German Council for Resuscitation

What German Council for Resuscitation does

The German Council for Resuscitation (Deutscher Rat für Wiederbelebung – GRC e.V.) is a non-profit professional medical society founded in December 2007 in Ulm, Germany, operating as the official German national member of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC). The organization is governed by an elected executive committee led by Chairman Prof. Dr. Bernd W. Böttiger and operates through a wholly-owned subsidiary, GRC Akademie GmbH (headquartered in Bellheim), which manages its commercial training operations. GRC's mandate is to reduce mortality from sudden cardiac arrest in Germany, where over 120,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually with an approximate 10% survival rate.

GRC's core offerings span four pillars: (1) certified resuscitation training courses delivered via a network of GRC Akademie course centers across Germany in ERC-standardized formats (ALS, BLS, NLS, EPALS, EPBLS, EPILS, ILS, GIC, Educator); (2) the Cardiac Arrest Center (CAC) hospital certification program, jointly developed with the German Cardiac Society (DGK), with over 200 audits completed since 2018; (3) evidence-based scientific guideline publications and the FITT-OHCA quality assurance register; and (4) digital products including the TK-RescueMeVR smartphone VR training app (launched October 2020 in partnership with Techniker Krankenkasse) and an interactive map of smartphone-based first responder alert systems. Supporting public-facing initiatives include the KIDS SAVE LIVES school curriculum, STUDENTS SAVE LIVES university multiplier program (operational since winter semester 2023/24), World Restart a Heart Day (October 16), #ichrettedeinleben, and #heldkannjeder campaigns, plus the annual GRC-Reanimationsdialog congress.

The organization's revenue model is diversified across membership fees, course fees (via GRC Akademie GmbH), donations, corporate sponsorship (e.g., Stryker, Laerdal, ZOLL, BD, 3B Scientific, Ambu), and sales of educational materials. Distribution operates through direct professional channels (course centers, 20+ member organizations including DRK, ASB, Johanniter, Malteser, ADAC Stiftung), policy advocacy (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, KMK), and public digital channels. GRC has reported measurable outcomes including a bystander resuscitation rate increase from 50.7% to 55.4% and advocacy that contributed to nationwide telephone CPR and first responder app policy adoption.

Name

German Council for Resuscitation

Legal name

Deutscher Rat für Wiederbelebung – German Resuscitation Council (GRC) e.V.

Website

https://grc-org.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The German Council for Resuscitation (GRC) is a non-profit medical society that develops evidence-based resuscitation guidelines, certifies Cardiac Arrest Centers and ERC-standard training courses, and runs public CPR awareness campaigns across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ulm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual and corporate membership fees for medical professionals and organizations supporting resuscitation
2. GRC Akademie Course Fees: Revenue from conducting certified resuscitation courses (ALS, BLS, NLS, GIC, and other ERC formats) through the GRC Akademie GmbH subsidiary
3. Donations and Sponsorship: Donations from individuals and sponsorship from business partners and healthcare companies
4. Sales of Educational Materials: Sale of guideline booklets, posters, and other resuscitation training materials

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The German Council for Resuscitation (GRC) operates a non-profit professional society that delivers certified resuscitation training courses (ALS, BLS, NLS, EPALS, EPBLS, EPILS, ILS, GIC), certifies Cardiac Arrest Centers, publishes evidence-based resuscitation guidelines, runs public awareness campaigns (KIDS SAVE LIVES, World Restart a Heart Day, #ichrettedeinleben), and develops digital tools such as the TK-RescueMeVR Virtual Reality training application and smartphone first responder alert systems. Its wholly-owned subsidiary GRC Akademie GmbH manages the operational course delivery across a nationwide network of certified course centers in Germany.

Product overview

The German Council for Resuscitation (GRC) operates as a non-profit professional society with a platform-based structure centered on education, certification, and public awareness. The core offerings include the GRC Akademie for certified ERC resuscitation courses (ALS, BLS, NLS, EPALS, GIC, etc.), the Cardiac Arrest Center certification program with DGK, and the scientific FITT-OHCA register. Digital products include the TK-RescueMeVR Virtual Reality training app and smartphone-based first responder alert systems. Public awareness campaigns (KIDS SAVE LIVES, STUDENTS SAVE LIVES, #ichrettedeinleben, #heldkannjeder, World Restart a Heart Day) complement guideline publications and training materials. Annual events include the GRC-Reanimationsdialog congress.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GRC Akademie: Training academy for resuscitation courses including ERC provider courses, instructor courses, and specialized training programs.
• KIDS SAVE LIVES
• STUDENTS SAVE LIVES
• World Restart a Heart Day (WRAH)
• Cardiac Arrest Center (CAC)

