What Teletón does

Teletón is a private non-profit foundation (Fundación Teletón, RUT 71.238.300-3) headquartered in Santiago, Chile, founded in 1978 as a televised fundraising campaign and precursor of the 1947 Sociedad Pro Ayuda del Niño Lisiado. It operates a national network of 15 rehabilitation institutes spanning Chile from Arica in the north to Coyhaique in the south, providing free integral biopsychosocial rehabilitation services — medical consultations, kinesiology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological support, orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures, and custom orthoses/prostheses — to children, adolescents, and young people up to age 20 (or 24 if acquired disability) with motor disabilities of neuro-musculo-skeletal origin. In 2025, Teletón attended 31,806 patients, performed 1,336 surgeries, and delivered over 40,000 orthoses and prostheses across the network.

The foundation's clinical platform is anchored by advanced rehabilitation technology rare in Latin America, including robotic gait training exoskeletons (Lokomat, present in 11 of 14 institutes), hand rehabilitation robots (Amadeo), overground gait support (Andago), upper-limb exoskeletons with VR (Armeo), digital orthotic/prosthetic fabrication systems (Rodin / Rodin 4D), and 3D biomechanical gait laboratories. Multiple institutes hold CARF International accreditation and Superintendencia de Salud certification. Services are complemented by a telerehabilitation platform (Teletón Virtual) and a digital content channel (Teletón TV). Patient outreach also extends to rural and remote communities through mobile medical posts and rural outreach programs, with notable reach into Mapuche communities in Temuco and the Chiloé archipelago.

Teletón's business model is donation-driven: annual operations are funded primarily by the 27-hour national televised campaign broadcast on all ANATEL member channels since 1978, with the 2025 campaign raising $50,202,554,528 CLP (~US$55M), of which 70% came from individual donors via Banco de Chile collection points and 30% from 23 corporate sponsors. Capital expenditure for new and modernized institutes is funded separately by regional governments (FNDR) and the Ministry of Public Works — over $44B CLP committed across Ñuble, O'Higgins, and Valparaíso projects. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Guillermo Tagle, with María José Zaldívar as Directora General and Ademir Domic as Vicepresidente Ejecutivo; Mario Kreutzberger ("Don Francisco") serves as Honorary Director and co-founder.

Name

Teletón

Legal name

Fundación Teletón

Website

https://www.teleton.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Teletón is a non-profit organization for children and young people with physical disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Telehealth/Remote School-Based PT Services (EDAKAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tele-Occupational Therapy (Telehealth OT) (EDAKAFAL), Teletherapy / Remote Speech-Language Therapy (School-Age) (EDAKAEAL), Assistive Mobility Device Assessment & Fitting (Walkers, Crutches, Wheelchairs) (EDAKAGAE)

Keywords

• Pediatric rehabilitation services
• Motor disability treatment
• Rehabilitation institute network
• Prosthetics and orthotics
• Charitable healthcare foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The largest revenue stream, representing 70% of total campaign funds. Individuals donate through Banco de Chile account 24.500-03, point-of-sale terminals, ATMs, auxiliary boxes, mailboxes, and digital buttons across nearly 3,000 collection points nationwide. Donations also come from Chileans abroad.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Donations: Corporate sponsors and companies contributed 30% of the total campaign funds. The last campaign counted 23 sponsors. Sponsors participate in annual campaigns and some engage in multi-year sustainable alliance programs.
3. Annual Televised Campaign: The flagship annual televised fundraising campaign (Teletón) broadcast nationally for 27 hours across all major Chilean TV channels (ANATEL members) since 1978. The 2025 campaign raised $50,202,554,528 total (including post-broadcast bank deposits and committed donations), with the live broadcast figure at $44,253,268,546.
4. Government Infrastructure Funding: Regional governments (Gobierno Regional) and the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) provide capital funding for construction and modernization of rehabilitation institutes. Examples: Ñuble institute (over $12,000 million FNDR), O'Higgins institute (over $14,000 million), Valparaíso new institute (over $18,000 million from MOP and regional government).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Teletón is a Chilean non-profit foundation that provides free, comprehensive biopsychosocial rehabilitation to children, adolescents and young people (up to age 20, or 24 for acquired disabilities) with motor disabilities of neuro-musculo-skeletal origin. Services delivered through 15 specialized institutes nationwide include medical consultations, kinesiology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological support, orthopedic and reconstructive surgery, and fabrication of custom orthoses and prostheses, all fully funded by the annual televised Teletón campaign and corporate donations, with infrastructure also supported by regional and national government.

