Disruption Network Lab e.V.

What Disruption Network Lab e.V. does

Disruption Network Lab e.V. is a Berlin-based nonprofit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2014 by Dr. Tatiana Bazzichelli that operates as an interdisciplinary research and events platform at the intersection of technology, human rights, and social justice. Its core outputs are approximately 40 international conferences and 60+ local meetups organized since inception, covering whistleblowing, surveillance, AI, autonomous weapons, networked warfare, disinformation, and authoritarianism. In 2023 the organization spun out the Disruption Network Institute as a dedicated research hub publishing empirical papers on AI's impact on new technologies of war, with fellows including Lisa Ling, Jack Poulson, Joana Moll, and Naomi Colvin. Additional products include the 2021 'Whistleblowing for Change' anthology published by transcript Verlag, documentary films, podcasts distributed via LibSyn and Spotify, and free global streaming of all major conferences via YouTube.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology products. Its underlying infrastructure consists of event production capabilities, a multimedia publishing pipeline, and a trust-based communications network that enables engagement with whistleblowers and at-risk speakers. Distribution is hybrid: in-person events at Berlin venues (primarily Kunstquartier Bethanien Studio 1, nGbK, and the recently used HAU Hebbel am Ufer), free online streaming for global reach, and a continental European partner network via the EU-co-funded Re-Imagine Europe collaboration (2023-2027) covering 15+ cultural institutions across 11+ countries.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit funding stack: individual donations (tax-deductible in Germany and the US via NGOSource equivalency), an annual membership program at €50/year, foundation grants (notably Reva and David Logan Foundation matching grants), EU cultural funding, German government cultural departments (Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa, Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung), and supplementary streams including €8 workshop tickets and direct cryptocurrency donations. The organization serves journalists, activists, whistleblowers, academics, artists, and a broader civil society audience concerned with the impacts of technology on democracy and human rights. Operations are supported by 7 staff supplemented by volunteers, contracted facilitators, and an international network of researchers and experts.

Name

Disruption Network Lab e.V.

Legal name

Disruption Network Lab e.V.

Website

https://disruptionlab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Disruption Network Lab e.V. is a Berlin-based nonprofit founded in 2014 that organizes international conferences, research, and media projects on whistleblowing, surveillance, AI, and networked warfare, serving journalists, activists, academics, and artists globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Society Events and Research

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Training, Workshops & Masterclasses (Interactive Sessions) (MPAGAOAJ), Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM)

Keywords

• Whistleblowing conferences
• Human rights research
• Civil society events
• Technology policy forums
• Investigative journalism gatherings

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primary revenue stream. The organization raises funds from individual donors, with donations matched by foundation grants. Donations are tax-deductible in Germany and the US through their NGOSource equivalency determination. Suggested donation amounts range from €25 to €5,000+, with specific purposes tied to operational costs, network maintenance, research funding, and conference organization.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership program offering access to all events for €50/year, providing recurring revenue and community engagement.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Reva and David Logan Foundation (matching grants), EU cultural funding programs, and various German government cultural departments.
4. Ticket Sales: Small fees for workshops (e.g., €8 workshop tickets). Main conferences are typically free to attend or low-cost.
5. Cryptocurrency Donations: Accepts Bitcoin and Ethereum donations directly to organizational wallets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Disruption Network Lab e.V. organizes interdisciplinary international conferences, local meetups, workshops, and research programs at the intersection of technology, human rights, and social justice. It produces publications including a research institute publishing empirical papers on AI and warfare, a whistleblowing anthology book, documentary video archives streamed free online, and collaborative projects on disinformation, corruption, and digital oppression.

Product overview

Disruption Network Lab e.V. is a Berlin-based nonprofit that operates primarily as an event and research organization rather than a software product company. Its core offerings consist of: (1) Interdisciplinary conferences and meetups examining technology and social justice topics such as whistleblowing, surveillance, autonomous weapons, disinformation, and digital oppression; (2) The Disruption Network Institute, a research hub publishing empirical research papers on AI and warfare through fellows; (3) The Whistleblowing for Change anthology book; and (4) Various thematic projects including Disruptive Fridays community events, the Re-Imagine Europe cultural partnership, Facing Disinformation, and Art as Evidence initiatives. The organization does not offer software products, APIs, or SaaS platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Disruption Network Institute: A research hub for investigations and empirical research on how artificial intelligence impacts new technologies of war, automated weapons, and networked warfare.

