When the town of Walldorf, SAP SE and the FZI Research Centre for Information Technology founded innoWerft in 2010, they were driven by a clear conviction: good ideas need more than just good intentions. They need access to experience, networks, capital and initial customers.
Fifteen years on, this idea has grown into a well-established player in the start-up ecosystem.
From the initial idea to a start-up network
Since its foundation, innoWerft has been supporting technology-focused B2B start-ups in the early stages of their development. It helps founders to refine their business models, attract their first customers, develop sales strategies and find funding partners.
Over the years, the original concept of support has evolved into a comprehensive network. Today, innoWerft sees itself not only as an accelerator, but also as an investor, sparring partner, door-opener and bridge-builder between start-ups, established companies, research institutions and investors.
It currently supports 25 start-ups at various stages of development, employs 18 staff and works with a network of around 350 investment partners. Through its programmes, innoWerft reaches around 200 B2B tech start-ups each year.
These figures illustrate the trend over recent years. However, the real story of innoWerft is told by the people behind it: founding teams who turn a technological idea into a viable business; mentors who pass on their experience; investors who place their trust in the venture at an early stage; and partners who open up access to markets and networks.
Innovation arises from collaboration
„15 years of innoWerft stand for courage, ideas, entrepreneurial spirit and the future,“ emphasised Walldorf’s mayor, Matthias Renschler, during the anniversary event. innoWerft has become a key driver of economic development and demonstrates that innovation does not arise just anywhere, but right here on the ground – in an environment that not only welcomes new ideas but actively enables them.
It is precisely this combination of local commitment, business experience and scientific expertise that is regarded as a key strength of the model. The three shareholders – the City of Walldorf, SAP and FZI – bring different perspectives to the table, yet all pursue a common goal: to support innovative start-up founders at an early stage.
Sebastian Behrendt, a member of SAP’s Extended Executive Board, also emphasised the importance of this collaboration in his welcoming address. Innovation arises through collaboration, not in isolation. The partnership with innoWerft makes it possible to open doors to knowledge, capital and networks for start-ups. At the same time, established companies also benefit from new technologies, external perspectives and entrepreneurial thinking.
This collaboration works both ways: start-ups gain access to established structures, whilst companies are exposed to new solutions, business models and entrepreneurial talent at an early stage.
Achievements with substance
The development of innoWerft now also includes its first successful exits. These demonstrate that targeted support can lead to economic value creation.
At the same time, innoWerft remains committed to its original mission. It is not a purely profit-driven investment company, but rather an instrument for promoting innovation and economic development. Its success is therefore measured not solely by the sale of shareholdings or financial indicators, but equally by the new companies established, the jobs created, the networks built up and the long-term partnerships formed.
It is precisely this long-term perspective that has helped innoWerft to make a name for itself beyond the region.
An anniversary with an eye to the future
Our 15th anniversary therefore marks not an end, but a milestone.
The coming years will present new challenges for start-ups and innovation promoters. Artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sustainability, skills shortages and international competitive pressure are transforming markets and business models at a rapid pace.
This makes places where new ideas can be tested at an early stage, further developed and brought together with the right partners all the more important.
InnoWerft aims to continue to be just such a place in the future: a place for entrepreneurial courage, for collaboration and for the development of technologies that can shape new markets.
The anniversary therefore did not merely celebrate the past 15 years. It was also a commitment to what has defined innoWerft since its foundation: innovation arises where people share their knowledge, open doors and take joint responsibility for new ideas.
About innoWerft
innoWerft is a start-up accelerator and early-stage investor based in Walldorf. It supports technology-focused B2B start-ups in developing their business models, entering the market, sales, and gaining access to customers, capital and networks.
The shareholders of innoWerft are the City of Walldorf, SAP SE and the FZI Research Centre for Information Technology. The aim is to provide long-term support for innovative start-up projects, to foster collaboration between start-ups and established companies, and to make a sustainable contribution to the competitiveness of the region as a centre for innovation.