START-Stiftung

Name

START-Stiftung

Legal name

START-Stiftung gGmbH

Website

https://start-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Migrant Integration Non-Profit

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAK)

Keywords

• Educational scholarships
• Youth education programs
• Career orientation
• Coding education
• Migrant integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: As a gemeinnützige GmbH (non-profit limited liability company), START-Stiftung operates on a non-commercial basis. Its primary funding comes from donations, charitable contributions, and the anchor financial commitment of its shareholder, the Gemeinnützige Hertie-Stiftung. Additional revenue is raised through fundraising activities targeting individuals, companies, and institutional donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

START-Stiftung delivers free, year-long educational and community programs (scholarship, coding intensive, career orientation, and online community offerings) to youth with migration backgrounds enrolled at German secondary and vocational schools. Programs combine financial support, mentoring, in-person seminars and workshops, company visits, and a digital learning platform, and are funded through donations and the anchor financial commitment of the Hertie-Stiftung.

Product overview

START-Stiftung operates a multi-program educational platform for youth with migration background in Germany. The core portfolio includes the START Stipendium (scholarship program), START Coding (coding intensive), START Career (career orientation), and START Community (year-round digital and in-person offerings). These programs are supported by START4School (school cooperation network) and delivered through the START Campus digital registration platform. The organization also engages alumni as ambassadors and mentors, creating a lifelong community network spanning over 3,500 former participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• START Stipendium: The main scholarship program supporting youth with migration backgrounds with educational opportunities, seminars, and community access.
• START Coding
• START Career
• START Campus
• START4School

Products and services

• START Stipendium A scholarship program for students with migration backgrounds that provides educational support, seminars, workshops, and access to the START Community network across Germany.
• START Coding
• START Career An intensive career orientation program offering company visits, webinars, workshops, coaching sessions, application training, and practical workshops for professional guidance.
• START Community Year-round community offering free online workshops, live talks, project groups on personality development, democracy strengthening, career orientation, media literacy, and networking with youth across Germany.
• START Campus A free digital registration and learning platform where students can access online educational offerings, register for START programs, and engage with the START community.
• START4School A school cooperation network connecting START with secondary and vocational schools nationwide to promote educational equity for students with migration backgrounds.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33 out of 38 measured impact dimensions showed positive change among START Coding participants, with 71% aiming to gain self-confidence, 85% wanting to better understand their strengths and weaknesses, and 90% wanting to learn programming.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SalesforcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner hosting recurring START Career event days in Berlin, Munich, and Jena. Salesforce employees design and deliver workshops on AI, autonomous agents, personal brand building, and career pathways. The partnership is explicitly long-term and impact-driven under Salesforce's 1:1:1 philanthropy model.
• CodeDoor e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner co-leading the START Coding intensive program. CodeDoor staff collaborate with START mentors to guide students through a full school year of app development, from ideation to pitch presentation.
• Value for GoodminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImpact measurement consultancy partnering with START to conduct surveys and analyze the effectiveness of programs such as START Coding, measuring outcomes across 38 impact dimensions.
• BASFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany hosting career orientation visits for START Career participants, providing insights into career paths within the chemicals and industrial sector.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus DeringerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational law firm hosting career orientation visits for START Career participants, exposing youth to legal professions and corporate environments.
• Business Council for Democracy (BC4D)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative co-hosting the WIRTSCHAFT – MACHT – DEMOKRATIE congress with brandeins. START received reserved places for youth from its community to participate in group work and discussions.
• Deutsche UNESCO-KommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization through whose 'kulturweit' voluntary service program START alumni have participated in international educational exchanges.
• zero360 (Shamim Rafat)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdvisory firm led by new Supervisory Board member Dr. Shamim Rafat, supporting START's organizational transformation and strategic development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gemeinnützige Hertie-Stiftung: Major German foundation and START's anchor shareholder, focused on education, brain research and social engagement. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same funding ecosystem and education portfolio.
• Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (DKJS): One of Germany's largest foundations for children and youth, with programs in education, participation and career orientation. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating nationally in youth education.

Direct peers

• ArbeiterKind.de: German non-profit supporting first-generation and under-represented students into higher education through mentorship and scholarships. Closely comparable to START-Stiftung's mission of educational equity for under-served youth in Germany.
• Stiftung Bildung: German education foundation focused on educational equity and child/youth participation in education. Comparable as a domestic German education non-profit working in the equity space.
• Chancenwerk e.V. German non-profit providing tutoring, mentoring and educational support for students with migration backgrounds. Directly comparable in beneficiary segment, mission and school-based delivery model.
• Joblinge: German foundation helping disadvantaged youth transition into training and employment via mentoring and corporate partnerships. Comparable career-orientation orientation and enterprise-partner playbook.
• Deutschlandstiftung Integration: German foundation promoting integration of people with migration backgrounds through education, training and societal participation. Closely comparable target group and integration-mission framing.

Others

• PHINEO gAG: German impact advisory and analytics firm supporting non-profits with strategy and impact measurement (an existing START partner). Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant helping validate and scale German social-impact organisations.
• Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen: Germany's national association of foundations, representing the sector and connecting funders with non-profits. Relevant as the institutional ecosystem in which START operates, recruits funders and benchmarks governance.
• CodeDoor e.V. German non-profit teaching coding to under-served youth, currently co-leading START-Stiftung's START Coding program. Directly comparable as a delivery peer in coding education for migrant and under-served youth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/STARTStiftung
• Facebookfacebook.com/STARTstiftung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/start-stiftung
• Instagraminstagram.com/wirsindstart
• TikToktiktok.com/@wirsindstart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 START-Stiftung