Schuelerhilfe

What Schuelerhilfe does

Schülerhilfe is Germany's largest private tutoring provider, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Gelsenkirchen under the parent entity ZGS Bildungs-GmbH. The company operates more than 1,100 franchise-based tutoring centers across all 16 German Bundesländer, complemented by a national online video-tutoring channel, the Schülerhilfe parent mobile app (iOS/Android), the Online-LernCenter digital learning platform, and the KIRA AI learning assistant (launched 2024) covering Math, German, English, French, and Latin. Approximately 125,000 students are served annually with a reported 92% grade-improvement rate.

The business runs on a subscription model with multi-month tutoring contracts (typical 24-month small-group contracts starting at €8.76 per 45-minute lesson; one-on-one from €24.12), monthly cancellability, and franchise fees from partner-operated centers. Revenue streams include tutoring services, bundled digital learning materials, and franchise fees, with add-on products including holiday courses and support for the government's Bildungspaket education funding program. Quality is differentiated through TÜV NORD DIN EN ISO 9001 certification of both operations and tutor onboarding — a credentialing layer unique in the German tutoring market.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, combining local franchise field presence with a national performance-marketing stack (Google Ads, Facebook, Sovendus, TutorSpace lead gen) and content marketing via the Schülerhilfe-Magazin. The customer base is highly fragmented (parents of school-age children aged 6-19), with secondary segments in vocational students and adult language learners, resulting in low individual customer concentration. Awards include 6 consecutive years of #1 customer recommendation in Focus Money Deutschlandtest and n-tv/DISQ test-winner recognition.

Name

Schuelerhilfe

Legal name

ZGS Bildungs-GmbH

Website

https://schuelerhilfe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Schülerhilfe is Germany's largest private tutoring provider, operating 1,100+ franchise centers and online tutoring nationwide to serve approximately 125,000 K-12 students per year with in-person and digital learning services including the KIRA AI assistant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supplementary Education / Tutoring Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic Tutoring Services (Subject-Specific & General) (EDAJALAA), Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL), AI Tutoring Systems (Conversational Tutors, Homework Helpers) (EDAFAFAC), College-Level Core Subject Tutoring (Gen Ed: Math, Writing, Sciences, Humanities) (EDANAAAJ)

Keywords

• Tutoring services
• Academic support
• Online tutoring
• Supplementary education
• After-school learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Gelsenkirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tutoring Services (Group and Individual): Core revenue from tutoring lessons delivered in small groups (3-5 students) or one-on-one settings, both in-person at franchise locations and via online video chat. Revenue is recurring through subscription contracts with various contract lengths.
2. Learning Materials and Digital Access: Revenue from access to digital learning platform (Online-LernCenter) and physical/digital textbooks bundled with tutoring services, included free with contracts.
3. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise partners who operate local Schülerhilfe tutoring centers under the brand, paying franchise fees and following standardized quality processes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Schuelerhilfe delivers professional tutoring services for school students from grade 1 through 13 (ages 6-19), offered in small groups of 3-5 students or one-on-one, both in-person at franchise locations and online via video chat. Tutoring is supported by the proprietary KIRA AI learning assistant, the Online-LernCenter digital platform, and a parent mobile app, all bundled with subscription tutoring contracts.

Product overview

Schülerhilfe is Germany's leading tutoring organization offering a comprehensive educational support ecosystem. The core offering consists of in-person tutoring (Nachhilfe vor Ort) at over 1,100 locations across Germany and online tutoring (Online-Nachhilfe) via video chat. These core services are supplemented by the KIRA AI learning assistant, available 24/7 for homework and exam support in five subjects, and the Online-LernCenter digital platform with interactive exercises and practice materials. Parents can manage tutoring through the Schülerhilfe-App for canceling lessons and tracking progress. Additional offerings include holiday courses and free assistance applying for government education funding (Bildungspaket). The company operates a franchise model with over 50 years of experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KIRA: AI-powered learning assistant chatbot for tutoring customers, available 24/7 to help with homework and learning questions in subjects including Math, German, English, French, and Latin.
• Online-LernCenter
• Schülerhilfe-App (Eltern-App)

