Ashoka Deutschland

What Ashoka Deutschland does

Ashoka Deutschland gGmbH is the German country office of the global Ashoka network, a nonprofit charitable entity headquartered in Munich (Prinzregentenplatz 10, 81675 München). It operates within the international Ashoka organization, which was founded in 1980 by Bill Drayton, and functions as a social-impact platform rather than a technology company. Ashoka identifies, selects, and supports social entrepreneurs — designated "Ashoka Fellows" — who develop innovative, system-changing approaches to pressing societal problems, and it embeds them in a global network for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and ongoing accompaniment.

The organization's offering centers on the flagship Ashoka Fellowship program, supported by three interconnected program focus areas: Social Entrepreneurship (identifying and accompanying Fellows), Empathy & Young Changemaking (guiding young people to become changemakers), and Reimagining Collaboration ("Zusammenarbeit neu denken," promoting cross-organizational cooperation). The Ashoka Support Network complements this by connecting Fellows with professionals who provide coaching, strategic guidance, and resources. Fellows are sourced through expert nominations submitted via an online nomination portal, and the network is activated through events, blog content ("Was uns bewegt"), newsletters, and social-media channels.

As a gemeinnützige GmbH (gGmbH), Ashoka Deutschland is a private charitable organization for which revenue generation is not the primary focus; it operates through partnerships and sponsorships rather than product-based pricing, and no pricing is publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led — engaging Fellows, an Ashoka Support Network of professionals, and corporate partners such as Boehringer Ingelheim and Thyssen Krupp. Its customer/stakeholder segments span social entrepreneurs (Ashoka Fellows), young changemakers, and corporate partners seeking to integrate social impact into their business models.

Name

Ashoka Deutschland

Legal name

Ashoka Deutschland gGmbH

Website

https://germany.ashoka.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ashoka Deutschland gGmbH, the German office of the global Ashoka network, is a nonprofit that identifies and supports social entrepreneurs ("Ashoka Fellows"), embedding them in a global changemaker network alongside young changemakers and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Entrepreneurship Support

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening) (BPADAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA), Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO), Workforce, Employability & Youth Skills Partnerships (EDADALAI)

Keywords

• Social entrepreneurship support
• Changemaker fellowship program
• Nonprofit network services
• Corporate social impact partnerships
• Community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fellowship and Network Operations: Ashoka supports social entrepreneurs through the Fellowship program, providing access to a global network, resources, and ongoing accompaniment. Revenue generation is not the primary focus as Ashoka is a non-profit organization (gGmbH in Germany).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ashoka Deutschland identifies, selects, and supports social entrepreneurs with innovative, system-changing approaches to pressing societal problems through the Ashoka Fellowship program. Fellows gain access to a global network, ongoing accompaniment, and connections to coaches and corporate partners via the Ashoka Support Network. The German office operates as part of the international Ashoka network and delivers three program focus areas: Social Entrepreneurship, Empathy & Young Changemaking, and Reimagining Collaboration.

Product overview

Ashoka Deutschland operates as a social impact organization and country office of the global Ashoka network. Rather than a traditional tech product, Ashoka offers a portfolio of fellowship programs and network services: the Ashoka Fellowship (core offering) identifies and supports social entrepreneurs; three interconnected program focus areas cover Social Entrepreneurship, Empathy & Young Changemaking, and Reimagining Collaboration. Supporting services include the Ashoka Support Network connecting fellows with coaches and experts. The organization functions as a platform for social change rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ashoka Fellowship Flagship program that identifies, selects, and supports social entrepreneurs developing system-changing solutions to pressing societal problems. Selected individuals are admitted as Ashoka Fellows and granted access to the global Ashoka network, resources, and ongoing accompaniment.
• Social Entrepreneurship Program Program focus area covering Ashoka's core work of identifying and accompanying social entrepreneurs whose innovations target urgent societal challenges.
• Empathy & Young Changemaking Program focus area that creates pathways for young people to navigate rapid societal change and become changemakers, anchored in empathy as the entry point for transformation.
• Reimagining Collaboration (Zusammenarbeit neu denken) Program focus area promoting a culture of collaboration that enables flexible and trusting cooperation across organizational boundaries and societal sectors.
• Ashoka Support Network Network of professionals, senior coaches, and corporate leaders who support Ashoka Fellows via coaching, strategic guidance, and introductions, creating win-win collaborations within the Ashoka community.

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boehringer IngelheimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian Boehringer, Chairman of the Shareholders' Committee of Boehringer Ingelheim, serves as a global partner of Ashoka. The partnership represents collaboration between corporate leadership and social entrepreneurship support.
• Thyssen KruppcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMartina Merz, CEO of Thyssen Krupp GmbH, is quoted expressing support for Ashoka's approach to maximizing social impact. Represents corporate engagement with Ashoka's mission.
• Baden-Badener UnternehmergesprächeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrank Trümper, Managing Director of Baden-Badener Unternehmergespräche, is part of the Ashoka network, facilitating connection between business leaders and social entrepreneurs.
• Ashoka Support NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of professionals (including Boris Börsch) who support Ashoka Fellows through coaching, strategy processes, and facilitating connections within the network for win-win situations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ashoka (Global): Global parent organization and direct operator of the same Ashoka Fellowship model across 90+ countries. Identical program architecture, brand, and Fellow selection methodology make it the most direct peer by definition.
• Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: World Economic Forum-affiliated foundation that identifies and supports leading social entrepreneurs globally. Directly competes with Ashoka for top-tier Fellows, corporate partner engagement, and policy influence.
• Echoing Green: Global fellowship organization that identifies and invests in emerging social entrepreneurs with seed funding. Mirrors Ashoka's Fellow identification and accompaniment model but uses a direct grant mechanism.
• Skoll Foundation: Major global foundation funding social entrepreneurs through the Skoll Award and partnerships. Competes for the same high-impact social entrepreneur cohort and corporate partner dollars.
• Acumen: Global organization investing in companies and leaders tackling poverty through social entrepreneurship. Comparable Fellow/investee identification process and corporate partner engagement across regions.

Regional players

• Phineo gGmbH: German non-profit analytics and consulting organization supporting effective social engagement. Comparable as a domestic German social-sector intermediary, though focused on impact analysis rather than direct Fellowship.
• Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany (SEND): German network association representing social entrepreneurs domestically. Competes in the same German ecosystem for visibility, advocacy, and access to social entrepreneurs.

Broad incumbents

• Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest operational foundations with programs spanning education, social innovation, and economic participation. Overlaps with Ashoka Deutschland's civic engagement and youth changemaking themes.
• Omidyar Network: Global impact investment firm and foundation supporting social entrepreneurs and mission-driven companies. Comparable Fellow-style backing of social innovators and corporate engagement around impact themes.

Emerging players

• Yunus Social Business: Organization founded by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus promoting social business models. Adjacent in mission and partially overlaps in social entrepreneur identification and corporate matchmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AshokaDE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Ashokade
• Facebookfacebook.com/ashokadeutschland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ashoka-deutschland-ggmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/ashoka_deutschland

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 Ashoka Deutschland