Written by Sabine VanderLinden

A few months ago, I touched down in Düsseldorf with a sense of excitement and curiosity. The city greeted me with a blend of old-world cobbled stone charm and cutting-edge innovation – a fitting backdrop for the mission at hand. As I walked into Tech Hub K67 on a crisp morning, the energy was palpable. Startup founders chatted animatedly over coffee, and corporate mentors in business-casual attire mingled easily with hoodie-clad tech teams.

I was here to meet the people behind ERGO ScaleHub – ERGO’s venture client program – and discover what makes this ecosystem in Düsseldorf so special. Little did I know I was about to be swept up in an emotionally charged journey of trust, innovation, and global ambition.

Venturing into ScaleHub: A New Kind of Venture Client Unit for Corporate Partnership

My first conversation was with Bessem Ayari, ERGO’s Head of Innovation Strategy & Scouting, who oversees ERGO ScaleHub. Bessem’s passion was evident from the start. He explained that ERGO ScaleHub isn’t a typical corporate accelerator or venture fund – it runs on a venture client model. The venture client approach enables ERGO to systematically purchase and adopt startup solutions directly, focusing on operational speed and strategic benefit, which differs from traditional models that rely on equity investment or accelerator programs. “A successful pilot doesn’t always mean it’s a scalable solution for us at ERGO” he noted, emphasizing that great ideas alone aren’t enough without execution.

Over the past few years, his team has operationalized around 80 startup collaborations, guiding young companies through ERGO’s “governance jungles” – the complex corporate processes – to go from idea to full commercialization inside the business. Pilot projects are used to test and validate startup products and startup solutions before scaling, ensuring that only the most promising startup technologies are integrated. This is an eye-opening revelation I am sure for many of you: ERGO isn’t just experimenting with startups; it’s actively integrating their solutions at scale.

Bessem smiled as he told me ScaleHub was born as the place or the “House” for all these collaborations – a dedicated home where the venture client unit could nurture startups under one roof. As a dedicated venture client unit, ScaleHub was created to systematically engage with external startups and bring startup technologies into the company, facilitating long-term business relationships and generating unique insights from these collaborations. In practical terms, this means no rigid batches or generic demo days. Venture client units operate with flexibility, allowing ERGO to explore more technologies and adapt quickly to changing business needs, providing strategic flexibility compared to traditional models.

“It is not a typical corporate venture activity… we do not have any batches or wait around for training on business modeling. The scale-ups we work with have a proven product on the market and are ready to scale with us in volume and across markets,” Bessem explained.

The venture client team and broader venture client teams work closely with business units and each business unit to identify needs, support pilot projects, and ensure the successful implementation of startup solutions. ERGO comes in as a client and partner, not an investor, focusing on real commercial deployments. As early adopters of startup technology, ERGO integrates startup products into the parent company, accelerating innovation and market responsiveness.

Let's remember that the venture client model provides a refreshing take on the concept of corporate-startup collaborations – those that prioritize business value and scaling over buzzwords. Unlike taking an equity stake, making an equity investment, or traditional investment as seen with CVC teams, CVC investing, and portfolio companies, the venture clienting approach focuses on purchasing and adopting startup solutions for immediate strategic benefit.

Other venture client programs have provided the broader context for such activities, with programs like Open Bosch and BMW Startup Garage serving as similar examples in other companies. The strategic intent is clear: ERGO aims to benefit strategically from these partnerships, even when facing high risk with early-stage products, leveraging first-mover advantage. The success of these collaborations is measured using impact metrics and financial impact, ensuring that each pilot project delivers tangible value to the company’s core business.

A Dedicated Venture Client Unit: The Engine Behind ERGO ScaleHub and Pilot Projects

Behind every thriving innovation hub like ERGO ScaleHub lies a powerful engine: an HQ that values innovation and aligned venture client operations. In today’s competitive business landscape, corporate venturing has become a cornerstone of how leading companies drive their innovation strategy and stay ahead of the curve. Rather than relying solely on internal R&D, corporations increasingly turn to venture client units to commercialize innovative startups, unlocking access to cutting-edge startup solutions, new technologies, and disruptive business models.

