Zentrum für Kultur und visuelle Kommunikation

Name

Zentrum für Kultur und visuelle Kommunikation

Legal name

Zentrum für Kultur und visuelle Kommunikation der Gehörlosen Berlin/Brandenburg e.V.

Website

https://zfk-bb.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sign Language & Accessibility Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (54193), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAFAM

Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Language Learning & Conversation Programs

SECONDARYEDALAGAD

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Disability Services & Accessibility

SECONDARYMPABAKAJ

Special Needs & Inclusive Educational Programming

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Children’s & Educational Broadcasting

Keywords

• Sign language interpretation
• Accessible media production
• Social inclusion services
• Deaf community education
• Broadcast accessibility translation

Headquarters

HQ city

Potsdam

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Landesdolmetscherzentrale (Interpreter Coordination): ZFK coordinates and mediates Gebärdensprachdolmetscher (sign language interpreters) and other communication aids for administrative procedures, medical appointments, educational settings, and events. Fees are charged to cover interpreter costs, with public funding (Brandenburg, Berlin) covering most mandated services. A 10% commission on interpreter and travel time is retained by LDZ for brokering.
2. Gebärdensprachkurse (Sign Language Courses): Fee-based sign language courses (DGS levels 1-7, sensitization courses, integration courses). Public pricing at €200 for 20 units (10 weeks) and €100 for 10 units (5 weeks). Services are VAT-exempt under § 4 Abs. 22a UstG.
3. Media & Film Production: Broadcast-quality film and video production services including DGS translations, Verdolmetschungen, museum guides, and TV show adaptation. Revenue from contracts with broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, RBB, NDR), museums, and institutional clients. Services range from live broadcast interpreting to post-production subtitling and accessibility translation.
4. Eingliederungshilfe & Familienhilfe (Inclusion & Family Assistance): Social services including individual case assistance, family support, Kita and school assistance, and workplace assistance for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Funded through disability support frameworks (Eingliederungshilfe) and public social services.
5. Government Grants & Public Funding: Core operations including ÜKBH (over-regional coordination and counseling), ISP Berlin (advisory center), EUTB (participation counseling), and cultural programs are funded through government grants from MSGIV Brandenburg, Land Berlin, and other public bodies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ZFK e.V. is a non-profit socio-cultural organization that delivers a comprehensive suite of accessibility services for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in Berlin and Brandenburg. Core offerings include sign language interpreter coordination (Landesdolmetscherzentrale), broadcast-quality DGS (German Sign Language) video interpretation for TV and live events, sign language courses (DGS levels 1-7), inclusion and family counseling, and cultural programming including deaf theater and the Della AWARD film festival.

Product overview

Zentrum für Kultur und visuelle Kommunikation (ZFK) is a non-profit socio-cultural organization serving deaf and hearing-impaired individuals in Berlin/Brandenburg. The organization operates a multi-service platform comprising the Landesdolmetscherzentrale (regional sign language interpreter service), Medien (professional media production and TV broadcasting interpretation), and Bildung & Soziales (education and social services including sign language courses and assistance programs). Key supporting services include EUTB (independent participation counseling), ÜKBH (regional coordination), ISP Berlin (inclusion counseling), and Zi8 (inclusion center Berlin). The organization also maintains cultural initiatives including theater support (DGT) and the Della AWARD international deaf film festival. Digital services include the WIS App for interpreter scheduling and WIS Emergency for barrier-free emergency calls. ZFK operates multiple professional TV studios for live sign language interpretation of broadcast content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deafmedia: A deaf-led educational and youth web-TV magazine launched by ZFK, focusing on deaf youth media content.
• Della AWARD

Products and services

• Landesdolmetscherzentrale Berlin/Brandenburg (LDZ)

Quantifiable outcome

• Della AWARD 2023: ~500 guests, ~50 films screened, international deaf filmmaker festival
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutsches Gehörlosen-Theater (DGT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Since end of 2022, ZFK has been tasked with overseeing theater productions of the Deutsches Gehörlosen-Theater (DGT), with the goal of establishing a sustainable institution for sign language theater. ZFK produced Hamlet (2023, directed by Juho Saarinen) which toured Germany.
• ZDFcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021ZFK produces live DGS (German Sign Language) interpretation of ZDF programs including heute, heute journal, maybrit illner, frontal 21, Berlin direkt, Leute heute, logo!, planet e., 37 Grad, Gottesdienst, and federal government press conferences. Content is distributed via ZDF Mediathek and livestream. This is a long-standing broadcast partnership providing critical accessibility to millions of ZDF viewers.
• ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021ZFK provides DGS interpretation for ARD's Tagesschau broadcast, making the flagship German news program accessible to deaf viewers.
• RBB (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021ZFK provides daily DGS adaptation of 'Unser Sandmännchen' — 365 days a year with new episodes daily in the RBB Mediathek. Also interprets 'Heute im Parlament'. RBB is the regional broadcaster for Berlin-Brandenburg, the same region where ZFK operates.
• NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021ZFK supports DGS interpretation for NDR children's programming including 'Was diese Woche wichtig war' and 'Sesamstraße', with deaf youth themselves translating content. Distributed via NDR Mediathek.
• MSGIV Brandenburg (Ministerium für Soziales, Gesundheit, Integration und Verbraucherschutz)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021MSGIV Brandenburg is the primary government funder of ÜKBH (Überregionale Koordinierungs- und Beratungsstelle für Hörbehinderte) and other state programs delivered by ZFK. The ministry provides core operational funding and strategic direction for accessibility services in Brandenburg.
• Land Berlin (Senatsverwaltung / Schulverwaltung)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Land Berlin funds ISP Berlin (advisory and inclusion center) and approves school-based interpreter deployments. ZFK operates as a key accessibility service provider for Berlin's deaf and hard-of-hearing residents under government mandate.
• WorldInSign (WIS App)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021ZFK integrates with the WIS App (WorldInSign) platform for video remote interpreting. The app provides barrier-free emergency calls (WIS Emergency) and on-demand/ scheduled interpreter services. ZFK recommends the WIS App as its primary digital interpreter access channel.
• Deutsche Digitale BibliothekminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ZFK is a member of the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library) and deposits its digital archive of films, publications, and photos documenting deaf culture for long-term preservation and public access.
• Deutscher Gehörlosen-Bund e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021National deaf advocacy organization that awarded ZFK members the Kulturpreis 2013 (Culture Prize). Represents the broader German deaf community at national level.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdeafmedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/zfk.bb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zfk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Zentrum für Kultur und visuelle Kommunikation