Bund

What Bund does

Bund (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V., BUND — Friends of the Earth Germany) is one of Germany's largest independent environmental non-governmental organizations, serving more than 650,000 members and supporters through a federated structure of 16 state organizations covering every Bundesland and roughly 2,300 local and regional groups. Founded in the mid-1970s and headquartered in Berlin, the registered association (eingetragener Verein) operates across climate, biodiversity, and consumer-protection advocacy while explicitly rejecting corporate funding to preserve political and financial independence. Decision-making is led by Chairman Olaf Bandt and Deputy Chairmen Sören Janssen and Susanne Gerstner, with a staff of 101–250.

Name

Bund

Legal name

Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (BUND) – Friends of the Earth Germany

Website

https://bund.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BUND is Germany's largest independent environmental NGO, serving 650,000+ members across 16 state organizations and 2,300 grassroots groups through advocacy, conservation work, and digital tools including the ToxFox consumer safety app and Mein Baum citizen science platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from over 650,000 members and supporters form the primary revenue stream. Membership fees are set by the organization and provide ongoing sustainable funding.
2. Donations: Voluntary donations from members and supporters. The organization states it is 'predominantly funded by its own income – primarily through membership fees and donations' and is 'economically independent'. Donations are tax-deductible.
3. Project Funding: Public funds are used for specific projects while core work remains independent from state and business money. ToxFox has been funded by Umweltbundesamt and Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) is a federally structured German environmental NGO that conducts advocacy, lobbying, and nature conservation activities on behalf of more than 650,000 members. The organization delivers its mission through digital consumer tools (ToxFox product-scanning app, Mein Baum citizen science app), educational programs via BUND-Akademie, and a grassroots network of 2,300 local groups across all 16 German federal states.

Product overview

Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) operates as a membership-based environmental NGO offering a portfolio of digital products and services alongside traditional advocacy work. The primary digital offerings include the Mein Baum App for citizen science-based urban tree documentation and the ToxFox App for consumer product safety checking. Supporting services include the BUND-Akademie continuing education platform with its Lernwelt digital learning module, the BUNDfunk podcast, downloadable publications, and a personalized newsletter. The organization functions as a federal NGO with 16 state-level associations and approximately 2,300 local groups coordinating environmental campaigns, advocacy, and public education activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mein Baum App: Mobile application for discovering, documenting and protecting trees in urban areas, contributing to a growing database for science, nature conservation and sustainable city planning.
• ToxFox App
• BUND-Akademie
• BUNDmagazin
• BUND-Jahresbericht

Products and services

• ToxFox App A free mobile product-checker app that scans barcodes to identify harmful substances (SVHC chemicals, microplastics, nanoparticles) in cosmetics, toys, furniture, textiles, and other everyday products, and lets consumers submit Giftfrage information requests to manufacturers under REACH regulations.
• Mein Baum App A citizen science mobile and web application enabling users to discover, document, and protect urban trees by recording GPS location, species, condition, and photos; data supports scientific research, urban planning, and climate protection initiatives.
• BUND-Akademie A federal continuing-education platform offering seminars, workshops, and training programs for BUND volunteers and members on environmental protection, nature conservation, communication skills, and organizational management, coordinating offerings across 16 state-level associations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 3.5 million consumers empowered to make informed purchasing decisions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of the Earth International (FoEI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUND is a member of Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest environmental network comprising 73 national environmental organizations with approximately 5,000 local groups and over 2 million supporters worldwide. Through this membership, BUND participates in global environmental campaigns and shares resources and strategies with international partners.
• Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUND works through Friends of the Earth Europe, a network of more than 30 independent European environmental organizations. Focus areas include climate protection, energy policy, biodiversity conservation, corporate accountability, healthy food, and democracy advocacy across EU policy.
• TU MünchenminorOthersScientific partner for the Mein Baum citizen science project, contributing academic research and methodology to tree documentation and monitoring initiatives.
• Fachhochschule Weihenstephan-TriesdorfminorOthersScientific partner for the Mein Baum citizen science project, providing expertise in tree science and urban forestry research.
• LIFE AskREACH Consortium (13 European countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUND leads the European AskREACH project which has developed a continent-wide product scanning database based on the ToxFox model. Partners in 13 countries enable consumers throughout Europe to check products for substances of very high concern under REACH regulations.
• Umweltbundesamt (German Environment Agency)minorOthersFederal funding source for ToxFox app development and maintenance. Funds provided through the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection based on German Bundestag resolution.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Naturschutzverband (Pro Natura): Switzerland's largest nature conservation NGO, operating with a similar grassroots, membership-funded structure and conservation mission in a neighboring German-speaking market.
• Naturschutzbund Österreich: Austrian counterpart operating a similar membership-based nature conservation model in a neighboring German-speaking market; comparable mission but does not directly compete in BUND's core German territory.

Direct peers

• Yuka: Commercial consumer app that scans product barcodes to flag harmful substances in cosmetics and food — overlapping directly with ToxFox in functionality, target audience (health-conscious consumers), and European market, though operating as a venture-backed business.
• Greenpeace Deutschland: German affiliate of Greenpeace International, a donation-funded environmental advocacy organization with campaigns on chemicals, climate, and biodiversity. Highly comparable membership/donor funding model and federal-state footprint in Germany.
• Codecheck: Commercial product scanner app and database focused on ingredients in cosmetics and food, headquartered in Switzerland/Germany; a directly competing commercial alternative to ToxFox in the DACH region.
• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's other major membership-based environmental NGO, with a comparable federal structure (state organizations and local groups), similar conservation mission, and overlapping policy positions. The closest direct peer to BUND in size, structure, and German market footprint.
• Friends of the Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland: A fellow FoEI member organization operating under the same international federation as BUND, with a closely aligned mission on chemicals, climate, biodiversity, and corporate accountability, and similar grassroots structure.
• WWF Deutschland: German branch of WWF, operating as a membership-supported environmental NGO focused on species protection, climate, and conservation. Directly comparable in funding model, advocacy activities, and digital engagement with German supporters.

Broad incumbents

• Greenpeace International: Global federation coordinating Greenpeace affiliates worldwide, with a directly overlapping mission on chemicals, climate, and biodiversity. Provides a comparable large-scale environmental NGO benchmark for BUND.
• WWF International: Global umbrella of WWF, of which WWF Deutschland is a national member; comparable mission on conservation and environmental advocacy at global scale, providing context for BUND's role within the broader environmental NGO landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bundgermany
• Facebookfacebook.com/bund.bundesverband
• Instagraminstagram.com/bund_bundesverband
• TikToktiktok.com/@bund.net
• Xx.com/bund_net

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bund