What Krisenchat does

Krisenchat gGmbH is a Berlin-based nonprofit (gemeinnützige GmbH) founded in May 2020 that operates Germany's largest free, anonymous, 24/7 digital psychosocial crisis counseling service for young people under 25. The service is delivered through a proprietary webchat platform (chat.krisenchat.de) and a WhatsApp channel, requiring no registration or appointment, and is staffed by a combination of qualified psychosocial professionals and over 450 trained volunteers supporting more than 410 active counselors per month. Since launch, the organization reports approximately 140,000 people helped and nearly 220,000 counseling sessions, with a dedicated Ukrainian/Russian-language sub-brand launched in February 2022 serving displaced populations affected by the war in Ukraine. User demand currently exceeds supply, with roughly 30% of incoming chat requests deferred due to capacity constraints despite an additional 68% answer rate reported in the most recent reporting period.

The core technology stack centers on a custom-built independent webchat platform developed with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Education, Family, Seniors, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), designed to insulate crisis counseling from third-party messenger dependencies and to maintain GDPR-compliant data handling for health information. The platform integrates WhatsApp as an additional access channel and is being enhanced with an AI-assisted digital counseling system (digitales Assistenzsystem) that supports counselor workflows, automated waiting-time estimates, and interactive generative-AI features such as breathing exercises. Distribution relies on an owned social media presence across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, and Reddit, generating over 3 million monthly impressions of psychoeducational content, supplemented by significant earned media in Spiegel, FAZ, ARD, ZDF, and brand eins.

The business model is that of a donation- and grant-funded nonprofit with no end-user fees. Revenue streams include individual donations processed via Donorbox, Stripe, and PayPal, plus institutional grants from a broad coalition of foundations, federal and state government ministries, healthcare insurers (Techniker Krankenkasse, BMW BKK), corporate social programs (NIVEA CONNECT, Siemens Caring Hands, Gamomat, Beiersdorf), and humanitarian organizations. Krisenchat operates no sales force and has no equity shareholders; governance is exercised through a co-CEO leadership (Melanie Eckert and Kai Lanz) and a board. Strategic partnerships such as the 2024 UNMUTE project with NIVEA CONNECT and score4impact, and the operational alliance with Malteser Werke for Ukrainian refugees, extend reach and funding diversification.

Name

Krisenchat

Legal name

krisenchat gGmbH

Website

https://krisenchat.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Krisenchat is a Berlin-based nonprofit operating Germany's largest free, anonymous, 24/7 digital psychosocial crisis counseling service for young people under 25, delivered via a proprietary webchat platform and WhatsApp and supported by donations, institutional grants, and a coalition of foundations, government, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Mental Health Crisis Counseling

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

General Mental Health Therapy Platforms (Talk Therapy) (HLALAEAA)

Keywords

• Digital crisis counseling
• Youth mental health
• Psychosocial chat support
• Anonymous helpline chat
• Nonprofit counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations from Private Individuals: Individual donors contribute to Krisenchat's operations via online donation portals (Donorbox, Stripe, PayPal), bank transfer, and other payment methods. The service is entirely free for users.
2. Institutional Grants and Funders: Krisenchat is funded by a broad coalition of foundations, government ministries, healthcare insurers, corporations, and lottery-funded organizations. Funders include Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Crespo Foundation, Deutsche Fernsehlotterie, SOS Weltweit, Siemens Caring Hands, Ein Herz für Kinder, Beisheim Stiftung, Techniker Krankenkasse, Gamomat, Peter Möhrle Stiftung, BMW BKK, Save the Children, and others. These are grants and donations, not equity investment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Krisenchat provides free, anonymous, 24/7 chat-based psychosocial crisis counseling for young people under 25 in Germany, delivered through a proprietary webchat platform (PWA) and WhatsApp by qualified counselors and trained volunteers. A specialized sub-brand (krisenchat Ukrainian) delivers the same service in Ukrainian and Russian for war-affected refugees. The service also produces psychoeducational content across social media and runs the UNMUTE partnership project.

Product overview

Krisenchat operates a single unified crisis counseling platform with multiple integrated services. The core offering is the 24/7 Krisenchat Main Platform (webchat and WhatsApp), supported by specialized sub-brand Krisenchat Ukrainian for Ukrainian/Russian speakers. The portfolio includes a proprietary webchat system developed with BMBFSFJ funding, the UNMUTE social impact project with NIVEA/score4impact, psychoeducation content across social media (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, Reddit), expert lectures/workshops, content production services, and an AI-powered digital assistance system for workflow optimization. The platform reached nearly 220,000 consultations since May 2020 launch and currently serves approximately 140,000 people seeking help.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• krisenchat Ukrainian: A specialized branch of krisenchat providing free, professional crisis counseling in Ukrainian and Russian languages for people affected by the Ukraine war, including children and youth.

