ThinkTank OWL

What ThinkTank OWL does

ThinkTank OWL is a non-profit research transfer organization headquartered at the Bielefeld Research and Innovation Campus (BRIC) in Bielefeld, Germany. Founded in 2021 and operating with a core team of approximately 7-8 staff, the organization positions itself as the centralized R&D department for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) region. It provides no commercial software products; instead, its core offering is a transfer service that facilitates direct access to over 2,500 researchers across 25+ research institutes at Universität Bielefeld and Hochschule Bielefeld (HSBI), organized around seven thematic fields: Biotechnology, Data Science, Materials Research, Health & Care, AI & Human-Machine Interaction, Smart Products and Services, and Societal Changes.

The business model is institutionally funded rather than commercially priced. Revenue (not publicly disclosed) is derived from government support, institutional partnerships, and regional economic development programs, including backing from Stadt Bielefeld and IHK Ostwestfalen. As of the available data, ThinkTank OWL has facilitated 184 transfer projects, hosted 99 events, and engaged 844 corporate contacts. Notable facilitated projects include ATTRACAP (biological pest control with BIOCARE GmbH), PAGAnInI (mobility training with social services partners), SolarFlex (textile-integrated solar cells with Textildruckerei Lunzenau and Wenzel & Hoos), MOSES (acoustic camera algorithms with CAE Software), and AI-powered logistics optimization with Weber Data Service IT GmbH. The organization also operates the Win4OWL thematic initiative focused on sustainable transformation for regional SMEs.

ThinkTank OWL is led by Managing Director Pedro Campos Silva, supported by a team of innovation managers (Claudia Lex, Klaus Jansen, Melina Grothues, Annika Lemke). It is legally structured as part of Bielefeld Research + Innovation Campus GmbH (BRIC), a private limited company (GmbH) registered in Germany. The organization is not VC- or PE-backed, has no external funding rounds, and has no parent holding company identified. Its competitive position rests on its role as the regional coordinator between academic research and SME demand, with no disclosed commercial pricing and no equity ownership structure beyond its institutional anchoring within the BRIC campus.

Name

ThinkTank OWL

Legal name

Bielefeld Research + Innovation Campus GmbH (BRIC)

Website

https://thinktank-owl.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ThinkTank OWL is a non-profit research transfer organization in Bielefeld, Germany, that connects SMEs in Ostwestfalen-Lippe with 2,500+ researchers across 25+ institutes at Universität Bielefeld and HSBI, coordinating applied R&D projects across seven thematic fields including biotechnology, AI, and data science.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research & Development Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Research transfer services
• Technology transfer
• Academic-industry collaboration
• Innovation management
• R&D facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Transfer & Innovation Services: Non-profit research transfer organization providing R&D services to SMEs in Ostwestfalen-Lippe region. Funded through government support, institutional partnerships, and regional economic development programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ThinkTank OWL functions as a centralized research and development department for small and medium-sized enterprises in Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Germany. The organization facilitates direct access to research expertise from over 2,500 scientists across 25+ research institutes and centers, organized around seven thematic fields (Biotechnology, Data Science, Material Research, Health & Care, AI & Human-Machine Interaction, Smart Products and Services, and Societal Changes). Services include transfer project facilitation, R&D collaboration, innovation workshops, and connecting regional SMEs with academic research infrastructure.

