Evangelische Stiftung Hephata

What Evangelische Stiftung Hephata does

Evangelische Stiftung Hephata is a non-profit Protestant foundation established in 1859, headquartered in Mönchengladbach, Germany, that delivers integrated social and disability support services across North Rhine-Westphalia. The organization operates through four core divisions: Hephata Leben (residential and youth welfare services for adults and children), Hephata Arbeit (vocational rehabilitation, sheltered workshops, and job coaching on the general labor market), Hephata Förderschulen/Berufskolleg (special needs schools Hans-Helmich-Schule and Karl-Barthold-Schule, plus a vocational college training Heilerziehungspfleger and Erzieher), and Hephata Inklusionsunternehmen/BQG (inclusion enterprises offering transport, building cleaning, skilled trades, electrical equipment testing, and a second-hand retail shop). The foundation also publishes HephataMagazin (since 2002) and runs the Atelier Strichstärke creative initiative.

On the technology front, Hephata is deploying assistive technology solutions including smart-home systems, communication aids, health and safety monitoring (notably the Livy Care sensor-based solution piloted at Karl-Barthold-Weg in Mönchengladbach), and power-assist devices to support independent living for people with disabilities. It is also running the STUFE research project addressing workforce shortages in Eingliederungshilfe (disability support) in partnership with Hochschule Niederrhein, Evangelische Hochschule Bochum, SozialstiftungNRW, and Sozialwerk St. Georg.

Hephata's revenue model is funded through statutory reimbursements and government contracts under German social law frameworks (SGB VIII, SGB IX, SGB XI, SGB XII), combining social insurance payments, public authority contracts (notably Landschaftsverband Rheinland), and individual service fees. As a charitable foundation (gemeinnützige Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) supervised by the Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland, surpluses are reinvested in services rather than distributed. The foundation is governed by a two-person Vorstand (Pfarrer Dr. Harald Ulland and Verena Hölken) and operates multiple wholly-owned subsidiaries with no parent company, PE, or VC ownership structure.

Name

Evangelische Stiftung Hephata

Legal name

Evangelische Stiftung Hephata

Website

https://hephata-mg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1859

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Evangelische Stiftung Hephata is a non-profit Protestant foundation, established in 1859, delivering integrated disability support services across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, including residential care, youth welfare, vocational rehabilitation, special education, and inclusion enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), AT Funding, Procurement & Compliance Support (IEP/504 Documentation) (EDAKAIAJ), Accessibility & Assistive Technology IT Support (EDALAMAJ), Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Special education
• Youth welfare services
• Inclusion enterprises

Headquarters

HQ city

Mönchengladbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social Services and Disability Support: Provision of residential care, youth welfare, vocational rehabilitation, educational services, and inclusion enterprise services funded through social insurance, government contracts, and service fees under German social law (SGB VIII, SGB IX, SGB XI, SGB XII). As a charitable foundation, revenue is reinvested into services rather than distributed to shareholders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Evangelische Stiftung Hephata delivers comprehensive disability support services through four divisions: Hephata Leben (residential and youth welfare), Hephata Arbeit (vocational rehabilitation and sheltered workshops), Hephata Förderschulen/Berufskolleg (special needs schools and vocational college), and Hephata Inklusionsunternehmen/BQG (inclusion enterprises offering cleaning, transport, crafts, and retail). The foundation also runs the Assistive Technik initiative deploying smart-home and sensor technologies to promote independent living, and conducts research projects such as STUFE on workforce challenges in disability support.

Product overview

Evangelische Stiftung Hephata is a charitable foundation established in 1859 providing comprehensive services for people with disabilities across multiple operational divisions. The organization operates Hephata Arbeit (vocational rehabilitation and sheltered workshops), Hephata Leben (residential and youth welfare services), Hephata Förderschulen/Berufskolleg (special education schools and vocational college), and Hephata Inklusionsunternehmen/BQG (inclusion enterprises with commercial services). Key initiatives include the Assistive Technology project deploying smart-home solutions and the STUFE research project on workforce challenges in disability services. The organization also publishes the HephataMagazin and maintains a Hep-Shop retail operation. These divisions work collaboratively to support independent living, employment, education, and social participation for people with support needs across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HephataMagazin: A magazine published since 2002 providing information about disability-related topics, with each edition focusing on a specific theme.