Products and services

• In-Person Tutoring (Nachhilfe vor Ort) Tutoring delivered at Schuelerhilfe institute locations across Germany, offered in small groups (3-5 students) or one-on-one settings, covering all subjects and grade levels (1-13). Features qualified tutors with TÜV-certified onboarding, regular progress documentation, and parent communication.
• Online Tutoring (Online-Nachhilfe) Live tutoring via video chat accessible from smartphone, tablet, or PC anywhere in Germany, delivering the same curriculum and quality as in-person tutoring with flexible scheduling and integration with the KIRA AI assistant.
• KIRA - AI Learning Assistant (KI-Lernassistentin) AI-powered learning assistant available 24/7 to help students understand tasks and find solution paths independently across Math, German, English, French, and Latin. Supports photo and file uploads, multilingual queries, and is based on verified content from the Online-LernCenter.
• Online-LernCenter (Online Learning Center) Digital learning platform providing interactive exercises, practice exams, and supplementary learning materials. Included free with tutoring enrollment and accessible alongside KIRA for self-directed learning.
• Holiday Courses (Ferienkurse) Intensive tutoring courses during school holidays, typically offering 10 lessons (5 double sessions) for an introductory price. Designed for rapid catch-up on missed material, available both in-person and online.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of students improve their grades by at least one level within 6-12 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• LehrerselbstverlagminorOthersLehrerselbstverlag (Teacher Self-Publishing) is a publishing partner that creates educational materials. As stated: 'Teachers know best what teachers need. The Lehrerselbstverlag is a publisher by teachers for teachers.' This partnership supports content development for tutoring materials.
• TutorSpace GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTutorSpace GmbH provides lead generation services, connecting potential tutoring customers with Schülerhilfe locations. Customer data (phone number, contact person, child name, tutoring needs) is shared with Schülerhilfe upon customer consent for matching with appropriate tutoring offers.
• Deutschlandtest / ServiceValueminorOthersResearch partnership for customer recommendation studies. Germanytest and ServiceValue conduct annual surveys of over 500,000 consumers to rank companies by recommendation rates.
• n-tv / Deutsches Institut für Service-Qualität (DISQ)minorOthersNews channel and service quality research institute partnership for annual tutoring industry studies. DISQ conducts independent testing of tutoring services on behalf of n-tv.
• Sovendus GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVoucher offer partnership for customer acquisition. Sovendus provides voucher offers to Schülerhilfe website visitors, with pseudonymized data sharing for opt-out checks and voucher fulfillment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Studienkreis: One of the two largest traditional tutoring chains in Germany with ~1,000 locations, directly competing head-to-head with Schülerhilfe in in-person and online tutoring for K-12 students. Closest direct peer on scale, geography, and target customer.
• GoStudent: Vienna-based online tutoring platform operating across Europe with €300M+ raised, directly competing in online K-12 tutoring. Comparable in target customer (K-12, parents) but with a digital-first versus hybrid model.
• Easy-Tutor / Tutoring.de: Online tutoring marketplace active in Germany offering one-on-one and small-group tutoring. Direct competitor in online K-12 tutoring and a price/format benchmark for Schülerhilfe's Online-Nachhilfe offering.
• Nachhilfe-Team: Regional German tutoring institute chain with physical locations; competes directly for K-12 small-group tutoring students in overlapping German cities. Comparable franchise-like model.
• Tutorium: Germany-based private tutoring institute offering in-person and online tutoring across multiple subjects; competes in the same K-12 segment with comparable pricing tiers and subject coverage.

Emerging players

• Khan Academy: Free AI-enabled adaptive learning platform with global reach; competing substitute in the K-12 supplemental learning category. Not a paid tutoring peer but a structural threat to paid tutoring economics.
• Superprof: Global tutoring marketplace active in Germany connecting students with private tutors; competes as a marketplace alternative to institute-based tutoring with typically lower price points.
• Preply: Online language tutoring marketplace with strong European presence; comparable to Schülerhilfe's IQ Lingua adult language learning segment and to its school subject language tutoring offering (English, French).

Broad incumbents

• Varsity Tutors (Nerdy): US-headquartered online tutoring and test prep platform (NYSE: NRDY) offering live online tutoring across subjects; broader incumbent in the online tutoring category with comparable technology-led delivery.

Others

• IQ Lingua (within Schülerhilfe group): Adult language school sub-brand of Schülerhilfe referenced in customer segments; included to illustrate the company's own adjacent offering rather than as an external comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/schuelerhilfechannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/Schuelerhilfe
• Instagraminstagram.com/schuelerhilfe_gmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schuelerhilfe-gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Schuelerhilfe