Germany’s first startup campus
Factory Berlin is Germany’s first campus that brings tech companies of all stages together in one place. Initiated in 2012 by founders Simon Schaefer and Udo Schloemer, the concept sought out to renovate an abandoned set of buildings along the former Berlin Wall and house some of Berlin’s most notable technology startups, with the ultimate goal of creating a collaborative environment with shared know-how, mentorship programs and financing all in one space. After signing on local Berlin heroes such as Soundcloud and 6Wunderkinder, international tech giants such as Mozilla, Uber, Twitter and Zendesk soon followed suit, helping to form a well-rounded community of nearly 30 companies working out of the 8.500 m2 campus.
The founding team combined entrepreneurial experience with an immense expertise in community and event management. The team was responsible for design, marketing, tenant acquisition and operations of the space and partnered with s+p Real Estate, who managed construction and financing of the building.
In the mid 2015, with a myriad of international requests for Factory locations, the team sold the Factory Berlin brand for Germany, and moved on to develop other locations.
A full synopsis of Factory’s first year in operation can be found via www.factory.co/2014