LICHT IM OSTEN

What LICHT IM OSTEN does

LICHT IM OSTEN is a German non-profit missionary organization (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) founded in 1920 in Wernigerode and currently headquartered in Korntal-Münchingen near Stuttgart. Its core function is the production and distribution of Bibles and Christian literature in 30 languages across 10 countries, carried out through a network of 11 partner organizations and an annual logistics operation that transports more than 200 tonnes of literature and aid.

The organization's product portfolio centers on two flagship periodicals: TROPINKA, a children's magazine with approximately 1.5 million readers across 65 countries, and FAITH AND LIFE, an adult magazine with over 500,000 readers. Beyond print, the organization operates XFM radio broadcasting in Lithuania, signaling a deliberate channel diversification into audio ministry. HQ staff are reported at 11-50 employees, indicating a lean central team that coordinates content production, donor relations, and multi-country logistics rather than running country offices directly.

The business model is donation-funded: as an eingetragener Verein, the organization does not sell content to beneficiaries and has no commercial pricing model. Income is sourced entirely from charitable contributions, primarily within the German Protestant donor ecosystem, and is deployed into content production, translation, print runs, shipping logistics, partner grants, and the XFM radio operation. The organization is in its second century of continuous operation.

Name

LICHT IM OSTEN

Legal name

LICHT IM OSTEN e.V.

Website

https://lio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LICHT IM OSTEN is a German non-profit missionary organization that produces and distributes Bibles and Christian literature in 30 languages across 10 countries, anchored by the TROPINKA children's magazine (1.5M readers in 65 countries), the FAITH AND LIFE adult magazine (500K+ readers), and XFM radio in Lithuania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing and Missionary Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious & Spiritual Print-on-Demand (Bibles, Devotionals) (MPAJANAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Book Print-on-Demand (Picture Books, Early Readers, YA) (MPAJANAC), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Christian literature distribution
• Religious publishing
• Bible distribution
• Missionary services
• Humanitarian aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Korntal-münchingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: LICHT IM OSTEN is funded entirely by voluntary donations from individuals, churches, and mission-minded organizations. No commercial revenue streams. The organization also receives collections from mission-minded churches and church groups. Founded the LICHT IM OSTEN Förderstiftung (beneficiary trust) in 2001 for long-term support.
2. Literature Distribution (Free): Bibles, books, magazines, and faith courses are distributed free of charge. No revenue is generated from sales; all materials are provided at no cost to recipients, funded through donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

LICHT IM OSTEN is an independent non-profit missionary organization that publishes and distributes Bibles, Christian magazines, and books in 30 languages across Russia, Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Slavic diaspora communities. Its portfolio includes the TROPINKA children's magazine, FAITH AND LIFE adult magazine, regional magazine adaptations, Bibles, Christian books, audio recordings for the visually impaired, and radio programming. The organization also runs social programs including school ethics classes, literacy education for Roma children, aid for the blind, senior citizen support, and humanitarian relief distribution.

