proBee
proBiene is a Stuttgart-based non-profit institute offering ecological beekeeping courses, biodiversity education for children and youth, and conservation advocacy, serving beekeepers, schools, families, and policy makers across Germany and selectively in Europe via Erasmus+ programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersStuttgart, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What proBee does
proBiene (legal name: proBiene – Freies Institut für ökologische Bienenhaltung (gemeinnützige) GmbH) is a non-profit charitable limited liability company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, with operations extending to a legally registered honeybee breeding station in Stumpfwald (Rhineland-Palatinate) and training/academy sites in Mannheim and Heidelberg. The organization's mission centers on ecological and biodynamic beekeeping, preservation of the endangered Dark European Honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera), biodiversity education for children and youth, and political advocacy for pesticide reduction and stronger nature-protection legislation. It initiated the Volksbegehren Artenschutz 'Rettet die Bienen' citizen initiative that produced Baden-Württemberg's Biodiversity Strengthening Act (effective January 1, 2021) and operates the only legally registered breeding station for Apis mellifera mellifera in Germany.
The portfolio spans educational products and programs: a free online bee-conservation course (21 units across 6 modules on zukunft-biene.probiene.de), paid online and in-person beekeeping courses (€60 single-day, €290 online, €450 anniversary), the Biene zu Besuch school outreach program (60+ school classes), three Stuttgart neighborhood apiaries (Stadtteilimkereien), the Do-and-Think Camps for youth aged 14–20, and the Erasmus+ funded 'Spaces of Resilience' international youth exchange with partners in Egypt and Europe. Supporting products include books, activity booklets, DIY kits, and bee-friendly seed mixtures sold through shop.probiene.de.
The business model is a hybrid non-profit stack: (1) recurring supporting memberships starting at €10/month with tiered impact descriptions (€10 for breeding station operation, €25 for one Dark Bee colony's food, €50 for DNA/cubital index research); (2) one-time course fees and shop sales; (3) project-based EU and state grant funding (Erasmus+, Landesjugendplan Baden-Württemberg, DSEE 100xDigital); and (4) donations. Underlying technology is modest and operational: an online learning platform, a CRM with event management, and a Mailchimp-based newsletter system. The go-to-market is community-led, event-driven, and direct-to-consumer, relying on a distributed network of members, schools, kindergartens, beekeeping communities, and NGO partners (BUND, PAN Germany, Dunkle Biene Rheinland-Pfalz, UNESCO Commission).
proBee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- proBee
- Legal name
- proBiene – Freies Institut für ökologische Bienenhaltung (gemeinnützige) GmbH
- Website
- https://probiene.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- proBiene is a Stuttgart-based non-profit institute offering ecological beekeeping courses, biodiversity education for children and youth, and conservation advocacy, serving beekeepers, schools, families, and policy makers across Germany and selectively in Europe via Erasmus+ programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
proBee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ecological Beekeeping Education
- NAICS
- Apiculture (112910), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services (AFAEAHAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bee Breeding & Genetics (Trait Selection, Stock Improvement) (AFAEAHAH), Beekeeping & Apiculture (EDAOAOAL)
Keywords
Where proBee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stuttgart
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
proBee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Memberships: One-time and recurring donations; supporting memberships (Fördermitgliedschaft) starting at 10€/month with benefits including free online courses and 50% discount on other offerings.
- Course Fees: Revenue from beekeeping courses including online courses (290€), one-day courses (60€), anniversary courses (450€), and workshops.
- Shop Sales: E-commerce sales of books, educational materials, seeds, action materials, and children's offerings through shop.probiene.de.
- EU and Government Project Funding: Funding from EU programs (Erasmus+), government grants, and foundations for educational and conservation projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Fördermitgliedschaft (Supporting Membership) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Online-Imkerkurs 2026 (Online Beekeeping Course) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Jubiläumskurs 2026: Ökologische Bienenhaltung im (Klima)Wandel |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Eintägiger Imkerkurs im Raum Freiburg (Single-day beekeeping course near Freiburg) |
| Other | Monthly | Praktikant*in Schwerpunkt Imkerei (Internship) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Spending membership support tiers |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Do-and-Think Camp participation |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Mauerbienen-Mitmach-Heft (Mason Bee Activity Booklet) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
proBee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
proBiene is a non-profit institute that delivers ecological and biodynamic beekeeping education through paid online and in-person courses, free digital learning content, and published books. It operates Germany's only legally registered breeding station for the endangered Dark European Honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera) and runs youth education programs, political advocacy for biodiversity legislation, and community beekeeping projects in Stuttgart.
Product overview
proBiene is a non-profit organization (Freies Institut für ökologische Bienenhaltung) offering a portfolio of educational products and programs focused on ecological beekeeping, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable education. The core offerings include online and in-person beekeeping courses (Online-Imkerkurs, Jubiläumskurs, Freiburg day course), educational materials and books (Mauerbienen-Mitmach-Heft, children's books, Biodynamic Beekeeping manual), and free online courses on bee conservation (Bienenschutz für unsere Zukunft). The organization also runs youth programs including Do-and-Think Camps and the international Spaces of Resilience Erasmus+ project. Propolis DIY kits and bee-friendly seed mixtures are available through the online shop. The Belegstelle Stumpfwald breeding station focuses on preserving the endangered Dark European Honeybee. Sponsors can support through memberships starting at 10€/month with benefits including free or discounted access to courses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Belegstelle Stumpfwald: A breeding station for the Dark European Honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera) operated in partnership with the association 'Dunkle Biene Rheinland-Pfalz'. It is the only legally registered breeding station in Germany for this endangered subspecies.
