What Zukunftsinstitut does

Zukunftsinstitut is a German-Austrian future research and consulting institute founded in 1989 by Harry Gatterer, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main with a subsidiary (Zukunftsinstitut Consulting GmbH) in Vienna. The company operates as a 'Future Performance Center' providing megatrend research, certified professional education, consulting, community membership, and events for executives, HR professionals, and strategy teams in the DACH region. Its proprietary 'Future Management' methodology combines a systemic toolkit (Megatrend Research, Business Map, Context Map, Lazy Eight, Future Plan, and the Zukunftspuls readiness assessment) with published studies on topics including mobility, work, health, education, and globalization.

The business model rests on five revenue streams: (1) Academy certification programs (Future Manager BASIC at €2,600, Future Manager HR at €2,900, Future Manager ADVANCED at €2,900 or free with membership), (2) annual Future Circle membership at €2,900 including recurring Zukunftspuls measurements and expert network access, (3) customized Business Solutions consulting, (4) the annual Future Day conference in Frankfurt (~200 decision-makers, €699-999 per ticket), and (5) publication sales (megatrend studies and workbooks, €112-165) through a Shopify-based online store. Distribution combines direct e-commerce, direct enrollment, member-only events, and a content marketing engine spanning email, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

The company is privately held by founder Harry Gatterer with no disclosed institutional investors, no external funding rounds, and no published revenue. Go-to-market is multi-motion: sales-led for consulting and Academy, event-driven through Future Day, and community-led via Future Circle. Partnerships (Norton Rose Fulbright) and speaker engagements (Google, University of Hohenheim, GRAFT Architekten, metafinanz) extend reach and credibility without diluting the founder-led operating model.

Name

Zukunftsinstitut

Legal name

Zukunftsinstitut GmbH

Website

https://zukunftsinstitut.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zukunftsinstitut is a DACH-based future research and consulting institute founded in 1989, offering megatrend research, certified Future Manager training, an annual Future Circle membership, the Future Day conference, and consulting to executives, HR leaders, and strategy teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Academy Education Programs: Certified professional education programs including Future Manager BASIC, Future Manager ADVANCED, and Future Manager HR. Programs are delivered in-person and virtually, with pricing ranging from €2,600-2,900 per program. Revenue recognized upon program delivery.
2. Business Solutions/Consulting: Custom consulting and research engagements for organizations requiring tailored futures work, strategic analysis, and organizational transformation support.
3. Publications and Studies: Sale of megatrend studies, trend publications, and workbooks through the online shop. Studies cover topics including mobility, health, work, education, and globalization. Price points range from €112-165 per publication.
4. Future Day Event: Annual flagship conference generating ticket revenue from approximately 200 decision-makers. Ticket pricing tiers from €699-999 depending on booking period. Includes speaker sessions, workshops, and networking.
5. Future Circle Membership: Annual membership providing access to the futures community, including regular Zukunftspuls measurements, expert network, research results, and exclusive events. Membership priced at €2,900.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Zukunftsinstitut operates a Future Performance Center delivering systematic megatrend research, certified Future Management training programs (Future Manager BASIC, ADVANCED, HR), an annual Future Day conference, a Future Circle membership community with Zukunftspuls readiness measurements, and tailored Business Solutions consulting. The firm also sells proprietary megatrend studies and workbooks covering topics such as mobility, work, health, education, and globalization through its online shop.

