What Joachim Herz Foundation does

The Joachim Herz Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in Germany, established in 2008 in Hamburg following the death of German entrepreneur Joachim Herz. Operating as a charitable foundation under civil law (Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts) supervised by the Hamburg judicial authority, it deploys endowment capital to promote application-oriented research at the interfaces of engineering, natural sciences, and medicine; vocational education and digital transformation; and German-American transatlantic exchange. It generates no commercial revenue, instead funding grantees through open competitive application rounds.

Its programmatic portfolio includes the innovate! cluster (Academy for bio-based materials, Fund for biogenic resources, and center for deeptech innovation ecosystems), Add-on Fellowships supporting up to 80 scientists on 'Resources of the Future,' the Joachim Herz Award (€500,000, alternating between natural sciences and economics), the Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics (€137,036, awarded annually since 2010 with DESY and Universität Hamburg), and the Joachim Herz Preis – Berufliche Bildung (up to €500,000 for vocational schools integrating AI and digital technologies). Vocational initiatives include Azubi Kolleg and Azubis USA. The foundation's largest balance-sheet asset is an approximately 20% equity stake in Weidmüller, a family industrial company with 5,500+ employees worldwide, which provides financial scale rather than operational integration.

Distribution is community-led: open online application portals, a monthly newsletter, social media presence (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon), and annual convening events including the 'From Lab to Leverage' conference (Community Day + Deeptech Innovation Conference). The foundation also opened the Joachim Herz House in Covington, Georgia in September 2024 as a free-to-use transatlantic learning center. Governance is led by Chair of the Board Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst and Board Member Ulrich Müller, supported by a small team of cluster managers and a press officer.

Name

Joachim Herz Foundation

Legal name

Joachim Herz Stiftung

Website

https://joachim-herz-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Joachim Herz Foundation is one of Germany's largest private foundations, funding application-oriented research, vocational education, and German-American exchange through grants, fellowships, and awards, and holding a ~20% stake in industrial company Weidmüller.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research Grant Funding & Science Philanthropy

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Research grant funding
• Science philanthropy
• Vocational education programs
• Academic fellowships
• Deep tech innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant and Award Disbursements: As a private charitable foundation, the Joachim Herz Foundation generates no commercial revenue. It deploys endowment capital to fund research projects, awards, fellowships, and educational programs. In 2025, the foundation committed over 5 million euros across multiple funding programs including innovate! Academy (up to 250,000 euros per scientist), innovate! Fund (up to 1 million euros per project), the Joachim Herz Award (500,000 euros), Deeptech Innovation Ecosystems (up to 1 million euros per project), and the Joachim Herz Preis – Berufliche Bildung (up to 500,000 euros). The foundation also holds approximately 20% equity stake in Weidmüller, a family industrial company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Joachim Herz Foundation is a private charitable foundation that funds application-oriented research, awards, and fellowships at the interfaces of engineering, natural sciences, and medicine. It operates funding programs (innovate! Academy, innovate! Fund, innovate! center), research awards (Joachim Herz Award, Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics, Joachim Herz Preis – Berufliche Bildung), Add-on Fellowships, vocational training programs, and the Joachim Herz House transatlantic learning center in Georgia, USA. In 2025, it committed over 5 million euros across these programs.

Product overview

The Joachim Herz Foundation operates as a research funding and education organization rather than a traditional product company. Its portfolio includes innovative funding programs (innovate! Academy, innovate! Fund, innovate! center), prestigious research awards (Joachim Herz Award for biotechnology and vocational education, Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics), fellowship programs (Add-on Fellowships), and vocational education initiatives (Azubi Kolleg, Azubis USA, Entrepreneurship Education). The foundation also operates the Joachim Herz House as a transatlantic learning center in Georgia, USA, and offers the PlayEconomy educational simulation game. All offerings are designed to promote application-oriented research at the interfaces between business, engineering, natural sciences, and medicine, and to support vocational training with focus on digital transformation and transatlantic exchange.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• innovate! Academy: Funding program supporting scientists from basic research to market maturity with financial support and seminar programs for bio-based materials research.
• innovate! Fund
• innovate! center
• Add-on Fellowships
• Joachim Herz Award
• Joachim Herz House
• Azubi Kolleg
• Azubis USA

