WFL - Wirtschaftsförderung Herzogtum Lauenburg

What WFL - Wirtschaftsförderung Herzogtum Lauenburg does

WFL Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Herzogtum Lauenburg mbH is the officially designated economic development agency for the Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Ratzeburg, the organization operates with a lean staff of 7 employees and is led by Managing Director Michaela Bierschwall under the supervisory chairmanship of Stephanie Kenzler. It serves three primary constituencies: local small and medium enterprises (KMUs) seeking advisory, talent, and real-estate support; founders and startups needing orientation, networking, and funding pathways; and school-leavers connecting with regional apprenticeship (Ausbildung) opportunities.

WFL's portfolio is service- and event-oriented rather than technology-product-oriented. Core offerings include the GründungsRaum Q&A and Impulse modules for aspiring entrepreneurs; the DyNobel Start-up Accelerator hosted at GITZ with Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, providing up to 30,000 EUR per team and supporting up to 10 teams annually; networking formats such as Visionista (female entrepreneurs) and Morning Pitch (digital transformation for SMEs); the Innovationswerkstatt Produktion von Morgen series on robotics and automation in partnership with Hanse Innovation Campus Lübeck universities; the annual Ausbildungsbroschüre distributed to all Gemeinschaftsschulen and Gymnasien; the AI-enabled Hanseatic Hackathon; Gewerbestandorte (commercial real estate advisory); and a regional newsletter. There is no proprietary software product; the underlying technology is a standard CMS-based web presence (gradwerk), social channels, and event operations.

The business model is anchored on municipal funding from Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg, supplemented by modest service and advertising fees (Ausbildungsbroschüre placements at 200-300 EUR + VAT per advertiser) and externally co-funded accelerator programming (Metropolregion Hamburg provides 500,000 EUR for DyNobel against a 1M EUR three-year pilot). Distribution is direct: advisory consultations, in-person events, school distributions, and digital channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram). The organization is embedded in a dense partnership network including Metropolregion Hamburg, HanseBelt e.V. (120+ member companies), Kreissparkasse Herzogtum Lauenburg, and multiple universities, making it a structural coordinator of regional economic activity rather than a commercial vendor.

Name

WFL - Wirtschaftsförderung Herzogtum Lauenburg

Legal name

Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft im Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg mbH

Website

https://wfl.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WFL Wirtschaftsförderung Herzogtum Lauenburg is the official regional economic development agency for the Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, providing advisory services, the DyNobel Accelerator, networking events, and apprenticeship platforms for local SMEs, founders, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Startup advisory services
• Business consulting
• Commercial real estate sites
• SME support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ratzeburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal and public funding: As a municipal economic development company (mbH), WFL receives funding from the Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg and other public sources to fulfill its economic development mandate.
2. Service fees for publications and events: WFL charges fees for promotional services such as Ausbildungsbroschüre placements (200-300 EUR) and event participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WFL is a public economic development agency for the Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg district that supports local SMEs, startups, and founders through advisory services, networking events (Visionista, Morning Pitch, Innovationswerkstatt), the DyNobel Start-up Accelerator, the annual Ausbildungsbroschüre training brochure, commercial real estate site consultation, and the Hanseatic Hackathon. It also engages students and school-leavers to address regional skills shortages by connecting them with apprenticeship opportunities.

