HEDERA - DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

What HEDERA - DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT does

HEDERA is a Potsdam- and Berlin-based digital solutions firm that builds environmental and social impact measurement software for microfinance institutions (MFIs), development finance organizations, and impact investors. Founded as a GmbH in February 2020 after originating in 2017 within the TU Berlin Centre for Entrepreneurship, the company is led by CEO Natalia Realpe Carrillo (PhD in Energy Planning from TU Berlin) and co-founder Alfonso Caiazzo (researcher at the Weierstrass Institute Berlin). With a team of approximately five employees, HEDERA operates as a small, privately-held consulting and software firm with no venture capital funding.

The company's core product suite is the HEDERA Impact Toolkit (HIT), anchored by the Digital Green Index 3.0 — an open-source environmental assessment tool for MFIs featuring 300+ indicators aligned with ESMAP and the UN Sustainable Development Goals — alongside the HEDERA Connect member platform, the HEDERA Training Platform, the e-MFP Green Map for geographic visualization of MFI environmental performance, and a forthcoming Climate Risk Resource Hub scheduled for 2026. The underlying technology stack is built on open-source data collection platforms (ODK, KoboToolbox, Enketo), with process automation applied to data cleaning and reporting; predictive analytics is referenced but no proprietary machine-learning model is disclosed.

HEDERA's business model combines free and open-source tools (Green Index, Green Map, training materials) with paid subscriptions and bespoke professional services for institutional deployments. The company self-reports a funding mix of approximately 80% grants and donations (including EXIST/BMWi, DBU, ILB, and EFRE) and 20% revenue. Customers and users include 50+ institutions on the Green Index, 200+ trained practitioners, 1,700+ Green Index users, and impact data collection across 8,000+ households in 20 campaigns spanning Latin America, Africa, MENA, and South Asia. Strategic partners include the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) as official IT partner, UNCDF, IASS, SANAD, EMN, Inpulse, and MAIN.

Name

HEDERA - DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Legal name

HEDERA Sustainable Solutions GmbH

Website

https://hedera.online

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HEDERA is a Potsdam- and Berlin-based digital solutions firm building open-source environmental and social impact measurement tools (Green Index 3.0, HEDERA Connect, Green Map, Climate Risk Hub) for microfinance institutions, development finance organizations, and impact investors across Latin America, Africa, MENA, and South Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Impact Data Management Software for Microfinance

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

MRV Software Platforms, Data QA/QC & Digital Audit Trails (EUAHADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital MRV & Traceability Platforms (dMRV, APIs, Data Pipelines, Tokenization Support) (EUABACAK), Remote Sensing & Geospatial MRV (Satellite, Aerial, LiDAR, SAR) (EUABACAF)

Keywords

• Microfinance software
• Impact data management
• Digital data collection
• Green inclusive finance
• Climate risk assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Potsdam

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Solutions and Digital Tools: Providing digital solutions for data collection, impact data management, and reporting to microfinance institutions and impact investors
2. Advisory and Consulting Services: Coaching, training, and tailored solutions for microfinance institutions covering environmental strategy, climate risk assessment, and green product development
3. Capacity Building and Training: Training sessions and capacity building for MFIs on green inclusive finance, delivered through workshops, group trainings, and webinars
4. Digital Assessment Tools: Providing access to digital assessment tools including Green Index 3.0 with reporting services for financial institutions and investors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HEDERA builds and licenses digital tools for impact data management in the microfinance and green inclusive finance sectors. Its HEDERA Impact Toolkit (HIT) combines a mobile survey application for household-level data collection, a real-time dashboard for visualizing and filtering SDG-aligned indicators, and automated impact reports (PDF and interactive web). Complementary products include Green Index 3.0 (open-source environmental assessment), HEDERA Connect (stakeholder networking platform), and HEDERA Training (Moodle-based e-learning), supported by advisory, training and climate-risk assessment services.

Product overview

HEDERA offers a suite of interconnected digital solutions for sustainable development and impact measurement in the microfinance sector. The core platform consists of the HEDERA Impact Toolkit (HIT) which combines mobile field data collection apps, real-time dashboards, and automated reporting for SDG-aligned impact assessment. Supporting products include HEDERA Connect (networking and data management platform), the HEDERA Training Platform (Moodle-based e-learning), and specialized tools like the Green Index 3.0 for environmental performance assessment. The product portfolio is complemented by advisory services for green inclusive finance, climate-risk assessment, and capacity building. The company also developed a COVID-19 Toolkit for pandemic-related data collection and maintains the Climate Risk Resource Hub as an open resource for practitioners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HEDERA Connect: Impact data management, networking, and matchmaking platform for green inclusive finance stakeholders
• HEDERA Training
• HEDERA Impact Toolkit (HIT)
• Green Index 3.0 Digital Solution

