FINDER

What FINDER does

FINDER e.V. (operating as FINDER Akademie) is a German non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2013 in Heidelberg and now headquartered in Berlin (Schützenstraße 6A, 10117 Berlin). It is a recognized gemeinnütziger Leistungserbringer under § 20a SGB V, meaning it is a charitable service provider authorized to deliver prevention programs eligible for German statutory health insurance funding. The organization's stated function is to translate international prevention research into systematic, multi-year practice programs across three settings — schools (anchor program: Weitblick), municipalities (anchor program: Communities That Care), and stationary youth welfare facilities (anchor program: PULSAR) — supplemented by cross-setting professional qualifications (EUPC and PROXI) and additional curricula (Schools That Care, REBOUND, Unplugged, Einfach Wirksam).

FINDER's core technology is not a software product but a programmatic and methodological capability stack: a proprietary E-Learning platform for participating schools, an anonymous student survey instrument adapted from the CTC Youth Survey for data-driven needs assessment, and a video-based scenario analysis (VIA) methodology used in REBOUND. The organization maintains a 235-entry literature database, a glossary of prevention terminology, a specialist magazine (Magazin), and a media library (Mediathek). Programs are listed on the Grüne Liste Prävention and several are recognized by the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development registry; Weitblick is externally evaluated by Medizinische Hochschule Hannover.

The revenue model combines grant-funded project work (Drittmittel) and fee-for-service training. Major grant streams include the PKV-Verband funding of Weitblick (2022–2026) and Landespräventionsrat Niedersachsen funding of PROXI (2025); EU consortium funding supported the UPC-Adapt / EUPC development (2015–2018). Seminar and advanced training (Weiterbildung) participation fees, VAT-exempt under § 4 Abs. 22a UStG, are listed on finder-akademie.de, with fee reductions available for low-income participants. The organization employs 26 staff, is governed by a three-member Vorstand (Maximilian von Heyden, Benjamin Löhner, Vivien Voit), and operates across 255 institutional life settings in Germany with an international network spanning 21 countries.

Name

FINDER

Legal name

FINDER e.V.

Website

https://finder-akademie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FINDER e.V. (FINDER Akademie) is a Berlin-based German non-profit, founded 2013, that delivers evidence-based prevention programs across schools, municipalities, and youth welfare under § 20a SGB V, funded primarily through public grants and professional training fees, with an international network spanning 21 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Prevention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG), Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Behavior, Discipline, PBIS/MTSS & Intervention Tracking (EDAFAEAJ), Crisis Response & Threat Assessment (Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention) (EDAJAIAH), Threat Assessment, Violence Prevention & Behavioral Intervention Support (EDAEACAH), Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK)

Keywords

• Evidence-based prevention programs
• School prevention services
• Community youth welfare
• Behavioral health prevention
• Implementation training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seminar and training fees: FINDER charges participation fees for seminars, advanced training programs, and conferences. Standard prices are listed on finder-akademie.de. Price reductions are available for individuals with low income upon application.
2. Grant-funded project work (Drittmittel): Major programs such as Weitblick (funded by PKV-Verband), PROXI (Landespräventionsrat Niedersachsen), REBOUND 2.0, and RBYC-Adapt are funded through third-party grants. These projects fund program delivery, evaluation, and development.
3. VAT-exempt training delivery: Training participation fees are exempt from VAT under § 4 Abs. 22a UStG. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service training delivery for institutions and professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FINDER designs, implements, and trains institutions on evidence-based prevention programs targeting substance use, behavioral health, and risk factors in youth. The organization delivers structured, multi-year programs (CTC, PULSAR, REBOUND, Schools That Care, Unplugged, Weitblick, EUPC) to schools, municipalities, and youth welfare facilities, supported by a scientific advisory board and recognized as a charitable service provider under § 20a SGB V.

Product overview

FINDER Akademie offers a portfolio of evidence-based prevention programs across three settings: schools, municipalities, and youth welfare services. The core offerings include Weitblick (school-based), Communities That Care (municipal), and PULSAR (youth welfare) as anchor programs, supplemented by cross-setting qualifications (EUPC, PROXI) and specific curricula (Schools That Care, REBOUND, Unplugged, Einfach Wirksam). All programs are aligned with § 20a SGB V and international quality standards. Programs combine anonymous surveys/needs assessment, evidence-based measures, and ongoing evaluation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EUPC: European Prevention Curriculum - standard training curriculum for decision-makers and multipliers in prevention work, developed by EUDA
• PROXI
• Weitblick
• Schools That Care
• Einfach Wirksam
• Unplugged
• REBOUND
• Communities That Care
• PULSAR
• PULSAR