Venture client units operate as dedicated teams within a company, focused on identifying, evaluating and investing financing, time and effort in promising startups that align with the parent company’s strategic goals. Through commercial financing, these corporate venturing arms provide commercial pilots to startups and open doors to valuable resources, industry expertise, and real-world business opportunities. The strategic benefits are twofold: corporations benefit from early access to breakthrough technologies and ideas, while startups gain a powerful partner to help scale their solutions.

For companies like ERGO, this approach is about more than just financial returns. By investing in startup solutions, venture client units enable companies to adopt new technologies faster, streamline internal processes, and create a competitive advantage in their industry. The result is a win-win: innovative startups get the support they need to grow, and corporations gain the agility and insight to lead in their markets. In a landscape where business growth depends on staying ahead of the next big thing, corporate venturing is the bridge that connects established companies with the entrepreneurial energy of the startup world—fueling both innovation and long-term success.

Trust at the Core of Collaboration

Returning to my chat with the ERGO ScaleHub team, our discussion turned to culture, one word came up repeatedly: trust. Bessem spoke with genuine warmth about the relationships his team builds.

“We have a very trusting collaboration with the startups,” he said, describing how ScaleHub treats startups as true partners rather than vendors.

In fact, the level of mutual trust is so high that he can call his startup founders “at 11 pm in the evening” if a critical problem arises, “and everyone will respond and help me figure out a solution,” he laughed.

Hearing that made me realize that ScaleHub operates more like a close-knit family than a transactional program. Founders aren’t shy about picking up the phone either – they know ERGO’s innovation team has their back. This give-and-take spirit is intentional. Bessem and his colleagues are determined to go beyond the usual client-supplier dynamic.

“How can we support them, beyond the typical contracting and ‘hey, you are a vendor now’?” he reflected, “This was my concern from the start. That mindset shift – from contract to camaraderie – really resonated with me. It’s easy for large corporations to intimidate or smother a startup; ERGO’s team instead cultivates trust so that both sides work as one team. “When they are successful, we are successful as well,” Bessem said simply, encapsulating ERGO ScaleHub’s philosophy.

The “House” of ScaleHub and Its Three Pillars

Standing in the vibrant co-working space of Tech Hub K67, I could see why Bessem calls ScaleHub a House. Spending time at Tech Hub K67 truly felt like a home for innovators. He walked me through the three pillars of support that make up the ScaleHub program.

First is mentoring. This isn’t a perfunctory advisory board – it’s a tailored mentoring program staffed with ERGO’s top executives and senior experts across all relevant domains. I was amazed to learn that if a startup in ScaleHub needs guidance on, say, navigating insurance regulation or scaling to new markets, the mentor could be ERGO’s own legal counsel, a senior underwriting manager, or even a board member. The depth and relevance of advice available is astounding.

Second, network. ScaleHub opens doors not just within ERGO but across Munich Re’s global network, since ERGO is part of the Munich Re family. “We offer an extensive network across the city of Düsseldorf and also across ERGO and Munich Re,” both Bessem and Dennis told me, emphasizing how interconnected they are with other entities and experts worldwide. This means a ScaleHub's startups can tap into connections from Germany to India and beyond – whether it’s meeting a potential client in ERGO’s international divisions or getting introduced to other corporates in the region.

The third pillar is community and events. ScaleHub regularly hosts gatherings where startups meet each other, swap insights, and learn about cutting-edge topics. I spotted a flyer for an upcoming session on the new EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) – ERGO’s experts would brief startups on this important regulation so they stay ahead of the curve. It’s not all heavy content either; these meetups often blend networking with fun. In essence, ScaleHub has built an infrastructure that gets scaleups “enterprise-ready” – from navigating compliance to linking with the right people – all within a supportive community. No wonder founders feel they’re not alone on their journey.

Düsseldorf: A Startup City with Soul

Over the course of my visit, I also fell in love with Düsseldorf’s unique cultural fabric as a startup city. I’ve traveled to many innovation hubs, but Düsseldorf has its own charm. It’s a place where international diversity, innovation, and livability intersect in a tangible way. One of the ERGO team members, Sathes Singam (himself a proud local) pointed out that Düsseldorf hosts people from all over the world – from a vibrant Indian community to one of Europe’s largest Japanese communities – making it easy for newcomers to feel at home. The city’s ecosystem is both deep and welcoming: it specializes in industries like healthcare, insurance, and finance, and boasts a dense network of major corporations.

