Refugio
Refugio is a Bremen-based nonprofit founded in 1989 that provides free, multilingual psychosocial counseling and psychotherapy to refugees and torture survivors across two locations in Bremen and Bremerhaven, supported by a 58-interpreter language pool and funded entirely by donations, grants, and an endowment foundation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersBremen, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Refugio does
Refugio e.V. is a registered German nonprofit (eingetragener Verein, VR 4617, Bremen) founded in 1989 that operates a free, multilingual psychosocial and psychotherapeutic treatment center for refugees and torture survivors. It serves roughly 500 clients per year drawn from over 40 countries of origin, with a 2025 tally of 507 total clients (207 new registrations) and a service mix weighted toward initial consultations/clearing (36%), therapies (39%), diagnostics (12%), and multimodal offerings (13%). Core service comprises Psychosoziale Beratung (multilingual psychosocial counseling) and Psychotherapeutische Behandlung (psychotherapy), supported by a multimodal integrative treatment approach combining psychotherapy with art therapy, music therapy, movement/body therapy, and sports/creative offerings. The organization runs a Sprachmittlungspool of 58 qualified interpreters covering 25+ languages, accessible via the bhaasha.ch digital booking platform to cooperating healthcare providers free of charge.
The business model is a fully donation- and grant-funded nonprofit with no client fees. Revenue is derived from institutional grants (AMIF, Bremer Senatorin für Soziales, EU, BMFSFJ, Deutsche Fernsehlotterie, UNHCR, Magistrat Bremerhaven), corporate and foundation sponsorships (Waldemar Koch Stiftung, Lavatera Stiftung, Sparda Bank, Bremer Aufbau Bank, Blaumeier, Bremische Evangelische Kirche, and others), private donations processed via betterplace.org and direct bank transfer, and an endowment foundation (Stiftung Refugio, est. 2014-02). Go-to-market is community-led: structured telephone intake four times per year, multilingual website (10+ languages), social media, and referrals through the BAfF network of 50+ psychosocial centers. Distribution is regional (state of Bremen only) across two physical locations — Bremen (Außer der Schleifmühle 53) and Bremerhaven (Kurfürstenstr. 4) — with an active project pipeline (HOME, SAVE, she draws, Refugio kickt weiter, Werkstatt für Kinder, bedarfs.gerecht) executed with research partners BIPS, Save the Children, XENION, and PSZ Sachsen-Anhalt.
Refugio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Refugio
- Legal name
- REFUGIO – Psychosoziales Zentrum für ausländische Flüchtlinge e.V.
- Website
- https://refugio-bremen.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Refugio is a Bremen-based nonprofit founded in 1989 that provides free, multilingual psychosocial counseling and psychotherapy to refugees and torture survivors across two locations in Bremen and Bremerhaven, supported by a 58-interpreter language pool and funded entirely by donations, grants, and an endowment foundation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Refugio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Refugee Psychosocial and Mental Health Services
- NAICS
- Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)
- SIC
- Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)
Keywords
Where Refugio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bremen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Refugio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations (Private Individuals): Individual donations from private supporters, including birthday donations, direct bank transfers, and online donations via the betterplace.org platform. Donation receipts are issued for amounts over €300; simplified proof is accepted for smaller amounts.
- Institutional Grants and Public Funding: Over 10% of 2024 annual revenue came from the Asyl-, Migrations- und Integrationsfonds (AMIF) and the Bremer Senatorin für Soziales. Additional public funding from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs (BMFSFJ), EU (Asylum and Migration Fund, EU co-financing), Deutsche Fernsehlotterie (German TV Lottery), UNHCR, Senatorin für Gesundheit Bremen, Magistrat Bremerhaven, and other foundations. The organization is a registered nonprofit with tax-exempt status.
