and Starterkitchen incubators in mission and pedagogy.
• Werk1 München: Munich-based startup incubator and coworking hub running programs for early-stage founders with public and corporate support - comparable in incubator/community structure to Starterkitchen.

Broad incumbents

• Design Offices: Germany-wide coworking and event-space operator offering hybrid workspace with curated community programming - overlaps with COBL's workspace plus events offering, though broader portfolio and commercial positioning.
• Hasso Plattner Institut / openHPI: Large university-affiliated online lifelong learning platform offering free courses with credentials - analogous to opencampus.sh's free Edu platform with ECTS-style recognition but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/opencampus.sh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/opencampus-sh
• Instagraminstagram.com/opencampus.sh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 opencampus.sh