What Handstree does

Handstree UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is a Berlin-registered, for-profit Web3-era crowdfunding platform that connects international donors with verified Ukrainian nonprofit social projects. Founded in Mariupol, Ukraine in December 2021 and re-established in Berlin after the team's relocation following the Russian invasion, the company operates a single web application (handstree.com) available in English, Ukrainian, and German with multi-currency support (EUR, UAH, USD, GBP). Its core differentiator is a multi-level donor protection system layered on top of automatic verification against Ukraine's Open Data state registers — including legal entity, shareholder, insolvency, tax-debt, and sanctions checks — combined with mandatory monthly financial reporting and a publicly displayed transparency score for each project. The product layers social-network mechanics (team profiles, personal feed, follower/following relationships, volunteer events) on top of traditional crowdfunding to encourage long-term donor–nonprofit relationships rather than one-off campaigns.

The platform's technology stack centers on a web-based architecture using Cloudflare for bot management and rate limiting, Piwik PRO for on-premises-style analytics (chosen over mainstream ad-trackers), and a multi-level internal ranking system that evaluates nonprofits by online activity, financial-report regularity, and user complaints. Donations are processed externally through Monobank Jar (the primary payment rail, charging a 2% international processing fee that is passed through and not retained by Handstree) with PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay as fallbacks; founder identity verification also leverages Monobank's KYC infrastructure. Automatic translation and a personalization recommendation engine power cross-border donor engagement.

Handstree's business model is currently a near-zero-revenue operation: the platform is free for both donors and nonprofits, with no subscription, seat, listing, or platform fees disclosed. The company has been financed to date through grant funding — the Berlin Startup Stipendium (~$42,256, Sep 2023), Open Data Accelerator ($30,000, Dec 2024), The LHoFT ($10,873, Oct 2024), and the 1991 Startup Accelerator (Dec 2021) — and runs its own crowdfunding campaign ("Support our activities") to fund continued development. Customer segments span individual international donors, Ukrainian nonprofits/charity funds/social enterprises, corporate CSR/ESG teams, and volunteers; the company employs 1–10 people with a 5-person core team led by CEO/CTO Alex Kuvallini.

Name

Handstree

Legal name

Handstree UG (haftungsbeschränkt)

Website

https://handstree.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Handstree is a Berlin-based crowdfunding platform that connects international donors with verified Ukrainian nonprofits, using Open Data register checks, mandatory financial reporting, and a social-network-style profile/feed to drive transparent, sustained charitable giving across language barriers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donation processing pass-through fees: Handstree charges no platform fees on donations. The only fee in the donation flow is a 2% international processing fee charged by payment provider Monobank (passed through, not retained by Handstree). PayPal is also listed as an accepted payment processor. This is currently a near-zero-revenue model with the company itself running a crowdfunding campaign to fund platform development.
2. Platform access (free for users): Access to the Platform is free for Users — they can create accounts, register projects, and participate in community activities without incurring platform fees. There is no subscription, seat-based, or listing fee disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Handstree operates a free, web-based crowdfunding platform (handstree.com) that connects international donors with verified Ukrainian nonprofits, charities, and social enterprises. The platform combines crowdfunding mechanics with a social-network-style experience featuring team profiles, a personal activity feed, automatic multilingual translation (English/Ukrainian/German), and a multi-level donor protection ranking system based on mandatory monthly financial reporting and user complaints. Donations are processed externally through Monobank Jar and PayPal; Handstree itself charges no platform fees.

Product overview

Handstree is a single unified online crowdfunding platform — not a multi-product suite — built around one web application that combines a social-network experience (Handstree Platform with Teams Profiles, a Personal Feed, Easy Search, and CSR & ESG Reporting for Business) with a multi-level Donor Protection System, an Automatic Translation capability, and a Volunteer Events module. Verified Ukrainian nonprofit projects (such as Vazhlyvyi Kozhen, Hospiteilz, Good Bread, Toloka.Space, Pixelated Realities, Gostomel Shelter, PULSE, Motus, and BEHIND BLUE EYES) are tenants on the platform rather than separate Handstree products, and donations are processed via integrations with Monobank (Monobank Jar), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handstree Platform Next-generation online crowdfunding platform for transparent and secure charity, designed in Mariupol and based in Berlin. Connects international donors with verified Ukrainian nonprofits, charities, and impact communities through direct donations, a multi-level donor protection system, mandatory monthly financial reporting, social-network-style profiles and personal feeds, automatic English/Ukrainian/German translation, search by location and category, and a volunteer events module. Free to use for donors, nonprofits, and businesses; donations are processed externally through Monobank Jar (primary) and PayPal (fallback).

