Helliwood Media & Education

What Helliwood Media & Education does

Helliwood Media & Education is a non-profit educational organization operating as a business division (Geschäftsbereich) of Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V. (fjs e.V.), a registered charitable association headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Active for over 25 years under the fjs e.V. umbrella, Helliwood combines the mission orientation of an NGO with the operational capabilities of a digital media agency to deliver media literacy, AI education, and digital skills training primarily to K-12 schools, educators, children, and youth across Germany, with EU-funded international reach into projects such as the Erasmus+ enactAI program.

The organization's service portfolio spans SMARTe-Events (live streaming and hybrid conferences from its green-screen studio), Online-Akademie (live-streamed educational programming co-developed with Microsoft featuring Code Your Life, IT-Fitness, and Teacher Academy), KI-Mobil and KI-Lab (mobile and fixed AI laboratories delivering hands-on AI workshops at schools in NRW and at Microsoft Office in Cologne), DigiMoK (Digital Mobile Classroom), Bildungsinitiativen, Lehr- und Lernmaterialien, Technologieentwicklung, and full-service digital media production (graphic/web design, photo/video/audio, social media). Helliwood holds ISO 21001:2018 certification for educational management systems since January 2019 (valid until 11-01-2028) and won the ECO-AWARD 2021 with Microsoft for SMART-Streaming. The team of approximately 35 interdisciplinary specialists covers concept development, IT, design, editorial, and pedagogy.

Helliwood operates a project-funded nonprofit revenue model: rather than selling products at commercial prices, revenue derives from public grants, EU project funding, and commissioned educational initiatives, with most offerings to schools and educators delivered free of charge. Distribution is event-driven and community-led, combining direct school engagement (KI-Mobil visits), fixed locations (KI-Lab Cologne), annual event presence (Leipziger Buchmesse, re:publica), partner-network recruitment, and digital channels (Online-Akademie streaming, YouTube, newsletters). The organization is governed within the fjs e.V. structure chaired by Thomas Schmidt and has no shareholders, venture funding, or equity instruments.

Name

Helliwood Media & Education

Legal name

Helliwood media & education im Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V. (fjs)

Website

https://helliwood.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Helliwood Media & Education is a Berlin-based nonprofit educational division of fjs e.V. that delivers media literacy, AI education, and digital skills training to schools, educators, and youth across Germany through workshops, mobile labs, and Microsoft-co-developed online programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Education Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Project- & Inquiry-Based Digital Learning Modules (EDAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI/ML Learning Platforms for Students (EDAFANAE), STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN), Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD)

Keywords

• Digital education programs
• Media literacy training
• AI workshop services
• Educational technology development
• Teacher professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-based Educational Services: As a nonprofit organization under Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V. (fjs), Helliwood operates through project funding, grants, and commissioned educational initiatives. Revenue derives from public funding, EU projects, and partnerships rather than commercial sales.
2. Educational Content and Materials: Development and distribution of educational initiatives, teaching materials, and learning resources funded through project grants and institutional partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Helliwood is a non-profit educational organization that designs and delivers digital education programs, AI workshops, media literacy curricula, and custom EdTech solutions for schools, educators, and youth across Germany and EU-funded projects. Its offerings span hands-on AI workshops via mobile labs (KI-Mobil, DigiMoK), live streaming and hybrid conferences (SMARTe-Events), a Microsoft-partnered Online Academy, teaching and learning materials, and full-service event/media production. The organization is funded primarily through project grants, public funding, and commissioned educational initiatives.

