Verein Neustart

What Verein Neustart does

Verein Neustart is a Vienna-headquartered, registered Austrian association (Verein) founded in 1957 as "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Bewährungshilfe" by volunteers supporting delinquent youth, and now operating as one of Austria's largest non-profit organizations in the justice-proximal social work sector. The organization delivers a comprehensive service portfolio spanning probation supervision, mandatory violence prevention counseling, electronically monitored house arrest (GPS ankle transmitter and stationary receiver), victim-offender mediation, anti-violence training, post-release reintegration support, community service coordination, supported housing, school social work, addiction prevention, deradicalization, online safety (Sicher.net § 207a), and court accompaniment for crime victims. These services reach approximately 40,000 clients annually across all nine Austrian federal states through a regional office network and a blended workforce of roughly 1,500 staff including about 1,000 trained volunteer probation helpers.

NEUSTART's technology stack is operational rather than productized: it consists of a GPS-based electronic monitoring infrastructure, the "Go NEUSTART" mobile application for client communication (available on iOS and Android), a secure online counseling platform, and a whistleblower reporting system with 16-digit code tracking. The organization also operates "Saftladen," a social enterprise providing reintegration employment opportunities.

The business model is government-funded through contracts with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) for probation and mediation services, the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) for violence prevention counseling following restraining orders, and the individual Austrian state governments. All services are provided free of charge to clients, who are referred mandatorily through the courts, prosecutors, and police authorities. There are no disclosed shareholders, equity holders, or commercial pricing; the organization operates as a charitable entity under Austrian law, governed by a Supervisory Board, Curatorium, and General Assembly, with NEUSTART Bayern gGmbH as its only subsidiary operating in Bavaria, Germany.

Name

Verein Neustart

Legal name

Verein NEUSTART

Website

https://neustart.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Austrian non-profit founded in 1957 providing justice-proximal social services including probation, violence prevention counseling, electronic monitoring, victim-offender mediation, and post-release assistance, serving approximately 40,000 clients annually through government-funded programs across all nine Austrian states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: NEUSTART is funded through contracts with Austrian federal ministries (Federal Ministry of the Interior for violence prevention counseling, Federal Ministry of Justice for probation and other services) and Austrian state governments. Services are provided free to clients.
2. Violence Prevention Counseling: Funded by the Federal Ministry for the Interior (BMI), violence prevention counseling is provided after restraining orders are issued, representing a major government investment in violence prevention culture.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

NEUSTART delivers court-mandated justice-related social work across all nine Austrian federal states, including probation supervision (Bewährungshilfe), violence prevention counseling after restraining orders, victim-offender mediation, electronically monitored house arrest with GPS ankle transmitters, community service coordination, post-release reintegration support, and supported housing. Services are delivered free of charge to clients and funded through contracts with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice and Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Product overview

Verein Neustart is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of justice-proximal social services in Austria. The organization operates as a multi-service provider rather than a unified software product, delivering services across probation supervision, violence prevention, victim support, and reintegration. Core offerings include Bewährungshilfe (probation services), Gewaltpräventionsberatung (violence prevention counseling), Elektronisch überwachter Hausarrest (electronically monitored house arrest with GPS tracking), Tatausgleich (victim-offender mediation), Haftentlassenenhilfe (post-release assistance), and Betreutes Wohnen (supported housing). Additional specialized services encompass anti-violence training, deradicalization programs, school social work, addiction prevention, and court accompaniment for victims. The organization also provides digital services including an online counseling platform and the Go NEUSTART communication app. Services are delivered through regional offices across all Austrian states, with a combination of professional staff and approximately 1,000 trained volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bewährungshilfe (Probation Services) Social work supervision and support for individuals placed on probation by Austrian courts, helping them reintegrate into society and avoid reoffending. Delivered by professional staff and approximately 1,000 volunteer probation helpers.
• Gewaltpräventionsberatung (Violence Prevention Counseling) Mandatory counseling sessions for individuals who have received a restraining order, addressing violent behavior, impulse control, and non-violent conflict resolution. Funded by the Federal Ministry for the Interior (BMI).
• Elektronisch überwachter Hausarrest (Electronically Monitored House Arrest) Electronic monitoring service allowing individuals to serve sentences at home using GPS ankle bracelets and stationary receivers, with supervised absence windows for work and appointments.
• Tatausgleich (Victim-Offender Mediation) Restorative justice service facilitating dialogue between victims and offenders to achieve reconciliation and compensation, with 77% of victims reporting satisfaction with mediation outcomes.
• Haftentlassenenhilfe (Post-Release Assistance) Support services for individuals being released from prison, including housing assistance and reintegration support into society and the labor market.
• Gemeinnützige Leistungen (Community Service) Assignment of community service hours as an alternative to incarceration or fines, coordinated across various non-profit organizations. Used as a diversion measure, in lieu of substitute imprisonment, or in financial criminal proceedings.
• Betreutes Wohnen (Supported Housing) Housing support program including start apartments (Startwohnungen) and structured Wohnprogramm housing programs for individuals needing assistance with independent living, particularly those transitioning from prison.
• Schulsozialarbeit (School Social Work) Social work services embedded in schools to support students facing social, emotional, or behavioral challenges, including youth criminal procedure accompaniment.
• Suchtprävention (Addiction Prevention) Preventive services addressing substance abuse and addiction among youth and at-risk populations.
• Prozessbegleitung (Court Accompaniment for Crime Victims) Support services for victims of crimes accompanying them through legal proceedings.
• Online-Beratung (Online Counseling) Secure online consultation platform providing counseling services to clients, expanding accessibility to NEUSTART services.
• Go NEUSTART App Mobile smartphone application for communication between social workers and clients, facilitating appointment management, contact, and engagement with individuals in mandatory supervision who may resist traditional contact methods.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of victims report satisfaction with victim-offender mediation outcomes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered subsidiary, core, regional and minor.

