What Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe does

Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe is a non-profit public institution (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts) operating under German law and statutorily mandated by the state of Baden-Württemberg to provide essential services to students of KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie), Hochschule Karlsruhe Technik und Wirtschaft, Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe, and Hochschule Pforzheim, as well as institutions in Calw and Bad Liebenzell. It serves approximately 45,000 students across four cities with a portfolio that includes university dining (Hochschulgastronomie) operated through 15+ dining halls and cafeterias with own brands [kœri]werk, [pizza]werk, and [pasta]werk; student housing across 20+ dormitory locations (recently expanded with 69 new units at Rintheimer Querallee 2c in November 2025); BAföG federal student aid administration (~7,000 applications/year); psychological and social counseling (beratungsWERK); childcare (Kitas); and international student services (ISC events, tandem, mentorship). The organization is funded through a mix of state of Baden-Württemberg core funding, a €7 per-semester student contribution for specific housing projects, dining meal sales, and subsidized dormitory rents, and operates under a revenue model that explicitly prioritizes affordability over margin.

The technology stack is operationally oriented rather than differentiated: a tenant portal handles housing applications and rent, cashless payment is enabled via European Student Card integration, 360° virtual tours support remote dormitory viewing, and the Housing Scout / EDU-Home platforms (the latter a European cross-border housing initiative with EDUCatt Foundation and Rivensco) extend search beyond owned inventory. Digital maturity is moderate for a non-profit of this type but contains no AI or advanced analytics components. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through on-campus physical infrastructure (dining halls, dormitories, Beratungswerk counseling center, InfoPoint, Kita facilities) and a self-serve digital layer (tenant portal, job board, private accommodation exchange). The customer base is essentially captive by regulatory design — students at the named universities — with no churn risk in the conventional sense but with structural concentration in a single region and a fixed demographic.

Name

Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe

Legal name

Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe

Website

https://sw-ka.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe is a non-profit public institution that provides affordable housing, dining, BAföG administration, counseling, and childcare services to approximately 45,000 students at universities in Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Calw, and Bad Liebenzell, funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Student Services

NAICS

Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Residence Halls & Dormitory Management (On-/Near-Campus) (EDAIALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Summer/Conference Housing & Guest Accommodations (EDALACAI), Off-Campus Shared Student Houses (Room-by-Room) (THAMAGAC), Guest, Visitor & Conference Housing Services (Summer/Break Housing) (EDAEAFAN)

Keywords

• Student housing services
• University dining services
• Student financial counseling
• Campus childcare services
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Karlsruhe

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding: Core funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg as a non-profit public service organization
2. Student Semester Contribution: Mandatory student contributions (7 EUR per semester for specific projects) used to fund housing development and student services
3. Dining Services: Revenue from meal sales at 15+ dining halls and cafeterias across campus locations
4. Student Housing Rent: Affordable rent from student dormitories with subsidized pricing

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe is a non-profit public student services organization (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts) that operates subsidized student housing, university dining halls and cafeterias, BAföG financial support administration, psychological and social counseling, campus childcare facilities, and international student integration programs for roughly 45,000 students across Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Calw, and Bad Liebenzell. Services are delivered through physical dining halls, 20+ dormitory locations, counseling centers, and digital portals including a tenant portal and housing scout platform.

Product overview

Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe operates as a non-profit student services organization serving approximately 45,000 students across Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Calw, and Bad Liebenzell. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of core services including university dining (Hochschulgastronomie) with own food brands ([kœri]werk, [pizza]werk, [pasta]werk), student housing across 20+ dormitory locations, BAföG financial support counseling, psychological and social counseling, childcare facilities, and international student services (ISC Events). Digital services include a tenant portal, housing scout platform, job board, and private accommodation exchange. The organization is mandated by law to serve students of universities in Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, and Liebenzell, and receives funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• [kœri]werk: Curry sausage brand made with vegan pea protein
• [pasta]werk
• [pizza]werk
• beratungsWERK
• chicco di caffè
• chicco di caffè Pforzheim