Product overview

Helliwood Media & Education is a non-profit education and media organization (a business unit of Förderverein für Jugend und Sozialarbeit e.V.) that does not offer a single unified software product or platform. Instead, it delivers a portfolio of educational programs, digital media services, and technology offerings organized across several service lines: (1) SMARTe-Events — live streaming, hybrid conferences, and webinar services from its green-screen studio; (2) Online-Akademie — a Microsoft-partnered live learning platform featuring Code Your Life, IT-Fitness, and Teacher Academy programs; (3) KI-Mobil and KI-Lab — mobile and fixed AI education labs delivering hands-on AI workshops for students and educators; (4) DigiMoK (Digitales Mobiles Klassenzimmer) — a mobile digital classroom for AI workshops at events; (5) Lehr- und Lernmaterialien — teaching and learning materials; (6) Technologieentwicklung — custom digital solutions (apps, e-platforms, CMS); and (7) Veranstaltungen, Grafik und Webdesign, Foto/Video/Audio, and Social Media services. The organization functions primarily as an educational services provider rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMARTe-Events A comprehensive event service including live broadcasting from Helliwood's green-screen studio to websites and social media platforms, hybrid conferences with interactive breakout rooms, and webinars or online workshops conducted in a closed user environment. Targeted at conference organizers and educational institutions.
• Online-Akademie (Online Academy) A joint initiative with Microsoft delivering live daily educational programming across multiple streaming platforms, featuring Code Your Life (programming for ages 10+), IT-Fitness (future skills/AI for ages 14+), and Teacher Academy (professional development for educators and parents).
• KI-Mobil (AI Mobile Lab) A mobile AI laboratory that travels to schools in the NRW region to deliver interactive AI workshops, covering prompt engineering, building small AI models, and experimenting with AI applications for text, image, and music generation. Targeted at K-12 schools and students.
• Digitales Mobiles Klassenzimmer (DigiMoK) A digital mobile classroom showcased at events such as the Leipzig Book Fair, offering hands-on AI workshops for students and professional development for educators on AI-powered teaching and learning. Targeted at event organizers, schools, and educator audiences.
• Bildungsinitiativen (Educational Initiatives) Development and implementation of needs-oriented educational initiatives from concept through execution and dissemination, covering the full lifecycle of awareness-raising campaigns and educational programs. Targeted at public sector, schools, and nonprofit organizations.
• Lehr- und Lernmaterialien (Teaching and Learning Materials) Differentiated and low-threshold teaching and learning materials on current topics designed to create sustainable learning success, covering both competency development and enjoyment of the subject matter. Targeted at schools, educators, and learners.
• Technologieentwicklung (Technology Development) Custom digital solutions including apps, e-platforms, content management systems, and other formats tailored to educational needs, with over 15 years of EdTech development experience. Targeted at educational organizations and public sector clients.
• Veranstaltungen (Events) Full-service event management including planning, execution, documentation, and follow-up, covering action days for children, workshops for youth, professional development for educators, and congresses for specialist audiences. Targeted at educational institutions, public sector, and organizations.
• Grafik und Webdesign (Graphic and Web Design) Custom graphics portfolio including print publications, websites, event designs, infographics, and character designs, implementing current technological standards and user trends. Targeted at organizations needing educational and branded design assets.
• Foto, Video und Audio (Photo, Video and Audio) Audiovisual production services spanning photo, video, and audio formats, from concept and production through post-processing, with full compliance with data protection, data management, rights, and licensing standards. Targeted at organizations needing educational and event media production.
• Social Media Services Development of tailored, authentic social media presences including editorial management, community management, and wide-reach distribution, spanning both channel-specific and cross-channel campaigns. Targeted at organizations needing educational and nonprofit social media management.

Quantifiable outcome

• ECO-AWARD 2021 for SMART-Streaming on Bildung und Medien
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2020Microsoft partnered with Helliwood to develop the Online Academy during COVID-19, providing live streaming infrastructure for educational content. The partnership continues with KI-Lab operations at Microsoft Office in Cologne for AI education workshops.
• Leipziger BuchmessecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual partnership for presence at Leipziger Buchmesse with dedicated booth (A403 in Hall 2), AI workshops for students, teacher training sessions, and forum participation on education topics.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KI-Campus: German AI learning platform funded by the Stifterverband and federal/state ministries, providing free AI courses for students, educators, and professionals; directly comparable to Helliwood's Online-Akademie and KI-Skilling.NRW offerings in K-12 AI literacy.
• Junge Tüftler: German nonprofit focused on digital education and maker/STEM learning for children and youth; offers hands-on workshops and educator training — highly comparable to Helliwood's KI-Mobil and DigiMoK programs targeting the same K-12 and educator segments in Germany.
• Deutschland sicher im Netz (DsiN): German non-profit initiative promoting digital literacy and safe internet use for citizens, schools, and educators; shares Helliwood's nonprofit structure, public-funding model, and focus on digital competency development in Germany.
• Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia (FSM): German self-regulation body for digital media offering media-literacy education programs for youth, parents, and educators; comparable to Helliwood's media-literacy and digital-citizenship curriculum work targeting schools.
• App Camps: German nonprofit providing coding and digital-skills workshops to K-12 students and teacher training programs; comparable to Helliwood's Code Your Life programming program and educator professional-development offerings.
• iRights.Lab: Berlin-based nonprofit developing digital literacy, media competence, and AI-related education programs for youth and educators; directly comparable to Helliwood's Bildungsinitiativen portfolio and Berlin-based nonprofit positioning.
• Stiftung Digitale Chancen: German nonprofit foundation promoting digital participation and digital literacy for diverse population groups; shares Helliwood's nonprofit structure, EU-project orientation, and K-12/youth digital-inclusion focus.

Broad incumbents

• Khan Academy: Global nonprofit online learning platform offering free K-12 and adult courses including AI/digital-literacy content; comparable to Helliwood's Online-Akademie and free-content model, but operating as a much broader incumbent across all subjects.

Regional players

• Teach First Deutschland: German nonprofit placing program leaders in schools to address educational inequity; shares Helliwood's nonprofit structure and K-12 mission focus, with partial overlap on digital-skills and educational-equity programs in Germany.

Emerging players

• Code.org: US-based nonprofit providing free K-12 computer-science and AI education curricula globally; comparable to Helliwood's Code Your Life and AI-education programs, though operating at much larger global scale and as an emerging threat in the German market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5eJW_d2K2k2HvCNG2NakkA
• Xx.com/helliwood

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Helliwood Media & Education