enkelfähig
enkelfähig e.V. is a Düsseldorf-based non-profit association running a membership community of German Mittelstand C-level leaders, offering peer exchange, advisory services, and the Future Worth Living Rating sustainability assessment to drive profitable, sustainable business transformation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDüsseldorf, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What enkelfähig does
enkelfähig e.V. is a German non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Düsseldorf, registered under Vereinsregister VR 12419. Founded in 2023, it operates as a curated community of practice targeting C-level owners and decision-makers of German Mittelstand companies, with a stated mission of helping members reconcile economic performance with ecological and social responsibility. The organization serves this audience through a tiered membership model (corporate minimum EUR 10,000/year, individual minimum EUR 500/year, plus supporting and institutional tiers), gating full corporate membership behind completion of its proprietary Future Worth Living Rating (FWL) sustainability assessment with a minimum "Contributor" score threshold.
The core offering is a community-led platform rather than a technology product. Service layers include peer exchange formats (regional roundtables, the annual enkelfähig Summit, and the Beyond Resilience festival), individual consulting, advisory board placements, and a curated toolkit referencing third-party methodologies (Marginal Abatement Cost Analysis, Impact Business Design, CSRD reporting tools, Sustainability Brand Sprint). The initiative also publishes "Haltung" positioning papers that articulate its shared mindset on growth, performance, regulation, and innovation. Educational programming is delivered through paid two-day seminars (e.g., Zukunftsfähigkeit Familienunternehmen at EUR 1,490 net and Konflikte erkennen delivered via partner Braindoor at EUR 1,290 net).
The business model is essentially a recurring membership subscription model layered with event and seminar revenue. Distribution is direct via formal membership application and event registration. The initiative is governed by a three-person Vorstand (Thomas Schmidt as Chairman, Dr. Annekathrin Edelmann, Axel Berger) and two managing directors (Patrick Zachries, Frank Keuper), and operates exclusively in the DACH region. No technology, AI, app, or API infrastructure is offered; the underlying platform is human advisory and peer exchange rather than software.
enkelfähig firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- enkelfähig
- Legal name
- enkelfähig e.V.
- Website
- https://enkelfaehig.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- enkelfähig e.V. is a Düsseldorf-based non-profit association running a membership community of German Mittelstand C-level leaders, offering peer exchange, advisory services, and the Future Worth Living Rating sustainability assessment to drive profitable, sustainable business transformation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
enkelfähig industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Consulting / Association Services for Mittelstand
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF), EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF)
Keywords
Where enkelfähig is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Düsseldorf
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
enkelfähig business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Corporate Membership Fees: Companies pay membership fees to join the enkelfähig initiative. Minimum annual contribution of EUR 10,000 for corporate members. Members gain access to exchange formats, individual consulting, tools, and the community network.
- Individual Membership Fees: Natural persons can become members with a minimum annual contribution of EUR 500. Includes access to the community and exchange formats.
- Seminar and Workshop Fees: Revenue from hosting seminars and workshops on topics such as family business sustainability (EUR 1,490 net) and conflict resolution (EUR 1,290 net). Limited participant numbers ensure exclusivity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full Corporate Member – Minimum EUR 10,000/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Full Individual Member – Minimum EUR 500/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Supporting (Fördermitglied) – No FWL required |
| Subscription | Annual | Institutional Member |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Family Business Sustainability Seminar |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Conflict Resolution Seminar |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
enkelfähig product offering
Product offeringCore offering
enkelfähig e.V. is a Düsseldorf-based non-profit association that supports sustainable entrepreneurship in the German Mittelstand through a membership community, the proprietary Future Worth Living (FWL) sustainability rating, seminars and workshops, advisory board services, and individual consulting. Its offerings are purpose-built for owner-led and family-influenced companies seeking long-term, intergenerational business models.
Product overview
enkelfähig is an initiative for sustainable entrepreneurship that provides a platform of interconnected services rather than a single software product. The core offering consists of the Future Worth Living Rating (FWL) assessment and shared Haltung (positioning papers), which anchor a community of entrepreneurs committed to profit-sustainability alignment. Service layers include Austausch (peer exchange formats, flagship events, and seminars), Individual Consulting, and Advisory Board Services. The initiative also recommends a toolkit including Marginal Abatement Cost Analysis, Impact Business Design, CSRD Reporting Tools, and Sustainability Brand Sprint. Seminars such as Zukunftsfähigkeit Familienunternehmen and Konflikte erkennen deliver structured training, while the annual Beyond Resilience festival serves as the flagship engagement event.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Future Worth Living (FWL) Rating A proprietary sustainability assessment/rating tool that translates sustainability criteria into a measurable score for owner-led and family-influenced German companies, used as the entry point into the association's advisory and community offerings.
- be-yond economy Festival (Beyond Resilience) A flagship annual event/festival hosted by enkelfähig that brings together members, C-level innovators, and sustainability thought leaders for content, networking, and community exchange.
- Zukunftsfähigkeit Familienunternehmen Seminar A structured seminar/workshop addressing the long-term future viability of family businesses, targeted at owners and executives of German Mittelstand and family-influenced companies.
- Konflikte erkennen Seminar A structured seminar focused on recognizing and handling conflicts in entrepreneurial and family-business contexts, part of the association's curriculum for members.
