The German Society for Telemedicine

What The German Society for Telemedicine does

The German Society for Telemedicine (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Telemedizin e.V., DGTelemed) is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Berlin, with a business office in Hagen. It functions as the central professional society and advocacy body for telemedicine in Germany, convening healthcare providers, medical professionals, technology companies, research institutions, and policymakers around digital health policy and practice. DGTelemed does not develop proprietary technology products; its core activities are organizing conferences (the Nationaler Fachkongress Telemedizin, the Hospital of the Future special exhibition at MEDICA in Düsseldorf, and regional congresses in Nord, NRW, and Süd), administering the annual Telemedizinpreis innovation award, coordinating four working groups (outpatient telemedicine, telemedicine in continuing education, networked care, and scientific research), and publishing position papers and policy commentary on topics including telemonitoring, DiGA, hospital reform, and the Innovationsfonds.

The society operates a membership-based revenue model: individuals and organizations pay recurring membership fees to join the network, with special pricing tiers for startups and smaller companies, and revenue is supplemented by event-related income from conferences, exhibitions, and sponsorships from partners such as ZTG Zentrum für Telematik und Telemedizin GmbH, Messe Düsseldorf, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Spectaris, and Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft (DKG). Its go-to-market is relationship-driven and centered on its convening power, with brand communications distributed through a website, newsletters, press distribution, and active social channels on LinkedIn and X. Leadership comprises Prof. Dr. med. Gernot Marx, FRCA as Chairman, Günter van Aalst as Deputy Chairman (who also chairs the supervisory board of operational partner ZTG GmbH), and board members including Annette Hempen, Dr. med. Franz Bartmann, Dr. med. Daniel Dumitrescu, and Rainer Beckers.

Name

The German Society for Telemedicine

Legal name

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Telemedizin e. V.

Website

https://dgtelemed.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The German Society for Telemedicine (DGTelemed) is a Berlin-based non-profit professional society founded in 2005 that convenes healthcare providers, technology companies, researchers, and policymakers to advocate for telemedicine adoption in Germany through conferences, working groups, innovation awards, and policy engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: DGTelemed operates as a membership-based professional society. Healthcare providers, companies, research institutions, and other stakeholders pay membership fees to join the network and participate in working groups, events, and advocacy activities.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Telemedizin e. V. (DGTelemed) is a non-profit professional medical society that serves as a coordination and advocacy platform for telemedicine stakeholders in Germany. It organizes conferences, exhibitions, and working groups; runs the Telemedizinpreis award program; publishes position papers; and engages in policy advocacy on telemedicine regulation, digital health applications (DiGA), and hospital reform. Revenue comes from membership fees paid by healthcare providers, technology companies, research institutions, and policymakers.

Product overview

The German Society for Telemedicine (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Telemedizin e.V., DGTelemed) is a professional medical society and advocacy organization, not a product company. It does not offer commercial software products or platforms. Its activities consist of organizing professional conferences and events (including the Nationaler Fachkongress Telemedizin, Hospital of the Future, and regional Telemedizin Kongress events), administering the Telemedizinpreis (telemedicine award), facilitating working groups, publishing position papers and advocacy on telemedicine policy, and providing newsletters and press distribution services to its members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nationaler Fachkongress Telemedizin: Annual national specialist congress on telemedicine organized by DGTelemed
• Telemedizinpreis
• Hospital of the Future
• Telemedizin Kongress Nord
• Telemedizin Kongress NRW
• Telemedizin Kongress Süd
• Case Based Medical Training (CBMT)
• Digital Health: NOW!

Products and services

• DGTelemed Membership Membership-based enrollment for individuals and organizations (healthcare providers, technology companies, research institutions, policymakers) granting access to working groups, events, networking, and advocacy activities. Special pricing conditions are offered for startups and smaller companies.
• Nationaler Fachkongress Telemedizin Annual flagship national specialist congress on telemedicine organized by DGTelemed, bringing together stakeholders from across the German telemedicine ecosystem for knowledge exchange, policy dialogue, and the awarding of the Telemedizinpreis.
• Hospital of the Future Exhibition Special exhibition hosted at the MEDICA trade fair in Düsseldorf (in cooperation with Messe Düsseldorf), showcasing digital networking in hospitals and data-driven predictive medical care, with technical support from ZTG and Uniklinik RWTH Aachen.
• Telemedizin Kongress Nord / NRW / Süd Regional telemedicine congresses covering Northern Germany (Nord), North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), and Southern Germany (Süd), providing geographically focused forums for telemedicine stakeholders.
• Case Based Medical Training (CBMT) Medical training program utilizing case-based learning approaches, offered by DGTelemed for healthcare professionals.
• Digital Health: NOW! Digital health event series and initiative hosted at digitalhealth-now.eu, focused on advancing digital health discussions and stakeholder engagement.
• Working Groups (Arbeitsgruppen) Thematic working groups covering AG Ambulante Telemedizin, AG Telemedizin in Fort- und Weiterbildung, AG Telemedizinisch vernetzte Versorgung, and AG Wissenschaft und Forschung, providing members with collaborative problem-solving on telemedicine barriers and best practices.
• DGTelemed Newsletter and Press Distribution Regular newsletter and press distribution service for members covering DGTelemed activities, events, and digital health developments in Germany, distributed via the CleverReach platform.
• Telemedizinpreis Award Program Annual award program recognizing innovative telemedicine projects in digital healthcare. The 2026 winner was coobi care (telemedicine aftercare for substance addiction disorders); finalists included Tele-QoL, Herodikos plus, ET4Care, NahCare Jena, Telemedizinische Versorgung Pflegeheime Traunstein, and eHealth-COMPATH.
• Position Papers and Publications Position papers and publications on telemedicine topics including telemonitoring, telekooperation, DiGA, hospital reform, and needs-based hospital care with telemedicine (jointly with DKG).