- Online-Imkerkurs
- Do-and-Think Camps
- Spaces of Resilience
- Biene zu Besuch
Products and services
- Online-Imkerkurs 2026 Online beekeeping course for beginners and those transitioning to ecological beekeeping, priced at 290€.
- Jubiläumskurs 2026: Ökologische Bienenhaltung im (Klima)Wandel Anniversary course on ecological beekeeping in the context of climate change, priced at 450€.
- Eintägiger Imkerkurs im Raum Freiburg Single-day in-person beekeeping course in the Freiburg area, priced at 60€.
- Online-Kurs: Bienenschutz für unsere Zukunft Free online course on bee conservation with 21 units covering cultural history of bees, threats, beekeeping practices, and how to become a bee protector.
- Propolis-Tinktur selbermachen DIY kit for making propolis tincture, priced at 18€.
- Mauerbienen-Mitmach-Heft Activity booklet for children ages 7-13 about mason bees with information, activity, and discovery sections; donation-based pricing (5€ printing cost, 25€ enables free access for others).
- Unsere Honigbiene – Eine summende Entdeckungsreise Children's book about honeybees available free of charge in the shop.
- Ökologische Bienenhaltung – Die Orientierung am Bien Book on ecological beekeeping by D. Gerstmeier and T. Miltenberger, distributed through partner booksellers.
- Manual: Biodynamic Beekeeping Manual on biodynamic beekeeping practices.
- Saatgut-Blühmischung-Bienenweide Seed mixture for bee-friendly flower meadows available in the proBiene online shop.
- Do-and-Think Camps Two-week youth camps combining hands-on ecological work (e.g., renovation at Collegium Academicum Heidelberg) with reflection on sustainability and politics, for youth ages 14-20; 45€ cost contribution per participant.
- Spaces of Resilience Erasmus+ funded international youth exchange program on community spaces, youth participation, and urban resilience, coordinated by proBiene with partners in Egypt and Europe.
- Stadtteilimkereien (City District Beekeeping) Setup of three city district beekeeping operations in Stuttgart as part of open neighborhood work, targeting children and youth, in partnership with stadtacker e.V. Stuttgart-Nord.
- Belegstelle Stumpfwald Only legally registered breeding station for the Dark European Honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera) in Germany, operated in partnership with the association Dunkle Biene Rheinland-Pfalz with state-recognized protection radius in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35,000+ signatures collected for biodiversity petition
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use proBee
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
proBee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
proBee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ACTS (Cairo, Egypt)coreInternational cooperation partner in the Erasmus+ funded 'Spaces of Resilience' youth exchange program. ACTS coordinates with proBiene to bring together youth workers, educators, and community leaders from Europe and Egypt to explore urban resilience and youth participation.
- Collegium Academicum HeidelbergcorePartner for Do-and-Think Camps and youth education programs. The Heidelberg camp takes place at the Collegium Academicum, a community-driven, self-managed, and ecological housing project where youth participants engage in ecological renovation work.
- Dunkle Biene Rheinland-Pfalz (Verein)coreOperates the Belegstelle Stumpfwald together with proBiene. This is the only legally registered breeding station in Germany for Apis mellifera mellifera with a state-recognized protection radius, dedicated to preserving the endangered Dark European Honeybee.
- Stadtacker e.V. Stuttgart-NordminorPartnership for city district beekeeping project in Stuttgart-Nord. A converted caravan serves as a base for neighborhood beekeeping activities and educational programs in the district.
- Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt (DSEE)minor100xDigital program supported proBiene's digital transformation, enabling the implementation of a new CRM system with event management and newsletter system upgrades.
- Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk (PAN) GermanycoreproBiene is an active member of PAN Germany, a coalition of environmental organizations advocating against pesticide use. They jointly signed an open letter to German ministers opposing the EU Food & Feed Omnibus package.
- BUND Baden-WürttembergcoreAwarded the Gerhard-Thielcke-Naturschutzpreis 2025 to proBiene founders. BUND is a key environmental organization that proBiene collaborates with on biodiversity and bee protection initiatives.
- UNESCO-KommissionminorAwarded proBiene the National Prize for Education for Sustainable Development (BNE) in 2021, recognizing excellence in ecological and sustainability education.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
proBee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
proBee compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
proBee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
proBee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
proBee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
proBee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about proBee
What does proBee do?
proBiene is a non-profit institute that delivers ecological and biodynamic beekeeping education through paid online and in-person courses, free digital learning content, and published books. It operates Germany's only legally registered breeding station for the endangered Dark European Honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera) and runs youth education programs, political advocacy for biodiversity legislation, and community beekeeping projects in Stuttgart.
Is proBee a public or private company?
proBee is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was proBee founded?
proBee was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is proBee based?
proBee is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does proBee make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Memberships are the primary driver. The others are course Fees, shop Sales and EU and Government Project Funding.
Does proBee have an API?
No public API is recorded for proBee.
What industry is proBee in?
proBee's product category is Ecological Beekeeping Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAHAO, Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services, with a secondary code of AFAEAHAH, Bee Breeding & Genetics (Trait Selection, Stock Improvement). Its NAICS code is 112910 and its SIC code is 200.