Gangway
Gangway e.V. is a Berlin-based non-profit founded in 1990 that delivers low-threshold, street-based social work to at-risk youth and homeless adults across 15 city districts, funded primarily by the Berlin Senate, district offices, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Gangway does
Gangway e.V. is a registered non-profit charitable association (eingetragener gemeinnütziger Verein) headquartered at Schumannstr. 5, 10117 Berlin, founded on October 15, 1990, that delivers street-based social work (Straßensozialarbeit) to at-risk youth and homeless adults across 15 Berlin neighborhoods. Its core delivery model is low-threshold, mobile outreach: dedicated streetwork teams physically meet beneficiaries in streets, parks, and public spaces, applying an acceptance-based, voluntary-participation methodology that does not require clients to enter institutional settings. Specialized Drop Out teams serve homeless adults, while supplementary programs span employment counseling (JobInn Career Centers, Brücken Bauen, Career Center), education (Street College in music, film, and art), cultural initiatives (ZwischenWelten film project, GangwayBeatz music production), sports (Hoop Life basketball, Street League football), refugee/migrant support (Flucht & Migration), and reintegration for youth exiting detention (Startpunkt). Gangway also operates anonymous online counseling via WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook, alongside a digital Schnelle Hilfe resource portal for emergency and crisis information.
The organization runs approximately 15 youth streetwork teams, six or more Drop Out teams for homeless adults, and a layered portfolio of competence, sports, cultural, and international-exchange programs (BE-TROIT with Detroit, Peace of Art with Paris and New York, Exchange2Change with the United Kingdom). It is governed by a board chaired by Katrin Toptschian with Managing Director Elvira Berndt, employs roughly 80 staff, and operates as a member of the Parit\u00e4tischer Wohlfahrtsverband.
Gangway firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gangway
- Legal name
- Gangway e.V. – Verein für Straßensozialarbeit
- Website
- https://gangway.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Gangway e.V. is a Berlin-based non-profit founded in 1990 that delivers low-threshold, street-based social work to at-risk youth and homeless adults across 15 city districts, funded primarily by the Berlin Senate, district offices, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gangway industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Services (Street Social Work)
- NAICS
- Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)
Keywords
Where Gangway is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Gangway business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public Funding (Senat von Berlin): Primary funding from the Berlin Senate and Bezirksämter (district offices) to support streetwork operations, youth programs, and social services.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Financial support through individual donations, corporate donations, and charitable foundations to supplement public funding and support special projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Gangway product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gangway e.V. is a Berlin-based street social work organization that provides low-threshold, mobile outreach services to at-risk youth and homeless adults across 15 Berlin neighborhoods. Through neighborhood-based streetwork teams and specialized project centers, the organization delivers counseling, employment support, education, cultural programs, sports activities, and anonymous online counseling to socially disadvantaged individuals free of charge.
Product overview
Gangway e.V. operates as a comprehensive street-based social work organization in Berlin, offering a multi-module service portfolio organized into core streetwork programs and specialized project offerings. The core consists of streetwork services targeting both youth (15 teams across Berlin neighborhoods) and homeless adults (Drop Out program with multiple district teams). Specialized programs include employment services (JobInn Career Centers, Brücken Bauen), educational initiatives (Street College with music, film, and art courses), cultural programs (ZwischenWelten film project, GangwayBeatz music production), sports programs (Hoop Life basketball, Street League football), and international youth exchanges (BE-TROIT with Detroit, Peace of Art with Paris and NYC, Exchange2Change with UK). Digital services include anonymous online counseling accessible via messaging platforms. The organization functions as a unified service delivery model where street teams serve as the primary touchpoint, connecting clients to specialized programs based on individual needs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 400 youth successfully placed in jobs or training through Jobteam in first 5 years (reported 2004)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Gangway
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Gangway technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gangway partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Detroit Streetwork OrganizationsmajorInternational exchange partnership for streetwork professionals between Berlin and Detroit. Fourth annual exchange program (June 8-18, 2024) where Berlin streetworkers travel to learn, exchange experiences, and optimize work with target populations.
- WeTeK Berlin gGmbHcoreCooperation partner for the BrückenBauen project providing outreach individual case work with young people to facilitate transitions into education and employment. Project supported by ESF funds from Senate administration for education, youth, and family.
