Carl Zeiss Stiftung

What Carl Zeiss Stiftung does

Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung is a German private foundation established in 1889 by physicist Ernst Abbe, headquartered in Stuttgart. It operates a unique dual-purpose structure: it wholly owns two major industrial companies — Carl Zeiss AG (ZEISS) in optics and optoelectronics and SCHOTT AG in specialty glass — while using the dividends from these companies to fund research and teaching in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and engineering (STEM).

The foundation's offering is a portfolio of grant and scholarship programs rather than commercial products. Active programs include CZS Durchbrüche (high-risk frontier research), CZS Nexus (interdisciplinary research), CZS Fokus (AI in application domains, formerly CZS Transfer), CZS Research Boost (newly appointed professors at universities of applied sciences, up to EUR 240,000 over two years), CZS Wissenschaftskommunikation (science communication supplements), CZS STEM Impact School (continuing education), CZS Plus (alumni funding), the Carlumni alumni network, and the Deutschlandstipendien scholarship program (150 scholarships at 19 universities). Funding activities are organized around three thematic priorities — Artificial Intelligence, Resource Efficiency, and Life Science Technologies — and four potential areas — Talents, Risk, Transfer, and Science Communication.

The foundation is run by a small core team of approximately 15 people led by Chairwoman Petra Olschowski (Minister for Higher Education in Baden-Württemberg) and Managing Director Dr. Felix Streiter. It currently funds more than 250 projects with a total committed volume of approximately EUR 500 million, concentrated across universities in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia. Notable recent grants include EUR 20 million to Friedrich Schiller University Jena for the FORUM communication center, EUR 3 million to the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) for AI medical imaging, and EUR 1.9 million for eight newly appointed professors at universities of applied sciences. Revenue is not disclosed; the foundation is sustained by dividend distributions from its two foundation companies rather than commercial product sales or external fundraising.

Name

Carl Zeiss Stiftung

Legal name

Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung

Website

https://carl-zeiss-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A German private foundation founded in 1889 that owns ZEISS and SCHOTT, channeling their dividends to fund STEM research, scholarships, and endowed professorships across universities in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research Funding Foundation

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

Keywords

• Research funding
• STEM grants
• Scholarship programs
• Science promotion
• Endowed professorships

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Foundation Dividend Income: The Carl Zeiss Stiftung is a dual-structure foundation that both owns companies and promotes science. It receives dividends from its two foundation-owned companies, ZEISS and SCHOTT, and uses these dividends to fund research and teaching in STEM disciplines. This unique structure in the German foundation landscape enables sustainable funding of scientific initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung is a German nonprofit foundation that owns ZEISS and SCHOTT and uses their dividends to fund research and teaching in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and engineering. It provides grants, scholarships, endowed professorships and young-talent programs across STEM disciplines.

