The University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) is a public research university founded in 1457 in Freiburg, Germany, serving approximately 24,500 students across 11 faculties and 240 degree programs with 453 full professorships under supervision of the state of Baden-Württemberg.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersFreiburg, Germany
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The University of Freiburg does
The University of Freiburg (legal name Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) is a public research university founded in 1457 in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, organized as a Körperschaft des Öffentlichen Rechts under the supervision of the Ministry of Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg. The institution serves approximately 24,500 enrolled students and supports approximately 8,400 employees including academic, research and administrative personnel, delivering instruction across 11 faculties and roughly 240 degree programs spanning the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and medicine. Teaching and research delivery is anchored by a distributed physical footprint — University Centre (Kollegiengebäude I, II, IV), the Institute Quarter for natural sciences, the Technical Faculty (with clean room facilities), the Biology/Botanical Garden, the Psychiatric/Psychotherapy clinics, the University Hospital (Universitätsklinikum) and the Sports Centre — supplemented by digital services including the Videoportal (VIMP), the uniCROSS media training platform (uniTV, uniONLINE, uniFM 88.4), the Rundblick bi-weekly newsletter (launched Winter 2024/25), the WisskomQ science communication qualification (launched Summer 2025), the Freikon image database, a corporate design system at cd.uni-freiburg.de, and integrated campus mapping via OpenStreetMap.
The university's business model rests on three principal revenue streams: (i) core public funding from the federal/state government of Baden-Württemberg for education and research activities; (ii) competitive third-party research grants from organizations including the German Research Foundation (DFG), the European Research Council (ERC), and other federal/state research programs (illustrated by two ERC Advanced Grants and the CRIION Joachim Frank Prize 2026 awarded to cancer researchers); and (iii) technology, knowledge, and educational transfer services operated through a dedicated Transfer Office, including licensing and industry partnerships. Tuition is regulated by state law and is not a commercial revenue lever. The institution belongs to four strategic consortia — German U15, the League of European Research Universities (LERU), Eucor — The European Campus (cross-border Upper Rhine alliance with France and Switzerland), and EPICUR — providing preferential access to peer networks, doctoral training, and knowledge-transfer collaboration. Customer segments served include prospective and enrolled students (primary), the academic research community (primary), and industry/society partners (secondary) seeking technology transfer, talent and innovation collaboration. No private equity, venture, or external shareholder ownership structures exist; governance is via the Rectorate, currently led by Rectorin Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein, with external communications led by Rimma Gerenstein as head of Communications and press spokesperson.
The University of Freiburg firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The University of Freiburg
- Legal name
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
- Website
- https://uni-freiburg.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- The University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) is a public research university founded in 1457 in Freiburg, Germany, serving approximately 24,500 students across 11 faculties and 240 degree programs with 453 full professorships under supervision of the state of Baden-Württemberg.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The University of Freiburg industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education and Research
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD), Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where The University of Freiburg is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Freiburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices12 records
Markets served
The University of Freiburg business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public Funding: Core funding from federal and state (Baden-Württemberg) government for education and research activities
- Research Grants: Third-party funding from organizations including German Research Foundation (DFG), European Research Council (ERC), and federal/state research programs
- Technology Transfer Services: Commercialization of research outcomes, licensing, and industry partnerships through the Transfer Office
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The University of Freiburg product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The University of Freiburg is a public research university that delivers higher education across approximately 240 degree programs in 11 faculties, conducts fundamental and applied research through more than 480 professorships and dedicated infrastructure (clean rooms, university hospital, botanical garden, sports centre), and operates a three-pillar transfer programme covering technology, knowledge and educational transfer to society and industry. It is funded primarily by the state of Baden-Württemberg, with additional revenue from research grants, tuition regulated under German state law, and licensing/industry partnerships managed through its Transfer Office.
Product overview
The University of Freiburg operates as a public research university offering a portfolio of institutional digital services rather than commercial products. Core services include the Videoportal for video hosting, uniCROSS and WisskomQ educational programs for media and science communication training, a Corporate Design System, the Freikon image database, the Rundblick newsletter, campus mapping services, and a knowledge transfer platform. These services support the university's educational mission, internal operations, and public outreach rather than serving as external commercial products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Higher Education Degree Programs Approximately 240 degree programs across 11 faculties spanning humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering and medicine, delivered to around 24,500 students by 453 full and 28 junior professors. Targeted at prospective and enrolled undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.
