Steinbeis-Stiftung Für Wirtschaftsförderung (stw)

What Steinbeis-Stiftung Für Wirtschaftsförderung (stw) does

Steinbeis-Stiftung Für Wirtschaftsförderung is a non-profit foundation under German civil law, headquartered in Stuttgart, that operates a knowledge and technology transfer network linking academic expertise with industrial clients, primarily small and medium-sized enterprises in Baden-Württemberg and across Germany. Re-established in 1971 and operationally reshaped in 1983 under Johann Löhn, the foundation governs a decentralized Steinbeis-Verbund of approximately 1,000 transfer companies (Transferunternehmen) engaging roughly 4,500 to 4,800 experts who execute more than 10,000 customer projects annually. Core service lines comprise application-oriented research and development, specialized consulting and expert opinions, and training ranging from seminars to degree programs at the private Steinbeis Hochschule, supplemented by a free Kurzberatung short-consulting program subsidized for SMEs in Baden-Württemberg with revenue below EUR 100 million.

The operating model separates foundation governance from commercial execution through Steinbeis GmbH & Co. KG für Technologietransfer, supported by wholly-owned subsidiaries including the Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Institut (FSTI) and Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Gesellschaft (FSG) for transfer-oriented research, Steinbeis Beratungszentren and Steinbeis Forschungs- und Innovationszentren, Steinbeis-Edition publishing, and Company Building services that support founders from business model design through HR, finance and PR. Physical infrastructure includes Steinbeis-Haus facilities in Stuttgart (Hohenheim headquarters and SHMT), Berlin-Adlershof (a 12,000 m² office and event building completed in 2023), and Karlsruhe. In 2025, six long-standing Steinbeis employees assumed management of the operating subsidiary, while the Foundation Board refocused on network strategy. The network has supported the founding of more than 2,500 companies since 1983, of which roughly 1,000 remain active.

Name

Steinbeis-Stiftung Für Wirtschaftsförderung (stw)

Legal name

Steinbeis-Stiftung für Wirtschaftsförderung (StW)

Website

https://stw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Steinbeis-Stiftung is a German non-profit foundation running a decentralized network of ~1,000 transfer companies and ~4,800 experts that delivers applied research, consulting, training and company-building services to SMEs and enterprises, primarily in Baden-Württemberg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Transfer Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), STM Publishing (Science, Technical & Medical) (MPAJABAD)

Keywords

• Technology transfer services
• Applied research consulting
• Professional education training
• Startup company building
• Academic industry partnership

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Development Services: Applied research contracts and development projects conducted by Steinbeis transfer companies for industrial clients.
2. Consulting and Expert Services: Specialized consulting across technology and management fields, from short-term advisory to comprehensive project consulting. Free Kurzberatung (short consulting) is provided for SMEs in Baden-Württemberg as a subsidized service.
3. Education and Training: Training formats including seminars, customized in-house workshops, and modular degree programs at the private Steinbeis Hochschule.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Steinbeis-Stiftung operates a knowledge and technology transfer ecosystem through a network of approximately 1,000 transfer companies and 4,500 experts. Its core offerings are application-oriented R&D services, specialist consulting, professional education and training, and company-building support that connects academic expertise with industrial and SME clients. The foundation also provides a free Kurzberatung (short consultation) service for SMEs in Baden-Württemberg and operates Steinbeis Hochschule, a private university offering degree programs.

Product overview

Steinbeis-Stiftung operates as a foundation-based technology transfer ecosystem comprising multiple interconnected services and entities. The core offering is the Steinbeis-Verbund (Steinbeis Network), a platform of around 1,000 transfer companies with 4,500 experts providing R&D, consulting, and education services. The operational entity is Steinbeis GmbH & Co. KG für Technologietransfer, which manages economic activities. The portfolio includes Company Building services for startup support, specialized consulting and expertise services, short consultations (Kurzberatung) for SMEs, and Steinbeis Hochschule for degree programs. Additional offerings comprise Steinbeis-Edition for specialist publications, Steinbeis-Haus Berlin-Adlershof as a rental facility, and the Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Gesellschaft for transfer-oriented research. Recognition programs include the Transferpreis (Löhn-Preis) and Steinbeis-Auszeichnung awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Steinbeis Hochschule: Private university (Steinbeis Hochschule) established in 1998, offering bachelor's and master's degree programs, founded with Johann Löhn as first president.
• Steinbeis-Edition
• Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Institut (FSTI)
• Steinbeis-Haus Berlin-Adlershof (SHBA)
• Steinbeis-Haus für Management und Technologie (SHMT)
• Transferpreis der Steinbeis-Stiftung – Löhn-Preis
• Steinbeis-Auszeichnung