Product overview

Carl Zeiss Stiftung is a foundation that does not sell commercial products but instead operates a portfolio of research funding programs in STEM disciplines (Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Technology). Its funding activities are organized around three thematic priorities — Artificial Intelligence, Resource Efficiency, and Life Science Technologies — and four potential areas — Talents, Risk, Transfer, and Science Communication. The primary offerings are grant and scholarship programs including CZS Wissenschaftskommunikation (science communication funding), CZS STEM Impact School (continuing education), CZS Plus (alumni funding), CZS Fokus (AI in application domains), CZS Durchbrüche (high-risk frontier research), CZS Nexus (interdisciplinary research), CZS Research Boost (new professors at universities of applied sciences), and the Deutschlandstipendien scholarship program. The Carlumni Network provides ongoing support and networking for former grantees. All offerings are non-commercial funding instruments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CZS Wissenschaftskommunikation Funding program enabling supplementary funds for science communication activities, requiring an existing CZS funding relationship.
• CZS STEM Impact School Continuing education program for researchers in natural and engineering sciences focused on science communication, conducted by 'Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH'.
• CZS Plus Funding program for CZS alumni enabling outreach, communication, and exchange projects alongside research and teaching activities.
• CZS Fokus (formerly CZS Transfer) Funding program addressing research projects on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in specific application domains and associated challenges.
• CZS Durchbrueche Funding program for high-risk, frontier-spanning research in STEM disciplines with a focus on young researchers.
• CZS Nexus Funding program with a new application procedure, supporting interdisciplinary research.
• CZS Research Boost (CZS Forschungsstart) Funding program supporting newly appointed professors at universities of applied sciences with up to 240,000 euros over two years to enable research activities at the beginning of their appointments.
• Deutschlandstipendien Scholarship program supporting STEM students, currently funding 150 scholarships at 19 universities across Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia.
• Carlumni Network Alumni network for former CZS grantees offering exclusive funding programs, further education offers, networking events, and access to exclusive conferences.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 250 projects currently funded with approximately 500 million EUR total volume
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friedrich Schiller University JenacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025The foundation is providing 20 million EUR funding for the construction of the FORUM - a new communication and meeting center at the university. The project connects the historic Griesbachsche Anbau building with a new building for interdisciplinary collaboration.
• German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024The Carl Zeiss Stiftung funded a pioneering AI project at the DKFZ with 3 million euros to develop an innovative medical imaging AI system. The project aims to build a globally unique collection of clinical questions and multimodal image data for complex medical AI development.
• Life Science Technologies Research CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation funds more than 50 research projects at the interface of engineering and life sciences. Scientific Advisory Board meetings provide expert input on research directions and funding strategies.
• Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to fund and implement a study showing pathways into computer science teaching. The study addresses the shortage of computer science teachers in German schools.
• University of Oldenburg (Department of Computer Science Education)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner with GI for the study on pathways into computer science teaching, funded by Carl Zeiss Stiftung.
• Scientific Advisory Board on Artificial IntelligencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual advisory board meeting with AI experts including Prof. Dr. Elisabeth André, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Burgard, Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein, Prof. Dr. Julia Schnabel, and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz to advise on AI funding priorities.
• Scientific Advisory Board on Life Science TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal scientific expertise from leading experts in life science technologies to advise on current developments and challenges in the research field.
• Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts the CZS STEM Impact School, a continuing education program for science communication for researchers in natural and engineering sciences.
• Ernst Abbe Foundation (EAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister foundation with shared history; joint activities include networking events for scholarship recipients from both foundations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): US biomedical and life sciences research organization with a large endowment, supporting investigator programs and research at universities. Comparable as a long-duration, endowed science funder with portfolio of multi-year grants to top researchers.
• VolkswagenStiftung: One of Germany's largest privately endowed science foundations, funding research projects across multiple disciplines with similar thematic calls and selection processes. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and German geographic base.
• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: German foundation supporting international academic cooperation and researcher mobility with endowed professorships and fellowship programs. Closely comparable in focus on individual researchers and endowed positions in STEM fields.
• Wellcome Trust: Major UK-based charitable foundation funding scientific research with a large endowment. Comparable in scale of grantmaking, thematic research priorities, and operation as a science-focused private foundation.
• Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft: German joint initiative of science, industry, and civil society organizations funding education, research, and innovation. Comparable as a science-funding intermediary operating across German universities with similar partnership-style funding.
• Fritz Thyssen Foundation: German private foundation funding research at universities in Germany, particularly supporting young researchers and specific disciplines. Comparable as a German corporate-heritage foundation funding STEM and adjacent fields at universities.
• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: US philanthropic foundation funding scientific research and STEM education. Comparable in mission, scope of grant programs, and targeted themes (data science, AI, energy, etc.).
• Simons Foundation: US private foundation supporting mathematics, basic sciences, and autism research. Comparable as a science-only private foundation with thematic focus areas, multi-year grants, and research infrastructure support.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG): Germany's central public research funding organization covering all academic disciplines at universities. Comparable as a major German STEM and broader research funder, though public rather than foundation-backed.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: Large German corporate foundation associated with the Bosch industrial group, funding science, education, health, and social issues. Comparable as a corporate-affiliated German foundation with STEM research funding as part of its portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@carl-zeiss-stiftung
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• Instagraminstagram.com/carl_zeiss_stiftung
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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Carl Zeiss Stiftung