SAGST

What SAGST does

Software AG – Stiftung (SAGST) is an independent charitable foundation under German civil law, headquartered in Darmstadt at Am Eichwäldchen 6 and registered with the Darmstadt Regional Council in 1992. It was founded by IT pioneer Dr. h.c. Peter Schnell, who contributed all shares in the Software AG company to the foundation during the 1990s; SAGST was a long-standing major shareholder of Software AG but is explicitly not a corporate foundation.

The foundation operates a grant-making model, distributing approximately 25 million euros per year to roughly 250 charitable projects across Germany and Europe, with a joint initiative in Brazil executed through MAHLE FOUNDATION and INSTITUTO MAHLE. Its funding priorities cover education (including Waldorf education), children and youth development, assistance for the elderly and individuals with disabilities, anthroposophical and integrative medicine, and nature conservation and agriculture. Grants are awarded through a personal-relationship-driven application process supported by site visits and board-level review.

SAGST funds these activities from returns on an endowment of approximately 1.3 billion euros, invested according to sustainability criteria across real estate, equities, bonds, and corporate participations. The foundation is governed by a five-member Executive Board chaired by Dr. h.c. Peter Schnell (with Peter Augustin, David Preuß, Dr. Johannes Stellmann, and Markus Ziener) and supervised by a Board of Trustees. It reports externally through annual publications (SAGST explizit, the financial report, and SAGST implizit), press releases, its website sagst.de, and participation in events such as the didacta trade fair. SAGST has no products, technology platform, or AI capabilities, and operates as a grant-making entity rather than a commercial business.

Name

SAGST

Legal name

Software AG – Stiftung

Website

https://sagst.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SAGST is a Darmstadt-based charitable foundation that distributes roughly 25 million euros annually to about 250 nonprofit projects in education, youth, elderly and disability care, anthroposophical medicine, and nature conservation across Germany, Europe, and Brazil, funded by its ~1.3 billion euro endowment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Darmstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment Returns: SAGST generates revenue through returns on its endowment assets of approximately 1.3 billion euros, invested according to sustainability criteria in real estate, equities, bonds, and corporate participations. These returns fund annual grant disbursements of approximately 25 million euros to support charitable projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SAGST is an independent charitable foundation under German civil law that distributes grants to nonprofit organizations in Germany and Europe, supporting approximately 250 projects per year with roughly 25 million euros of annual disbursements funded by returns on its approximately 1.3 billion euro endowment. Its funding focuses on five statutory areas: education; children and youth; elderly and disability assistance; integrative/anthroposophical medicine; and nature and agriculture. The foundation also actively initiates projects and partners with peer funders (e.g., MAHLE FOUNDATION, GLS Treuhand) on joint programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 250 projects funded annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• GLS TreuhandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016GLS Treuhand co-founded the 'Auf Augenhöhe' (At Eye Level) Fund with SAGST in 2016 to strengthen civic engagement for refugees and newcomers in Germany. The fund has enabled over 180 projects with up to 5,000 euros each.
• Bündnis Bürgerstiftungen Deutschlands (Alliance of Community Foundations in Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Co-founder of the 'Auf Augenhöhe' Fund to promote social cohesion and support for refugees and migrants through community foundations across Germany.
• FiBL (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2014FiBL Switzerland and Germany partnered with SAGST and others to establish a support center for organic plant breeding research, helping ecological breeders attract public funding.
• Stiftung Mercator SchweizminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2014Co-founded the organic plant breeding research support center at FiBL with annual contribution of 24,000 euros to strengthen biological diversity in crop planting.
• University of Bern (Institute of Complementary Medicine)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2014University of Bern established an associate professorship in anthroposophic medicine with financing from SAGST, Weleda AG, and the Association for the Advancement of Anthroposophic Institutions. Dr. Ursula Wolf was appointed as the first professor.
• Alanus University for Arts and Social SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2014SAGST supported the establishment of Alanus University's Mannheim location, which focuses on Waldorf education, interculturalism, and inclusion through bachelor's and master's degree programs.
• MAHLE FOUNDATIONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAGST collaborates with MAHLE FOUNDATION on initiatives in Brazil, supporting charitable projects aligned with anthroposophical principles in the region.
• Kultursaat e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of biodynamic vegetable growers supported by SAGST with approximately 520,000 euros annually for organic seed breeding research since 2001.
• DualWerk AusbildungsCampus KasselminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining center with social mission that manufactures 'Benches for Encounter' for SAGST's social cohesion campaign.
• INSTITUTO MAHLEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Brazil for SAGST's aid activities; enquiries related to Brazil should be directed to INSTITUTO MAHLE in São Paulo.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 SAGST