• NEUSTART Bayern gGmbHsubsidiaryOthersSubsidiary organization in Bavaria, Germany, extending NEUSTART's operations across the border.
• WWP-EN (Work with Perpetrators European Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of 66 organizations from 33 European countries working on domestic violence prevention and perpetrator programs. NEUSTART represents Austria. Network establishes cross-border standards and provides training.
• Dachverband Opferschutzorientierte Täterarbeit (DV-OTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian umbrella organization developing standards for victim-protection-oriented perpetrator work. NEUSTART is an active member engaged in standard-setting and networking.
• Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI)coreOthersPrimary funder of violence prevention counseling services. Contracted NEUSTART in July 2021 to provide mandatory counseling after restraining orders across five Austrian states.
• Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ)coreOthersKey government partner and funder for probation services, victim-offender mediation, and other social work interventions. Expanded NEUSTART's mandate in July 2022 to allow courts to order violence prevention counseling.
• Gewaltschutzzentrum SteiermarkregionalImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerViolence protection center in Styria, collaborated with NEUSTART on practice guidelines for judicial handling of domestic violence cases.
• Verein für Männer- und Geschlechterthemen SteiermarkregionalImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMen's and gender issues organization in Styria, partnered with NEUSTART on developing practice guidelines for domestic violence cases.
• UN Women AustriaminorOthersSupporting the UN 'Orange the World' campaign to end violence against women. NEUSTART participates by turning website and social media orange during the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
• PartnerorganisationenminorOthersVarious partner organizations listed on the website including victim protection organizations, women's shelters, children's and youth welfare services, men's counseling services, and violence protection institutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Volkshilfe Österreich: Austrian social services non-profit operating across multiple states with government funding. Comparable on service breadth (housing, reintegration support, social work) and federal-state contracting model, making it a realistic alternative provider to NEUSTART in some service areas.
• SOS Kinderdorf Österreich: Austrian non-profit focused on children, youth, and family welfare with government contracts. Comparable on Austrian non-profit scale, mixed professional/volunteer staffing, and government-funded service delivery, particularly to NEUSTART's youth criminal-procedure accompaniment and school social work lines.
• Weisser Ring: Austrian victim-support non-profit providing counseling, accompaniment, and financial assistance to crime victims. Direct overlap with NEUSTART's victim services (Prozessbegleitung, Tatausgleich), and operates on a similar volunteer-amplified, government- and donation-funded model.
• Diakonie Österreich: Austrian Protestant-affiliated non-profit delivering social work, offender reintegration, and counseling services under government contracts. Operates a similar multi-state, mixed-staff (professional + volunteer) model and competes for parts of NEUSTART's mandate, especially in reintegration and family services.
• Caritas Österreich: Austria's largest non-profit social services organization. Directly comparable as a domestically funded, multi-service social-work provider delivering government-contracted services including reintegration, housing support, and victim assistance — overlapping with NEUSTART's post-release and supported-housing portfolio.

Others

• Confederation of European Probation (CEP): Pan-European membership body for probation services and agencies. Comparable as a peer-ecosystem player to NEUSTART's Bewährungshilfe line and a coordination point for European probation practice standards, though CEP is an umbrella rather than a direct service provider.

Broad incumbents

• Bayerisches Rotes Kreuz: Large Bavarian aid and social services organization with a broad portfolio including probation-adjacent services. Comparable to NEUSTART Bayern as a regional incumbent with similar service lines (reintegration, supported housing) but much wider scope including healthcare and emergency response.

Regional players

• NEUSTART Bayern gGmbH: Subsidiary organization of NEUSTART operating in Bavaria, Germany. Directly comparable in service portfolio (probation, violence prevention, victim-offender work) but operates in a different national regulatory and funding environment, illustrating how the model translates across borders.

Emerging players

• Gewaltschutzzentrum Steiermark: Styrian violence protection center and existing NEUSTART partner. Directly comparable in the violence prevention and victim protection space, with overlapping state-level funding relationships and joint practice-guideline development alongside NEUSTART.
• Victim Support Europe: European umbrella network for victim-support organizations across 30+ countries. Comparable to NEUSTART's Tatausgleich (victim-offender mediation) and Prozessbegleitung (court accompaniment) services, with shared funder and policy-advocacy dynamics at the EU level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Verein.NEUSTART
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verein-neustart
• Instagraminstagram.com/vereinneustart
• Xx.com/VereinNEUSTART

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Verein Neustart