What MiCT does

MiCT (Media in Cooperation and Transition gGmbH) is a German non-profit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in Berlin (Brunnenstraße 9, 10119 Berlin). It delivers media development services in conflict-affected and transition countries through five interconnected program pillars — Training, Publishing, Innovation, Research, and a Fellowship program — serving at-risk journalists, citizen journalists, and independent media outlets across at least 15 countries spanning the Middle East and North Africa (Syria, Iraq, Libya), Sub-Saharan Africa (Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Uganda, Togo, Benin, Guinea-Bissau), Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Moldova), South and Southeast Asia (Afghanistan, Myanmar), and Germany itself.

MiCT's service portfolio includes conflict-sensitive journalism training, gender-based violence reporting workshops, production grants and editorial coaching for independent outlets, applied research on media systems in difficult-to-access regions, and a legal protection program that has served over 500 Libyan journalists in partnership with UNESCO's Global Media Defence Fund. Its flagship newer assets include the Exile Media Hubs in Brandenburg, Germany (July 2024) and Nairobi, Kenya — sanctuaries for journalists whose safety is threatened in their home countries — and the Syria Media Literacy Hub (September 2025), launched to support trustworthy, verified reporting during Syria's post-Assad transition. The organization also co-organizes academic conferences on media assistance in fragile contexts and publishes original research such as the 2025 'Emerging Media Structures, Media Policy and the Challenge of Disinformation in Post-Assad Syria' study.

MiCT operates as a registered non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH) under German law (HRB 104 211 Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg). It does not sell products or charge fees; operations are funded through grants from institutional development partners, primarily Germany's GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), UNESCO's Global Media Defence Fund, and Internews Europe, with implementation support from local partners such as the North Africa Media Academy (NAMA) and the Libyan Organization for Independent Media (LOFIM). MiCT does not maintain a software product, API, or proprietary technology platform — its 'core technology' is human capital: field staff, trainer networks, and partner relationships in target countries. The organization is led by founder Dr. Anja Wollenberg as Head of Research, with active hiring as of 2026 in both programmatic (Senior Project Manager — Sub-Saharan Africa) and back-office (Middle East finance) roles.

Name

MiCT

Legal name

Media in Cooperation and Transition gGmbH

Website

https://mict-international.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MiCT is a German non-profit founded in 2006 that supports at-risk journalists and independent media in 15+ conflict-affected and transition countries through training, publishing, research, legal protection, and exile sanctuary programs across the MENA region, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Media Development Services

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural) (MPABADAN)

Keywords

• Media development programs
• Journalism training services
• Conflict-zone reporting
• Independent radio broadcasting
• Journalist protection programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MiCT delivers media development programs for journalists and independent media outlets in conflict-affected and transition countries. Its core offerings span journalism training, independent radio and digital news publishing, media technology innovation, research on media landscapes, and cross-border fellowships. Programs are delivered in partnership with local journalists and diaspora media, primarily in the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Product overview

MiCT (Media in Cooperation and Transition) is a German non-profit organization established in 2006 that operates as a multi-program media support organization rather than a technology product company. Its portfolio consists of five interconnected service pillars: Training (workshops and professional development for journalists), Publishing (production grants and editorial support for media outlets), Innovation (exploring new media formats), Research (academic studies on media systems and conflict), and the Fellowship (protection for at-risk media professionals). Programs span geographic regions including Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, West Africa, and East Africa, addressing needs such as conflict reporting, gender-based violence coverage, media literacy, legal protection, and peace journalism. The organization does not offer a software product or SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MiCT Fellowship for Critical Voices: Quick support program for media professionals from Afghanistan, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine, as well as global emergency situations.
• Exile Media Hub
• Syria Media Literacy Hub
• Media for Peace