- T_REST - Berlins soziales NetzwerkminorCost center for children's and youth work in Berlin (T_REST. Berlins soziales Netzwerk). Gangway participates to advocate for improved conditions in youth social work.
- Berliner Beratungsnetz für ZugewanderteminorOnline platform for Berlin professionals with approximately 300 multilingual counseling and support services for migrants, with interactive map filtering by topics, target groups, languages, and districts.
- Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (Parity Welfare Association)minorGangway is a member of the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, one of Germany's largest welfare associations, providing institutional support and networking.
- Friedrich-Ebert-StiftungminorCo-organized conferences and publications including 'Jugend und Armut' (Youth and Poverty) conference and professional development events.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gangway competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Notdienst für Suchtmittelgefährdete und -abhängige Berlin e.V. Berlin non-profit providing crisis intervention, addiction counseling, and low-threshold services for substance users, including street-based outreach. Direct peer in the specialized drug-and-homeless counseling space.
- Berliner Stadtmission: Major Berlin-based Protestant social welfare organization providing streetwork, homeless shelters, addiction services, and youth programs. Direct peer because it operates overlapping low-threshold services for homeless adults and at-risk youth in the same Berlin market.
- Fixpunkt Berlin e.V. Berlin-based non-profit operating mobile drug consumption rooms, needle exchanges, and street-based harm-reduction outreach. Direct peer in the specialized street-outreach space for marginalized adult populations in Berlin.
Broad incumbents
- AWO Berlin (Arbeiterwohlfahrt): Major German welfare association operating youth social work, migration services, and homelessness programs in Berlin. Broad incumbent with strong district-level government relationships analogous to Gangway's.
- EJF (Evangelisches Jugend- und Fürsorgewerk): Protestant social services organization active across Germany and in Berlin, running youth welfare, education, and social-inclusion programs. Broad incumbent comparable to Gangway in youth and family services mission.
- Diakonie Berlin: Regional Protestant welfare association delivering social counseling, refugee aid, addiction services, and youth welfare in Berlin. Broad incumbent with overlapping service categories and similar public-funding relationships with the Berlin Senate.
- Caritas Berlin: Regional branch of Germany's largest Catholic welfare association, providing streetwork, refugee services, addiction counseling, and youth programs across Berlin. Broad incumbent operating in the same social-services space with a much larger institutional footprint.
Regional players
- Condrobs e.V. (München): Bavarian non-profit providing streetwork, addiction services, and youth housing programs. Regional peer operating the same street-based low-threshold methodology in a different German state.
- Sozialwerk Berlin: Berlin-focused social services organization providing youth and family support, migration services, and streetwork-adjacent community work. Regional peer in the same city with overlapping target populations.
Emerging players
- Nummer gegen Kummer e.V. National hotline and online-counseling service for children, youth, and parents in Germany. Emerging player in the digital-anonymous counseling space that overlaps with Gangway's WhatsApp/Telegram/Instagram offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gangway social profiles
Digital presenceGangway financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gangway leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Gangway funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gangway 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 Gangway
What does Gangway do?
Gangway e.V. is a Berlin-based street social work organization that provides low-threshold, mobile outreach services to at-risk youth and homeless adults across 15 Berlin neighborhoods. Through neighborhood-based streetwork teams and specialized project centers, the organization delivers counseling, employment support, education, cultural programs, sports activities, and anonymous online counseling to socially disadvantaged individuals free of charge.
Is Gangway a public or private company?
Gangway is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Gangway founded?
Gangway was founded in 1990. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Gangway based?
Gangway is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Gangway make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public Funding (Senat von Berlin) is the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Gangway's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Notdienst für Suchtmittelgefährdete und -abhängige Berlin e.V., Berliner Stadtmission and Fixpunkt Berlin e.V.. Broad incumbents are AWO Berlin (Arbeiterwohlfahrt), EJF (Evangelisches Jugend- und Fürsorgewerk), Diakonie Berlin and Caritas Berlin. Regional players are Condrobs e.V. (München) and Sozialwerk Berlin. Nummer gegen Kummer e.V. is listed as an emerging player.
Does Gangway have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gangway.
What industry is Gangway in?
Gangway's product category is Social Services (Street Social Work). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAM, Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGACAL, Public Health & Health Equity Organizations. Its NAICS code is 62422 and its SIC code is 8300.