Products and services

• innovate! Academy Supports scientists from basic research to market maturity with financial support (up to 250,000 euros per scientist in personnel and project funding plus up to 5,000 euros for outreach over two years) and a comprehensive seminar program covering spin-offs, patent protection, and science communication. Targets interdisciplinary, high-risk bio-based materials research.
• innovate! Fund Supports up to three interdisciplinary research teams with up to 1,000,000 euros each over a maximum of five years for transfer-oriented projects developing biogenic resources to reduce dependence on fossil raw materials. For teams of at least three postdoctoral researchers from different disciplines at research institutions in Northern Germany.
• innovate! center
• Add-on Fellowships for Interdisciplinary Science and Transfer Fellowship program supporting up to 80 scientists working on innovative, interdisciplinary research projects with transfer potential, focused on 'Resources of the Future'. Application window March–May annually.
• Joachim Herz Award (Forschungspreis) Annual research award of 500,000 euros for outstanding early-career researchers developing resource-saving biotechnologies for a fossil-free future. Awarded annually, alternating between natural sciences and economics. Includes a multi-day conference organized by the award winners.
• Joachim Herz Preis – Berufliche Bildung
• Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics (Hamburger Preis für Theoretische Physik) Prestigious physics prize endowed with 137,036 euros (referencing Sommerfeld's fine-structure constant), awarded annually since 2010 together with the Wolfgang Pauli Centre of DESY and Universität Hamburg, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, and the Clusters of Excellence 'CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter' and 'Quantum Universe' at Universität Hamburg. One of Germany's highest endowed awards for physics. Includes a teaching and research residency in Hamburg for laureates.
• Joachim Herz House Learning center located at 301 Moores Road, Covington, Georgia, USA, offering nearly 5,000 square feet of event space for conferences and workshops for up to 50 participants. Available free of charge to non-profit organizations, foundations, transatlantic organizations, and partners of the foundation. Sustainably renovated with EarthCraft certification.
• Azubi Kolleg Program supporting vocational training and apprentices in Germany with focus on digital transformation and transatlantic experience.
• Azubis USA Transatlantic exchange program for vocational training participants providing international experience and exposure to the US.
• Transatlantischer Dialog Program promoting German-American exchange at individual, institutional, and network levels at the interfaces of business, engineering, natural sciences, and medicine.
• PlayEconomy Economics simulation game with password-protected online portal for course/game leaders, providing teaching materials, software, and license applications for download.

