DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft

What DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft does

DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft is a non-incorporated charitable foundation (nicht rechtsfähige Stiftung) headquartered in Nürnberg, Germany, established on December 4, 2014 by DATEV eG and administered under trusteeship of DT Deutsche Stiftungstreuhand AG in Fürth. The foundation's purpose is to promote digital competencies, IT security, and digital networking in the professional world, with a mission statement of "placing people at the center of digitization." It funds non-profit projects across three thematic areas — Kompetenzen (digital skills, AI understanding, Future Skills), Sicherheit (data protection, identity protection, IT security literacy), and Zusammenarbeit (networking, cooperation, civil society cohesion) — through an annual open application process with decisions made by the Vorstand and Kuratorium in October.

The foundation's operational footprint is intentionally lean: a 5-person operational team supplemented by an honorary board (Vorstandsvorsitzender Dr. Markus Algner, Stellv. Vorstandsvorsitzender Dr. Sebastian Sprenger, and Vorstandsmitglied Alexandra Gleiß, with Prof. Dr. Peter Krug having retired in 2024). Its flagship non-grant activity is the Dr.-Heinz-Sebiger-Preis, an annual €10,000 award for outstanding doctoral theses in digital professional world, IT security, and digital networking, running for 8 consecutive years. There is no commercial product, no software platform, no API, and no pricing model — the foundation does not generate revenue; its inflows come from DATEV eG as primary funder plus voluntary donations. Distribution is via open application processes, the annual Förderpartnermeeting, and digital channels (LinkedIn, website magazine).

Reach to date is material at the ecosystem level: 33 funded projects over 10 years, 13 projects in 2024 alone (a record), over 90,000 students reached through the "Datenschutz geht zur Schule" initiative, and a curated network of funded partners spanning education, civil society, and academia (e.g., Hacker School, NEO-Academy, privacy4people, Technik Begeistert e.V., Museum für Kommunikation Nürnberg, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg). The geographic focus is primarily Germany, with peripheral mentions of Austria and Switzerland among partner networks. The foundation explicitly states it does not fund internal digitization measures of organizations — its focus is exclusively on projects with societal impact.

Name

DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft

Legal name

DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft

Website

https://datev-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft is a non-profit foundation established by DATEV eG in 2014 that grants funds to digital education, IT security, and civic-tech projects across Germany, serving educational institutions, NGOs, and doctoral researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation / Grant-Making Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAI

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Grant funding
• Nonprofit foundation
• Digital education
• IT security awareness
• Doctoral research prize

Headquarters

HQ city

Nürnberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Funding from DATEV eG: As a foundation established by DATEV eG, primary funding comes from the parent organization. Additional funding through donations accepted.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft is a charitable foundation that funds non-profit projects promoting digital competencies, IT security, and digital networking in Germany. It awards the annual Dr.-Heinz-Sebiger-Preis (€10,000) for outstanding doctoral dissertations in fields such as digital professional life, IT security, and digital networking, and publishes the DSZ-Magazin. Funding is distributed through an open application process with decisions made jointly by the Vorstand and Kuratorium.

Product overview

DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft is a non-profit foundation (Stiftung) established by DATEV eG in 2014 and administered by DT Deutsche Stiftungstreuhand AG. It is not a product or technology company — it does not offer a software platform, SaaS product, or module-based product architecture. The foundation's activity consists exclusively of grant funding for non-profit projects in digital skills, IT security, digital networking, and digital vocational education; an annual academic research prize (Dr.-Heinz-Sebiger-Preis, €10,000); a digital magazine (DSZ-Magazin) for sharing stories about funded partners; and outreach communications via LinkedIn. No product portfolio, module structure, or commercial product lines exist.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dr.-Heinz-Sebiger-Preis: Annual award for outstanding doctoral theses in the fields of digital professional world, IT security, and digital networking, with prize money of €10,000.

Products and services

• Förderantrag (Project grant funding) Open grant funding program for non-profit organizations and educational institutions running projects in digital competencies, IT security, or digital networking. Applications are submitted via an online form by July 31; decisions are made jointly by the Vorstand and Kuratorium in October. Funded projects must be practical, innovative, transferable, and create societal value; internal corporate digitalization is excluded.
• Dr.-Heinz-Sebiger-Preis Annual €10,000 prize awarded by DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft to outstanding doctoral dissertations in the digital professional world, IT security, or digital networking. Eligible doctoral graduates apply by May 31; submissions are evaluated by an academic jury and presented at a public ceremony by the foundation's Vorstand.
• DSZ-Magazin (online magazine) Online magazine published by DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft that shares stories, success reports, and news about funded partners and the foundation's work, accessible from the foundation's website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90,000 students reached through data protection education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NEO-AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Future Skills education organization for Generation Z; workshops at schools teaching entrepreneurship and digital competencies
• Stiftung Neue VerantwortungminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Strategic discussions on digital policy and transformation; exchange of strategic goals and collaboration
• Jugend hacktminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Coding initiative for youth; networking between DATEV employees and Jugend hackt participants as mentors
• Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (CAIDAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Funded project DataSphere@JMUW - interdisciplinary data laboratory at university for AI and data science education; collaboration with Lehrstuhl für Astronomie and Lehrstuhl für Datenwissenschaft
• Hacker SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Non-profit programming courses for children and youth aged 11-18; programs at schools with IT professionals as mentors
• proTechnicale SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022MINT education program for young women with focus on empowerment and personality development
• TECHNIK BEGEISTERT e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Organizes World Robot Olympiad in Germany; promotes MINT education through robotics competitions
• ADG Scientific – Center for Research and Cooperation e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Research workshop on 'Genossenschaften zwischen Digitalisierung und persönlicher Nähe'; empirical research on cooperative companies
• Museum für Kommunikation NürnbergcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cyberforce Academy - interactive escape room for internet safety education for children, youth, and families
• Das macht SchuleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Digitalization support for schools; helps schools develop digital media concepts; PC-Spende program for donated hardware
• privacy4people / Berufsverband der Datenschutzbeauftragten (BvD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Initiative 'Datenschutz geht zur Schule' for data protection education in schools; reached over 90,000 students; also sponsors Datenschutz-Medienpreis (DAME)

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/datev_stiftung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/datev-stiftung-zukunft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 DATEV-Stiftung Zukunft