Product overview

Zukunftsinstitut operates as a Future Performance Center offering a multi-product portfolio centered on future research and strategic foresight. The core offerings include: the Academy platform with certified training programs (Future Manager BASIC, ADVANCED, and HR) teaching Future Management methodologies; the Future Circle membership community providing ongoing access to research and expert networks; Business Solutions for consulting and strategic advisory; and regular events including the flagship Future Day conference and shorter formats (Future Briefings, Expert Hours, Work Sessions). The company also publishes megatrend studies under its own brand (e.g., '12 Trends für die Zukunft der Weiterbildung', '13 Trends für die Zukunft der Arbeit', '10 Trends für die Zukunft der Gesundheit', '14 Trends für die Zukunft der Mobilität', 'Megatrendstudie Globalisierung') and practical workbooks (e.g., Workbook Navigieren). The Library provides supplementary resources. This is a services-based model combining education, community membership, consulting, events, and publications—not a software platform with modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Future Circle: Community platform for future work professionals
• Future Academy
• Future Manager
• Zukunftspuls
• Megatrend-Map

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants develop concrete Future Plans for their organizations through systematic futures work
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GoogleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2026Dr. Stefan Ebener from Google participates as a speaker at Future Day 2026, contributing expertise on Future Tech Lab and technology trends. Session focuses on technology as a growth driver for organizations.
• metafinanzminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2026metafinanz CEO Rainer Göttmann participates as speaker at Future Day 2026, bringing organizational transformation and technology implementation perspective to the Future Tech Lab session.
• University of HohenheimminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2026Prof. Dr. Bernd Ebersberger from University of Hohenheim (Chair of Innovation Management) serves as Future Day speaker, bringing academic research perspective on innovation and sustainable transformation.
• GRAFT ArchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2026GRAFT Architekten (Berlin-based international architecture and design studio) participates as speaker, demonstrating how spaces shape behavior and collaboration, with insights on turning future visions into physical spaces.
• SPACE next.media HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2026Partner venue for Future Work Session on 'Ökosysteme für Zukunftsgestaltung'. Dr. Nina Klaß (Hamburger Kreativgesellschaft) and Jan-Christoph Daniel (L&D Strategist) co-facilitate with Future Circle Members.
• Handelskammer HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2026Participating organization in Future Work Session on ecosystem design, contributing business location and economic development perspective to discussions on future-proofing organizations.
• Norton Rose FulbrightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for megatrend study development. Norton Rose Fulbright collaborated with Zukunftsinstitut on the '14 Trends für die Zukunft der Mobilität' study, bringing legal and business expertise to the mobility trends analysis.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Institute for the Future (IFTF): Nonprofit futures research organization offering foresight training, research publications, and consulting. Direct peer in the dedicated futures-research institute category, though US-headquartered.
• Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies: European futures research institute providing megatrend analysis, scenario planning, and certified futures programs. Closest international peer in methodology and service mix.
• Z_punkt The Foresight Company: German foresight consultancy offering strategic foresight, trend analysis, and scenario work. Direct competitor within the DACH market with overlapping corporate clientele.
• TrendONE: Hamburg-based trend research and consumer insights firm producing trend studies and consulting for European brands. Competes in trend publication and consulting segments.

Emerging players

• futurehain: German-speaking futures and strategy consultancy offering foresight workshops and trend briefings. Emerging niche peer with overlapping DACH target customers.
• Gerd Leonhard / The Futures Agency: Futures-focused keynote and advisory practice offering keynote speaking, executive briefings, and foresight services. Competes for senior executive attention and corporate event slots.
• Horizon Five: Foresight and strategy consultancy specializing in scenario planning, trend analysis, and futures workshops for European enterprises. Niche peer with similar service offering to Zukunftsinstitut's consulting line.

Broad incumbents

• Roland Berger: Major European management consultancy with a strong presence in DACH and a dedicated foresight practice. Adjacent incumbent that publishes trend research and competes for similar transformation mandates.
• McKinsey & Company: Global management consultancy publishing widely distributed megatrend and future-of-work research and offering transformation consulting. Competes indirectly for thought leadership and executive attention.
• Deloitte: Global professional services firm producing annual Human Capital, Tech, and Industry trend reports alongside consulting. Sets baseline megatrend content expectations across the enterprise market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ZukunftsinstitutDe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zukunftsinstitut-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/zukunftsinstitut.de
• Xx.com/zi_news
• Facebookfacebook.com/zukunftsinstitut

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 Zukunftsinstitut