Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten - IFK e. V.

What Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten - IFK e. V. does

Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten — IFK e. V. is a registered nonprofit professional association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1981 and headquartered in Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, with approximately ten staff at the Geschäftsstelle on the Gesundheitscampus-Süd. The association represents self-employed physiotherapists in Germany, providing professional advocacy (notably through its seat in the Spitzenverband der Heilmittelverbände, SHV, and direct engagement with the Bundesministerium für Gesundheit), continuing education (Fortbildungsangebote, IFK-moodle), business support services (physio-START for practice founding, physio-NEXT for practice succession), and member-facing digital tools (IFK-App, Stellenbörse, Nachfolgebörse).

The service portfolio is delivered through conventional web, mobile-app, and e-learning technology rather than proprietary software platforms; the core technology stack consists of the ifk.de website, the IFK-App mobile application, the IFK-moodle continuing education platform, and the online Stellen- & Nachfolgebörse marketplace. Product breadth extends to a professional journal (Fachmagazin 'physiotherapie'), the IFK-Wissenschaftspreis and annual IFK-Tag der Wissenschaft, and innovation projects such as 'Physio für Dich' (with FsS / Deutsche Bahn) and 'Physio-Sprechstunde' (with GesundheitsTicket GmbH).

IFK's revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed but rely on membership dues, continuing-education fees, and a tiered marketplace listing model (€48 plus VAT for IFK members; €96 plus VAT for non-members per advertisement per year, effective 1 February 2026). Its go-to-market is direct membership via regional committees (Regionalausschüsse) and specialized committees (Fachausschüsse), supported by regional forums (IFK-Forum Süd in Munich, IFK-Forum Ost), the annual science day, and presence on Facebook and YouTube. The organization holds no parent, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed funding rounds.

Name

Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten - IFK e. V.

Legal name

Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten - IFK e. V.

Website

https://ifk.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten — IFK e. V. is a Bochum-based registered nonprofit trade association founded in 1981 that represents self-employed physiotherapists in Germany, delivering advocacy, continuing education, founding and succession advisory, and digital member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bochum

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IFK is a federal professional association (eingetragener Verein) representing self-employed physiotherapists in Germany. It delivers core membership services including professional advocacy with health policymakers, continuing education programs, an IFK-App for mobile member information, business founding advisory (physio-START), practice succession advisory (physio-NEXT), billing and accreditation support, plus a professional journal (Fachmagazin 'physiotherapie') and a job & succession marketplace (Stellen- & Nachfolgebörse).

Product overview

Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten - IFK e.V. operates as a professional association offering a comprehensive ecosystem of services for self-employed physiotherapists in Germany. The portfolio includes core membership services (IFK-App mobile application, PhysioBalance, IQH), specialized advisory services (physio-START for business founding, physio-NEXT for practice succession), professional development (continuing education, Fachmagazin physiotherapie publication), and innovation projects (Physio für Dich, Physio-Sprechstunde for occupational health promotion). The association also operates digital marketplaces for job postings and practice succession, and hosts scientific events including the IFK Science Prize and annual Science Day. Therapy services covered span respiratory therapy, Bobath therapy, manual therapy, PNF therapy, Vojta therapy, and manual lymphatic drainage for conditions including neurological, orthopedic, gynecological, and respiratory disorders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IFK-App Mobile application for IFK members providing convenient access to association information, services, and daily practice management tools via smartphone or tablet.
• PhysioBalance

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Spitzenverband der Heilmittelverbände e. V. (SHV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFK participates in SHV as part of the umbrella organization of therapy associations. SHV and IFK jointly advocate for healthcare policy changes, including recent engagement regarding the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz and BMG roundtable discussions on bureaucracy reduction. SHV represents the collective interests of therapy professionals at the federal level.
• Barmer GEKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFK cooperates with Barmer GEK to offer free training programs for caregivers (pflegende Angehörige) of brain-damaged patients. The program includes Bobath-based group courses and individual home-based training, funded by the nursing insurance fund (Pflegekasse). Barmer GEK insureds additionally receive individual home-based training.
• GesundheitsTicket GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIFK partners with GesundheitsTicket GmbH as the exclusive partner for the 'Physio-Sprechstunde' innovation project in occupational health management. Through the www.gesundheitsticket.de platform, employees of approximately 1,000 companies with 100,000 total employees can find IFK member practices to redeem health tickets for physiotherapy diagnostic and preventive services.
• Fonds soziale Sicherung (FsS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFK has an exclusive contract (Exklusiv-Vertrag) with the Fonds soziale Sicherung (FsS) for occupational health promotion measures. The FsS is a joint institution of the Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft (EVG) and the Arbeitgeber- und Wirtschaftsverband der Mobilitäts- und Verkehrsdienstleister (AGV MOVE), serving employees of railway industry companies. Through this partnership, IFK member practices provide preventive physiotherapy services including the 'Physio für Dich' voucher program (€150 per eligible employee annually) and action days.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VDB-Physiotherapieverband e.V. German physiotherapy professional association also operating as a Bundesverband for physiotherapy practices. Competes with IFK for independent practice members and for influence within the SHV framework.
• Deutscher Verband für Physiotherapie (ZVK) / Physio Deutschland: The other major German federal professional association representing physiotherapists. Direct competitor for members, continuing education, advocacy, and policy representation; both are members of the SHV umbrella negotiating tariffs with GKV payers.

Emerging players

• Deutscher Verband der Ergotherapeuten (DVE): German federal association for occupational therapists, a closely adjacent Heilmittel profession that co-negotiates with GKV payers via SHV. Comparable in structure (Bundesverband, e.V., continuing education, advocacy) but addresses a different but adjacent therapy profession.
• Bundesverband der Logopäden (dbl): Federal association for German speech therapists — another Heilmittel peer association co-represented via SHV. Comparable in operating model (nonprofit e.V., member services, continuing education, advocacy) though in an adjacent therapy discipline.

Others

• Deutscher Verband der Podologen (ZFD): German federal association for podiatrists, another Heilmittel profession with similar structure (e.V., continuing education, GKV tariff negotiations via SHV). Comparable organizational archetype but different clinical specialty.
• GesundheitsTicket GmbH: Partner platform that connects employees of ~1,000 companies with IFK member practices via the Physio-Sprechstunde. Comparable as a complementary B2B health-benefit infrastructure provider in IFK's innovation-project ecosystem rather than a direct peer.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesärztekammer (BÄK): Federal umbrella body for German physicians. Comparable as a much larger professional association engaging the BMG on healthcare policy, tariffs, and professional regulation, but operating for physicians rather than allied therapy professionals.
• Spitzenverband der Heilmittelverbände (SHV): Umbrella organization of the German Heilmittel (therapies) associations, of which IFK is a member. SHV negotiates collective tariff agreements with statutory health insurers on behalf of member associations, making it the indirect collective bargaining counterparty/peer at the payer interface.
• APTA (American Physical Therapy Association): US national professional association for physical therapists. Comparable in offering advocacy, continuing education, specialist certifications, publications, and member benefits to physiotherapy practitioners, though operating at a much larger scale in a different regulatory environment.

Regional players

• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP): UK professional body and trade union for physiotherapists. Comparable as a chartered professional association providing advocacy, CPD, indemnity, publications, and member services, but operating in the UK NHS/HCPC regulatory context rather than the German GKV one.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5DeViJbw8xXwHzI_IgQWDg
• Facebookfacebook.com/IFKPhysio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bundesverband-selbstst%C3%A4ndiger-physiotherapeuten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten - IFK e. V.