Quantifiable outcome

• PULSE has trained 26,000+ persons in tactical/pre-hospital medicine since 24 Feb 2022
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Startup Incubator BerlinflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandstree was selected for Startup Incubator Berlin in September 2023 (alongside winning the Engagement Preis), which provided the Berlin Startup Scholarship that financed platform development and official registration of Handstree UG. Listed as a partner on the homepage.
• Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHWR administers the Berlin Startup Scholarship through which Handstree was funded; the scholarship is supported by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the State of Berlin.
• Phineo StartupsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin-based impact accelerator in which Handstree completed its impact research and presented at Café Kyiv and the Impact Summit. Logo featured on the homepage as a partner.
• Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine (thedigital.gov.ua)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandstree logo displayed alongside the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation logo on the homepage. The platform leverages Ukraine's Open Data registers for nonprofit verification.
• betterplace Umspannwerk GmbHminorOthersHandstree's registered Berlin address (Paul-Lincke-Ufer 21, 10999 Berlin) is hosted at 'c/o betterplace Umspannwerk GmbH', suggesting a virtual-office / coworking arrangement.
• LHoft (Luxembourg House of Financial Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on the Handstree homepage.
• NGO Privacy HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivacy/data-protection partner; logo listed on the Handstree homepage.
• PaustianminorOthersListed as a partner on the Handstree homepage.
• Mika (getmika.de)minorOthersListed as a partner on the Handstree homepage.
• Eldon Biologicals A/ScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPULSE (a Handstree-listed project) announced a partnership with Eldon Biologicals A/S for early blood transfusion programs that significantly increase survival chances of severely injured soldiers.
• FAST (First Aid and Special Training, Ukraine)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPULSE operates with the support of FAST, the largest first-aid and special training company in Ukraine, which provides the instructional backbone for PULSE's pre-hospital training programs.
• NAEMT (National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPULSE is an authorized training centre of NAEMT; training is aligned with NAEMT guidelines and recommendations.
• EU4CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPixelated Realities (a Handstree-listed project) worked with the EU4Culture program alongside the Odessa City Council Culture Department to deliver cultural-heritage preservation initiatives, including the 'Handbook for the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of Odessa' and 3D scans of museum collections.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• betterplace.org: Germany-headquartered donation platform for nonprofits; notably Handstree's registered Berlin address is hosted at 'c/o betterplace Umspannwerk GmbH', making it the closest geographic and category competitor for international donors supporting German-speaking and European causes.
• GlobalGiving: Crowdfunding marketplace focused on international donations to vetted nonprofits globally, including substantial Ukraine-focused fundraising; directly comparable model of connecting international donors to local, vetted charitable projects.
• Donorbox: SaaS-enabled donation platform for nonprofits offering recurring giving, peer-to-peer fundraising and embeddable forms; overlaps with Handstree's recurring-donor and nonprofit-tooling ambitions and the broader recurring-giving thesis.
• Classy (by GoFundMe Pro): Fundraising software for nonprofits with peer-to-peer campaigns, recurring giving and CSR/ESG-style reporting modules; overlaps directly with Handstree's CSR & ESG Reporting feature and nonprofit tooling ambitions.
• Funraise: Nonprofit fundraising platform with donor CRM, recurring giving, events and peer-to-peer modules; relevant competitor for Handstree's nonprofit tooling and CSR/ESG reporting positioning.
• Razoo Foundation (Razoo.com): Nonprofit crowdfunding platform with vetting, impact reporting and recurring giving; comparable vetted-nonprofit, transparent-impact model focused on charitable rather than personal crowdfunding.

Broad incumbents

• GoFundMe: The dominant global personal and charitable crowdfunding platform; competes for the same international donor attention on Ukraine-related causes and operates a far larger nonprofit/charity catalog with established brand trust.
• JustGiving: Large UK-headquartered charitable fundraising platform serving individual donors and nonprofits worldwide; competes for international donor mindshare in Ukraine-related campaigns and adjacent humanitarian causes.

Emerging players

• Patreon: Subscription-based creator funding platform with persistent creator–supporter relationships, profiles and feeds; comparable social-network-style relationship model that Handstree has adapted for nonprofits rather than creators.
• Givebutter: Modern free-tier-enabled fundraising platform for nonprofits with donor feeds, events and peer-to-peer campaigns; directly comparable modern UX, free-tier positioning and donor-engagement loop.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wearehandstree
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/handstree
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearehandstree

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Handstree