Venture Clienting means that established companies become (early) customers of startups rather than investing in them directly. The goal: to benefit quickly from cutting-edge technologies and solutions – without long investment processes. Both corporates and startups benefit:
Stratosfare
Technologien wirksam machen
Technologien wirksam machen
Innovation scheitert selten an Ideen – sondern an fehlender Wirkung. Stratosfare unterstützt Unternehmen dabei, in der Vielzahl neuer Technologien Klarheit zu gewinnen und konsequent zu handeln.
Wir identifizieren, testen und integrieren Technologien und Startup-Innovationen dort, wo sie Prozesse verbessern, Kosten senken oder neue Geschäftsfelder ermöglichen. Gleichzeitig bündeln wir die Innovationskraft und Erfahrung führender Unternehmen, um Zukunftsthemen gemeinsam voranzutreiben – durch strukturierten Austausch auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen sowie gemeinsame Studien, Wissensbasis und Finanzierung.
Boosting.
Companies benefit by testing, purchasing, and integrating startup solutions quickly and effectively into their products and processes. Venture Clienting is a boost – for corporates and startups alike.
Innovation.
Companies discover startup technologies and solutions that improve – or even reinvent – their products and processes. This is how real transformation happens: inside organizations and across entire industries.
Together.
Stratosfare was founded by companies for companies. Collaboration across company boundaries makes Venture Clienting even more powerful – through shared knowledge and collective success.
Benefits for corporates
More innovations:
Leverage the creativity and agility of startups to optimize, complement, or completely rethink your products and processes. Together, we identify your key innovation fields – and connect you with the right startups.
Competitive advantage and new business:
Venture Clienting accelerates technology adoption – creating a competitive advantage. Whether through cost savings, increased efficiency, or new revenues from fresh markets and products.
Lower costs, GREATER impact:
At Stratosfare, companies collaborate closely – sharing both costs and workload. At the same time, the exchange of knowledge and experience maximizes the value of Venture Clienting.
Advantages for start-ups
Paying customers and shorter sales cycles
We connect startups with companies that know what they want. Both sides benefit from faster, more focused collaboration.
Hidden Champions as Clients and Partners
Stratosfare opens doors to the it’s OWL network – over 200 leading companies, often tech leaders or hidden champions, who can support your growth with expertise and market access.
Corporate Venture Capital
A pilot project is the perfect chance for startups and corporates to get to know each other – and can be a strong foundation for strategic investment if desired.
„STRATOSFARE ermöglicht uns einen wertvollen, direkten Austausch mit anderen Unternehmen. Wir profitieren nicht nur von Kooperationen mit Startups, sondern vor allem auch von den Synergien und dem offenen Teilen von Best Practices innerhalb der Initiative. So lernen wir kontinuierlich voneinander und entwickeln uns gemeinsam weiter."
Rebecca Hanke, Technology Scout, Miele & Cie. KG
„Durch Stratosfare gewinnen wir nicht nur Zugang zu neuen Startup-Technologien, sondern profitieren vor allem vom branchenübergreifenden Erfahrungsaustausch. In einem geschützten Rahmen diskutieren wir konkrete Herausforderungen und beschleunigen so unsere eigene Innovationskraft durch externe Impulse.“
Kai Wiening, Senior Venture Manager, CLAAS KGaA mbH
„Durch Stratosfare schaffen wir eine Plattform, auf der wir gemeinsam mit Start-ups Innovation beschleunigen und strategisch Mehrwert generieren – für unsere Kunden, unsere Partner und den Markt von morgen."
Dr.-Ing. Mareen Tack, VP Corporate Innovation & Exploration, WAGO GmbH & Co. KG
„Ich war verantwortlich dafür, das Venture-Clienting bei WAGO aufzubauen. Der Austausch mit anderen Unternehmen im Netzwerk war für mich besonders wertvoll. Gleichzeitig liefert Stratosfare uns kontinuierlich neue Impulse und unterstützt bei Bedarf in allen Prozessschritten."
Marie Bierbüsse, Startup Program Manager, WAGO GmbH & Co. KG
„Mit Stratosfare bauen wir sukzessive unser Venture-Clienting auf und profitieren von einem starken Netzwerk. Erste Pilotprojekte zeigen bereits, wie wertvoll diese Partnerschaft für die Innovationskraft von GEA ist."
Hilmar Reif, Specialist Innovation, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft
How we work
Scout
We identify innovation opportunities across business and functional areas – and find the right startup partners.