Products and services

• Disruption Network Lab Events & Conferences Interdisciplinary international conferences and meetups at the intersection of human rights and technology, covering whistleblowing, surveillance, autonomous weapons, disinformation, drone warfare, and digital oppression. Targeted at journalists, activists, academics, artists, and the general public; offered free or at low cost with free online streaming.
• Disruption Network Institute A research hub publishing empirical research papers on AI and warfare, automated weapons, and networked warfare through research fellows. Aimed at academics, policymakers, journalists, and civil society organizations.
• Whistleblowing for Change Book An anthology book published by transcript Verlag featuring contributions from 30 whistleblowers, journalists, activists, artists, and critical thinkers on the impact of whistleblowing in society, politics, and culture. Available as open access download.
• Disruptive Fridays

Quantifiable outcome

• Organized nearly 40 international conferences and over 60 meetups since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Re-Imagine EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Flagship partnership as part of New Perspectives for Action project (2023-2027). Multi-year European cultural collaboration coordinated by Paradiso and Sonic Acts. DNL is one of 15+ partner institutions across Europe collaborating on cultural programming.
• ParadisocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch cultural institution leading Re-Imagine Europe collaboration. Based in Netherlands.
• Sonic ActscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch arts organization co-leading Re-Imagine Europe collaboration. Based in Netherlands.
• Elevate FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian arts and culture festival partner in European network.
• A4majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovak cultural space partner in European network.
• INA GRMmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench cultural institution partner in European network.
• BorealismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian festival partner in European network.
• KONTEJNERmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCroatian cultural organization partner in European network.
• RUPERTmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLithuanian cultural center partner in European network.
• SemibrevemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese festival partner in European network.
• Parco d'Arte ViventemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian contemporary art center partner in European network.
• BEKmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian arts institution partner in European network.
• KontrapunktmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Macedonian cultural organization partner in European network.
• Radio Web MACBAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish radio project associated with MACBA museum partner in European network.
• Friedrich-Ebert-StiftungmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman political foundation partner for The Kill Cloud conference. Provides institutional collaboration and support.
• Kunstquartier BethaniencoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrimary venue partner for conferences in Berlin. Provides Studio 1 space for major events.
• Neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst (nGbK)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBerlin venue partner for meetups and community events. Regular co-organization of programming.
• Whistleblowing International NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of whistleblowing organizations. Conference cooperation partner for Whistleblowing for Change events.
• Blueprint for Free SpeechmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based advocacy organization. Cooperation partner; Naomi Colvin (Programme Director) is UK/Ireland/Belgium Program Director at Blueprint.
• Transparency InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnti-corruption organization. Conference collaboration partner; Daniel Eriksson (CEO) moderates DNL events.
• AIRWARSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based transparency organization tracking military actions and civilian harm. Conference collaboration for The Kill Cloud events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WITNESS: Global nonprofit that helps people use video and technology to expose human rights and power abuses. Closely comparable to DNL's "Art as Evidence" project and the bridging of whistleblowers, artists, and journalists around documentation of injustice.
• Bellingcat: Open-source investigative journalism collective exposing wrongdoing by states and powerful actors (drone strikes, war crimes, surveillance). Highly comparable in mission to expose systems of power, with overlapping topics (Kill Cloud, autonomous weapons) and speaker ecosystem.
• European Digital Rights (EDRi): European umbrella of digital rights and civil liberties NGOs. Comparable as a European policy and advocacy actor on surveillance, AI governance, and whistleblower protection, with overlapping funder ecosystem and Brussels-based policy access.
• Forbidden Stories: International consortium that continues the work of threatened, jailed, or killed journalists. Highly comparable in mission to protect and amplify voices suppressed by power, with overlap in the whistleblower-journalist ecosystem DNL cultivates.
• Tactical Tech Collective: Berlin-based nonprofit producing public-interest research, workshops, and cultural programming on how technology shapes society. Highly comparable to DNL in mission, methodology (events + research), and target audience of activists, researchers, and civil society.
• Access Now: International digital rights organization defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk. Directly comparable thematic overlap on surveillance, AI accountability, and supporting at-risk activists — similar constituency of whistleblowers, researchers, and policy advocates.
• Blueprint for Free Speech: UK/Australia-based advocacy organization for whistleblower protection (a DNL cooperation partner). Directly comparable mission around supporting whistleblowers and shaping legal frameworks — overlapping speaker base and policy advocacy goals.

Regional players

• re:publica: Berlin-based annual conference on digital culture, internet policy, and society. Comparable as a tech-and-society conference organizer in the same city, with overlapping speaker networks, though DNL focuses on whistleblowing/power while re:publica spans broader digital culture.
• transmediale: Berlin-based festival and conference on art and digital culture, where founder Bazzichelli previously worked as program curator (2011-2014). Operates in a directly adjacent niche — critical art, technology, and politics — and shares the Berlin venue ecosystem.

Emerging players

• AI Forensics: European nonprofit investigating algorithmic harms and AI accountability in public-interest contexts. Closely comparable in targeting AI's societal harms and in producing empirical research outputs aimed at regulators and civil society.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/DisruptionNetworkLab
• Instagraminstagram.com/disruptionnetworklab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disruption-network-lab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Disruption Network Lab e.V.