klima.neutral.digital

What klima.neutral.digital does

Klima.Neutral.Digital is a non-profit Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum (SME digitalization center) operating under the legal entity Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V., based in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany. Founded in 2022, the center supports German small and medium-sized enterprises in pursuing climate-neutral digital transformation through a portfolio of free advisory services including Klima-Coaches, Transformations-Coaches, and KI-Trainer (AI trainers), supported by downloadable guides, podcasts, blog content, workshops, and events. Its operating model is consortium-based, combining expertise from five research partners: FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik (AI, digital twins, energy management, cybersecurity), Hahn-Schickard (sensors and microengineering), ZSW (sustainable energy and AutoML tools), microTEC Südwest (microtechnology), and Softwarezentrum Böblingen/Sindelfingen (software).

The center's technology portfolio consists of applied demonstrators rather than commercial software products. The Retrofit-Sensorik kit integrates sensors into existing production equipment in four staged approaches to enable condition monitoring and energy optimization. The AutoML MDZ Tool and KI-Lab.EE allow domain experts without programming expertise to build AI models. The MFCA Demonstrator applies Material Flow Cost Accounting with Umberto LCA+ to compute product carbon footprints. Digital twin demonstrators simulate production processes using AI image recognition and reinforcement learning, while the Lastmanagement advisory and Eflex demonstrator apply AI to intelligent energy load management across PV systems, EV charging, heat pumps, and storage. Together these demonstrators cover AI modalities across structured data, text, and image, addressing predictive analytics, anomaly detection, process automation, optimization, and reinforcement-learning-based scheduling.

The business model is non-commercial. The center was fully funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) as part of the Mittelstand-Digital Netzwerk for a three-year term that ended in May 2025; all advisory services and demonstrators are provided free of charge to eligible SMEs. The only out-of-pocket costs borne by clients are third-party expenses such as certifications or hardware like photovoltaic systems. Geographic reach is Germany-wide with partner offices in Villingen-Schwenningen, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, and Böblingen/Sindelfingen, and primary customer segments are manufacturing SMEs, craft businesses, and sustainability-focused startups. Following the end of dedicated program funding, the consortium continues to offer its KI-Trainer and Transformations-Coach services, though the long-term revenue and operating model post-2025 are not disclosed.

Name

klima.neutral.digital

Legal name

Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V.

Website

https://klima-neutral-digital.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Klima.Neutral.Digital is a German non-profit Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum, operated by Hahn-Schickard, that provides free advisory services, technology demonstrators, and AI training to help small and medium-sized enterprises achieve climate-neutral digital transformation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SME Sustainability and Digitalization Advisory

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory & Disclosure Strategy (CSRD/ESRS, ISSB/IFRS S2, SEC, TCFD) (EUABAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Climate Change Mitigation/Adaptation & Natural Resource Management Technical Assistance (BPADAEAJ)

Keywords

• SME digitalization consulting
• Climate neutrality advisory
• Sustainability transformation services
• AI implementation support
• Carbon footprint tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Villingen-Schwenningen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The center is fully funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, BMWK). All services to SMEs are provided free of charge. Funding for the Mittelstand-Digital Netzwerk ended in May 2025, but the center continues operations with its team of experts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Klima.Neutral.Digital provides free advisory and implementation services to German small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on digital transformation and climate neutrality. Its core offerings include Klima-Coaches (holistic four-step sustainability consulting), Transformations-Coaches, KI-Trainer:innen (AI implementation support), Digitalisierungsprojekte, and a portfolio of technology demonstrators (Retrofit-Sensorik, AutoML MDZ, MFCA, Digital Twin, Load Management) that SMEs can experience and adopt. All services are funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK).