Create
We bring startups and companies together in a structured process to test solutions quickly in real environments.
Integrate
A pilot project shows how the solution can be integrated and scaled – unleashing its full innovative potential.
Connecting Companies and Startups Worldwide
We deliver impact through a global network, hands-on collaboration, and a high success rate. At a glance:
1.500
+
curated startups in our database
35
+
PoC projects
10
+
Ecosystem Partner
10
+
Countries active
Success stories
The following success stories show how startups and companies have formed valuable partnerships through our platform.
Product identification with the smartphone
The aim of the pilot project was to strengthen the "app" customer interface with an image recognition feature. The company's large product portfolio, many small items and use in the construction industry prevent the use of QR codes, which are then too small or become detached over time. A start-up solution for image recognition with a smartphone was tested, which requires little training. After successful testing, the white label solution was integrated into the company app to make more than 20,000 items quickly findable and reorderable in the future.
Knowledge management with quick step-by-step instructions
Knowledge management is a major challenge for many companies. Particularly in complex work processes or during maintenance work, a lot of time is needed to impart in-depth expert knowledge. The aim of the project was to use software to quickly and easily create step-by-step instructions using augmented reality glasses or tablets. This means that instructions can be created by the experts themselves and used directly without time-consuming reworking. Knowledge about even complex work processes, e.g. in production or service, can be easily passed on.
Intelligent license management
The number of different software tools in the company is increasing, particularly through SaaS, and there is a rapid lack of transparency as to who uses which licenses and which licenses are no longer required. The first test with a start-up solution for license management has already revealed extensive savings potential by automatically analyzing part of the software landscape with regard to usage intensity. Company-wide scaling promises further high savings potential.
Fitting predictive maintenance
Predictive maintenance is an integral part of many modern production facilities. However, there is potential above all in old existing machines, some of which fail without warning or produce rejects. A retrofittable sensor from a start-up in combination with an AI evaluation algorithm has shown in a pilot project that not only are maintenance requirements detected at an early stage, but the effectiveness of the system can also be optimized. The solution can now be rolled out to the entire machine park in the production area to make even machines that are more than 20 years old intelligent.
What is Stratosfare?
Stratosfare is a platform and service provider at the same time, enabling companies to conduct venture clienting easier and better. An experienced team supports companies in the introduction and scaling of venture clienting and offers central services such as the identification of search fields, startup scouting and project management of pilot projects. At the same time, the companies work closely together by jointly evaluating startups, exchanging information on challenges and supporting each other with internal company challenges - a software platform is used to exchange all kinds of information. We therefore see ourselves as a large, cross-company venture client unit.
Who is behind Stratosfare?
Stratosfare was founded by companies for companies. it's OWL Clustermanagement GmbH manages the it's OWL innovation network, in which more than 150 companies, universities and other organizations have joined forces to jointly implement innovation projects in the three-digit million range since 2012 on the way to "intelligent technical systems" (it's) in OstWestfalenLippe (OWL). Miele was the driving force behind Stratosfare, a pioneer in venture clienting, and quickly won over other companies and it's OWL to realize the idea together.
Who is Stratosfare suitable for?
Stratosfare is open to companies that want to carry out venture clienting efficiently and effectively and want to collaborate with other companies - whether they are starters or already have experience. Even though it originated in East Westphalia, the platform is open to companies from all over Europe.
What advantages does Stratosfare offer companies?
Companies benefit from centralized services as well as intensive collaboration and exchange with other companies. Cost synergies are utilized and knowledge about technologies, start-ups and venture clienting itself is shared in order to become more efficient and effective when innovating products and processes. A common brand and a common presence improves access to ecosystems and promising start-ups.
What advantages does Stratosfare offer startups?
Stratosfare works together with the companies to develop search fields and challenges, which are centrally documented. Start-ups are proactively approached by us or can approach us and receive quick feedback on whether we have a potential paying customer for them. This shortens sales cycles, enables faster product validation and generates cash flow even in the early stages.
What advantages does Stratosfare Eco System Curator offer?
Startup hubs, accelerators, VCs, business development agencies and other organizations gain access to potential customers for their entire startup portfolio as partners of Stratosfare. Early, paying customers are a success factor, a building block in funding programs and at the same time demonstrate the performance of the teams.
How is Stratofare financed?
Companies participate in the financing with a membership fee and in return receive access to all central services. Startups receive paid projects from the companies and do not have to give up shares or IP.