Faros

What Faros does

Faros is a Denmark-domiciled, faith-inspired humanitarian non-profit organization founded in 2011 by Patricia Kirk and operational since 2014 in Athens, Greece. It delivers four interconnected core services — Protection, Psychosocial Support, Non-formal Education, and Integration — to unaccompanied refugee children and refugee teens under 18, with services provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Programmatic offerings include shelter and safe spaces, language classes, school support, hands-on design and technology learning (notably through a multi-year collaboration with MIT D-Lab), labor market integration support, and a family center at Victoria Square in Athens. Since 2011, Faros reports supporting more than 20,000 refugee children and teens.

Name

Faros

Legal name

Faros

Website

https://faros.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Faros is a Denmark-domiciled humanitarian non-profit that delivers protection, psychosocial support, non-formal education, and integration services to unaccompanied refugee children and teens, operating from Athens since 2014 and Istanbul since 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Child Protection Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

Keywords

• Refugee child protection
• Humanitarian aid services
• Psychosocial support
• Refugee education programs
• Shelter services

Headquarters

HQ city

Odense

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Faros provides direct humanitarian services to unaccompanied refugee children and teens, delivering four interconnected core programs: Protection (safe spaces and safeguarding), Psychosocial Support (creative activities and supportive relationships), Non-formal Education (language classes, school support, and hands-on technology/design learning), and Integration (training, work access, and community belonging). Services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries through Faros-operated shelters, safe spaces, and program centers in Athens, Greece and Istanbul, Türkiye.

Product overview

Faros is a non-profit humanitarian organization providing a holistic range of services for unaccompanied refugee children and teens. The organization operates shelter programs and provides four interconnected core services: Protection (safe spaces and protection services), Psychosocial Support (creative activities and supportive relationships), Education (non-formal education including language classes and technology/design training), and Integration (preparation for independent life through training and work access). Programs include the Horizon Center Design Training Program (in partnership with MIT D-Lab), a recently launched Non-formal School for Refugee and Migrant Teenagers in Athens, and Labor Market Integration research. Services are delivered through shelter facilities in Athens and Istanbul.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Protection Services Safe spaces and protection services for unaccompanied children and teens who are alone and at risk, ensuring their basic rights, safety, and dignity.
• Psychosocial Support Through creative activities and supportive relationships, helps children regain a sense of stability, strengthen wellbeing, and nurture hope for the future.
• Non-formal Education Access to non-formal education including language classes, school support, and hands-on learning in technology and design, giving young people tools to thrive.
• Integration Program Prepares teens and young adults for independent life by supporting their transition into the community, helping them access training, work, and social belonging opportunities.
• Shelter Services Emergency and long-term shelter accommodation for unaccompanied refugee children and teens in Athens and Istanbul.
• Horizon Center Design Training Program A design training program developed in partnership with MIT D-Lab that provides refugee youth in Greece with innovative technical skills and creative confidence to build a dignified, self-sustained future.
• Non-formal School for Refugee and Migrant Teenagers A newly launched non-formal school in Athens providing education specifically designed for refugee and migrant teenagers.
• Family Center A center at Victoria Square in Athens providing support services including English and Greek language classes and recreational activities for refugee families.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 20,000 refugee children and teens supported since the organization's beginnings

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• ACT AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2023Faros joined ACT Alliance in October 2023, a global network of churches and church-related organisations working for justice in humanitarian response and long-term development.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) D-LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for design training program evaluation and program development. MIT D-Lab provides innovative technical skills and creative confidence training to refugee youth in Greece.
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership to evaluate programs and contribute to global conversation on child protection.
• University of California, BerkeleymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative 2017 study on minors sexual exploitation with UC Berkeley researchers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Karam Foundation: US- and Türkiye-based nonprofit focused on Syrian refugee youth through education and psychosocial programming; comparable mission and beneficiary cohort, with overlapping presence in Türkiye.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Global humanitarian organization delivering refugee protection, education, and integration services across Europe, including Greece; broader portfolio and significantly larger scale than Faros.
• Save the Children (Greece): Large global NGO operating child protection and education programs for refugee children in Greece; overlaps with Faros's beneficiary population but operates a much broader global portfolio.
• Asylum Service Greece / UNHCR Greece: UNHCR partners with and funds NGOs supporting asylum-seeking and refugee populations including unaccompanied children in Greece; sets the policy and funding framework within which Faros operates.
• UNICEF Greece: UN agency delivering child protection, education, and youth services for refugee and migrant children in Greece; large-scale incumbent operating in the same policy and donor ecosystem as Faros.
• Terre des Hommes Hellas: Greek affiliate of an international child-rights NGO supporting unaccompanied minors in Greece with shelter and legal aid; comparable beneficiary focus but embedded within a larger international network.

Direct peers

• METAdrasi: Greek NGO providing interpretation, education, and integration support to refugees and migrants, including unaccompanied minors; operates in the same Athens-based ecosystem with overlapping service lines.
• Refugee Support Aegean (RSA): Greek nonprofit delivering legal aid, psychosocial support, and integration programs to refugees on the Aegean islands and mainland; closely matched population, geography, and service mix.
• PRAKSIS: Greek humanitarian organization providing shelter, medical care, and social services to vulnerable groups including refugees and unaccompanied minors in Athens and across Greece.
• Arsis: Greek nonprofit supporting unaccompanied minors and refugees with protection and shelter services; directly comparable mission, geography, and beneficiary population to Faros.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/faros.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farosorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/farosgreece

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Faros