Product overview

Teletón is a non-profit rehabilitation institution operating 15 institutes across Chile, providing integral rehabilitation services to children, adolescents and youth with motor disabilities. The organization offers a comprehensive care model combining in-person and telerehabilitation services, advanced robotic rehabilitation technologies (Lokomat, Amadeo, Rodin, Andago, Armeo), surgical services, and custom orthotics/prosthetics manufacturing. Digital platforms include Teletón Virtual (inclusive laboratory), Teletón TV (content platform), and a Transparency Portal with AI assistant. Social programs include Programa Abre for home accessibility and volunteer networks. The network spans from Arica to Aysén, serving over 31,000 patients annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Teletón Rehabilitation Institute Network Network of 15 specialized pediatric rehabilitation institutes across Chile (Arica, Iquique, Calama, Antofagasta, Copiapó, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Rancagua/O'Higgins, Santiago, Talca/Maule, Chillán/Ñuble, Concepción, Temuco, Valdivia, Puerto Montt, Coyhaique) providing free integral biopsychosocial rehabilitation — medical consultations, kinesiology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological support, surgeries, orthoses and prostheses — to children, adolescents and young people with motor disabilities.
• Multi-specialty Surgical Services Multi-specialty surgical services for Teletón patients including orthopedic surgery, urology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, and microsurgery. In 2025, the network performed 1,336 surgeries across these specialties at no cost to patients.
• Orthotics and Prosthetics Manufacturing In-house fabrication of custom orthoses (support devices) and prostheses (artificial limb replacements) for Teletón patients, manufactured in Teletón laboratories using the Rodin/Rodin 4D digital robotic molding system and other fabrication technologies. Over 40,000 orthoses and prostheses were delivered in 2025.
• Telerehabilitation (Teletón Virtual) Remote rehabilitation services using technological tools that allow patients and families to participate in therapy processes at a distance, complementing in-person care at the institutes and extending reach to remote and rural communities across Chile.
• Programa Abre (Home Accessibility Program) Volunteer-led program that constructs accessibility adaptations (ramps, handrails, support bars) in the homes of Teletón patients, enabling safer mobility and improved quality of life. Has improved over 11,000 homes since 2005, including over 200 in the 2026 national day of action, with more than 600 volunteers participating.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31,806 patients attended in 2025 across the network
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chile TransparentecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Since 2021, Teletón maintains a strategic partnership with Chile Transparente (affiliated with Transparency International) to develop and promote the highest standards of transparency and accountability. This partnership produced the Transparency website (transparencia.teleton.cl) and Transparency Active section, following the Transparency International reporting model. Demonstrates Teletón's commitment to institutional transparency and public accountability.
• Oritel (Organización Internacional de Teletones)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization of Teletón institutions that brings together countries that established the Teletón model to provide and develop habilitation, rehabilitation, and inclusion services for children and adolescents with disabilities. Teletón Chile is an active member and shares its clinical and operational knowledge through this network.
• Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP) de ChilecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Public Works executes construction projects for new and improved Teletón institutes across Chile, including new institutes in Valparaíso (over $18 billion), reconstruction and improvements in Calama, Copiapó, Talca, Temuco, Valdivia, Coyhaique, and Coquimbo, and improvements/expansions in Iquique, Santiago, Temuco, Concepción, Puerto Montt, and Arica.
• SENADIS (Servicio Nacional de la Discapacidad)minorOthersGovernment body responsible for financing technical aids (ayudas técnicas) required by people with disabilities. Teletón guides patients on accessing SENADIS benefits and collaborates on national disability inclusion initiatives.
• Universidad de la Frontera (UFRO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstituto Teletón Temuco maintains permanent collaborative alliances with Universidad de la Frontera and Universidad Autónoma de Chile, including clinical cooperation agreements and academic partnerships for professional training in rehabilitation.
