ISSO Institut

What ISSO Institut does

ISSO Institut (full name: Institute for Social & Sustainable Oikonomics, branded as ISSO Koblenz) is a regional science-transfer and continuing-education institute operating from the Dreikönigenhaus heritage venue in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It functions as an institute division of the Martin-Görlitz-Stiftung, a tax-exempt public foundation, with its commercial activities executed through ISSO GmbH (Amtsgericht Koblenz, HRB 25547) under Managing Director Ursula Mehren-Fassbender. The organization delivers an interdisciplinary program of fee-based seminars and workshops (notably 'Mit Empathie gegen Rassismus', 'Gekonnt moderieren', and sustainability workshops), coworking workspace rental at the Dreikönigenhaus, meeting and event room rental (including the vaulted room of the Altes Kaufhaus), and bespoke consulting and coaching engagements.

ISSO's underlying technology stack is non-proprietary and operational rather than productized: WordPress for the blog, Sendinblue (formerly Newsletter2Go) for newsletter distribution, a YouTube channel (Studiyoo) for recorded event content, and a Signal info channel for event updates. Distribution is event-driven and largely in-person, with seminars and coworking paid via invoice and prepayment, room rental billed per booking, and coworking on monthly 30-day cycles; cancellation fees scale from 0% at 21+ days to 100% at 7 days or fewer, and certain programs (e.g., 'Gekonnt moderieren') are offered free to participants via government or foundation subsidies.

The institute serves two primary customer segments: individual professionals and lifelong learners seeking leadership, moderation, and facilitation training, and civil-society organizations, NGOs, and public-sector bodies working on democracy, empathy, anti-racism, and sustainability programming. A broad partner ecosystem — including Cusanus-Hochschule (co-located since October 2021), Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld, Stadt Koblenz, RENN.west, and various local NGOs — supports and co-hosts programming. The organization's largest documented event, the Fest der Demokratie, attracted approximately 1,200 visitors and 60 organizations, illustrating community reach but also the local, regional scale of activity. Following a complete COVID-19 closure in 2020, ISSO has not recovered its pre-pandemic volume and is currently (as of 2026) redefining its vision and mission around the parent foundation's environmental and sustainability mandate.

Name

ISSO Institut

Legal name

ISSO GmbH

Website

https://isso.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ISSO Institut is a regional Koblenz-based science-transfer and continuing-education institute, operating as a division of the Martin-Görlitz-Stiftung. It delivers fee-based seminars, coworking, event-room rental, and consulting on empathy, democracy, sustainability, and civic engagement for professionals and civil-society organizations in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Koblenz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seminars, Workshops & Continuing Education: Revenue from fee-based seminars, workshops, after-work events, and professional development offerings. Registration is accepted by phone, email, or in writing; participants receive an invoice and must pay before the event begins.
2. Coworking Space (Vermietung von Arbeitsplätzen): Revenue from renting individual and full-time coworking workspaces at the Dreikönigenhaus, Kornpfortstraße 15, Koblenz. Full-time tickets are billed monthly (30-day cycles) with a one-month cancellation notice.
3. Meeting & Event Room Rental: Revenue from renting meeting rooms in the Dreikönigenhaus and the vaulted room (Gewölbe) of the Altes Kaufhaus, Peter-Altmeier-Ufer 50. Includes ancillary rental of equipment (projectors, flipcharts, whiteboards) and catering coordination.
4. Consulting & Coaching: Revenue from bespoke consulting and coaching engagements, billed per individual proposals with customizable scope, payment terms, and potential installment arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISSO Institut is a science-transfer and continuing-education institute that organizes fee-based seminars and workshops on empathy, anti-racism, democracy, sustainability, and leadership/moderation. It also operates a coworking space and rents out meeting and event venues in the historic Dreikönigenhaus in Koblenz, and delivers bespoke consulting and coaching for organizations. Revenue is generated through workshop registrations, coworking subscriptions, venue rentals, and consulting engagements.