Products and services

• University Dining Services (Hochschulgastronomie) Network of dining halls and cafeterias at university campuses in Karlsruhe and Pforzheim offering subsidized meals to students, with cashless payment via the European Student Card. Includes own-branded concepts [kœri]werk, [pizza]werk, and [pasta]werk.
• Student Housing (Wohnheime) Affordable student dormitory rooms at 20+ locations in Karlsruhe and Pforzheim with all-inclusive rent covering utilities and internet. Includes 69 newly opened units at Rintheimer Querallee 2c (November 2025).
• BAföG Financial Support Services Government-mandated processing and advisory services for federal student financial aid (BAföG) for students at Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, and Liebenzell universities, processing approximately 7,000 applications annually with a 2-3 month processing time.
• Psychological Counseling Free psychological counseling for students including individual consultations, group therapy, lectures, round tables, and crisis intervention services.
• Social Counseling Counseling services for students on personal, academic, financial, and social matters including support for student parents and students with disabilities.
• Childcare Facilities (Kitas) Day-care centers for children of student parents including Kinderhaus Blumenland, Kita Sternschnuppe (50 years), and Kinderhaus Pforzheim, serving children aged 1-6 years including those of international students.
• International Student Center (ISC) Programs Programs for international students including exchange support, cultural events, excursions, mentorship programs, tandem language exchanges, and international evenings.
• Tenant Portal (Mieterportal) Online portal allowing housing tenants to manage housing applications, rent payments, and service requests.
• Student Job Board (Jobbörse) Job exchange platform connecting students with part-time employment opportunities and internships.
• Scholarships and Loans Information and administration services for KfW loans, graduation loans, short-term loans, Deutschland-Stipendium, and Studienstiftung scholarships.
• Private Accommodation Exchange (Zimmervermittlung) Brokerage service helping students find private accommodation and landlords advertise rooms in Karlsruhe and Pforzheim.
• University Catering and Event Services Catering services for university events and meetings, plus Festsaal and room reservations.
• Solidarity Meals Program Fundraising program where 25 cents per solidarity meal supports international aid projects (currently Mozambique), in partnership with Brot für die Welt and MISEREOR.
• Netzwerk Next Orientation and counseling program for students doubting their studies, providing guidance for career changes.
• Legal Advice Legal advisory services for students including referrals to European Union legal advice resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000 BAföG applications processed annually with 2-3 month processing time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EDUcatt FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025EDUcatt Foundation coordinates the EDU-Home project, a European initiative to create a unified digital platform for student housing search across international institutions. Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe serves as the German partner, enabling cross-border housing applications for mobile students.
• Brot für die WeltminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational aid organization partnered with Studierendenwerk for solidarity projects. Students contribute through solidarity meals (25 cents per meal) to support development projects, including 9,400 EUR for fair lithium mining in Bolivia and 9,200 EUR for clean energy in African hospitals.
• MISEREORminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic development organization receives funding from solidarity meals. The partnership supports international aid projects chosen by students, demonstrating democratic project selection.
• Paritätischer SozialdienstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation project to specifically improve living conditions of student parents through combined support services.
• GSP ArchitektenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMunich-based architecture firm led the renovation and conversion of the historic Mackensen barracks into 69 student housing units at Rintheimer Querallee 2c.
• Familie in der Hochschule (FidH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of over 150 universities and research institutions across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland committed to family-friendly higher education policies. Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe joined as the third student services organization member, committing to improve study-family compatibility.
• Other German StudierendenwerkeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of German student services organizations sharing best practices and collaborating on sector-wide initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Direct peers

• Studierendenwerk Freiburg: Regional Baden-Württemberg peer providing student housing, dining, BAföG and social services to University of Freiburg students. Comparable scale, mandate and service portfolio.
• AKAFÖ Bochum: Student services organization for Ruhr-Universität Bochum, explicitly named as the second German organization (after Munich) to join the FidH network referenced by Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe. Direct peer under same statutory framework.
• Studentenwerk Würzburg: Bavarian student services organization offering housing, dining, BAföG and counseling to Julius-Maximilians-Universität students. Comparable in mandate, services and student-centric operating model.
• Studentenwerk München: Largest Bavarian Studierendenwerk and the first German student services organization to join the FidH network. Direct peer operating the same integrated housing, dining, BAföG, counseling and childcare model at substantially larger scale.
• Studentenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg: Bavarian Studierendenwerk providing housing, dining, BAföG, counseling and cultural programs to Friedrich-Alexander-Universität students. Operates the same statutory mandate model with a comprehensive service portfolio.
• Studentenwerk Heidelberg: State-mandated non-profit student services organization in the same Baden-Württemberg region providing housing, dining, BAföG and counseling to students at Heidelberg University and SRH Hochschule. Direct peer by mandate structure, service mix, geography, and scale.
• Studentenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim: Another Baden-Württemberg Studierendenwerk serving students in Tübingen, Hohenheim and Stuttgart with housing, dining halls, BAföG and counseling. Closest comparable peer by statutory mandate, scope of services and regional setting.
• Studentenwerk Berlin: Largest German Studierendenwerk, also operating by state mandate to provide housing, dining, BAföG and counseling to Berlin students. Comparable business model with broader scale and city-level footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Chartwells Higher Education: US-based Compass Group subsidiary specializing in higher education dining, residential services and student experience programs. Comparable in operating campus dining halls, student-facing services and residential life support, though in a North American commercial context.
• Sodexo (Higher Education segment): Global food services and facilities management provider with a dedicated higher education dining and residential life segment. Comparable in dining services delivery and student housing operations management at scale, though operating on a commercial rather than statutory mandate basis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Studipilot
• Instagraminstagram.com/studierendenwerk_karlsruhe
• Xx.com/Studipilot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe