BHB

What BHB does

Berliner Blindenhörbücherei gemeinnützige GmbH (BHB) is a Berlin-based, registered nonprofit (gemeinnützige GmbH) audio lending library founded in 1958 under the initiative of the Allgemeiner Blindenverein and operating continuously since regular lending began on January 7, 1959. The organization serves blind and visually impaired individuals (and, under § 45c Abs. 3 UrhG, certain authorized institutions) by providing free access to audiobooks in DAISY format and to audio-described films (Hörfilme) on DVD, with a curated catalog of approximately 10,000 titles. The slogan 'Wer nicht sehen kann, darf hören' ('Those who cannot see may hear') frames the mission.

The product surface is multi-channel. Users register online or by post with proof of visual impairment and receive a listener number. The BliBu-CD Windows desktop application and the BliBu BHB-App (iOS/Android) provide catalog browsing, simple and advanced search, download (up to 5 simultaneous loans), in-app playback with bookmark resume, and integrated returns; the BHB Lesezeit Alexa skill extends playback to Amazon Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices. Physical distribution remains central: DAISY-CDs and audio-described DVDs are mailed as Blindensendung with free round-trip postage. Auxiliary catalog formats (DAISY-CD voiced via synthetic speech, PDF) support users without internet access. The ABSV welfare association (founded 1874) is the parent body and primary referral channel; additional reach is provided through Medibus, DBSV, Deutsche Hörfilm gGmbH, and the Bavarian BIT-Zentrum.

The business model is non-commercial: no membership, lending, or shipping fees are charged to users. Operating costs are underwritten by public subsidies from the Berlin Senate Department for Labour and Social Affairs (Hauptfürsorgestelle), self-help associations acting as trustees, and voluntary donations. Lending terms are 4 weeks for DAISY audiobooks and 10 days for Hörfilme. Revenue, headcount, and financial statements are not publicly disclosed; registered office is Auerbachstr. 5, 14193 Berlin, with managing director Angela Schmielewski.

Name

BHB

Legal name

Berliner Blindenhörbücherei gemeinnützige GmbH

Website

https://bhb.absv.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BHB is a Berlin-based nonprofit audio lending library founded in 1958 that provides blind and visually impaired individuals free access to ~10,000 DAISY-format audiobooks and audio-described films via postal, mobile, desktop, and Alexa channels, funded by Berlin Senate subsidies and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Public/Social Funding: As a nonprofit organization (gemeinnützige GmbH), BHB does not charge users any fees. The organization is funded through public subsidies from the Senate Department for Labor and Social Affairs (Senatsverwaltung für Arbeit und Sozialwesen / Hauptfürsorgestelle), self-help associations as trustees, and donations. Users are invited to support the work through donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BHB is a non-profit lending library that provides free access to approximately 10,000 DAISY-format audiobooks and audio-described (Hörfilm) DVDs to registered blind and visually impaired individuals in Germany. Users register, receive a listener number, and order titles through online catalogs, BliBu-CD software, or the BliBu BHB-App, with physical media delivered and returned by post as Blindensendung free of charge. The service is fully funded by public subsidies from the Berlin Senate Department for Labour and Social Affairs and by voluntary donations.

Product overview

Berliner Blindenhörbücherei (BHB) is a nonprofit audio library service for blind and visually impaired individuals offering free lending of audiobooks and audio-described films. The service operates through multiple access channels: the BliBu-CD computer program for Windows, the BliBu BHB-App for iOS and Android, the BHB Lesezeit Alexa skill for voice-controlled playback, and physical DAISY-CDs mailed to users. Users can browse catalogs via DAISY-Katalog (audiobooks), Hörfilm-Katalog (audio-described DVDs), and alternative formats including CD and PDF catalogs. All lending and catalog access is free of charge withBlindensendung (blind persons' mailing) delivery included.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BliBu-CD: Computer program for managing audiobook orders, with download capability and CD delivery options.
• BliBu BHB-App

Products and services

• DAISY-Hörbücher (DAISY Audiobooks)
• Hörfilme (Audio-Described Films)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABSV - Allgemeiner Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Berlin gegr. 1874 e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABSV Berlin is the parent organization of BHB. BHB is hosted on the ABSV domain (bhb.absv.de) and operates as a subsidiary unit. ABSV provides the institutional framework, office space, and referral network for BHB. The organization recommends purchasing DAISY players from ABSV's assistive aids sales department.
• Medibus - Mediengemeinschaft für blinde und sehbehinderte Menschen e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedibus is a media community for blind and visually impaired people. BHB participates in Medibus, sharing catalog information and potentially exchanging media. According to the Benutzungsordnung, BHB may notify other libraries in the Medibus association if a user is excluded for rule violations.
• DBSV - Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband e.V.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational umbrella organization for blind and visually impaired people in Germany. Listed as a partner link on BHB's website for outreach and referral of visually impaired individuals to BHB's services.
• BIT-Zentrum des Bayerischen Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverbandes (BBSB)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBavarian center for blind and visually impaired people. Listed as a partner link on BHB's website for outreach to Bavarian visually impaired community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Norddeutsche Blindenhörbücherei: Northern German audiobook lending library for blind and visually impaired users; operates the same free DAISY lending model as BHB under Medibus cooperation, making it a near-direct functional peer.
• Deutsche Hörfilm gGmbH: Non-profit organization producing German audio-described films (Hörfilme); a listed partner of BHB and the upstream production peer whose content BHB distributes to visually impaired users.
• Deutsche Zentralbücherei für Blinde zu Leipzig (DZB): National central library for the blind in Leipzig; the most direct German peer offering DAISY audiobook and Braille lending to visually impaired users under the same § 45c UrhG framework as BHB. Operates at national scale where BHB is regional.
• Calibre Audio Library: UK non-profit lending library providing free audiobooks to people with print disabilities including visual impairment; directly comparable to BHB in service model (free audiobook lending to registered disabled users via mail and digital).
• Bayerische Hör- und Blindenschrift-Bibliothek (BBSB Bibliothek): Bavarian audiobook and Braille library serving visually impaired users; directly comparable as a regional German accessible library offering DAISY audiobooks and audio-described media via mail lending.
• Westdeutsche Blindenhörbücherei: Regional audiobook library for the blind in western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). Closely comparable service model to BHB: free DAISY audiobook lending for visually impaired users under the same German copyright exception.
• Medibus – Mediengemeinschaft für blinde und sehbehinderte Menschen e.V. German media community association coordinating resource sharing among accessible libraries, including BHB. Functions as both a cooperative network and an alternative/distributed lender of accessible media for blind users.

Broad incumbents

• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People): UK national charity for blind and partially sighted people offering accessible library services (RNIB Library) among broader services. Functions as a broad incumbent peer with overlapping library/lending activity for the same end-user population.
• NLS / BARD (Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled): US national library service providing free audiobook and Braille lending to print-disabled Americans via mail and digital (BARD); a broad incumbent peer operating at national scale with the same § comparable accessible-format lending mission.

Emerging players

• Bookshare: International non-profit accessible ebook/audiobook library serving people with print disabilities; comparable in mission and § comparable copyright exception logic, with broader catalog and digital-first delivery versus BHB's regional physical/digital hybrid.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/absv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 BHB