DRK-Blutspendedienst West

What DRK-Blutspendedienst West does

DRK-Blutspendedienst West is a non-profit blood donation service (gemeinnützige GmbH, gGmbH) operating under the German Red Cross (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz) umbrella. Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Münster, the organization collects, tests, processes, and distributes blood products — primarily erythrocyte concentrates, platelets, and plasma — to hospitals and medical practices across the three federal states of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Saarland. It runs over 11,000 mobile blood donation events annually, welcomes roughly 800,000 donors per year, and processes approximately 3,000 full blood donations per day at its centralized Hagen laboratory facility. The organization also operates four fixed transfusion medicine centers in Bad Kreuznach, Hagen, Münster, and Ratingen-Breitscheid, plus dedicated divisions for stem cell donation and plasma processing (Lyoplas).

The core technical platform is built around centralized production: since 2019, all blood component preparation has been consolidated at the Hagen central laboratory, which features fully automated labeling and sorting infrastructure. The organization also operates a digital engagement stack comprising the Spenderservice donor portal (spenderservice.net), iOS and Android mobile applications, and an Ehrenamtsportal (volunteer portal) for coordinating the DRK volunteer network that supports collection events. Apheresis technology is deployed at the transfusion medicine centers for platelet and stem cell collection.

Revenue is generated through reimbursement from the German statutory health insurance system (GKV) for blood products supplied to healthcare facilities; the organization does not charge donors, as blood donation is a voluntary, unpaid civic service. Operating under the German Transfusionsgesetz (TFG) and Richtlinie Hämotherapie frameworks, the entity functions as a regulated, non-profit critical infrastructure provider rather than a commercial enterprise, with any surpluses reinvested into the blood supply mission rather than distributed to shareholders.

Name

DRK-Blutspendedienst West

Legal name

DRK-Blutspendedienst West gGmbH

Website

https://blutspendedienst-west.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

DRK-Blutspendedienst West is a German Red Cross non-profit that collects, processes, and distributes blood products to hospitals across Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Saarland, operating 11,000+ mobile donation events annually and serving roughly 800,000 donors per year.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blood Banking and Transfusion Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (Blood Bank) (HLAFAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ), Plasma Collection & Donor Services (Plasmapheresis Centers) (HLAIAHAH), Cell & Tissue Banking (biobanking, cord blood/tissue) (HLAAAGAE)

Keywords

• Blood donation services
• Blood product supply
• Transfusion medicine
• Mobile blood collection
• Stem cell donor registry

Headquarters

HQ city

Westphalia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Blood Products Supply: As a non-profit gGmbH (gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung), the organization supplies blood products to hospitals and medical practices. Revenue is generated through reimbursement from statutory health insurance funds (GKV) for blood products supplied to healthcare facilities. The organization operates on principles of Gemeinnützigkeit (public benefit), security, and economic efficiency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

DRK-Blutspendedienst West organizes voluntary blood donations through mobile collection teams and fixed transfusion medicine centers, then tests, processes and distributes blood products (erythrocytes, platelets, plasma) and stem cell donor services to hospitals and medical practices in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland. It also provides consulting, training and hemotherapy services to healthcare professionals, and operates the Spenderservice digital donor platform and Blutspende mobile app. The Hagen central laboratory processes approximately 3,000 full blood donations per day, with over 800,000 donors welcomed annually.

Product overview

DRK-Blutspendedienst West is a non-profit blood donation service organized as a gGmbH (gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) under the German Red Cross. The organization operates a multi-component portfolio consisting of core blood donation services (mobile and fixed-site collection), the digital Spenderservice portal and mobile app for donor engagement, the Ehrenamtsportal volunteer management platform, and specialized divisions for plasma (Lyoplas), stem cells, and a central laboratory in Hagen. The service covers North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland, conducting over 11,000 mobile blood drives annually through a network of fixed transfusion medicine centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spenderservice: Digital donor service platform for blood donors to track donation history, find appointments, and connect with other donors across Germany
• Ehrenamtsportal
• Blutspende-Akademie

Products and services

• Blood Product Supply (Erythrocytes, Platelets, Plasma)

Quantifiable outcome

• 800,000 annual blood donors welcomed at over 11,000 donation events
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DATATREE AGminorOthers · 16 January 2024External service provider for the complaint/grievance reporting portal (Beschwerdeverfahren) under the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG). The address is Märkische Str. 212-218, 44141 Dortmund.
• Westdeutsche Spenderzentrale (WSZE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on stem cell donor recruitment and registration. WSZE staff are present at blood donation events to offer stem cell donor typing registration to donors.
• DRK-Kreisverbände (Local Red Cross Chapters)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal German Red Cross chapters provide volunteer support and local organization for blood donation events. The partnership enables the organization to conduct over 11,000 blood collection events annually through the combined efforts of professional staff and volunteers.
• Paul-Ehrlich-InstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal institute responsible for vaccine and biomedical authorization; collaborates on blood product safety standards and regulatory compliance under the Transfusionsgesetz.
• Robert Koch-Institut (RKI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal institute for disease control and prevention; participates in blood safety guidelines development and epidemiological surveillance.
• Bundesärztekammer (German Medical Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelops and updates the Richtlinie Hämotherapie (Hemotherapy Guidelines) which governs blood donation and transfusion practices.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transfusionsmedizin und Immunhämatologie (DGTI)minorOthersScientific society for transfusion medicine and immunohematology; provides professional guidelines and research collaboration.
• DRK-Blutspendedienste (German Red Cross Blood Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the national network of DRK blood services in Germany, collaborating on nationwide campaigns like World Blood Donor Day and sharing best practices.
• Zentralstelle der Länder für Gesundheitsschutz bei Arzneimitteln und Medizinprodukten (ZLG)coreOthersCoordination body for federal states on health protection matters related to pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BlutspendeJetzt
• Facebookfacebook.com/drk.blutspendedienst.west
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drk-blutspendedienst-west

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about DRK-Blutspendedienst West