In fact, many DAX 30 companies have their headquarters in Düsseldorf, so the talent pool and business opportunities are immense. Walking along the Rhine or through the modern MedienHafen district, you sense a confidence in the air. Startups here aren’t operating in a silo; they’re rubbing shoulders with global industry leaders. With around 550+ startups in town and counting, Düsseldorf has the buzz of a tech hub without losing its personable touch. I visited the TechHub.K67 co-working space – a bright, art-filled hall buzzing with German, English, Hindi, and Japanese chatter – and it struck me that this city is a perfect launchpad for scaleups looking to land in Europe.

The community space at Tech Hub K67, with which ERGO ScaleHub partners, is a nucleus for these encounters. Rent-free desks for international founders, meetups over the local Altbier, brainstorming sessions in mixed languages – it all creates a fertile ground for innovation.

“It’s a perfect space for startups to come to us,” the team insisted, and I believe them.

Düsseldorf combines a high quality of life (consistently ranked top 10 in the world) with serious business clout, and that mix proved to be an unsung hero in the ScaleHub story.

Scale-Up Success Stories: CamCom, Air Doctor, Ms. Moneypenny and More

No reflection on ScaleHub would be complete without celebrating the startups-turned-scaleups that have passed through its doors. Over coffee, I found myself grinning as Bessem recounted some of these success stories like a proud father.

CamCom was the first name on everyone’s lips. I had the chance to speak with Geetha, one of CamCom’s co-founders, who had temporarily relocated from India to Düsseldorf to drive their European expansion. CamCom began as an AI solution to inspect vehicles for damage visually – a “supervision AI,” as Bessem described it. Using just a smartphone camera, their tech can detect scratches or dents on a vehicle and even estimate repair costs with astonishing accuracy. In countries like India, this was a game-changer: insurers traditionally had to send an agent to inspect a car before issuing a policy, but CamCom’s tool lets customers do a self-inspection video in minutes. Think about that: a tedious process eliminated, customers are happier, and insurers are more efficient.

CamCom’s initial collaboration with HDFC ERGO (ERGO’s joint venture in India) started as a pilot project, designed to quickly validate their startup product and startup solution in a real-world insurance context. These pilot projects are essential for testing startup products and startup solutions efficiently, allowing both sides to assess value and fit before scaling. The pilot results were so promising that ERGO’s innovation team said, why stop at one country? With ScaleHub’s backing, they scaled CamCom from India to the Baltics and other European markets. Now Geetha is here in Germany, working hand-in-hand with ERGO to roll out the solution across multiple countries.

CamCom’s technology is a prime example of startup technology and how adopting innovative startup technologies can drive transformation in established industries.

“We realized we had a lot to learn from ERGO when it came to entering Europe,” Geetha told me candidly.

European insurance is a different beast – strict regulations, local market nuances – and that was a big reason CamCom signed up for ScaleHub, to gain ERGO’s guidance in navigating those waters. The difference from a normal client deal was evident to her:

“Unlike a traditional vendor relationship, which is transactional with very little scope for learning and innovating, with ERGO ScaleHub the relationship is tuned towards mutual benefit via learning and innovation,” Geetha said. She emphasized how ERGO’s experts effectively became an extension of their team, sharing deep domain expertise. It’s a two-way street – CamCom grows into a “respected scale-up” in Europe, and ERGO, as early adopters, gains a cutting-edge solution in its toolkit, benefiting from accelerated access to new technology and the strategic advantages that come with it. No wonder Geetha likes to say “the sky is not the limit” for what they can achieve together.

That boundless optimism was echoed by both Bessem and Sathes, who championed CamCom internally. Sathes was immediately impressed by CamCom’s technology

“They have a big data set of 30 million images… it makes their AI very superior. Our aim is to scale internationally and leverage synergies with our international entities,” Sathes explained.

This is precisely what they did with CamCom. Hearing how ERGO’s cross-border vision turned a single-country pilot into a multi-country deployment gave me chills. This is the holy grail of startup-corporate commercial partnerships: real business expansion for the startup, real innovation and efficiency for the corporate, across borders.

