Who is eligible to become a tenant at MAFINEX?

Startups, die bei uns einziehen, sollten grundsätzlich folgende Bedingungen erfüllen:Gründung in den letzten 5 JahrenEindeutiger Bezug zur Tech-/IT-Branche mit eigenem Geschäftsgegenstand (keine reine Beratung)Mitarbeiterzahl unter 250Jahresumsatz ist kleiner als 50 Mio.Jahresbilanz ist kleiner als 43 Mio.Keine Beteiligung an anderen Unternehmen zu mehr als 25%Das Unternehmen optiert zur UmsatzsteuerDie bisherigen erhaltenen Förderungen schließen eine weitere Förderung durch uns nicht ausSolltest du die Bedingungen nicht alle erfüllen, komm trotzdem gerne auf uns zu, wir finden für die allermeisten Fälle eine Lösung.

How long can I be a tenant at MAFINEX?

The standard lease term is 5 years; by then, your business should have grown to the point where you can move into your own office outside of MAFINEX. In individual cases, however, we can always discuss extending the term to a maximum of 8 years.

What is de minimis aid?

Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union prohibits any aid granted by a Member State or through State resources that distorts or threatens to distort competition by favoring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods, insofar as it affects trade between Member States.The de minimis Regulation sets the threshold up to which aid is considered not to meet all the criteria of Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. This means that aid up to the specified threshold is not considered to constitute (or threaten to constitute) a distortion of competition and is therefore not subject to the notification procedure.The total amount of de minimis aid granted to a company may not exceed EUR 300,000 within the current calendar year and the preceding two calendar years.The de minimis Regulation applies only to so-called transparent aid. By this, the European Commission means aid for which the subsidy amount can be precisely calculated in advance. These primarily include grants as well as (under certain conditions) loans, guarantees, and equity investments. Before aid is granted, the company in question must disclose the de minimis aid it has received in the preceding three years.New de minimis aid may be granted only if it does not cause the cumulative total to exceed EUR 300,000 within the current three-year period.Upon approval of the de minimis aid, the beneficiary company will be informed of the respective grant amount.

What are the terms for renting office space at MAFINEX?

At the MAFINEX Technology Center, rent is generally tiered as follows:Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3Years 1–2Years 3–5Years 5–810.50€/sqm net11.50€/sqm net12.50€/sqm netOperating/utility costs: plus €3.50/sqm

Startup Funding for IT & Tech

Mannheim's tech and IT hub—the place where innovative startups and established companies come together.

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The MAFINEX Technology Center is a startup campus that offers technology-focused startups and innovators the perfect environment for their first few years in business. With its wide range of opportunities and facilities, the 10,000 m² startup center offers a unique opportunity for exchange and collaboration between pre-launch projects, newly founded startups, and established companies.

But MAFINEX offers its tenants more than just attractive office space and a wide range of support services. A variety of meeting and event spaces, a daycare center, a bistro right in the building, and much more round out the campus.

Flexible & Attractive Office Space

Personalized Counseling & Programs

A great startup community

A Strong Network of Partners

Advantages of MAFINEX

Attractive & Flexible Spaces

MAFINEX offers you a A modern, creative, and highly flexible work environment, which can be customized to meet your company’s specific needs. Whether it’s a small private office, an open-plan space, or entire office areas—your ideal workspace grows with you and can be expanded or downsized at any time according to your preferences. We offer flexible lease terms and reduced rent—so you can focus entirely on growing your business without taking on any risk.

Personalized Counseling & Programs

Whether Free, personalized consulting, free legal and investor consultation hours, informational events, and accelerators - With us, you'll benefit from a wide range of services and advantages that will guide and support you through the various stages of starting your business.

With our Up2B Accelerator, we primarily target industry tech startups and, together with a strong network of experts, support your business venture to ensure a successful market entry and foster rapid growth.

A Unique & Inspiring Startup Community

MAFINEX is more than just a startup center with a wide range of infrastructure and support services. It is also a place for Exchange, Cooperation, and Synergies.

With over 70 startups and a network of alumni made up of successful serial entrepreneurs, the center is a hub of innovation. Here, you can connect with other founders and like-minded individuals and benefit from a wealth of experience and potential partnerships.

To actively foster this potential, we host regular networking events and bring the community together in a relaxed atmosphere. Come see for yourself and join us!

60+ companies focused on B2B and industry tech

Big Data

VR/AR

Enterprise Software

Industry 4.0

IoT

Artificial Intelligence

A Strong Network of Partners

Successful startups need a strong network. In addition to providing space and a wide range of support services, building and fostering connections within the ecosystem is a key priority for us.

Whether it's access to talent, established companies in the region, investors, and experts – Through our dynamic network, we’ll connect you with the right contacts and help you reach your goals faster.