- Corporate and Foundation Sponsorship: Regular donations from corporations such as Bremer Aufbau Bank GmbH (team 'BABler helfen'), Sparda Bank, Blaumeier artists (image sales), Bremische Evangelische Kirche, and project-specific funding from foundations including Waldemar Koch Stiftung, Stiftung Frauenorte, Lavatera Stiftung, Bremische Kinder und Jugendstiftung, Bündnis für Kinder Stiftung, Otto Diersch Stiftung, Thera Stiftung, and Stiftung Refugio.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free psychosocial counseling and psychotherapy for refugees and torture survivors |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Refugio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Refugio provides free, multilingual psychosocial counseling and psychotherapeutic treatment for refugees, asylum seekers, and torture survivors at its Bremen and Bremerhaven locations. Services include psychosocial counseling, psychotherapy, art therapy, music therapy, movement/body therapy, and sports/creative group programs, delivered in over 10 languages by a multiprofessional team of 29 employees supported by 58 qualified interpreters and contract therapists.
Product overview
Refugio is a psychosocial and therapeutic treatment center for refugees and torture survivors in Bremen and Bremerhaven, operating as a unified center with multimodal service offerings. The core services consist of multilingual psychosocial counseling (Psychosoziale Beratung) and psychotherapeutic treatment (Psychotherapeutische Behandlung), supported by complementary therapies including art therapy (Kunsttherapie), music therapy (Musiktherapie), movement/sports therapy (Bewegung und Sport), and body therapy (Körpertherapie). A language mediation pool (Sprachmittlungspool) enables treatment across language barriers. Professional training programs (Fortbildungen) serve the broader social and healthcare sector. Numerous special projects extend the reach, including she draws for young women, HOME for brief interventions, SAVE for children and youth, Refugio kickt weiter for sports-based support, Werkstatt für Kinder for creative therapy, and bedarfs.gerecht for healthcare system integration. All services are free of charge for clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Psychosoziale Beratung (Psychosocial Counseling)
Quantifiable outcome
- 507 total clients served in 2025 (207 new registrations); approximately 500 clients served annually
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Refugio
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Refugio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Refugio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- Somatic Practitioners (Specialist Doctors, GP Practices)majorSince autumn 2024, the Sprachmittlungspool has been expanded to include somatic practitioners (specialist doctors, GP practices) for the treatment of particularly vulnerable refugees with torture/violence experiences who are simultaneously in psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment. A cooperation agreement is required to access the pool.
- SEGEMI (Hamburg)minorProfessional cooperation on the federal level regarding qualified language interpretation in psychiatric and psychotherapeutic settings.
- Bundesverband Psychosozialer Zentren (formerly BAfF e.V.)coreRefugio is a founding member of the Bundesverband Psychosozialer Zentren Versorgung nach Folter, Krieg und Flucht e.V. (formerly BAfF). The organization participates in joint research projects, adheres to BAfF guidelines, contributes to supply reports (Versorgungsberichte), and is part of a national network of over 50 psychosocial centers for refugees and torture victims across Germany.
- Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband BremencoreRefugio e.V. is a member of the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband Bremen and is committed to complying with the transparency and compliance standards of BAGFW (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege).
- Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie (BIPS)coreCooperation partner in the HOME project (2025-2028), implementing the WHO-developed Problem Management Plus (PM+) brief intervention for refugees with mild/moderate psychological symptoms. First-time implementation of PM+ in Germany, scientifically accompanied by BIPS and co-financed by the EU. Refugio provides clinical expertise and referral infrastructure for the project.
- Save the Children (Deutschland)majorCooperation partner in the SAVE project (2025-2028) focused on strengthening mental health services for refugee children and adolescents in Germany. Project involves quality improvement of counseling and treatment capacities in psychosocial centers and strengthening of child rights and child protection.
- PSZ Sachsen-AnhaltmajorCooperation partner in the SAVE project (2025-2028) alongside Save the Children, XENION e.V. Berlin, Refugio Münster, and BAfF, co-financed by the EU.
- XENION e.V. (Berlin)majorCooperation partner in the SAVE project (2025-2028) for strengthening mental health of refugee children and adolescents in Germany, co-financed by the EU.
- Refugio MünstermajorCooperation partner in the SAVE project (2025-2028) for mental health of refugee children and adolescents in Germany, co-financed by the EU.