Products and services

• Company Building Comprehensive startup support service helping founders establish and develop companies, offering legal structures, brand usage, strategy consulting, finance administration, HR support, and public relations. For innovative founders and academic entrepreneurs seeking to build and scale businesses.
• Forschung & Entwicklung (Research & Development) Application-oriented research services for developing and optimizing products, processes, and systems, including integration of new technologies. For industrial clients and SMEs across digitalization, AI, automation, materials science, manufacturing, and sustainability.
• Beratung & Expertisen (Consulting & Expertise) Specialist consulting services providing expertise teams for specific technical and management challenges, ranging from short consultations to comprehensive project consulting. For SMEs and industrial clients across technology and management fields.
• Aus- und Weiterbildung (Education & Training) Practical training formats including seminars, customized in-house workshops, and modular degree programs delivered to corporate clients and individuals.
• Kurzberatung (Short Consultation) Free short consultation service for SMEs in Baden-Württemberg providing quick expertise access for technology and management challenges. Available to companies with annual revenue under EUR 100 million registered in Baden-Württemberg; one consultation per company per year.
• Steinbeis Hochschule (Steinbeis University) Private university offering practical-oriented bachelor and master degree programs, founded in 1998 with Johann Löhn as first president until 2018. For students seeking practice-oriented higher education alongside professional work.
• Steinbeis-Edition Publishing house that publishes specialist publications from experts within the Steinbeis network. For practitioners, researchers, and professionals seeking expert content on technology transfer topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,500 companies founded since 1983, with ~1,000 still active today
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Germany's largest applied research organization with ~30,000 staff across 76 institutes, performing contract R&D for industry. Directly comparable to Steinbeis as a German technology/applied research transfer organization bridging academia and industry.
• Baden-Württemberg Stiftung: Major Baden-Württemberg state foundation supporting research, education, and social innovation. Operates in the same geography and mission space as Steinbeis-Stiftung, with overlapping donor and beneficiary networks.
• VolkswagenStiftung: One of Germany's largest science-focused foundations funding research and knowledge transfer. Comparable in foundation structure and mission of advancing research-science-to-application transfer, though at much larger scale.
• Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK): Germany's regional chambers of industry and commerce providing SME advisory services, training, and economic development support. Overlaps with Steinbeis's SME consulting and Kurzberatung offerings, though with a broader business-services mandate.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen (AiF): German umbrella organization coordinating industrial research associations across sectors, providing R&D funding and project brokerage for SMEs. Comparable to Steinbeis's SME-focused applied research and technology transfer mission.
• Bayerische Forschungsstiftung: Bavarian state research foundation funding applied R&D at universities and transferring results to industry. Directly comparable as a German state-level foundation promoting technology transfer between science and SMEs.

Broad incumbents

• Max Planck Society: Germany's premier basic research organization with 86 institutes. Adjacent to Steinbeis as a leading German research foundation, though focused on fundamental rather than applied/transfer research with industry.
• Leibniz Association: German research organization with 97 institutes covering social, educational, and applied sciences. Comparable foundation-style research infrastructure, though with broader scope than Steinbeis's applied technology transfer focus.
• Helmholtz Association: Germany's largest scientific organization with 18 research centers focused on big-science topics. Comparable as a major German research-transfer organization but with a broader, federally funded research mandate rather than SME-focused transfer.
• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG): Germany's central research funding organization supporting universities and research institutions. Comparable as a German research-grantmaking and knowledge-transfer institution, but with a university-focused rather than SME-focused constituency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Steinbeis_de
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpXd9eMAhVPbBX7IWC-R6YA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Steinbeis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steinbeis-stiftung-f%C3%BCr-wirtschaftsf%C3%B6rderung-stw-
• Instagraminstagram.com/steinbeis_de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steinbeis-Stiftung Für Wirtschaftsförderung (stw)