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ZTG Zentrum für Telematik und Telemedizin GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZTG GmbH serves as a key operational partner for DGTelemed. ZTG provides technical and organizational support for events including the Hospital of the Future exhibition and handles administrative functions such as newsletter distribution through the CleverReach platform. Günter van Aalst serves as both Deputy Chairman of DGTelemed and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ZTG.
• Messe DüsseldorfmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMesse Düsseldorf partners with DGTelemed to host the Hospital of the Future exhibition at the MEDICA trade fair, one of the world's largest medical technology exhibitions.
• Uniklinik RWTH Aachen (Klinik für Operative Intensivmedizin und Intermediate Care)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe university hospital provides professional/scientific expertise for the Hospital of the Future exhibition and DGTelemed's telemedicine initiatives, particularly in intensive care telemedicine.
• Spectaris (Medizintechnikverband)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpectaris, the German medical technology association, collaborates with DGTelemed on joint sessions and policy positions, particularly regarding telemonitoring and digital health applications (DiGA).
• Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft (DKG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDKG collaborated with DGTelemed on the position paper 'Bedarfsorientierte Krankenhausversorgung mit Telemedizin' presented at the Hospital of the Future in November 2025. DGTelemed CEO Dr. Gerald Gaß contributed to joint advocacy.
• Hospital of the Future industrial partnersminorOthersCompanies supporting the Hospital of the Future exhibition include: RZV Rechenzentrum Volmarstein, CompuGroupMedical Deutschland AG, vital.services GmbH, Medisanté Group AG, MedEcon Telemedizin GmbH (with connectMT), and ClinomicGroup GmbH. These companies showcase telemedicine solutions at the exhibition.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL): EHTEL is a European-level membership organization focused on health telematics and telehealth. It is comparable to DGTelemed as a multi-stakeholder advocacy platform but operates pan-European rather than at the German national level.
• International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth (ISfTeH): ISfTeH is an international non-profit organization promoting telemedicine and eHealth worldwide. It mirrors DGTelemed's role as a professional society for telemedicine but operates globally rather than within Germany.

Direct peers

• ZTG Zentrum für Telematik und Telemedizin GmbH: ZTG is DGTelemed's core operational partner in Germany, providing technical and organizational support for telemedicine initiatives including the Hospital of the Future exhibition. Both organizations operate in the German telemedicine ecosystem and share leadership overlap (Günter van Aalst serves in both), making ZTG the closest functional peer.
• BVMed – Bundesverband Medizintechnologie: BVMed is the German medical technology industry association representing manufacturers and providers of medical devices including telehealth solutions. It is comparable to DGTelemed as a German membership association operating at the intersection of healthcare technology and policy.
• Bundesverband Managed Care e.V. (BMC): BMC is a German membership-based healthcare association focused on innovative, integrated care models including digital health. It is comparable to DGTelemed as a convening body for cross-sector stakeholders shaping German healthcare delivery and policy.
• Spitzenverband Digitale Gesundheitsversorgung (SVDGV): SVDGV is the German industry association representing providers of digital health applications (DiGA) and digital care. It is comparable to DGTelemed as a membership organization actively engaged in telemedicine policy advocacy and DiGA regulation in Germany.
• Spectaris – Deutscher Industrieverband für Optik, Photonik, Analysen- und Medizintechnik: Spectaris is the German industry association for medical technology with whom DGTelemed collaborates on joint sessions and policy positions regarding telemonitoring and DiGA. It is a comparable membership-based association engaging in digital health policy advocacy.
• Bundesverband Internetmedizin (BiM): BiM is a German professional association representing physicians and providers practicing internet- and video-based medicine. It is comparable to DGTelemed as a medical-society-style membership organization advocating for telemedicine in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• gematik GmbH: gematik is the German federal agency for digital health infrastructure (telematics, e-prescription, electronic health record). It operates in the same telemedicine/policy space as DGTelemed but at a much larger national scale with governmental mandate.
• Health Innovation Hub (hih): The Health Innovation Hub is a German federal government-backed think tank and policy advisor on digital health. It overlaps with DGTelemed in shaping Germany's digital health agenda but operates with public-sector resources and a national remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dgtelemed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsche-gesellschaft-f%C3%BCr-telemedizin-e-v-dgtelemed

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 The German Society for Telemedicine