Products and services

• Hephata Arbeit (Vocational Rehabilitation and Sheltered Workshops)

Quantifiable outcome

• Transition of two major subsidiaries to new branding (Hephata Leben and Hephata Arbeit) to better reflect the scope of services and commitment to participation over mere residential provision.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SozialstiftungNRWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSozialstiftungNRW is the primary funder and strategic partner for Hephata's two major research projects: STUFE (staff recruitment and retention in disability support) and the Assistive Technik initiative. The foundation provides financial support and strategic oversight, enabling Hephata to develop innovative care models addressing the skilled labor shortage in disability services.
• Hochschule NiederrheincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein serves as the scientific partner for the Assistive Technik project, providing technical consulting on smart-home solutions and conducting research on employee acceptance of assistive technologies through surveys and interviews.
• Evangelische Hochschule BochumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Protestant University of Applied Sciences Bochum provides professional and ethical oversight for the Assistive Technik project, complementing the technical focus of Hochschule Niederrhein with a social-ethical perspective on technology deployment for people with disabilities.
• Sozialwerk St. GeorgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSozialwerk St. Georg provides project coordination for the Assistive Technik consortium, which includes Hephata Leben and ten other disability support providers. It facilitates knowledge exchange and joint research activities among consortium members.
• Evangelische Hochschule Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe (EvH Bochum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvH Bochum is the academic partner for the STUFE project, responsible for quantitative and qualitative research on staff recruitment, retention, and the development of participatory support models in disability services.
• Kompetenzzentrum Selbstbestimmt Leben Detmold (KSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKSL Detmold supports the STUFE project by contributing the perspective of people with disabilities through its Experts and Experts Council, ensuring participatory design throughout the research project.
• Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLVR participates in the STUFE project steering committee and advisory board, representing the public authority responsible for disability services in the Rhineland region of North Rhine-Westphalia.
• OVH Groupe SASminorOthersOVH Groupe SAS (Lille, France, with German subsidiary OVH GmbH in Cologne) provides external hosting services for Hephata's website infrastructure, ensuring secure and reliable online operations.
• Landschaftsverband RheinlandminorOthersAlongside involvement in the STUFE project, LVR is referenced as a public authority partner in disability welfare.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Diakonie Deutschland: Umbrella association of Protestant social welfare providers in Germany. Hephata operates under its Diakonie umbrella; relevant for benchmarking scale, advocacy, and sector positioning, though Diakonie itself is not a direct operating competitor.
• Caritas Behindertenhilfe und Psychiatrie (CBP): Catholic counterpart to Diakonie, operating a broad national network of disability and psychiatric services. Comparable mission and scale though faith-affiliation (Catholic vs. Protestant) and geographic footprint differ.

Direct peers

• Diakonische Stiftung Wittekindshof: Protestant diaconal foundation in NRW providing residential, vocational, and educational services for people with disabilities. Highly comparable in faith affiliation, service mix, regional concentration, and target population.
• Von Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen Bethel: One of Germany's largest Protestant diaconal foundations serving people with disabilities, epilepsy, and social-psychiatric needs. Comparable in mission, structure, and Diakonie affiliation, with comparable size and breadth across Bethel regions.
• Sozialwerk St. Georg: German non-profit providing disability services, housing, and assistive-technology programs. Directly comparable as a fellow consortium member and partner on Hephata's Assistive Technik initiative, operating a similar integrated services model across NRW and beyond.
• Stiftung Liebenau: German foundation offering residential, vocational, and educational services for people with disabilities across multiple Bundesländer. Closely comparable in operating model, scope, and Christian-affiliated foundation structure.
• Lebenshilfe NRW: State association of Lebenshilfe, the leading German advocacy and service organization for people with intellectual disabilities. Directly comparable in target population, residential/workshop services, and NRW footprint.

Emerging players

• Sozialwerk Berlin: Berlin-based non-profit supporting people with disabilities through housing, work, and inclusion services. Comparable mission and service categories, with smaller scale and an emerging assistive-technology focus.

Regional players

• Lebenshilfe Werk Kassel: Regional Lebenshilfe provider of sheltered workshops, Wohnheim, and Familienentlastende Dienste in Hessen. Comparable service portfolio but operates in a different Bundesland and does not directly compete in NRW.

Others

• Kompetenzzentrum Selbstbestimmt Leben (KSL) Detmold: NRW-based center for independent living that contributes to Hephata's STUFE project. Comparable disability-advocacy focus, though primarily an advocacy and peer-support body rather than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hephatamg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Hephata.MG
• Instagraminstagram.com/hephatamg
• Xx.com/hephata

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Evangelische Stiftung Hephata