Products and services

• GRC Akademie Certified Resuscitation Courses Standardized, certified resuscitation training courses (ALS, BLS, NLS, EPALS, EPBLS, EPILS, ILS, GIC, Educator) following European Resuscitation Council guidelines, delivered to healthcare professionals, medical students, and emergency personnel through a nationwide network of certified course centers operated by GRC Akademie GmbH.
• Cardiac Arrest Center (CAC) Certification Hospital certification program co-developed with the German Cardiac Society (DGK) that audits and certifies hospitals for specialized post-cardiac arrest treatment, with published criteria catalogs and structured audit processes; targets German acute-care hospitals.
• TK-RescueMeVR Virtual Reality CPR Training App A Virtual Reality smartphone application that lets users learn chest compressions interactively under simulated conditions, developed in cooperation with Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and made freely available to lay and professional users.
• Resuscitation Guidelines Publications German-language adaptation and publication of European Resuscitation Council (ERC) guidelines, including algorithm posters, scientific articles in Notfall+Rettungsmedizin, and downloadable guideline materials used by clinicians and instructors.
• Smartphone First Responder Alert Systems App-based alerting systems that notify trained volunteer first responders of nearby cardiac arrest events before emergency services arrive, supported by an interactive Germany-wide map of registered systems.
• FITT-OHCA Quality Assurance Register A quality assurance register (Feedback-Intervention and Treatment-Times) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) that enables scientific monitoring of Cardiac Arrest Centers and supports benchmarking of resuscitation care pathways.
• Educational Materials and Pocket Guides Orderable guideline booklets, compact pocket guides (Leitlinien Kompakt), posters, and other resuscitation training materials produced for healthcare professionals, schools, and laypersons based on current ERC guidelines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bystander resuscitation rate increased from 50.7% to 55.4%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Resuscitation Council (ERC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC is the parent Dachverband (umbrella organization) of GRC. GRC implements ERC guidelines and course formats in Germany, and GRC's Chairman serves in leadership positions within ERC.
• ADAC StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization supporting GRC initiatives and resuscitation awareness campaigns
• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization providing emergency services and supporting GRC training programs
• Bundesverband Medizintechnologie (BVMed)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Aktionsplan Wiederbelebung (Action Plan Resuscitation) to improve cardiac arrest outcomes through policy advocacy
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin (DGAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization representing anesthesiology and intensive care specialists
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie (DGK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of Cardiac Arrest Center (CAC) certification program with GRC
• Deutsche HerzstiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization representing cardiac patients and supporting heart health awareness
• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor member organization providing emergency services and first aid training nationwide
• DRF LuftrettungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization providing air rescue services
• Johanniter-Unfall-HilfecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization providing emergency and rescue services
• Malteser DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization providing emergency medical services and first aid training
• Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit (APS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiatives for patient safety including 10,000 additional lives saved campaign
• Techniker Krankenkasse (TK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVR rescuscitation training app (TK-RescueMeVR) developed in partnership with GRC
• UEFAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Get Trained, Save Lives campaign during Euro 2024 football tournament
• Bundesministerium für GesundheitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatronage of Woche der Wiederbelebung (Resuscitation Week) and support for emergency reform
• Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2014, recommended implementation of resuscitation training in schools nationwide
• Sepsis-StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint press release on European Emergency Number Day promoting emergency awareness

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Austrian Resuscitation Council: Austrian national resuscitation council, also an ERC member, with comparable course programs, guideline implementation, and CPR advocacy tailored to the Austrian market.
• American Heart Association (AHA): AHA is the US equivalent of GRC, setting resuscitation guidelines, running CPR training programs, certifying instructors, and conducting public awareness campaigns such as World Restart a Heart Day in the US.
• European Resuscitation Council (ERC): ERC is the parent umbrella organization of GRC and the continental body responsible for resuscitation guidelines that GRC implements in Germany. Directly comparable in mission, certification programs, and scientific authority.
• International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR): ILCOR coordinates the global evidence base behind resuscitation guidelines used by GRC, ERC, AHA, and other national councils, making it a peer scientific authority whose work directly drives GRC's content.
• Resuscitation Council UK: The UK national resuscitation council, also an ERC member, that develops and disseminates resuscitation guidelines, runs ALS/BLS/EPALS courses, and advocates for CPR training in schools and public spaces.

Emerging players

• British Heart Foundation: BHF is a UK charity that funds resuscitation research and runs the Nation of Lifesavers campaign for CPR training — comparable to GRC's role in public CPR awareness and research advocacy, though focused on the UK.
• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK): DRK is both a GRC member organization and a major competing provider of first aid and BLS courses in Germany, making it a partial peer that overlaps in training delivery while contributing to GRC's coalition.

Others

• Laerdal Medical: Laerdal is a GRC business partner that supplies simulation and training equipment used in resuscitation courses globally; an ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.

Regional players

• Australian Resuscitation Council: An ERC-affiliated national resuscitation council serving Australia/New Zealand with similar guideline-setting, course certification (ALS, BLS), and CPR advocacy functions, but operating in a different geography.
• Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada: Canadian charity that funds resuscitation science and runs CPR training advocacy similar to GRC, but operating in Canada with a broader heart-disease mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/grcev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/german-resuscitation-council-grc-deutscher-rat-f%C3%BCr-wiederbelebung-e.v./?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/grc.wiederbelebung
• Xx.com/resusger

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about German Council for Resuscitation