- Refugio MünchenminorJointly developed a questionnaire as an impact measurement instrument for psychosocial and psychotherapeutic offerings for refugees in 2026.
- Blaumeier (Artist Collective, Bremen)minorArtist collective that donated 100 artworks sold in April 2023, raising €15,000 for Refugio. A solidarity gesture against the war in Ukraine and in support of refugees worldwide.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Refugio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Diakonie Deutschland: Major German Protestant welfare organization delivering social services including refugee counseling and mental health support. Broader incumbent covering refugee populations through a wide service portfolio rather than focused trauma specialization.
- Caritas Germany: Large German welfare organization providing broad social and healthcare services including refugee support. Broader incumbent offering overlapping refugee services as part of a much wider social services portfolio, not specialized in trauma/psychotherapy.
Direct peers
- SEGEMI (Hamburg): Hamburg-based specialized organization for qualified language interpretation in psychiatric and psychotherapeutic settings. Federal-level cooperation partner with Refugio Bremen since 2019 on the Sprachmittlungspool model.
- Refugio Münster: Sister Refugio center in Münster providing psychosocial services for refugees. Co-cooperation partner in the EU SAVE project (2025-2028) with Refugio Bremen for refugee children and adolescents.
- Refugio München: Sister Refugio organization in Munich providing psychosocial counseling and psychotherapy for refugees and torture survivors. Direct peer operating the same model, recently co-developed impact measurement questionnaire with Refugio Bremen.
- XENION e.V. (Berlin): Berlin-based psychosocial center for refugees and torture survivors, also a BAfF member. Direct peer collaborating with Refugio Bremen on the EU SAVE project for child and adolescent mental health.
- PSZ Sachsen-Anhalt: Psychosoziales Zentrum Sachsen-Anhalt provides refugee psychosocial care in eastern Germany. Co-cooperation partner in EU SAVE project and BAfF network member operating the same model as Refugio Bremen.
Emerging players
- Heartland Alliance International: US-based international NGO providing services for refugees and torture survivors including mental health programs. Comparable in mission and trauma-focused methodology though operating in different geographies.
Regional players
- Bundesverband Psychosozialer Zentren (BAfF): National umbrella association of 50+ psychosocial centers for refugees and torture survivors in Germany. Refugio Bremen is a founding member; BAfF coordinates research, advocacy, and supply reports across the network.
Others
- bhaasha.ch: Digital booking platform used by Refugio to coordinate the Sprachmittlungspool interpreter pool. Enabling technology partner rather than a competitor, but adjacent to Refugio's interpreter coordination capability.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Refugio social profiles
Digital presenceRefugio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Refugio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Refugio subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Refugio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Refugio 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 Refugio
What does Refugio do?
Refugio provides free, multilingual psychosocial counseling and psychotherapeutic treatment for refugees, asylum seekers, and torture survivors at its Bremen and Bremerhaven locations. Services include psychosocial counseling, psychotherapy, art therapy, music therapy, movement/body therapy, and sports/creative group programs, delivered in over 10 languages by a multiprofessional team of 29 employees supported by 58 qualified interpreters and contract therapists.
Is Refugio a public or private company?
Refugio is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Refugio founded?
Refugio was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Refugio based?
Refugio is headquartered in Bremen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Refugio make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations (Private Individuals) is the primary driver. The others are institutional Grants and Public Funding and corporate and Foundation Sponsorship.
Who are Refugio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Diakonie Deutschland and Caritas Germany. Direct peers are SEGEMI (Hamburg), Refugio Münster, Refugio München, XENION e.V. (Berlin) and PSZ Sachsen-Anhalt. Heartland Alliance International is listed as an emerging player. Bundesverband Psychosozialer Zentren (BAfF) is listed as a regional player. bhaasha.ch is listed as an others.
Does Refugio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Refugio.
What industry is Refugio in?
Refugio's product category is Refugee Psychosocial and Mental Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFACAN, Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAO, Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services. Its NAICS code is 621420 and its SIC code is 8090.