Sustina

What Sustina does

Sustina AG is a Münster-based sustainable real estate developer founded in 2022 that designs, develops, and operates socially mixed, circular-construction residential quarters in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The company integrates development, architecture, and lifecycle asset management under one roof, serving municipalities, social welfare operators (Caritas, AWO, Integrationsmodell Essen), housing cooperatives, and public housing corporations through long-term co-development and operating partnerships. Its technology stack combines Cradle-to-Cradle design principles, timber hybrid construction (Holzhybridbauweise), Building Information Modeling, digital building resource passports, and net-zero energy concepts, anchored by a proprietary Value-PreCon methodology that runs planning, engineering, and contractor teams in parallel as a 'temporary company' to compress permitting timelines.

Sustina generates revenue through three streams: project development and management fees for end-to-end quarter development, professional architecture services billed under the German HOAI fee structure, and recurring property/asset management mandates spanning the building lifecycle. Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed; the portfolio mix is heavily weighted toward publicly subsidized housing (70-89% subsidized units across known projects), with the remainder free-financed to cross-subsidize social outcomes. The company is founder-controlled by co-founders Fabian Bergfort (CEO), Sebastian Sehr (Chief Architect), and Magdalena Junker (People & Culture), with a supervisory board chaired by Stephan Grollmann and including a former FH Münster Dean of Architecture, an IT entrepreneur/business angel, and a former bank director. No external institutional or venture capital funding has been disclosed.

The active portfolio comprises four projects totaling approximately 545 residential units: Haus Barbara (27 units, completed 2022 in Oer-Erkenschwick with Caritasverband Ostvest as operator), Wohnen am Bochumer Stadtpark (100 units, completed 2024), Wohnquartier Telgte Süd (195 units, concept stage, won via Konzeptvergabe), and Wohnquartier Deilegrund (123 units in Essen-Kupferdreh, construction start 2026/2027, AWO Essen as operator, NRW digital building resource passport pilot). The company is also developing a 'Hub für zirkuläres Bauen' concept — a digital and physical platform for circular construction materials — and participates in the EU/NRW-funded KomZi research consortium for a municipal circular construction ecosystem.

Name

Sustina

Legal name

Sustina AG

Website

https://sustina.ag

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sustina AG is a Münster-based sustainable real estate developer founded in 2022 that plans and builds circular, socially mixed residential quarters in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, serving municipalities, social welfare operators, and housing cooperatives through integrated development, architecture, and lifecycle management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Real Estate Development Services

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311), Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses) (53112)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Mixed-Use Community Association Management (BPAJAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mixed-Use Property Management (BPAJAGAE), Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Sustainable real estate development
• Neighborhood development services
• Circular construction consulting
• Affordable housing development
• Architectural planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Münster

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Quartier Development & Project Management: Full-service project development from land acquisition and concept through to completion and commissioning. Revenue is earned through development fees, project management charges, and potentially through the sale of completed quarters or long-term asset management mandates. Projects include a mix of publicly subsidized (gefördert) and free-financed (freifinanziert) residential units, commercial spaces, and community facilities.
2. Architecture & Planning Services (HOAI): Architectural services including urban master planning for quarters and object planning (Leistungsbild Objektplanung nach HOAI). Revenue is generated through architectural fees regulated under Germany's HOAI fee structure for planning services.
3. Property & Asset Management: Strategic and sustainable property management, lifecycle-oriented asset management, and BIM-based facility management services. Ongoing management fees for quarters over their entire lifecycle, including evaluation and further development of letting concepts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sustina AG develops, plans, and manages sustainable urban quarters (Quartiere) combining residential, commercial, and community spaces under circular construction principles (Cradle-to-Cradle, timber hybrid construction, net-zero energy). The firm delivers three integrated service lines — Quartiersentwicklung (neighborhood development), Architektur (architecture under HOAI), and Verwaltung & Beratung (lifecycle property and asset management) — for municipalities, charitable social welfare operators, and housing cooperatives in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Revenue is earned through project development fees, architectural fees, and ongoing management fees on a project-by-project basis.