Products and services

• Communities That Care (CTC) Evidence-based community prevention framework for municipalities and schools, designed to identify and address local risk and protective factors through structured stakeholder engagement.
• PULSAR Structured prevention program within FINDER's six core offerings addressing substance use and behavioral health risks in youth settings.
• REBOUND Tailored prevention program for residential youth welfare facilities (stationäre Jugendhilfe), using video-based scenario analysis (VIA) to address behavioral patterns and support intervention.
• Schools That Care Evidence-based school-focused prevention program designed for institutional implementation across primary and secondary schools.
• Unplugged School-based prevention program focused on substance use prevention, part of FINDER's six core program offerings.
• Weitblick Grant-funded school prevention program delivered via e-learning platform, providing accessible, no-cost prevention content to schools.
• EUPC (European Prevention Curriculum) Cross-cutting European Prevention Curriculum offering delivered by FINDER, with published scientific authorship by board member Vivien Voit.
• PROXI Prevention project designed for professionals in stationary youth welfare facilities (Wohngruppen, Heimeinrichtungen, Flexibilisierungsangebote), focused on continuous reflection on pedagogical stance and surrounding conditions.
• Einfach Wirksam Cross-cutting prevention offering that complements FINDER's six core programs by providing structured, evidence-based methodology support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Benefit-cost ratio of 1:12.88 for Communities That Care (per WSIPP analysis)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal evaluator of the Weitblick project. Prof. Dr. Ulla Walter (lead) and Dr. Dominik Röding (project coordination) at the Institute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research conduct the effectiveness study.
• mudra e.V. NürnbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of the PULSAR program since 2018 for stationary youth welfare facilities. Jointly developed the structured organizational development process addressing substance use and developmental promotion.
• HoGent (Hogeschool Gent, Belgium)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject lead for the EUPC adaptation project (2015–2017, JUST-2015-AG-DRUG), co-financed by the EU. FINDER was the German consortium partner. Outcome: the 170-page EUDA manual 'European Prevention Curriculum' (2019).
• EUDA (European Union Drugs Agency)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEUDA developed and promotes the European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC). FINDER is a key implementation partner in Germany. EUDA's extended mandate (Regulation EU 2023/1322, valid July 2024) explicitly includes prevention, early intervention, and quality standards.
• EUSPR (European Society for Prevention Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean professional society for prevention research with annual scientific conference. Works closely with EUDA and accompanies the further development and quality assurance of the EUPC.
• BZgA / BIÖG (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung / Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGermany's federal health education authority (renamed BIÖG February 2025). Key reference institution for prevention standards and health promotion policy. FINDER programs align with BZgA/BIÖG frameworks.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Prävention (DFK / DPT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Crime Prevention Forum. Hosts the CTC Bundestransferstelle (federal transfer office) in cooperation with DPT. Disseminates Communities That Care across Germany.
• UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-published the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention (2nd edition 2018) with WHO. These standards form the evidence base for EUPC and FINDER's program selection.
• University of Washington (Social Development Research Group)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopers of Communities That Care (David Hawkins and Richard Catalano) and the Social Development Model. Scientific cooperation and RCT partnership for child protection programs. Source of core methodology for FINDER's municipal prevention approach.
• Scientific Advisory Board (Wissenschaftlicher Beirat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific advisory board supporting FINDER's program development and research integrity. Composition listed at /ueber-uns/beirat.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Condrobs e.V. Munich-based non-profit delivering addiction prevention, youth work, and social-pedagogical programs across Bavaria. Comparable non-profit model with strong stationary youth welfare and municipal delivery overlap.
• SPI Forschung gGmbH: Berlin-based social research and program development organization delivering evidence-based social innovation projects in education, youth welfare, and integration. Comparable research-to-practice translation model with public-sector commissioning orientation.
• ginko Stiftung für Prävention: Mülheim an der Ruhr-based prevention foundation operating evidence-based prevention programs in NRW schools, municipalities, and youth welfare settings. Closely comparable non-profit model with state-level funder relationships and multi-setting delivery.
• Violence Prevention Network: Berlin-based non-profit delivering violence prevention and deradicalization programs in schools, youth welfare, and correctional settings. Directly comparable non-profit model addressing an adjacent FINDER domain (radicalization/violence prevention).
• mudra e.V. Nuremberg-based non-profit specializing in addiction prevention, harm reduction, and youth work. Co-developer of FINDER's PULSAR program since 2018, providing direct overlap in stationary youth welfare substance use prevention.
• IFT Institut für Therapieforschung: Munich-based research institute conducting substance use prevention research and delivering evidence-based school and municipal programs across Germany. Closely comparable in combining scientific authority with contracted prevention delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Aktion Mensch: Germany's largest social lottery-funded non-profit, financing inclusion projects across disability, youth welfare, and education. A much larger incumbent operating in adjacent social-welfare domains with comparable institutional commissioning relationships.
• Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen (DHS): National umbrella organization for addiction help in Germany, coordinating member organizations and representing the sector politically. A larger, federally embedded incumbent operating across the same substance use prevention and addiction support domain.
• BIÖG (Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit, ehemals BZgA): Germany's federal institute for public health and prevention, setting national standards for health promotion and prevention. A flagship FINDER partner but a much larger governmental incumbent that shapes the policy and funding framework FINDER operates within.

Emerging players

• Mentor Foundation: International non-profit foundation founded by HRH The Prince of Wales focused on substance use prevention among young people, operating across multiple countries. Comparable evidence-based youth prevention mission with broader geographic ambition than FINDER.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finder-akademie

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FINDER