Become a Partner Now

Office & More

Event & Community Spaces

A strong community needs the right place to gather. Whether it's after-work drinks, meetups, hackathons, or networking events—our meeting and event spaces cater to every need and offer a wide range of options, even for external guests.

Our Event Spaces

Child Day Care

Balancing the launch of your own startup with family life? This often comes down to the issue of childcare. To help address this, MAFINEX offers public childcare services right here on site.

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Coffee + Lunch

With the opening of Café AGÀTA in the building, another space for interaction has been created—a place where people can relax during their lunch break or after work, or even come up with a few ideas for the future. And as we all know, a good cup of coffee makes work go twice as well!

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NEXT Hub at MAFINEX Mannheim: A Flexible Day-Rental Space

Workshop space for student pre-startup projects

Student initiatives in the early stages of startup and student pre-startup projects have the opportunity to use workspace at MAFINEX free of charge. Here, they can work on their ideas, inspire other students to get excited about starting a business, and host events that also add value for the community at MAFINEX. Does this sound interesting to you, too?

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Makerspace

For all tinkerers and makers: Equipped with tools, milling machines, 3D printers, workbenches, and soldering stations, our in-house makerspace offers the perfect infrastructure for your prototyping projects. Here, you can experiment and work on your initial ideas.

Get in touch

These areas are sponsored by:

Your point of contact for all matters related to starting a business

Eva-Maria Markutzik

MAFINEX Center Manager

Application Process

1. Initial Contact

Fill out the form above, and our team will get back to you as soon as possible via email or phone.

2. Initial Consultation

During an initial consultation, we'll determine whether you and your company meet the eligibility requirements for subsidized rental space.

3. Lease Agreement

You'll receive your lease! As soon as you've signed it and sent it back to us, we can really get started!

4. Move-in

Now nothing stands in the way of you moving into the MAFINEX Technology Center. Welcome to the community!

FAQ

Startups that move into our space should generally meet the following requirements:

Startups in the last 5 years
A clear connection to the tech/IT industry with its own business purpose (not purely a consulting firm)
Fewer than 250 employees
Annual revenue is less than 50 million.
Annual balance sheet total is less than 43 million.
No ownership interest in other companies exceeding 25%
The company has elected to be subject to sales tax
The funding we have received to date does not preclude us from providing further funding.

Even if you don't meet all the requirements, please feel free to contact us anyway—we can usually find a solution in most cases.

Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union prohibits any aid granted by a Member State or through State resources that distorts or threatens to distort competition by favoring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods, insofar as it affects trade between Member States.

The De Minimis Regulation sets the threshold up to which aid is considered not to meet all the criteria of Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. This means that aid up to the specified threshold is not considered to constitute (a threat of) distortion of competition and is therefore not subject to the notification procedure.

The total amount of de minimis aid granted to a company may not exceed EUR 300,000 during the current calendar year and the preceding two calendar years.

The de minimis regulation applies only to so-called transparent aid. The European Commission defines this as aid for which the subsidy amount can be precisely calculated in advance. This primarily includes grants as well as (under certain conditions) loans, guarantees, and equity investments.

Before aid is granted, the company in question must disclose the de minimis aid it has received over the past three years.

New de minimis aid may be granted only if it does not cause the maximum amount of EUR 300,000 to be exceeded within the current three-year period.

Upon approval of the de minimis aid, the recipient company will be informed of the respective grant amount.

The subsidized rent at MAFINEX qualifies as de minimis aid. Specifically, the difference between our rent and the comparable rent in Mannheim is considered the de minimis subsidy amount.

When you move in, you must fill out a de minimis declaration listing all subsidies you have received to date so that we know whether we can provide you with additional subsidies at all. You must also fill out this declaration again whenever there is a change in rent that affects the office space you are renting.

We will also provide you with a de minimis notice immediately upon moving in, which will inform you of the amount of financial assistance available through our agency. We will issue a new notice for every change. If the contract change occurs within the current contract term, the current notice will be updated. If the change involves a contract extension after the first lease term has expired, we will issue a completely new notice.

At the MAFINEX Technology Center, rent is generally calculated on a sliding scale, broken down as follows:

Season 1	Season 2	Season 3
Grades 1–2	Grades 3–5	Grades 5–8
10.50€/sqm (net)	11.50€/sq m (net)	12.50€/sq m net

Operating/utility costs: plus €3.50/sq m

MAFINEX offers the option to rent a SEED space. These spaces can be rented by very early-stage startups for up to 6 months, after which—in the best-case scenario—they will move into a regular office. We rent these offices rent-free; only utility and operating costs, as well as a flat fee for internet service, are charged. In addition, the offices are already fully equipped and ready for immediate occupancy.