What Hikikomori Italia does

Hikikomori Italia ETS is an Italian non-profit association (Ente del Terzo Settore) founded in February 2013 by psychologist Marco Crepaldi to address voluntary social withdrawal (hikikomori) in Italy. Operating from Milano with a secondary office in Nerviano and approximately 20 staff/volunteers, the organization functions as a category-defining information, awareness, and family-support platform in a niche that previously had no systematic Italian-language presence. Its core offerings are a continuously updated blog (hikikomoriitalia.it) publishing articles and research commentary since 2013, a Facebook parent support group with nearly 900 members administered through a separate entity (Hikikomori Italia Genitori ETS), and published research outputs including two waves of internal family surveys (2019: 288 respondents; 2025: 400+ respondents) and the book 'Hikikomori, i giovani che non escono di casa'. It does not sell commercial products or services; revenue is sourced from membership fees, voluntary donations, and book royalties.

The association's distribution is built on community-led channels: a blog, organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram, YouTube video content, and earned media through Italian television appearances. In 2025, Hikikomori Italia ETS partnered with CNCC (Consiglio Nazionale dei Centri Commerciali) to run 'Il Mese degli Hikikomori', activating over 200 shopping centers nationwide, and collaborated with Scuola del Fumetto di Milano on illustrated awareness stories. In 2026 it contributed to the European Erasmus+ RECONNECT project, co-authoring a qualitative report based on six focus groups across five countries with 85+ education professionals. The organization has no proprietary technology stack, no API, no app, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities; its competitive position rests on first-mover content authority, longitudinal survey data, and a tightly held community of Italian families affected by social withdrawal.

Name

Hikikomori Italia

Legal name

Hikikomori Italia ETS

Website

https://hikikomoriitalia.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hikikomori Italia ETS is a Milan-based non-profit founded in 2013 by psychologist Marco Crepaldi, operating a blog, parent support group, and research surveys to raise awareness about and support families affected by hikikomori (voluntary social withdrawal) in Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health Advocacy and Social Withdrawal Support

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wraparound & Community-Based Behavioral Support (ABA-Adjacent) (EDAKAHAO)

Keywords

• Social withdrawal awareness
• Youth mental health
• Nonprofit association
• Family support services
• Community education

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees and donations: The association Hikikomori Italia Genitori ETS operates with membership fees and voluntary donations from families and supporters.
2. Book sales: Marco Crepaldi, the president and founder, authored the book 'Hikikomori, i giovani che non escono di casa' (Hikikomori, the young people who don't leave the house) published by Alpes Italia, generating revenue from book sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hikikomori Italia is an Italian non-profit association (ETS) that provides free educational content about voluntary social withdrawal (hikikomori) through a long-running blog, runs a parent support community and a separate parents' association, conducts internal family surveys, organizes national awareness campaigns in partnership with shopping centers, and participates in European research initiatives such as Erasmus+ RECONNECT. It also generates a small amount of revenue through a book authored by its founder on the topic.

Product overview

Hikikomori Italia is an informational blog platform and national association (Associazione Nazionale Ritiro Sociale Volontario) that provides educational content about voluntary social withdrawal. The organization operates through its blog platform for publishing articles and research analysis, a parent support group for families affected by the phenomenon, and has published a book titled 'Hikikomori, i giovani che non escono di casa'. The offerings are informational and community-support focused rather than commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hikikomori Italia Blog Platform Italian-language blog and content archive providing articles, research analysis, and guidance on the hikikomori (voluntary social withdrawal) phenomenon for Italian families, educators, and the general public.
• Associazione Genitori (Parent Support Group) Support group and dedicated non-profit association (Hikikomori Italia Genitori ETS) for parents of individuals experiencing social withdrawal, providing peer support, shared experiences, and community guidance through a closed Facebook community and internal surveys.
• Hikikomori, i giovani che non escono di casa (Book)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.

• Erasmus+ RECONNECT ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Hikikomori Italia participated in the European Erasmus+ RECONNECT project, developing a qualitative research report based on six focus groups conducted in five countries (Italy, Romania, Austria, Spain, and Ireland), involving over 85 professionals including teachers, school psychologists, and educators.
• CNCC (Consiglio Nazionale dei Centri Commerciali)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2025Partnership for the 'Il Mese degli Hikikomori' (Month of Hikikomori) campaign, the largest social awareness initiative on voluntary social withdrawal in Italy. The campaign ran from March 10 to April 10, 2025, and involved over 200 shopping centers affiliated with CNCC across various Italian regions.
• Scuola del Fumetto di MilanonotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Collaboration to create four stories featuring different protagonists all experiencing voluntary social withdrawal. The stories focused on various aspects including the relationship between hikikomori individuals and their parents, developed as part of the awareness campaign.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fondazione Telethon: Italian non-profit funding genetic and rare-disease research, known for large-scale awareness campaigns and fundraising events. Comparable as an established Italian nonprofit that combines awareness content, research dissemination, and donation-driven funding.
• UNICEF Italia: Italian national committee of UNICEF, focused on child rights, adolescent wellbeing, and youth mental health advocacy. Comparable as a high-profile nonprofit doing awareness campaigns, policy work, and research on issues affecting Italian children and adolescents.
• Save the Children Italia: Large Italian branch of the global children's rights organization, working on child welfare, education access, and protection from violence. Comparable as a much larger nonprofit advocating for Italian children's wellbeing and producing policy-relevant research on vulnerable youth.
• Caritas Italiana: Italy's largest Catholic social-services charitable organization, providing community support, family assistance, and welfare services nationwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent nonprofit with family-support programming and a national network of local chapters.
• AGIA - Autorità Garante per l'Infanzia e l'Adolescenza: Italy's independent child-advocacy authority, monitoring children's rights and advising on youth policy. Comparable as an Italy-wide institutional actor focused on the same population (Italian youth and families) with advocacy and policy-engagement functions.

Emerging players

• ANDARE Oltre (Associazione Nazionale Disturbi Alimentari Reti e Ricerca): Italian non-profit network on eating disorders, focused on family support and research dissemination. Comparable as a similarly structured nonprofit offering parent-support communities, awareness campaigns, and research contributions on a youth mental-health theme.

Direct peers

• Telefono Amico Italia: Italian non-profit running a national emotional-support helpline. Comparable as a peer-support and listening service for Italians experiencing psychological difficulty, with overlapping beneficiary segments including isolated youth and distressed family members.
• Telefono Azzurro: Italian non-profit operating a national helpline for children and adolescents in distress. Highly comparable as an Italy-based nonprofit providing support and referral services to at-risk youth and their families, the same primary beneficiary base as Hikikomori Italia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/298533323872584
• Instagraminstagram.com/marco.crepaldi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hikikomoriitalia

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 Hikikomori Italia