Product overview

Sustina AG operates as a sustainable real estate development company offering integrated services across three core areas: Quartiersentwicklung (neighborhood development), Architektur (architecture), and Verwaltung & Beratung (property management & consulting). The company's portfolio includes completed landmark projects like Haus Barbara (2022) and Wohnen am Bochumer Stadtpark (2024), as well as major developments in progress such as Wohnquartier Telgte Süd (195 units) and Wohnquartier Deilegrund (123 units, ~80% subsidized housing). Sustina differentiates through its Value-PreCon collaborative planning methodology and its proprietary Hub für zirkuläres Bauen concept, which promotes circular construction practices. The company also partners with Cradle to Cradle NGO as an Impact Partner and participates in the KomZi research project for municipal circular construction ecosystems. All offerings are grounded in circular economy principles, Cradle-to-Cradle philosophy, and social-ecological transformation of the construction industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quartiersentwicklung (Neighborhood Development) End-to-end development of sustainable urban quarters combining residential, commercial, and community spaces under circular construction principles (Cradle-to-Cradle, timber hybrid construction, net-zero energy). Services span land acquisition, feasibility analysis, financing structure, construction management, and occupancy for municipalities, social welfare operators, and housing cooperatives.
• Architektur (Architecture Services under HOAI) Comprehensive architectural services including urban master planning for quarters, object planning (Leistungsbild Objektplanung nach HOAI), sustainable and circular building design, subsidy-optimized planning, and integral Pre-Construction-Phase management with the proprietary Value-PreCon methodology.
• Verwaltung & Beratung (Property Management & Consulting) Strategic and lifecycle-oriented property and asset management, consulting on sustainable property and portfolio concepts, individual financial and portfolio strategy development, evaluation and support of neighborhood management, long-term infrastructure and services management, and BIM-based facility management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deilegrund building permit obtained in 8 months (record time), with construction groundbreaking scheduled summer 2026
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AWO Essen (Arbeiterwohlfahrt Essen)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Operator (Betreiberin) of the Deilegrund quarter in Essen-Kupferdreh. AWO Essen will deploy dedicated staff directly in the quarter to organize and support communal structures, community spaces, and social integration. They presented their approach at the February 2026 public information event, which attracted approximately 80 attendees from the neighborhood.
• Integrationsmodell Essen e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-developer of the Deilegrund quarter, contributing inclusive housing concepts and enabling intergenerational and inclusive living forms in the quarter alongside Sustina AG and AWO Essen.
• Cradle to Cradle NGO (C2C NGO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sustina AG is an Impact Partner of the Cradle to Cradle NGO. The partnership commits Sustina to promoting circular material cycles, healthy living spaces, and responsible building culture. The C2C approach was foundational to Sustina's company purpose from its founding phase.
• Caritasverband Ostvest e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Long-term operational partner for Haus Barbara in Oer-Erkenschwick. Caritas provides service living (Service-Wohnen) for seniors, tenant management, and operates office spaces within the building. They co-hosted the WohneNRW-Tage 2024 reception with Sustina and Minister Ina Scharrenbach, demonstrating deep integration of social services with property development.
• KomZi Consortium (Kommunales Zirkuläres Ökosystem im Bauwesen)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Multi-partner research and development project funded by the EU and NRW Ministry of Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy. Partners: FH Münster (IWARU — scientific lead), Ruhr-Universität Bochum (digital matching algorithms), Stadt Münster (pilot municipality), Mineral Minds (material flow management), Sustina AG (business model development). The project develops a digital tool to match supply and demand for reusable building materials, creating a circular economy ecosystem for construction.
• FH Münster (IWARU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Scientific lead of the KomZi project, contributing research expertise in circular construction and urban resource management.
• Stadt Münster (City of Münster)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Pilot municipality for KomZi project and signatory of the Klimastadtvertrag (Climate City Contract), of which Sustina is a contributor. Stadt Münster is establishing a dedicated Circular Economy position to support the transition.
• MadasterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMadaster is a platform for material passports and circular construction documentation. Sustina is shown as a partner on their website, indicating collaboration on building material documentation and circular economy tracking.
• Lecke ArchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partner for the Telgte Süd project, collaborating with Sustina AG on the winning concept competition design. Frank Lecke was also co-bauherr (co-developer) of the Haus Barbara project.
• MHKBD NRW (Ministerium für Heimat, Kommunales, Bau und Digitalisierung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen)coreOthersThe NRW Ministry is Sustina's government partner for the digital building resource passport pilot and for the WohneNRW initiative, providing €2.3 million in public housing subsidy for Haus Barbara. Minister Ina Scharrenbach visited Haus Barbara and praised it as a model project.
• Bund Deutscher Architektinnen und Architekten (BDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association that awarded Haus Barbara a Recognition (Anerkennung) at the Architekturpreis Vest Recklinghausen & Gelsenkirchen 2023.
• Architektenkammer Nordrhein-Westfalen (AKNW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional chamber for architects in NRW. Sustina's Vorstand Sebastian Sehr is a licensed architect registered with AKNW. Haus Barbara was featured at WohneNRW-Tage 2024, hosted by AKNW.
• BFW NRW (Bund Freier Wohnungsunternehmen NRW)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSustina exhibited at the BFW NRW partner stand at the Polis Convention 2026 in Düsseldorf, gaining access to the association's member companies and municipal decision-makers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• HPP Architekten GmbH: Major German architecture firm with deep experience in mixed-use urban projects, public buildings, and large-scale residential developments. Comparable to Sustina's architectural services (HOAI object planning, urban master planning), though operating at a much larger scale and without Sustina's integrated developer/manager role.
• Instone Real Estate Group SE: Listed German residential real estate developer focused on housing construction for metropolitan regions, including affordable and subsidized housing. Comparable customer base (municipalities, institutional investors) and product (multi-family residential quarters), with broader scale and listed-company resources.
• Bonava Deutschland GmbH: Swedish-owned major German residential developer with neighborhood-scale projects across NRW and other regions. Comparable business model (residential quarter development for municipalities and self-use), but significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Wüstenrot Haus- und Städtebau GmbH: German housing developer with focus on mixed-use, socially oriented residential projects including subsidized housing. Highly comparable to Sustina in mission (socially mixed quarters with subsidized and free-financed units) and customer base (municipalities and public housing authorities in southern/southwestern Germany).
• BPD Immobilienentwicklung GmbH: Dutch-owned German residential developer focused on holistic neighborhood (Quartiers) development with active projects across multiple German cities. Closely comparable to Sustina in scope (residential quarter developer) and customer base (municipalities and housing cooperatives), though at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Werner Sobek Group: Stuttgart-based architecture and engineering firm specializing in sustainable, resource-efficient, and circular construction. Directly comparable to Sustina's sustainability focus (C2C, timber hybrid, circular building practices) and architectural scope, though primarily a design/engineering consultancy without Sustina's developer or property management layers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustina-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/sustinaag

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Sustina