Gruendungswerft
Gruendungswerft e.V. is a non-profit community network founded in 2021 in Greifswald, Germany, connecting 532+ founders, startups, investors, and corporates across 14 locations in Northern Germany via membership, events, and digital platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersGreifswald, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Gruendungswerft does
Gruendungswerft e.V. is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2021 and headquartered in Greifswald, Germany. The organization operates as the largest startup and founding initiative in Northern Germany, providing a community-driven network for founders, startups, self-employed professionals, investors, and corporate partners. It serves over 532 paying members across 14 locations and 12 regional associations (Verbände), spanning from Lübeck to Stralsund across Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein. Operations are volunteer-led through a matrix organization of 14 Standortleitungen (location leads) and 8 Ressortleitungen (department leads), with a board of three co-chairs: Chuck Henjes (CEO and co-founder), Laura Maslo (CEO), and Michael Engel (Finance). The organization states fewer than 20 employees are regularly involved in automated personal data processing, implying minimal or no paid headcount.
The product surface consists of community membership, a dedicated event platform (events.gruendungswerft.com), a private member intranet (member.gruendungswerft.com), a searchable and map-based ecosystem directory (ecosystem.gruendungswerft.com), and a ~600-person WhatsApp community group. The organization runs approximately 50 events per year — including regular Stammtische, the GreenSummit conference, the Himmel der Möwen pitch event, the Hansetum summit, Founders & Investors matching events, and monthly TownHall meetings — and distributes editorial content via its Founders Update digital magazine and ~10,000 social media followers that generate up to 2 million impressions annually. A Benefit and Provisions platform enabling members to offer services and generate commercial cooperation is in development but not yet operational. No proprietary AI/ML, software-as-a-service products, or technology IP are offered.
Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) recurring membership fees paid by individuals, startups, and companies (no public pricing) and (2) a four-tier corporate partner sponsorship program — Bronze at €1,500/year, Silver at €3,000/year, Gold at €5,000/year (capped at 10 partners), and Platinum at €10,000/year (capped at 5 partners). As a non-profit, all revenue is reinvested into the ecosystem. Strategic partnerships include Startup Verband, Ocean Technology Campus Rostock and its Maritime Incubator, all universities and universities of applied sciences in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Digitales Innovationszentrum Greifswald, Zukunftszentrum DeveLUP (Ludwigslust), InnovationPort Wismar, MakerPort Stralsund, and ACCELERATE:MV. Investor members include ESB Invest, Stagge Holding GmbH, GENIUS Venture Capital, Baltic Incubate Business Angel Network MV, and inVENTURE GmbH.
Gruendungswerft firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gruendungswerft
- Legal name
- Gründungswerft e.V.
- Website
- https://gruendungswerft.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gruendungswerft e.V. is a non-profit community network founded in 2021 in Greifswald, Germany, connecting 532+ founders, startups, investors, and corporates across 14 locations in Northern Germany via membership, events, and digital platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gruendungswerft industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Community & Entrepreneurship Association Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
Keywords
Where Gruendungswerft is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greifswald
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gruendungswerft business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Individuals, startups, and companies pay membership fees to join the network. The organization had 532+ paying members as of the data sources.
- Partner/Sponsor Tiers: Corporate partners pay annual sponsorship fees at four tiers: Bronze (€1,500/year), Silber (€3,000/year), Gold (€5,000/year), and Platin (€10,000/year). All revenue is reinvested into building the startup ecosystem as the organization is non-profit.
- Benefit and Commission Platform (in development): A commission and benefit platform for members is under development to enable members to offer services and cooperate commercially, generating platform-based revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Bronze Partner — €1,500/year — for companies wanting visible support of the startup scene |
| Subscription | Annual | Silber (Silver) Partner — €3,000/year — for companies actively engaging with founders and startups |
| Subscription | Annual | Gold Partner — €5,000/year — maximum 10 Gold Partners allowed — for leading supporters of the startup scene |
| Subscription | Annual | Platin (Platinum) Partner — €10,000/year — maximum 5 partners allowed — for strategic ecosystem co-creation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Gruendungswerft product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gruendungswerft is a non-profit community network that sells memberships to founders, startups, investors, and corporate supporters and operates a year-round program of around 50–100 community events for the Northern German startup ecosystem. Its commercial offerings center on paid individual and organizational community memberships, tiered partner sponsorship packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) that give corporate partners visibility and access to talent, and supporting digital infrastructure including an event platform, a member portal, an ecosystem map, and the "Founders Update" digital magazine.
Product overview
Gruendungswerft (Gründungswerft e.V.) is a non-profit, member-based networking and community platform for founders, startups, self-employed professionals, and innovators in northern Germany. It is not a software product platform in the traditional SaaS sense — it does not offer a unified product with modules. Instead, its offering consists of community membership, an events platform, an online member directory/map, a WhatsApp community group (~600 members), a digital magazine (Founders Update), and a benefit/provisions platform (under development). The core offering is the collective network itself, supplemented by in-person and online events, digital reach across social media channels, and a member onboarding/intranet system. There are no individually branded software products or modules offered as standalone offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Founders Update: Regular news format featuring founders and startup stories
- GreenSummit
- Founders & Investors
- Hansetum
- Himmel der Möwen
- TownHall-Meetings
- Bronze Partner
- Silver Partner
- Gold Partner
- Platinum Partner
Products and services
- Community Membership
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 2 million impressions per year across all channels
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gruendungswerft
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gruendungswerft technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gruendungswerft partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Startup Verband (German Startup Association)coreThe German Startup Association (Startup Verband) is listed as a key association partner of Gründungswerft. The association is one of 12 Verbände affiliated with the network, providing national-level representation and connection to the broader German startup ecosystem.