Products and services

• Krisenchat Main Platform 24/7 free, anonymous, low-threshold psychosocial crisis counseling chat service for young people under 25 in Germany, delivered via a proprietary webchat platform and WhatsApp and staffed by qualified professionals and trained volunteers.
• Krisenchat Ukrainian Specialized free crisis counseling service in Ukrainian and Russian languages for children, adolescents, and young adults affected by the war in Ukraine, including displaced persons and refugees.
• Expert Lectures and Workshops Professional talks and workshops delivered by Krisenchat experts on topics including chat counseling, digital child protection, handling suicidality in digital spaces, AI assistance systems in consulting, and social media collaborations.
• UNMUTE Project Social impact project in collaboration with NIVEA CONNECT and score4impact that provides young people direct access to mental health education and professional counseling through low-threshold channels such as WhatsApp and TikTok, aimed at combating youth loneliness.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 140,000 people helped since launch in May 2020
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Malteser Werke gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMalteser Werke partners with Krisenchat to provide low-threshold, needs-based, culturally sensitive psychological support to displaced Ukrainian children and youth across Malteser facilities in Germany. The partnership has significantly improved psychosocial care for this population. Krisenchat is valued as a cooperation partner for providing fast, uncomplicated, and culturally sensitive help.
• NIVEA ConnectcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNIVEA's global social mission, NIVEA CONNECT, partnered with Krisenchat (alongside score4impact) to launch the 'UNMUTE' project, enabling young people direct access to education and professional counseling — anonymously, confidentially, and around the clock via low-threshold channels like WhatsApp and TikTok. The partnership aims to combat youth loneliness and create sustainable structures and prevention offerings.
• score4impactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization that co-created the UNMUTE project together with NIVEA and Krisenchat, working to address societal challenges by combining business leverage with strong brands and creating impact-oriented social projects.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crisis Text Line: US-based nonprofit offering free, 24/7 text-based crisis counseling by trained volunteers. Closely comparable in mission, delivery channel (text chat), volunteer-counselor model, and youth-focused outreach.
• Kooth: UK-listed digital mental-health platform for children and young people, offering anonymous chat-based counseling with counselors. Comparable in target audience, chat-based delivery, and anonymized free/low-cost model.
• 7 Cups: Global online emotional-support platform combining trained volunteer listeners with optional professional therapy. Comparable in chat-based peer/professional support and youth-skewing free tier.

Regional players

• Selfapy: Berlin-based online mental-health program provider offering structured online courses and coaching in German. Comparable as a German digital mental-health operator, though its model is paid/B2B rather than free crisis chat.
• Nummer gegen Kummer: German nonprofit operating the national children/youth helpline (and parent line) for free, confidential counseling. Comparable as a German nonprofit free counseling service targeting children and youth, though primarily phone-based.

Emerging players

• Mindgram: Mental-wellness platform offering chat-based psychological support in multiple European languages. Comparable in chat-based delivery and European youth/corporate focus.

Broad incumbents

• BetterHelp: Largest global online therapy platform with paid subscription counseling. Comparable as a digital chat-based counseling provider for youth/young adults, but differentiated by paid model and global for-profit scale.
• Mental Health America: Large US nonprofit addressing mental health through screening, education, and referrals. Comparable as a mission-driven mental-health nonprofit, though it is primarily education/referral rather than direct chat counseling.
• Telefonseelsorge (Deutschland): Germany's longstanding free, 24/7 crisis-support helpline run by churches and public funding. Comparable as a free, anonymous crisis-counseling incumbent in Germany, though delivered by phone/email rather than chat-first.

Others

• Headspace: Global consumer digital mental-health company offering app-based content, coaching, and therapy. Comparable as a broad digital mental-health incumbent serving youth through employer and consumer channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-y_mJL6meu7wKQelUOLLkg/featured
• Instagraminstagram.com/krisenchat.de
• TikToktiktok.com/@krisenchat
• Xx.com/krisenchat
• Facebookfacebook.com/krisenchat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/krisenchat

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 Krisenchat