• Universidad Autónoma de ChileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstituto Teletón Temuco maintains permanent collaborative alliances with Universidad Autónoma de Chile and Universidad de la Frontera, supporting clinical training and professional development in rehabilitation.
• FOSIS (Fondo de Solidaridad e Inversión Social)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstituto Teletón Valdivia maintains permanent collaborative alliances with FOSIS, SENADIS, Otec YBM, and the Municipal Labor Intermediation Office (OMIL) for social inclusion programs.
• Hospital Hernán Henríquez Aravena (Temuco Regional Hospital)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstituto Teletón Temuco has a clinical cooperation agreement with Hospital Hernán Henríquez Aravena (Regional Hospital), enabling coordinated patient care and clinical knowledge exchange between institutions.
• Ilustre Municipalidad de ChillánminorOthersDonated the land on which Instituto Teletón Ñuble was built in Chillán. The municipal government supported the project from its inception.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Teletón México (CRIT - Centros de Rehabilitación Infantil Teletón): Mexican non-profit operating the same Teletón model with a network of pediatric rehabilitation centers (CRIT) for children with motor, neurological, and musculoskeletal disabilities. Founded by Fernando Marcos and sharing Oritel network membership, it mirrors Teletón Chile in charitable televised fundraising, free care, and clinical scope, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Teletón Uruguay (Fundación Teletón Uruguay): Uruguayan Teletón institution, also part of the Oritel international network, providing pediatric rehabilitation under the same Teletón charitable model. Comparable as a regional peer operating with a similar televised fundraiser, free services, and biopsychosocial care philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• Shriners Children's: US non-profit network of pediatric specialty hospitals focused on orthopedic, spinal cord injury, and burn care delivered regardless of ability to pay. Comparable as a large-scale, long-established pediatric specialty healthcare non-profit with similar capital-intensive infrastructure and charitable funding model.
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: US-based non-profit pediatric treatment and research facility specializing in childhood catastrophic diseases, providing care at no cost to families. Comparable as a leading global pediatric specialty non-profit with comparable fundraising scale, free-care model, and brand-driven donor engagement.
• Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA): US non-profit focused on neuromuscular diseases including muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related pediatric and adult motor disabilities. Comparable as a long-standing charitable non-profit addressing pediatric motor disabilities through care, research, and advocacy, with similar fundraising traditions (e.g., telethons and corporate partnerships).
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: North American non-profit that raises funds for a network of children's hospitals through coordinated campaigns and corporate partners. Comparable as a non-profit pediatric healthcare network operating through affiliated institutions and donor activation at scale, similar to Teletón's institute-based model.
• Boston Children's Hospital: Major US pediatric academic medical center and research hospital providing specialized care including pediatric rehabilitation and orthopedics. Comparable as a broad incumbent in pediatric specialty care with overlapping clinical capabilities (orthopedics, neurology, rehabilitation) though operating a different funding and access model.

Emerging players

• CureSMA: US-based non-profit focused on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), funding research and supporting affected children and families. Comparable as a specialized pediatric disability non-profit combining research, clinical advocacy, and family support, intersecting Teletón's pediatric motor-disability mission on a narrower disease scope.

Others

• March of Dimes: US non-profit focused on maternal and infant health, with a long-running charitable fundraising tradition. Comparable as a large-scale children's-health non-profit with similar donor engagement and advocacy profile, though focused on a different patient segment than Teletón.

Regional players

• Fundación Hogar de Cristo: Chile's largest social services non-profit addressing poverty and extreme vulnerability, founded by San Alberto Hurtado. Comparable as a Chilean non-profit operating at national scale with similar fundraising intensity and volunteer-driven programs (a former Teletón regional director came from this organization).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Teleton
• Facebookfacebook.com/teletonchile
• Instagraminstagram.com/teleton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teleton

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Teletón