- Ocean Technology Campus (OTC) RostockcoreA strategic partnership with the OTC Rostock and its Maritime Incubator to connect startups with the maritime technology cluster. The collaboration supports founders in accessing research infrastructure, mentorship, industry partners, and funding for maritime ventures. Joint events and communication initiatives are planned.
- Digitales Innovationszentrum Greifswald (DIZ Greifswald)coreDigital Innovation Center Greifswald is a member and strategic partner, providing physical space, startup support, and regional innovation infrastructure. It is one of several DIZ (Digitales Innovationszentrum) locations in the network, including DIZ Schwerin, DIZ Rostock, and DIZ Neubrandenburg.
- FoundersBayminorAn accelerator and consulting member that provides startup acceleration services and education, operating as part of the ecosystem.
- GründerMV (central founding platform of the state)coreGründerMV is the central founding platform of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Gründungswerft works closely with it, and some staff (like Maria Zänger) work across both organizations. It provides state-level resources and a project management team (GründerMV project).
- InnovationPort WismarminorAn innovation center member based in Wismar, providing startup support and regional innovation infrastructure in that location.
- MakerPort StralsundminorMaker and innovation space member in Stralsund, supporting hardware and maker startups in the ecosystem.
- ACCELERATE:MVminorAn accelerator program active in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that supports startups in the region, with members participating in the Gründungswerft ecosystem.
- All universities and universities of applied sciences in MVcoreAccording to CEO Chuck Henjes, all universities and universities of applied sciences in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are members or partners of Gründungswerft, providing a direct pipeline of talent, research, and entrepreneurship education into the ecosystem.
- Zukunftszentrum DeveLUP (Ludwigslust)coreThe Zukunftszentrum DeveLUP in Ludwigslust is both a member and key partner. It houses the startup coordinator Henrik Wegner, who actively promotes both DeveLUP and Gründungswerft in the region.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gruendungswerft competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Startupbootcamp: A global accelerator network with industry-specific programs. Comparable in mission (supporting early-stage founders through structured programs, mentorship, and investor access) but operates at much larger scale and with corporate sponsorship rather than community funding.
- Founder Institute: The world's largest pre-seed accelerator, operating globally with chapters across Europe. Comparable as both organizations run structured startup programs, mentorship, and investor matching for early-stage founders, though at very different scales.
Direct peers
- Startup Verband: Germany's national startup association. Both organizations are non-profit associations serving founders and startups, and Startup Verband is explicitly listed as a key Verbände partner of Gruendungswerft, making it the closest direct comparable in mission and structure.
- Ocean Technology Campus (OTC) Rostock: A strategic partner maritime incubator in Rostock that connects startups with maritime industry. Comparable as both organizations run industry-specific startup support programs and co-host ecosystem events in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
- FoundersBay: An accelerator and consulting member based in Lietzow that operates inside the Gruendungswerft network. Both organizations run education and acceleration programs for early-stage founders in Northern Germany.
- ACCELERATE:MV: A regional accelerator program in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern whose participants are also members of the Gruendungswerft ecosystem. Both organizations provide startup support, events, and investor connections in the same geography.
- Zukunftszentrum DeveLUP: An innovation center in Ludwigslust whose startup coordinator also serves as Standortleitung for Gruendungswerft. The two organizations co-host events and share resources for founders in the Ludwigslust region.
- GründerMV: The central state-level founding platform of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Both organizations share staff and operate as ecosystem platforms for founders in the same state, with GründerMV functioning as the public-sector counterpart to Gruendungswerft's community-led model.
- InnovationPort Wismar: A regional innovation center in Wismar that is a member and strategic partner of Gruendungswerft. Both organizations provide co-working, startup support, and event programming in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region.
Emerging players
- Impact Hub: A global network of impact-focused community hubs and incubators. Comparable because both build community-driven ecosystems around entrepreneurship, offer membership tiers, and run events for founders and innovators.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Gruendungswerft social profiles
Digital presenceGruendungswerft financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gruendungswerft leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Gruendungswerft funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gruendungswerft M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gruendungswerft
What does Gruendungswerft do?
Gruendungswerft is a non-profit community network that sells memberships to founders, startups, investors, and corporate supporters and operates a year-round program of around 50–100 community events for the Northern German startup ecosystem. Its commercial offerings center on paid individual and organizational community memberships, tiered partner sponsorship packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) that give corporate partners visibility and access to talent, and supporting digital infrastructure including an event platform, a member portal, an ecosystem map, and the "Founders Update" digital magazine.
Is Gruendungswerft a public or private company?
Gruendungswerft is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Gruendungswerft founded?
Gruendungswerft was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gruendungswerft based?
Gruendungswerft is headquartered in Greifswald, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Gruendungswerft make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are partner/Sponsor Tiers and benefit and Commission Platform (in development).
Who are Gruendungswerft's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Startupbootcamp and Founder Institute. Direct peers are Startup Verband, Ocean Technology Campus (OTC) Rostock, FoundersBay, ACCELERATE:MV, Zukunftszentrum DeveLUP, GründerMV and InnovationPort Wismar. Impact Hub is listed as an emerging player.
Does Gruendungswerft have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gruendungswerft.
What industry is Gruendungswerft in?
Gruendungswerft's product category is Startup Community & Entrepreneurship Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.