Product overview

LICHT IM OSTEN is an independent non-profit missionary organization founded in 1920 that operates as a publishing house and social ministry. Its core products include religious literature (Bibles, Christian books) and magazines published in eastern languages (TROPINKA for children, FAITH AND LIFE for adults, and the German-language LICHT IM OSTEN Magazine). These publications span multiple languages and formats including print, digital, audio, and radio. The organization also runs humanitarian aid and social programs including ethics education, literacy programs for Roma children, aid for the blind and elderly, and indigenous missionary support. The portfolio includes regional variants of magazines (ARACHET in Armenia, PROSOREZ in Bulgaria, GYVIEJI ŠALTINIAI in Lithuania, FELINARUL in Romania, STESHINKA in Ukraine, AKIKAT TANI in Kazakhstan) and musical programs (TROPINKA Festival, Children's Choir, Male-Voice Ensemble). An online library (liolib.org) provides digital access to all published materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TROPINKA Children's Magazine
• FAITH AND LIFE Magazine
• LICHT IM OSTEN Magazine (German)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 million readers access TROPINKA magazine in 65 countries
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LICHT IM OSTEN ArmeniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous partner organization in Armenia distributing Christian literature, operating ARACHET children's magazine (Armenian version of TROPINKA, 5,000 copies), supporting Yezidi missionaries, translating and printing Christian books in Armenian. 10 team members.
• SWETLINA NA BALKANITE (LICHT IM OSTEN Bulgaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Bulgaria producing PROSOREZ magazine (2,500 copies), PETETSCHKA children's magazine (2,500 copies), running literacy programs for Romani children, soup kitchens, evangelistic ministries, and theological college with correspondence/online courses.
• VALGUS ESTONIA (LICHT IM OSTEN Estonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in Narva, working with Baptist churches, running TROPINKA holiday camps for 20+ years, mobile children's playgrounds, youth clubs, collaborating with Radio Eli for Russian-language broadcasts.
• ŠVIESA RYTUOSE (LICHT IM OSTEN Lithuania)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner16 full-time staff operating XFM radio station (round-the-clock, 7 cities, 50% population coverage), publishing 'Little Evening Star' magazine (5,000 copies with CD), LIVING SOURCES/GYVIEJI SALTINIAI magazine (7,000 copies, 4x yearly to 1,300 libraries), Christian books, and organizing Sielosą Christian music festival.
• SCHYGHYS SEULESI (LICHT IM OSTEN Kazakhstan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner7 staff members producing AKIKAT TANI adult magazine (4x yearly) and SHARAPAT children's magazine (6x yearly) in Kazakh language, organizing children's camps, youth clubs, and social projects.
• LUMINA RASARITULUI (LICHT IM OSTEN Moldova)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner16 staff (3 missionaries, 3 office, 10 teachers) teaching ethics in schools (25,000+ students annually), running Christian clubs, organizing camps, distributing FAITH AND LIFE/STESHINKA/FELINARUL/TROPINKA magazines, sports evangelism, food parcels for needy families, and church planting.
• SWITLO NA SHODI (LICHT IM OSTEN Ukraine)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner29 permanent staff and 6 freelance workers running children's clubs, puppet theatres, tent evangelistic meetings (50+ venues, 5 teams annually), recording audio Bible for blind, operating mission library, social ministry, online projects, and distributing STESHINKA, FAITH AND LIFE magazines in Ukrainian/Romanian/German/Russian.
• LIGHT IN THE EAST Inc. (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in California, reaching Slavic and post-Soviet peoples in diaspora with Gospel, distributing FAITH AND LIFE and TROPINKA in Russian and Ukrainian, supporting work in Eastern Europe.
• HILKA (Hilf Kasachstan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss organization cooperating with LICHT IM OSTEN on HOUSE OF HOPE Kazakhstan - humanitarian aid and socio-evangelistic ministry with 4 full-time and 5 part-time staff plus volunteers, serving poor families, handicapped children, large families, and people in crisis.
• Diakonisches Werk der evangelischen Kirche in Württemberg (DWW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization - Diaconal work of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg.
• Deutsche Evangelische Allianz (DEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization - German Evangelical Alliance.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Evangelikaler Missionen (AEM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization - Working group of evangelical missions.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Missionarische Dienste (AMD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization - Working group for missionary services.
• Arbeitskreis für Mission, Kultur und Religion (AfeM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization - Working group for mission, culture and religion.
• SOL Church (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SOL Church in USA for Slavic diaspora ministry in California, helping immigrants with friendship, support, and integration while sharing the Gospel.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• American Bible Society: US-based Bible society distributing free and subsidized Scripture globally, including engagement with diaspora and non-English markets. Highly comparable in mission (free Scripture distribution, translation, donor-funded model) though structurally focused on the Americas and digital-first.
• Biblica: One of the world's largest Bible publishers and distributors, operating globally and producing Scripture translations across 100+ languages. Directly comparable to LIO's Bible-publishing and free-distribution mission, though at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Slavic Gospel Association (SGA): US-based mission focused specifically on supporting evangelical churches and ministry across Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe. Highly comparable geographic focus and indigenous-partner model; primarily operating through church support rather than publishing.
• Gideons International: Global association best known for free Bible placement in hotels, schools, prisons, and hospitals. Comparable in the free-Bible-distribution model and donor-funded structure, though Gideons focus on placement rather than indigenous publishing.
• Bibles For The World: US-based ministry distributing free Bibles and Christian literature globally, including significant engagement with Eastern European and Central Asian populations. Comparable in free-distribution model and donor-funded structure, though smaller scale.
• Mission Eurasia (formerly Russian Ministries): US-based mission serving Russia and the former Soviet Union through church planting, children's programs, education, and humanitarian aid. Directly comparable geographic focus, target audience, and indigenous-partner approach; serves overlapping populations in FSU.

Regional players

• Russian Bible Society: Russia-based Bible society distributing Scripture across the Russian-speaking world. Directly comparable product (Bibles in Russian and CIS languages) and geographic overlap, though operating under more restrictive Russian legal constraints since 2016.
• Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: German Bible Society that publishes the Luther Bible and supports translation work globally. Directly comparable as a German-registered Scripture publisher, but primarily focused on German-language editions and academic translation rather than FSU distribution.

Emerging players

• Wycliffe Global Alliance: Global alliance focused on Bible translation into the world's remaining languages, with significant work among minority-language groups. Comparable in the Scripture-translation mission and indigenous-language focus, but specialized in translation rather than distribution.

Broad incumbents

• United Bible Societies: Global fellowship of 146 national Bible societies coordinating worldwide Scripture translation and distribution. Comparable as the umbrella body for Bible-publishing missions, providing translation infrastructure LIO can leverage; much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LIODeutschland
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/LICHT-IM-OSTEN-Deutschland/124544854298820
• Instagraminstagram.com/lichtimosten_de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/licht-im-osten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries8 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 LICHT IM OSTEN