Trusted Advisor Program

We won’t leave you on your own.
We open our network for you.

Many innovation questions don’t need an agency – they need the right person who truly knows the subject. As a STARTPLATZ client you are automatically part of the Trusted Advisor Program: we connect you with vetted experts and partners from a network grown over more than 13 years – curated, transparent and with no search effort on your part.

Included for clientsVetted networkDedicated contact person

From need to the right person – in four steps.

No form, no tender: you describe your topic to us, and we take care of the rest.

1
Describe your need
You call your contact at STARTPLATZ – whether it’s about AI implementation, strategy, law or something else entirely.
2
Matching
From our vetted network we identify the right experts or partners – quality over quantity.
3
Warm intro
We make the connection personally and brief both sides – you don’t start from zero.
4
Ongoing support
We stay reachable: if it’s not a fit, we match again. Your feedback feeds into the quality of the network.

Typical subject areas.

AI implementation & training

From tool rollout to your own AI project: implementation partners from the AI Hub environment – and, for in-depth training, the STARTPLATZ AI Academy.

Strategic sparring

Experienced entrepreneurs and mentors for business-model, innovation and transformation questions.

Law & data protection

Data protection, IT law, contract design with startups – law firms and experts with a tech focus.

Funding & financing

Funding programs for digitalization and AI projects, access to investor networks.

Design, UX & product

When an idea should become a product: vetted implementation partners from our ecosystem.

Specific expert questions

And everything in between: if we don’t know the right person, our network does – that’s the whole point.

Trust is the product. This is how we work.

Vetted partners, cards on the table

We only refer partners with whom we have framework agreements and whose work we know. We say so openly – including the fact that STARTPLATZ receives a partner commission for successful referrals. This creates no extra cost for you.

Quality over quantity

You won’t get a list of twenty names from us, but one or two fitting recommendations – chosen by topic, industry and way of working. If it’s not a fit, we match again.

Your interest first

If we do not know a genuinely suitable partner, we say so honestly – we do not make introductions for their own sake.

Feedback loop

After every referral we ask for your feedback. Partners who don’t deliver leave the network – so “vetted” stays a promise with substance.

For every client, included.

The Trusted Advisor Program is not a subscription and not an add-on package – it’s our promise to every client.

AI Experience Day

After your AI day we support the rollout – with the right experts for your use cases.

Startup Scouting

After the scouting, partners support you with the pilot project, integration and contract design.

Partnerships

Community, accelerator and pitch partners use the network for all innovation questions.

Event Sponsorship

As a sponsor too, you have a direct line into our expert ecosystem.

Not a client yet? Then an initial conversation is the easiest way: together we find the entry point that fits your goals – and from then on the network is open to you.

Briefly answered.

What does the program cost me?
Nothing extra. Access is included for STARTPLATZ clients. If you engage a referred partner, you negotiate the terms directly with them – STARTPLATZ receives a commission from the partner that does not increase your price.
Why should I search via STARTPLATZ instead of on my own?
Because curation makes the difference: the market is full of providers who all promise the same thing. We know our partners’ work from real projects – and we have our own stake in the referral succeeding, because our reputation depends on it.
What if the referred partner isn’t a fit?
Tell us – and we’ll match again. Your feedback feeds directly into the partner’s rating. There’s no obligation to work with a recommendation.
I’m an expert/service provider – can I become a partner?
We expand the network deliberately and with clear criteria: demonstrable references, capacity and a signed framework agreement. Get in touch – partner@startplatz.de.
About STARTPLATZ

The network behind it.

Since 2012, STARTPLATZ has been NRW’s largest startup hub — and, with the STARTPLATZ AI Hub, also the state’s AI hub and meeting point. Over 13 years, a network of startups, experts, mentors, law firms and implementation partners has grown here, which we open up for our clients. That is exactly what the Trusted Advisor Program draws on.

1.500+
startups in the network
250+
Events per year
13+
years of an established expert network
2
Locations: Cologne & Düsseldorf
Contact

What question is on your mind?

Tell us your topic – and we’ll tell you honestly whether and whom we have for it in the network.

JP
Julian Palaszewski
Head of Strategic Partnerships & Sales
partner@startplatz.de
Arrange a call