- Individual Consulting Bespoke one-on-one consulting services for member and non-member companies seeking tailored sustainability strategy, transformation, or family-business advisory support.
- Advisory Board Service An advisory board service under which senior figures associated with enkelfähig provide strategic oversight, sparring, and governance support to member companies.
Companies that use enkelfähig
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
enkelfähig technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
enkelfähig partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- EnvoriaminorEvent partner for the Beyond Resilience festival. Envoria is a sustainability-focused company co-sponsoring the event.
- Global ChangerminorEvent partner for the Beyond Resilience festival. Global Changer supports sustainable business transformation.
- HanielcoreFounding member and key strategic partner. Haniel's former CEO Thomas Schmidt serves as Chairman of enkelfähig e.V., and Axel Berger (Chief Sustainability Officer Haniel) is on the board. Deep strategic involvement in the initiative's founding and direction.
- töltminorEvent partner and member company. tölt participated in the Beyond Resilience festival as a partner.
- UnderbergcoreFounding member with Christiane Underberg (former Aufsichtsrätin Semper Idem Underberg AG) as founding member. Contributed to festival as speaker on entrepreneurial responsibility.
- The GoodwinsminorEvent partner for the Beyond Resilience festival. The Goodwins is a sustainability consulting or impact firm.
- Zufall Logistics GroupminorEvent partner for the Beyond Resilience festival. Logistics company with sustainability focus.
- Mission Wertvoll (Wirtschaftsdialog)coreenkelfähig participates in the confidential economic dialogue of Mission Wertvoll regarding Germany's competitiveness. Engages with approximately 50 top decision-makers and experts from business, politics, and science.
- BraindoorminorExternal seminar provider for conflict recognition and resolution training. enkelfähig promotes Braindoor's seminars as part of its educational offerings.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
enkelfähig competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- B.A.U.M. e.V. Long-standing German network for sustainable business, offering member events, working groups, and advisory for companies integrating sustainability. Comparable as a nonprofit membership platform serving sustainable Mittelstand transformation.
- Die Familienunternehmer: Leading German association of family business owners, providing peer exchange, political advocacy, and events. Overlaps with enkelfähig's Familienunternehmen focus and C-level Mittelstand member base.
- Leaders for Climate Action: Community-led German initiative mobilizing entrepreneurs and companies on climate action, with member events and policy advocacy. Highly comparable in mission, community-led model, and target audience of European founders and executives.
- Senat der Wirtschaft: German council/association of business leaders focused on sustainable, value-driven entrepreneurship. Closely mirrors enkelfähig in combining executive membership, peer exchange, and policy dialogue for German Mittelstand companies.
Broad incumbents
- UN Global Compact Network Germany: Local network of the UN Global Compact, providing sustainability guidance, peer learning, and reporting tools to corporate members in Germany. Comparable in membership-based sustainability programming for large and mid-cap companies.
- German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE): Official German advisory body on sustainable development, convening business, civil society, and policy leaders. Comparable as a high-level convening and advisory institution for sustainability in Germany, though broader in scope than enkelfähig.
Emerging players
- B Lab (B Corporation): Global nonprofit certifying and convening purpose-driven businesses through assessment, community, and policy work. Comparable in offering a structured assessment gate (analogous to FWL) plus peer community for sustainable companies.
- Impact Hub Germany: Global network of impact-focused hubs supporting entrepreneurs with programming, community, and advisory. Comparable in curating a community of purpose-driven founders and offering events and consulting around social/environmental impact.
- Future Fit Foundation: Nonprofit providing the Future Fit Benchmark — a structured sustainability assessment for companies. Comparable in offering a corporate sustainability rating methodology and transformation tools targeted at purpose-driven businesses.
Regional players
- Wirtschaftsrat der CDU e.V. German business association providing policy advocacy, networking, and events for member companies. Comparable as a membership-based organization convening German business leaders for peer exchange and policy engagement.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
enkelfähig social profiles
Digital presenceenkelfähig financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
enkelfähig leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
enkelfähig funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
enkelfähig M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about enkelfähig
What does enkelfähig do?
enkelfähig e.V. is a Düsseldorf-based non-profit association that supports sustainable entrepreneurship in the German Mittelstand through a membership community, the proprietary Future Worth Living (FWL) sustainability rating, seminars and workshops, advisory board services, and individual consulting. Its offerings are purpose-built for owner-led and family-influenced companies seeking long-term, intergenerational business models.
Is enkelfähig a public or private company?
enkelfähig is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was enkelfähig founded?
enkelfähig was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is enkelfähig based?
enkelfähig is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does enkelfähig make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are individual Membership Fees and seminar and Workshop Fees.
Who are enkelfähig's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are B.A.U.M. e.V., Die Familienunternehmer, Leaders for Climate Action and Senat der Wirtschaft. Broad incumbents are UN Global Compact Network Germany and German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE). Emerging players are B Lab (B Corporation), Impact Hub Germany and Future Fit Foundation. Wirtschaftsrat der CDU e.V. is listed as a regional player.
Does enkelfähig have an API?
No public API is recorded for enkelfähig.
What industry is enkelfähig in?
enkelfähig's product category is Sustainability Consulting / Association Services for Mittelstand. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAM, Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency, with a secondary code of BPAGALAF, Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling). Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.