Quantifiable outcome

• IP transfer in Germany averages 18 months — the German Spin-off Framework (GSOF) aims to accelerate this by bringing transparency to IP transfer market conditions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESMT Berlin – DEEP Institute for Deep Tech InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2026ESMT Berlin's DEEP Institute for Deep Tech Innovation serves as a content partner for the 'From Lab to Leverage' networking conference. Tina Manker (ESMT Berlin / Olympian & Team Coach) and Ali Alam (Managing DEEP Pioneers, 3x founder turned investor) lead the 'Founders' Essentials' workshop on building deep-tech founding teams.
• UnternehmerTUMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2026UnternehmerTUM (Germany's leading center for innovation and start-up culture) is represented by Prof. Dr. Helmut Schönenberger at the Deeptech Innovation Conference panel on 'How to start? — Success Strategies for Scaling Deeptech', contributing expertise on deep-tech entrepreneurship and startup scaling.
• Mighty Real (Elena and Martin Lichtenthaler)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 August 2026Mighty Real, led by Elena and Martin Lichtenthaler, serves as the official moderator team for the Deeptech Innovation Conference 2026, facilitating keynotes, panel discussions, and award ceremonies.
• Stifterverband (Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Kaschke)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2026Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Kaschke, President of the Stifterverband, delivers the opening keynote at the Deeptech Innovation Conference 2026 and participates in the panel discussion 'It's All About Speed – Accelerating Deeptech Innovation' alongside Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst.
• Viva con Agua (Benjamin Adrion)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2026Benjamin Adrion, Founder of Viva con Agua (impact entrepreneur focused on water as a precious resource) and initiator of the Curio-Haus event series, delivers a keynote on 'Water - our most precious resource' and participates in the panel/fishbowl discussion on scaling deeptech.
• TU Berlin (Technische Universität Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2026TU Berlin co-designs the 'Ideation for Impact' parallel sessions at the Community Day through the 'Serious Transfer Game — a playful transfer journey' workshop. Led by Charlotte Oesterhelt, Caroline Reid, and Jeanne Trommer from TU Berlin.
• Impossible Founders (Timo Christian)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2026Impossible Founders, represented by Timo Christian (Program Manager, Physicist), leads the 'A Practical Introduction to Ideation' workshop at Community Day, providing hands-on systematic ideation training for scientists transitioning toward innovation and startups.
• German Spin-off Framework (GSOF) — Consortium of Universities, Research Institutions, and Venture CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2025The German Spin-off Framework (GSOF) is a market framework created jointly by German universities, research institutions, and venture capital firms to bring transparency to IP transfer market conditions and accelerate spin-off processes. Average IP transfer in Germany takes 18 months due to information asymmetry. The GSOF provides benchmark conditions for IP licensing, equity stakes, and professional negotiation processes. The foundation supports GSOF as it helps align expectations among all transfer stakeholders and speeds up VC investment readiness.
• Jones Pierce ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 26 September 2024Jones Pierce Architects handled the sustainable renovation of the Joachim Herz House in Covington, Georgia. The renovation resulted in EarthCraft certification from the Southface Institute, making the facility a best practice model for sustainable construction in the Atlanta metro area.
• Wolfgang Pauli Centre of DESY and Universität HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010The Wolfgang Pauli Centre (WPC) of DESY and Universität Hamburg is a long-standing co-awarding partner of the Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics, awarded annually since 2010. The partnership also includes Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY and the Clusters of Excellence 'CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter' and 'Quantum Universe' at Universität Hamburg. The prize is one of Germany's highest endowed awards for physics (137,036 euros) and includes a teaching and research residency in Hamburg for laureates.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: German foundation funding international academic cooperation and supporting outstanding researchers across disciplines. Comparable to JHS in its fellowship model (Add-on Fellowships map closely to Humboldt Fellowships) and prestige brand.
• Stifterverband: Association of German foundations, companies and individuals promoting science, education and innovation. Direct peer in mission and a partnership counterparty for JHS (Stifterverband president is a keynote speaker at JHS's Deeptech Innovation Conference).
• Fritz Thyssen Stiftung: Private German foundation focused on supporting research in science, economics and humanities. Closely comparable to JHS in its emphasis on natural sciences, economics, and interdisciplinary research funding.

Others

• Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft): Germany's premier basic research organization, with which JHS partners through DESY and Clusters of Excellence. Not a foundation peer in legal form, but a key co-funding and award-partner institution for theoretical physics and natural sciences programs.

Broad incumbents

• VolkswagenStiftung: One of the largest private research foundations in Germany, funding interdisciplinary and high-risk research across the natural and social sciences. Directly comparable to JHS in mission (private German science philanthropy) and program scope, but with a substantially larger endowment and broader international footprint.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: World's largest private philanthropic foundation, making large science and health grants globally. Comparable to JHS in operating as a private, very-large-scale science grantmaker, though at vastly greater scale and with a global health rather than deep tech focus.
• Wellcome Trust: UK-based charitable foundation that is one of the world's largest science funders, supporting research and public engagement. Comparable to JHS in operating as a privately-funded science philanthropy with large individual grant programs and a focus on interdisciplinary research.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: Major German private foundation with substantial endowment derived from a family-owned industrial company. Funds education, science, health, and international relations — overlapping with JHS in vocational education, science funding, and transatlantic engagement.

Emerging players

• Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI): US-based philanthropic initiative funding biomedical research, science education and tech transfer. Comparable to JHS in combining high-end research grants with programs aimed at accelerating the path from discovery to application.

Regional players

• Volkswagen Foundation (Hans Hermann Voss Stiftung): Regional German foundation that supports science and education in the Wolfsburg region. Comparable in its science funding focus and family-industrial-company origins, though much smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/joachimherzstiftung
• Instagraminstagram.com/joachimherzstiftung
• Xx.com/jherzstiftung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Joachim Herz Foundation