Products and services

• Journalism Training Program Structured training for journalists in conflict-affected and transition countries covering reporting skills, safety, and editorial standards, delivered in regional languages including Arabic, Kurdish, Ukrainian, and French.
• Independent Media Publishing Production and operation of independent radio stations and online news outlets in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and Ukraine, supporting local and diaspora journalism with technical and editorial infrastructure.
• Innovation Lab Development of media technology solutions tailored to the operating constraints of journalists and outlets in conflict and transition environments, including tools for secure reporting, content distribution, and outlet operations.
• Media Landscape Research Research and analysis on media ecosystems in conflict-affected and transition countries to inform MiCT's program design and to brief external stakeholders including donors and policy actors.
• Journalist Fellowship Program Cross-border fellowships and exchange programs for journalists, including at-risk and exiled journalists, supporting skills development, network building, and continued independent reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 Libyan journalists benefiting from legal protection program
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• CHIETA (Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026MICT SETA and CHIETA renewed their memorandum of understanding to expand cross-sectoral skills development across South Africa. The partnership converts CHIETA's existing smart skills centres into integrated exam hubs offering digital skills training, work-readiness validation, entrepreneurship development, and official qualification certification for both SETAs' accredited programmes. Initiative aims to roll out over 50 fourth industrial revolution qualifications across all nine provinces.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ is a key funding partner supporting multiple MiCT programs. Funded the 'Training of Citizen Journalists in Syria' through the BRIDGE program and the 'Practicing Media for Peace' project in Iraq. GIZ is Germany's development agency implementing international cooperation projects on behalf of the government.
• Internews EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternews Europe partnered with MiCT on the 'Supporting Critical Voices' program providing protection and support to at-risk journalists in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon from August to December 2024. Internews is a global media development organization.
• UNESCO Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO's GMDF supports MiCT's legal protection program for Libyan journalists, which has benefited over 500 journalists. The program involves media professionals, lawyers, and judges and is implemented in partnership with other organizations.
• North Africa Media Academy (NAMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAMA co-implements the legal protection program for Libyan journalists alongside MiCT and other partners, contributing expertise in media training and development across North Africa.
• Libyan Organization for Independent Media (LOFIM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOFIM is a local Libyan partner in the legal protection program for journalists, providing on-the-ground implementation and local expertise in Libya's media landscape.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Free Press Unlimited: Dutch non-profit supporting independent journalism and press freedom in restrictive environments worldwide. Directly comparable as a European-based media development NGO competing for similar donor funding and operating exile/journalist-support programs.
• International Media Support (IMS): Denmark-based non-profit providing journalist safety, training, and media development in conflict and transition countries. Operates the same donor-funded, multi-country service-pillar model as MiCT and competes for the same GIZ and EU grant pool.
• Internews: Global media development non-profit that trains journalists, supports independent media, and works in fragile states. Internews Europe is already a MiCT partner on the 'Supporting Critical Voices' program in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, making it the closest structural peer.
• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): Paris-headquartered international NGO focused on press freedom advocacy and journalist protection. Comparable in mission (protecting journalists in conflict zones) but leads with advocacy and rapid-response grants rather than MiCT's training/publishing/research mix.
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): US-based non-profit promoting press freedom and documenting attacks on journalists worldwide. Comparable mission around journalist safety in conflict-affected countries, with overlapping target beneficiaries.
• European Journalism Centre (EJC): Maastricht-based non-profit supporting journalism innovation, training, and cross-border journalism projects. Comparable as a European-based journalism-support organization, though more focused on innovation than MiCT's conflict-zone specialization.
• ARTICLE 19: London-headquartered human rights organization working on freedom of expression and independent media globally. Overlaps with MiCT's mission in supporting journalists and media sustainability in repressive and conflict-affected contexts.
• Deutsche Welle Akademie: Germany's DW Akademie delivers media development and journalism training in conflict and transition regions, funded largely by Germany's BMZ/AA. Shares MiCT's Berlin base, German federal funding base, and core target audience of journalists in fragile states.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Media Action: The BBC's international development charity, providing media development, journalism training, and communication for development globally. A much larger incumbent operating in overlapping geographies and target audiences.
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ): Global federation of journalists' trade unions representing over 600,000 members. Larger, broader incumbent operating in many of the same countries with journalist-safety and press-freedom programming that overlaps MiCT's at-risk journalist support work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mict---media-in-cooperation-and-transition
• Xx.com/mict_intl
• Facebookfacebook.com/mictinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A2 records

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MiCT