Products and services

• HEDERA Impact Toolkit (HIT) A digital impact data management suite for microfinance institutions and impact investors, combining mobile data collection (Android app), real-time dashboards for SDG-aligned visualization, and automated impact reports (PDF and interactive web). Built on open-source standards (ODK, KoboToolbox, Enketo) with proprietary modules.
• Green Index 3.0 Digital Tool Digital environmental assessment tool for microfinance institutions, developed for the e-MFP Green Inclusive and Climate-Smart Finance Action Group. Features 300+ qualitative and quantitative indicators mapped to Dimension 7 of the USSEPM. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
• HEDERA Connect Networking and matchmaking platform for stakeholders in sustainable development, including microfinance institutions, impact investors, and technical assistance providers, with data management process support. Beta user registration with free first-year subscriptions available.
• HEDERA Training Platform Moodle-based e-learning platform that enables organizations to create, manage and monitor training materials, with features for course design, student management, feedback and grades, and videoconferencing integration. Offers a 30-day free trial.
• Household Data Collection Service Expert advisory and software services for high-quality household-level data collection, including survey framework design, questionnaire optimization and quality control during data collection campaigns, supported by HEDERA's 15+ years of methodological expertise.
• Climate Risk Assessment Service Multi-dimensional climate-risk assessment for microfinance institutions covering institutional, portfolio and client-level vulnerabilities, using HEDERA's Climate Vulnerability Index methodology aligned with latest standards for energy, water and food security.
• Green Inclusive Finance Advisory Tailored coaching and advisory services for microfinance institutions and impact investors covering environmental strategy development, climate risk assessment, green product design and KPI monitoring.
• Capacity Building Sessions Training and capacity building sessions for microfinance institutions on environmental strategy, climate-risk management, green product development and digital monitoring tools, delivered through workshops, group trainings and webinars.
• e-MFP Green Map Open database of institutions and projects related to best practices in green inclusive finance, featuring detailed profiles of 28 financial service providers worldwide, developed as part of HEDERA's IT partnership with e-MFP.
• KPI Management for Investors Solutions for impact investors to screen investees, monitor funding program impact, and generate evidence through KPI tracking, data aggregation and automated impact reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Household data collection in less than 10 minutes with minimal training required
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability6 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• European Microfinance Network (EMN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Project partner for Climate Risk Resource Hub implementing digital tools for climate risk assessment for MFIs.
• InpulseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Project partner for Climate Risk Resource Hub developing practical framework and digital tools for climate risk assessment tailored to microfinance sector.
• Microfinance African Institution Network (MAIN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Project partner for Climate Risk Resource Hub for climate risk assessment tools in African microfinance sector.
• SANAD Fund for MSMEs Technical Assistance FacilitymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Co-organized webinar series on Sustainable Microfinance in the MENA Region with SANAD Fund support. Series coordinated by HEDERA in collaboration with microfinance networks across MENA countries.
• UNCDFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Partnership with United Nations Capital Development Fund for digitization of impact assessment in Uganda. HEDERA provides digital tools and support to 10 energy companies funded by UNCDF's Renewable Energy Challenge Fund.
• European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Official IT partner of e-MFP since 2020. HEDERA developed and maintains the Green Index 3.0 digital tool for the Green Inclusive and Climate-Smart Finance Action Group. Natalia Realpe co-headed the GICSF AG from 2019-2024.
• Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020IMPACT-R (Impact-Driven and Action-Based Research) project funded by IASS in framework of Klaus Töpfer Sustainability Fellowship. Project bridges gap between research and practice in sustainable development.
• Centre for Entrepreneurship (CfE) - TU BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Startup incubator at Technical University Berlin. HEDERA was awarded EXIST Business Grant through support of CfE in October 2018 after successful application in August 2017.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BlueOrchard Finance: Large impact investment manager with in-house impact measurement systems used across its portfolio. Comparable as a sophisticated impact-investor buyer of MRV/data services and a potential competitor on standardized impact metrics.
• Social Performance Task Force (SPTF): Industry working group and standards body for social and environmental performance management in inclusive finance. Influences the same USSEPM/Green Index frameworks HEDERA builds on; comparable as the convening layer for the niche HEDERA addresses.
• Symbiotics: Impact investing advisory and asset manager that also operates market research and data services in inclusive finance. Comparable as a buyer of, and adjacent provider to, the MFI/impact-investor data workflow HEDERA addresses.

Emerging players

• Akvo: Dutch non-profit providing digital data collection, monitoring, and project tracking tools for international development and sustainability programmes. Overlaps with HEDERA's HIT toolkit and dashboard/reporting modules for development-sector buyers.
• MFR Microfinanza Rating: Social rating agency for microfinance institutions providing ESG/social assessments — overlaps with HEDERA's environmental assessment and impact-reporting services for the same MFI buyer base.
• SurveyCTO: Mobile and web data-collection platform built for research and impact evaluation in emerging markets, listed as interoperable with HEDERA's forms. Comparable in serving the same development-sector data-collection buyer with overlapping functionality.
• KoboToolbox: Open-source mobile data collection platform that HEDERA's products are interoperable with. Comparable as the underlying data-collection infrastructure layer for development-sector and MFI field surveys; potential substitute if MFIs deploy KoboToolbox directly.

Direct peers

• MicroEnergy International: Berlin-based impact firm focused on energy access and microfinance that previously employed HEDERA's CEO. Operates in the same intersection of microfinance, energy access, and impact data — directly comparable in target customers and use cases.
• Inpulse Investment Management: Impact investment management firm with whom HEDERA is partnering on digital ESG and impact monitoring systems. Competes/collaborates in the impact-investor KPI and ESG-monitoring workflow and is a direct peer in serving impact investors.
• Cerise: French social performance management organization that co-publishes the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management (USSEPM). Competes with HEDERA in environmental/social performance assessment for FSPs and is a content-standards peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/HEDERA-PLATFORM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hedera-online

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 HEDERA - DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT