Lwerk

What Lwerk does

Lwerk (FSD Lwerk Berlin Brandenburg gGmbH) is a nonprofit sheltered workshop (Werkstatt für behinderte Menschen, WfbM) operating under German social law §219 SGB IX, providing employment, vocational training, occupational therapy, and integration services for people with intellectual, physical, and multiple disabilities. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Berlin-Lankwitz, the organization operates across more than 25 locations in Berlin and Brandenburg through five main divisions — Handwerk (crafts), Pflanzen & Tiere (plants and animals), Dienstleistungen Digital (digital services), Dienstleistungen (general services), and Gastronomie. Core production capabilities include metalwork, woodworking, tailoring, candle manufacturing, bookbinding, bicycle repair, electronics recycling, jewelry making, digital printing, digitization of historical media (VHS, vinyl, photos, documents, archives), landscaping, tree nursery operations, and bio-certified food production. The organization also operates the barrier-free gallery café Kunstwerk blisse and maintains consumer-facing digital products including Lwerk.App, Lwerk.DIGITAL, and LERN.App.

The company reaches its primary beneficiary population (people with disabilities unable to work in regular companies or standard workshops) through direct outreach, referrals from social services and disability offices, and integration assistance programs. External business customers commission custom manufacturing, printing, tailoring, and food services; the catering arm delivers over 900 meals daily to schools and kindergartens across Berlin. Named external clients include SMBs (graycano GmbH, WiKa Technology, Paprcuts GmbH) and district government (Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf) along with multiple nonprofit kindergarten and welfare operators. Pricing is quote-based for custom production work, while services for disabled individuals are primarily funded through German social welfare systems, integration specialist services (Integrationsfachdienst), and government disability employment programs.

Revenue is derived from two streams: workshop production services for external business customers (hardware and custom goods) and vocational training and integration services funded by social welfare authorities. The organization is wholly owned by FSD Stiftung zur Förderung Sozialer Dienste (FSD Foundation), operates as a gemeinnützige GmbH (nonprofit limited liability company), and is led by Managing Director (Geschäftsführer) Matthias Böhler. No external venture or private equity funding is associated with the entity.

Name

Lwerk

Legal name

FSD Lwerk Berlin Brandenburg gemeinnützige GmbH

Website

https://lwerk-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lwerk is a nonprofit sheltered workshop (WfbM) operating 25+ sites in Berlin and Brandenburg, providing employment, vocational training, and integration services for people with disabilities through crafts, digital services, and bio-certified catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Workshop Production Services: Revenue generated from producing goods and services for external customers including metalwork, tailoring, printing, food production, and other workshop products. Government subsidies and social welfare funding support operations as a recognized workshop for disabled people.
2. Vocational Training and Integration Services: Services supporting people with disabilities including employment training, integration assistance, and occupational therapy, funded through social welfare systems and integration specialist services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Lwerk operates as a recognized sheltered workshop (Werkstatt für behinderte Menschen) under §219 SGB IX providing employment, vocational training, integration assistance, and occupational therapy to people with intellectual, physical, or multiple disabilities. Across more than 25 locations in Berlin and Brandenburg, it delivers workshop-based production services spanning metalwork, woodworking, tailoring, candle manufacture, bookbinding, jewelry, digital printing, electronics recycling, bicycle repair, food production and catering for schools and kindergartens, as well as digital services (digitization of analog media, media design, office services) through its Lwerk.DIGITAL division and consumer-facing mobile applications (Lwerk.App, LERN.App).

Product overview

Lwerk is a sheltered workshop (Werkstatt für behinderte Menschen) operated by FSD Lwerk Berlin Brandenburg gGmbH, providing employment and support for people with disabilities. The organization operates across more than 25 locations in Berlin and Brandenburg through five main work divisions: Handwerk (crafts), Pflanzen & Tiere (plants and animals), Dienstleistungen Digital (digital services), Dienstleistungen (general services), and Gastronomie (gastronomy). The digital services arm (Lwerk.DIGITAL) includes digitalization/manufacturing, media design, digital printing, and office services. Lwerk also offers dedicated consumer-facing digital products including the Lwerk.App and the LERN.App. Additional offerings span occupational therapy (Ergotherapie), art pedagogy (Kunstpädagogisches Angebot), Beschäftigungs- und Förderbereich (BFB — employment and support area), integrationsfachdienst (IFD), and Aller Hand Services (inclusive support services).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lwerk.App: Mobile application offered by Lwerk for digital services
• Lwerk.DIGITAL
• LERN.App
• Kunstwerk blisse

Products and services

• Sheltered Employment Workshop Services (Handwerk, Pflanzen & Tiere, Dienstleistungen, Gastronomie) Structured sheltered employment for people with intellectual, physical, or multiple disabilities, delivered across multiple trades including metalwork, woodworking, bookbinding, candle manufacture, tailoring, bicycle repair, electronics recycling, building services, transport, tree nursery, animal care, landscaping, and food production.
• Vocational Training and Integration Assistance (Sprungbrett / Integrationsfachdienst / Beschäftigungs- und Förderbereich) Vocational preparation, integration specialist services (Integrationsfachdienst / IFD), and employment support programs designed to help people with disabilities transition into sheltered or open employment.
• Occupational Therapy (Ergotherapie) Occupational therapy services delivered as part of Lwerk's Beschäftigung und Förderung (BFB) program portfolio for people with disabilities.
• Art Pedagogy Services (Kunstpädagogisches Angebot) Art-based pedagogical offerings within the Beschäftigung und Förderung (BFB) division, supporting creative participation and skill development for people with disabilities, including output sold via the Kunstwerk blisse gallery café.
• School and Kindergarten Catering Services (Gastronomie / Kita-Küche) Bio-certified daily meal preparation and delivery catering services for schools, kindergartens, and community facilities in Berlin, including government and non-profit operators such as Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Mittelhof e.V., and Infantarius Kindergärten gGmbH.
• Lwerk.DIGITAL (Digital Services Division) Digital services division offering professional digitization of historical media (VHS, vinyl records, photos, documents, archives), media design, digital printing, and office services for external customers and internal Lwerk operations.
• Lwerk.App Consumer-facing mobile application that provides access to Lwerk's digital service offerings via smartphone.
• LERN.App Educational mobile application that supports learning and skill-development activities for Lwerk employees and participants.
• Kunstwerk blisse (Accessible Gallery Café) Accessible gallery-café at Blissestraße 14, Berlin, operating a retail storefront where artwork created by Lwerk participants is exhibited and sold, combined with a café offering.

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AWO (Arbeiterwohlfahrt)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperating member organization. AWO is a major German welfare organization.
• Deutsche ZertifizierungminorOthersGerman certification partner providing quality and standards certification services.
• FSD Stiftung zur Förderung Soziale DienstecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent foundation supporting social services. FSD is the founding organization behind Lwerk.
• Initiative Transparente ZivilgesellschaftminorOthersGerman civil society transparency initiative that Lwerk participates in to demonstrate organizational transparency.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kwblisse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fsd-lwerk-berlin-brandenburg-ggmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Lwerk