Product overview

Klima.Neutral.Digital is a government-funded Mittelstand-Digital Center (SME digitization center) focused on helping small and medium enterprises achieve climate neutrality through digitalization. Rather than a single software product, it offers a portfolio of advisory services including Klima-Coaches for holistic sustainability consulting, KI-Trainer for AI implementation support, and technology demonstrators. The center provides free initial consultations, workshops, and downloadable resources including guides on sustainable production, AI terminology sheets, and CO2 assessment questionnaires. Key technology demonstrations include Retrofit-Sensorik for machine energy monitoring, AutoML MDZ Tool for automated machine learning, MFCA tools for carbon footprint calculation, and Digital Twin demonstrators for production optimization. All services are funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and are free for SMEs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Klima-Coaches Free holistic consulting service supporting German SMEs on their path to climate neutrality through a four-step plan: strategy development, ist-analysis, identification of measures, and a concrete action plan. Delivered by Klima-Coaches from the consortium partner organizations.
• Transformations-Coaches Coaches who guide companies through organizational transformation towards digital and sustainable business models. Provided free of charge as part of the BMWK-funded center.
• KI-Trainer:innen (AI Trainers) AI trainers from the partner organizations (FZI, ZSW, etc.) who support SMEs in implementing AI solutions, from initial introductory lectures to detailed feasibility studies and use-case identification.
• Digitalisierungsprojekte (Digitalization Projects) Digitalization projects implemented in collaboration with SMEs to apply digital technologies for sustainability goals, free of charge as part of the BMWK-funded consortium.
• MFCA Demonstrator (Material Flow Cost Accounting) Sustainability modeling and assessment tool using Material Flow Cost Accounting methodology (Umberto LCA+ software) to calculate the Product Carbon Footprint of manufacturing products quickly and easily, enabling companies to identify optimization opportunities.
• Retrofit-Sensorik Demonstrator Sensor kit demonstrator for retrofitting older machines with sensors across four integration stages (Huckepack, Kooperativ, Integrativ, Disruptiv) to measure energy consumption and enable condition monitoring, process optimization, and energy efficiency improvements.
• AutoML MDZ Tool / KI-Lab.EE Automated Machine Learning tool developed by ZSW that enables domain experts without programming skills to create AI models for their specific applications. Includes the No-Code KI-Lab.EE platform.
• Digitaler Zwilling / Smart Twins Demonstrator Digital twin technology demonstrator showing how virtual replicas of production systems and AI-based image recognition optimize production processes; example application uses insect farming (mealworm larvae) for process optimization.
• Eflex Demonstrator (Energy-flexible production) Demonstrator showing how AI tools and reinforcement learning methods enable energy-flexible production planning, optimizing the use of renewable energy and electricity-price-driven load shifting in manufacturing.
• Lastmanagement-Beratung (Load Management Consulting) Consulting service helping SMEs identify load management potentials to reduce costs by intelligently controlling flexible electricity consumption from PV systems, EV charging, heat pumps, and storage units based on renewable energy availability, electricity prices, and grid needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Soll- und Liegezeiten (production planning times) reduced by up to 50% through AI-driven optimization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• FZI Forschungszentrum InformatikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading research center for informatics providing expertise in AI, digital twins, intelligent energy management, and cybersecurity. Contributes KI-Trainer and Klima-Coach expertise, and leads the AG IT-Sicherheit working group.
• Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplied research institute responsible for the center's operations. Located in Villingen-Schwenningen with expertise in sensor integration, microengineering, and retrofit solutions. Dr. Karl-Peter Fritz serves as key contact.
• Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center for solar energy and hydrogen research contributing expertise in sustainable energy systems, AutoML tools (KI-Lab.EE, AutoML MDZ Tool), and renewable energy integration. Jessica Hofmann serves as KI-Trainer contact.
• microTEC Südwest e.V.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology cluster for microtechnology in Southwest Germany, contributing expertise in microtechnology applications for digitalization and sustainability.
• Softwarezentrum Böblingen/Sindelfingen e.V.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoftware center contributing expertise in software development, digital solutions, and digitalization strategies for SMEs. Johanna Gelzer serves as website contact.
• Transferstelle Cybersicherheit im MittelstandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational transfer point for cybersecurity in SMEs, providing support for prevention, detection, and response to cyberattacks. Offers information and qualification formats, events, and a detection and response platform.
• AG IT-SicherheitsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking group serving as liaison between Transferstelle Cybersicherheit and Mittelstand-Digital centers across Germany. Coordinated by FZI, provides ISMS coaching and cybersecurity information materials.
• Mittelstand-Digital NetzwerkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of Mittelstand-Digital centers funded by BMWK. The Klima.Neutral.Digital center is part of this network, collaborating with other centers across Germany to support SME digitalization.
• Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung (DITF)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubcontractor developing the MFCA demonstrator for sustainability modeling and product carbon footprint calculation. Specializes in intelligent, sustainable production.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Handel: A sister Mittelstand-Digital center also funded under the same BMWK program; offers free advisory and demonstrators to a different SME vertical (retail/trade) and shares the same federal funding model, network structure, and value proposition framework as Klima.Neutral.Digital.
• Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum: Another government-funded Mittelstand-Digital-format center delivering free digitalization and AI advisory to SMEs through regional partners and demonstrators, structurally identical to Klima.Neutral.Digital but with different thematic emphasis and geography.
• RKW Rationalisierungs- und Innovationszentrum: Federal SME advisory organization offering consulting on digitalization, innovation, and sustainability topics, including funding program guidance similar to Klima.Neutral.Digital's offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Germany's largest applied-research organization; conducts SME-focused technology transfer, demonstrators, and applied AI/energy/sensor projects through its75+ institutes, overlapping heavily with Klima.Neutral.Digital's domain coverage but at much greater scale and across multiple industries.
• Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena): Germany's energy transition agency providing energy-efficiency, decarbonization, and sustainability advisory to companies including SMEs; overlaps directly with Klima.Neutral.Digital's energy-management and load-management services at a national scale.
• DEKRA: Global testing, inspection, and certification organization that also delivers sustainability, CSRD, and supply-chain compliance advisory to mid-market and enterprise clients; competes for the same SME compliance-driven engagements.
• TÜV Rheinland: Major German testing/certification body that offers sustainability, carbon-footprint, and CSRD-related advisory services to industrial and SME clients, addressing overlapping regulatory-compliance needs.
• Industrie- und Handelskammer (DIHK): German chambers of industry and commerce providing free and paid advisory services to SMEs on regulatory, digitalization, and sustainability topics, with established regional branch networks across Germany that mirror Klima.Neutral.Digital's target customer base.

Emerging players

• ClimatePartner: Commercial climate-consulting and carbon-accounting platform serving SMEs and mid-market companies with PCF calculation and offset products; competes for the same SME CSRD/LkSG advisory wallet as Klima.Neutral.Digital but on a paid SaaS basis.

Others

• Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW): ZSW is both a Klima.Neutral.Digital partner and a peer-level applied-research entity delivering AutoML tools and energy-management demonstrators to industrial clients; the close overlap is reflected in its dual role within the consortium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Klima.Neutral.Digital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/klima-neutral-digital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 klima.neutral.digital