Product overview

ThinkTank OWL functions as a centralized research and development department for small and medium-sized enterprises in Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Germany. The organization does not offer a unified software platform or product suite; rather, it provides access to a network of over 2,500 researchers across seven thematic fields (Biotechnology, Data Science, Material Research, Health & Care, AI & Human-Machine Interaction, Smart Products and Services, and Societal Changes) via 25 research institutes. Its primary offerings are transfer project facilitation and access to research expertise, not commercial software products. Notable facilitated projects include ATTRACAP biological pest control, PAGAnInI mobility training system, and SolarFlex textile solar cells. The organization operates as part of the Bielefeld Research and Innovation Campus (BRIC) and maintains partnerships with HSBI (Hochschule Bielefeld), Universität Bielefeld, IHK Ostwestfalen, and the City of Bielefeld.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ThinkTank OWL Research Transfer Services A research and development facilitation service connecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ostwestfalen-Lippe with research expertise from over 2,500 scientists across 25 research institutes and centers. The service provides direct access to seven thematic fields: Biotechnology, Data Science, Material Research, Health & Care, AI & Human-Machine Interaction, Smart Products and Services, and Societal Changes.
• Win4OWL - Sustainable Transformation A thematic initiative focused on sustainable transformation in Ostwestfalen-Lippe, facilitating research transfer projects that address environmental and sustainability challenges for regional SMEs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 184 transfer projects completed connecting research with industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Universität BielefeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore academic partner providing research expertise across biotechnology, data science, AI, and societal research. Multiple institutes collaborate through ThinkTank OWL including CeBiTec, BIBI, CITEC, CoR-Lab, and others.
• Hochschule Bielefeld (HSBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Applied Sciences partner contributing applied research across engineering, health, social work, and design. Key institutes include ITES, BIfAM, ISyM, CfADS, and others.
• Bielefeld Research + Innovation Campus GmbH (BRIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization and host of ThinkTank OWL, representing the unified innovation campus of Bielefeld's higher education institutions.
• IHK Ostwestfalen (Bielefeld Chamber of Commerce)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Chamber of Commerce partner supporting industry connections and economic development in Ostwestfalen-Lippe.
• Stadt Bielefeld (City of Bielefeld)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner providing regional support and infrastructure for the innovation campus.
• Textildruckerei LunzenauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner collaborating on SolarFlex project for textile-integrated solar cells.
• Wenzel & Hoos GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTextile manufacturer partner in SolarFlex project for developing photovoltaic textile materials.
• BIOCARE GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in ATTRACAP project, responsible for commercial distribution of the biological pest control product.
• Weber Data Service IT GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoftware company collaborating with FH Bielefeld on AI-powered logistics optimization research projects.
• Von Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen (bethel.regional, pro.werk)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services foundation partners in PAGAnInI mobility training project for people with cognitive impairments.
• Lebenshilfe Brakel Wohnen Bildung Freizeit gGmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services organization collaborating on Förges 3 health promotion project for people with intellectual disabilities.
• Flex Eingliederungshilfe der Diakonischen Stiftung UmmelnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services partner in PAGAnInI project for mobility training systems.
• AWO Siegen-WittgensteinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial welfare organization partner in PAGAnInI mobility training research.
• Türkisch-Deutsche Universität Istanbul (TDU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partner contributing students to the WWF digital marketing collaboration project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's leading applied research organization with 76 institutes conducting contract research for industry. Directly comparable in facilitating R&D between academia and industry, though much larger and federally funded.
• Steinbeis Stiftung: Germany's largest private technology transfer network, operating Steinbeis Centers at universities to deliver applied research and consulting for SMEs. Highly comparable to ThinkTank OWL as a university-anchored transfer intermediary, but at national scale.

Direct peers

• regional.transfer.nrw: NRW-wide state initiative connecting academic research with SME innovation needs. Comparable as a publicly funded transfer hub operating in the same German state, with broader geographic scope than ThinkTank OWL.
• ZENIT GmbH: NRW-based innovation consultancy for SMEs supporting technology transfer, EU funding access, and R&D collaboration. Closely comparable in mission and regional ecosystem focus within the same German state.
• VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH: German technology and innovation consultancy that supports R&D program management, technology transfer, and SME-facing innovation services. Directly comparable in acting as a bridge between research institutions and industrial users.
• Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO): German innovation network supporting technology transfer, startup creation, and SME-academia collaboration, anchored around aerospace and high-tech research. Comparable as a regional-to-national transfer intermediary with community-led GTM.

Regional players

• Bayern Innovativ: Bavarian state innovation hub connecting SMEs with research expertise across multiple technology fields. Closely comparable regional transfer model in a different German state, demonstrating regional scalability of the ThinkTank OWL playbook.
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Berlin's public innovation and economic development agency connecting companies with research institutions and funding. Comparable as a regional publicly-backed innovation intermediary serving SMEs with research collaboration services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thinktank-owl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thinktank-owl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ThinkTank OWL