Product overview

WFL is an economic development organization (Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft) for the Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Rather than a software product company, WFL provides a portfolio of business support services and programs. These include: startup support services (GründungsRaum Q&A and Impulse modules), the DyNobel Start-up Accelerator at GITZ, networking events (Visionista for female entrepreneurs), knowledge events (Morning Pitch, Innovationswerkstatt), the annual Ausbildungsbroschüre training brochure, commercial real estate consultation (Gewerbestandorte), the Hanseatic Hackathon event, and a regional newsletter. The organization acts as a bridge between businesses, startups, educational institutions, and the regional government to strengthen the local economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• The DyNobel Accelerator provides up to 30,000 EUR per startup team and up to 10 teams annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• GITZ GmbH (Geesthachter Innovations- und Technologiezentrum)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025The GITZ hosts the DyNobel Start-up Accelerator and provides infrastructure, expertise, and networks to translate research ideas into viable business models. Located in Geesthacht, near the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon research center.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum HereoncoreTechnology or Integration · 3 December 2025Leading research institution in Geesthacht that provides proximity to cutting-edge research for startups in materials science and sustainable production.
• Leuphana Universität LüneburgsupportingTechnology or Integration · 3 December 2025University partner providing academic support and potential for knowledge transfer to startups in the DyNobel program.
• Helmut-Schmidt-Universität HamburgsupportingTechnology or Integration · 3 December 2025University partner contributing to the innovation ecosystem supporting DyNobel Accelerator startups.
• Metropolregion HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Metropolregion Hamburg is a cross-state cooperation (Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein) with 20 districts/cities, focused on economic development, transport, tourism, and regional competitiveness. WFL participates as a partner representing the Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg, benefiting from the region's GDP of 234 billion EUR and 5.4M population.
• Land.Vorteil.GründungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-regional project strengthening founding activities across the districts of Herzogtum Lauenburg and Ludwigslust-Parchim, providing seminars and support for aspiring entrepreneurs.
• HanseBelt e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness initiative with over 120 member companies between Hamburg and Fehmarn, focused on attracting talent and businesses to the region by highlighting quality of life and career opportunities.
• Technische Hochschule LübecksupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnical university contributing to the Hanse Innovation Campus Lübeck and providing research expertise for the Innovationswerkstatt events on topics like robotics and automation for SMEs.
• Universität zu LübecksupportingTechnology or IntegrationUniversity partner in the Hanse Innovation Campus Lübeck research consortium, contributing to knowledge transfer and innovation support for regional businesses.
• WTSH (Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Technologiestiftung Schleswig-Holstein)supportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology foundation of Schleswig-Holstein providing expertise on funding and research collaboration for automation and robotics initiatives.
• Wirtschafts- und Aufbaugesellschaft Stormarn mbH (WAS)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEconomic development corporation of the neighboring Stormarn district, collaborating with WFL on joint events like Morning Pitch.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH: Berlin's municipal economic development agency; a larger, more resourced incumbent in the same economic development category, offering comparable business location, innovation, and cluster promotion services.
• NRW.Global Business GmbH: State-level economic development agency of North Rhine-Westphalia; comparable in delivering business promotion, foreign investment attraction, and innovation services as a public-sector development body.
• Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH (WRS): Regional economic development agency for the Stuttgart region; a larger peer offering the same portfolio of business support, innovation promotion, and cluster management as WFL.
• Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt - FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH: Regional economic development agency for the FrankfurtRheinMain metropolitan area; comparable business location and innovation promotion mandate at a larger metropolitan scale.

Direct peers

• GITZ Geesthachter Innovations- und Technologiezentrum GmbH: Innovation and technology center hosting the DyNobel Start-up Accelerator together with WFL; directly comparable in providing startup infrastructure, accelerator programs, and applied research translation in the same region.
• Metropolregion Hamburg: Cross-state economic development cooperation in which WFL is a partner; comparable in coordinating regional economic development across districts and securing co-funding for accelerators and infrastructure programs.
• Wirtschafts- und Aufbaugesellschaft Stormarn mbH (WAS): Economic development corporation for the neighboring Kreis Stormarn district in Schleswig-Holstein; runs comparable business advisory, events, and joint programming (e.g., Morning Pitch) with WFL.
• Hamburgische Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsförderung mbH (HWF Hamburg): Hamburg's municipal economic development agency and a key node in the Metropolregion Hamburg network that WFL participates in; offers directly comparable business promotion, location marketing, and innovation services.
• HanseBelt e.V. Business initiative between Hamburg and Fehmarn with 120+ member companies; directly comparable to WFL in promoting the regional economy, talent attraction, and networking among member firms in the same corridor.
• WTSH Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Technologiestiftung Schleswig-Holstein: State-level Wirtschaftsförderung and technology foundation for Schleswig-Holstein; directly comparable as a public economic development and innovation promotion body operating in WFL's home state and listed as a partner of WFL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wirtschaftsfoerderungherzogtumlauenburg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wirtschaftsf%C3%B6rderung-herzogtum-lauenburg
• Instagraminstagram.com/wf_lauenburg

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 WFL - Wirtschaftsförderung Herzogtum Lauenburg