- Universitätsklinikum Freiburg Clinical Services
Companies that use The University of Freiburg
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The University of Freiburg technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
The University of Freiburg partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- German U15coreAssociation of 15 leading German research universities working together on strategic initiatives for German higher education policy, research excellence, and talent development.
- League of European Research Universities (LERU)corePrestigious consortium of Europe's leading research-intensive universities promoting excellent research, doctoral education, and knowledge transfer.
- Eucor - The European CampuscoreEuropean cross-border university campus linking universities in the Upper Rhine region (Germany, France, Switzerland) for joint education and research.
- EPICUR (European Partnership for an Innovative Campus Unlocking new Potential for Research)majorEuropean university alliance developing innovative approaches to higher education and research collaboration across partner institutions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The University of Freiburg competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RWTH Aachen University: Germany's leading technical public university and a U15/LERU member with particularly strong engineering and natural sciences faculties, mirroring Freiburg's Technical Faculty emphasis. Comparable in research intensity and Excellence Strategy history.
- Technical University of Munich (TUM): One of Germany's most prestigious technical public universities and a U15 member. TUM overlaps with Freiburg on engineering, natural sciences, and medicine, and has been a leading Excellence Strategy awardee — a relevant benchmark for research scale and funding outcomes.
- University of Bonn (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn): A U15 member with strong mathematics, natural sciences, and medicine faculties, comparable in size and disciplinary breadth to Freiburg. Bonn's Excellence Strategy history makes it a relevant comparator on institutional positioning.
- Humboldt University of Berlin: Berlin's oldest public research university and a U15/LERU member with similar interdisciplinary coverage across humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and medicine. Comparable in scale, prestige, and Excellence Strategy profile to Freiburg.
- University of Tübingen (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen): Another Baden-Württemberg public research university with a similar mix of strong life sciences, medicine, and humanities. Tübingen is also a current Excellence Strategy applicant, making it an extremely close comparator in both profile and funding-track positioning.
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU München): One of Germany's flagship public research universities with a comparable comprehensive faculty structure spanning humanities, natural sciences, and medicine. Both are LERU and U15 members and routinely ranked among Germany's top universities in the Shanghai Ranking.
- University of Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen): Historic German public research university with comparable scale, broad faculty structure, and membership in U15. Göttingen provides a useful like-for-like comparator on research output, funding mix, and national ranking position.
- Heidelberg University (Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg): Germany's oldest university and a fellow top-5 ranked public research institution in Baden-Württemberg. Closely comparable in size, disciplinary breadth, medical school operation, LERU/U15 membership, and Excellence Strategy participation, making it the most direct peer to Freiburg.
Broad incumbents
- ETH Zurich: Switzerland's flagship public research university and a globally top-ranked institution with strong science and engineering. While larger and at a different funding scale, ETH represents the upper-bound benchmark for what a European public research university can achieve on research output, technology transfer, and international reputation.
Regional players
- University of Strasbourg: French public research university and the most active cross-border partner of Freiburg within the Eucor – The European Campus network. Comparable comprehensive research profile but operating under a different national funding and regulatory regime.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The University of Freiburg social profiles
Digital presenceThe University of Freiburg financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The University of Freiburg leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The University of Freiburg funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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The University of Freiburg M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The University of Freiburg
What does The University of Freiburg do?
The University of Freiburg is a public research university that delivers higher education across approximately 240 degree programs in 11 faculties, conducts fundamental and applied research through more than 480 professorships and dedicated infrastructure (clean rooms, university hospital, botanical garden, sports centre), and operates a three-pillar transfer programme covering technology, knowledge and educational transfer to society and industry. It is funded primarily by the state of Baden-Württemberg, with additional revenue from research grants, tuition regulated under German state law, and licensing/industry partnerships managed through its Transfer Office.
Is The University of Freiburg a public or private company?
The University of Freiburg is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was The University of Freiburg founded?
The University of Freiburg was founded in -1. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is The University of Freiburg based?
The University of Freiburg is headquartered in Freiburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does The University of Freiburg make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Funding is the primary driver. The others are research Grants and technology Transfer Services.
Who are The University of Freiburg's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RWTH Aachen University, Technical University of Munich (TUM), University of Bonn (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn), Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Tübingen (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU München), University of Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) and Heidelberg University (Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg). ETH Zurich is listed as a broad incumbent. University of Strasbourg is listed as a regional player.
Does The University of Freiburg have an API?
No public API is recorded for The University of Freiburg.
What industry is The University of Freiburg in?
The University of Freiburg's product category is Higher Education and Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAF, Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools, with a secondary code of EDAHAAAD, Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.