The pilot's results were measured using clear impact metrics, demonstrating both operational improvements and significant financial impact for ERGO and CamCom. These quantifiable outcomes helped justify further investment and expansion of the collaboration.

The ongoing relationship between ERGO and CamCom is a testament to the establishment of long-term business relationships. Both parties continue to benefit from unique insights gained through close cooperation and shared learning.

CamCom’s story is just one among many. Bessem excitedly rattled off a few other ScaleHub stars: Air Doctor, for instance, which provides on-demand medical access for travelers. “Who doesn’t know Air Doctor in the insurance field now?” he quipped, implying how far that startup has risen in industry prominence. ERGO partnered with Air Doctor to offer its customers a global network of physicians – a lifesaver (literally) for travelers needing a doctor abroad.

In just a couple of years, Air Doctor went from a newcomer to a well-known service integrated into insurance products. Then there’s Ms. Moneypenny technologies, a FinTech/ InsurTech venture. The team delivered a few insightful presentations at ITI Europe 2025. I heard the excitement in Bessem’s voice as he described it. The ScaleHub team had worked side by side with Ms. Moneypenny technologies’s founders on stage – a true joint effort.

“It was a beautiful team we have around Ms. Moneypenny,” he said proudly, noting how far that company had come with ScaleHub’s support.

Each of these ventures – and dozens more quietly building momentum – speaks to the power of the ScaleHub model. These portfolio companies are not churning out pitches for show; they’re building real solutions that ERGO’s businesses deploy and scale. And perhaps most importantly, these founders have gained confidence and credibility. They know they’ve got a big industry player in their corner for the long haul.

Big Mentors, Big Vision

Beyond the individual success stories, what struck me is the holistic vision behind ScaleHub. ERGO’s leadership has fully embraced innovation through collaboration. We all know that even Mark Klein, ERGO’s Chief Digital Officer, is a vocal champion of startup partnerships, which means projects get the top-level buy-in needed to move fast. That kind of executive support is invaluable – it “gives the management power to push innovative solutions faster into operations,” as one team member shared with me. It’s clear that ScaleHub isn’t an isolated innovation lab doing experiments on the side; it’s woven into ERGO’s core strategy of digital transformation.

The mentors, the network, the funding for pilots – it all has a purpose: to find and scale the next big solutions for customers and the business. Bessem had mentioned earlier that ERGO’s ambition is to excel in digital leadership, and partnering with startups is a key path to get there: “Startups are very good partners to find the right solutions and to scale easily,” he noted, underscoring that ERGO doesn’t believe in reinventing every wheel internally. I find that outlook both pragmatic and inspiring – it takes humility for a large organization to say we need external innovators, and courage to back that up with resources. ScaleHub shows that ERGO has both. The result is an environment where a scaleup can plug in and truly accelerate, supported by serious industry know-how and a collaborative spirit.

Join the Journey: An Invitation to Scaleups

As my time in Düsseldorf drew to a close, I felt genuinely moved and inspired by what I had witnessed. The ERGO ScaleHub team has built something special here – a blend of community, expertise, and opportunity that any ambitious scaleup would be lucky to tap into. I found myself daydreaming about the next wave of startups/ scaleups that will walk through these doors, excited by the problems they’ll solve and the bonds they’ll forge.

If you’re an international scaleup looking to break into new markets with a strong corporate ally, I encourage you to take a hard look at ERGO ScaleHub in Düsseldorf.

Come visit this wonderful city, meet the ScaleHub family, and see the resources and support on offer. As both Besem Ayari and Sathes Singam put it:

“Go to scalehub.ergo.com – we have three wonderful colleagues… who will lead you through the process from application to scaling… be part of this journey.”

Whether you need mentorship on European insurance compliance, access to a global network of clients, or simply a trust-filled partnership to power your growth, the door is open. My personal journey into ScaleHub left me energized and full of hope – hope for more startups to blossom here, and for more corporates to follow ERGO’s lead in building trust-based, impactful collaborations. So, to all the scaleups out there daring to dream big: come join the ScaleHub story in Düsseldorf, and let’s scale new heights together.

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