Product overview

ISSO Institute offers a portfolio of educational and venue services centered around its Dreikönigenhaus location in Koblenz. The core offerings include seminars and workshops on empathy, democracy, sustainability, and professional development; coworking spaces with 24/7 access; meeting and event venue rentals; and consulting/coaching services. Key programs include the 'Mit Empathie gegen Rassismus' seminar series and Nachhaltigkeits-Workshops. The institute also hosts cultural events and projects focusing on social engagement and future-oriented society development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seminare & Workshops (Seminars and Workshops) Fee-based educational seminars and workshops covering empathy-based communication, leadership and moderation, democracy education, sustainability, and anti-racism. Includes the recurring 'Mit Empathie gegen Rassismus' (Empathy Against Racism) seminar series and the 'Gekonnt moderieren' workshop series. Registration is by phone, email, or written form, with payment required before each event begins.
• Coworking Spaces (Vermietung von Arbeitsplätzen) Flexible workspace rental in the Dreikönigenhaus at Kornpfortstraße 15, 56068 Koblenz. Full-time tickets include an equipped workstation with table, chair, power connection, and WLAN, with 24/7 access. Tickets are billed in 30-day cycles starting on the 1st or 15th of each month, with a one-month cancellation notice.
• Meeting- und Event Services (Meeting and Event Room Rental) Rental of meeting and event spaces at the Dreikönigenhaus (Kornpfortstraße 15, 56068 Koblenz) and the vaulted cellar (Gewölbe) of the Altes Kaufhaus (Peter-Altmeier-Ufer 50, 56068 Koblenz). Includes ancillary rental of projectors, flipcharts, whiteboards, and catering coordination for external bookings.
• Beratungen & Coaching (Consulting and Coaching) Bespoke consulting and coaching engagements for organizations seeking change. Scope, payment terms, and installment arrangements are customized per individual proposal; qualified lecturers and supporting materials are provided.
• Gekonnt moderieren (Leadership and Moderation Workshops) A workshop and seminar series on leadership and moderation for training officers (Weiterbildungsbeauftragte) and professionals advancing participation. Offered in in-person and virtual formats.

Quantifiable outcome

• Many hundreds of individuals reached through programming on empathy, democracy, and anti-racism; an active regional NGO network formed around these themes
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cusanus-Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung (HfGG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021The Cusanus-Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung relocated into the Dreikönigenhaus on 1 October 2021, sharing the venue with ISSO. The two organizations co-host events including lectures, readings, and seminars such as the 'Mit Empathie gegen Rassismus' series, the Spring School Methodenfestival, and various readings and cultural events.
• Martin-Görlitz-StiftungcoreOthersThe Martin-Görlitz-Stiftung (Bubenheimer Weg 23, 56072 Koblenz) is a rechtsfähige öffentliche Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts and the parent organization of ISSO. It was founded by Martin Görlitz and focuses on science, research, and education in the public interest. ISSO operates as a division of this foundation. The foundation also owns the Florinsmarkt historic building complex and supports the Dreikönigenhaus.
• Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld (Hochschule Trier)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISSO collaborates with the Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld of Hochschule Trier, which launched a new bachelor's program combining communication, psychology, and sustainability. ISSO hosted the premiere of a student theater production 'Die stille Zukunft – Energialogue' as part of Wissenschaftsjahr 2025.
• Beirat für Migration und Integration der Stadt KoblenzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISSO partnered with the city's Migration and Integration Advisory Board and received support from the federal 'Demokratie Leben!' program to deliver the two-day Argumentationstraining against Stammtischparolen (argumentation training against populist slogans).
• Offener Kanal Koblenz (OK4TV)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Offener Kanal Koblenz produced a SPOT ON interview series featuring Martin Görlitz about the foundation's history and ISSO's activities. This interview content is published on the OK4TV YouTube channel for public access.
• Kunstamt Stadt KoblenzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Koblenz Culture Department collaborated with ISSO on urban art initiatives at the Florinsmarkt, including a painted electrical box with an interstellar message that attracted international media attention.
• Koblenzer Kunstverein e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Koblenzer Kunstverein regularly co-hosts events with ISSO, including Sunday afternoon programs on philosophy, art, and societal topics. Events include lectures on Hannah Arendt and the 'Wahrheit gibt es nur zu zweien' discussion.
• Bildungsinitiative Ferhat Unvar e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeryem Mesfin, Bildungsreferentin of the Ferhat Unvar Educational Initiative, contributed to ISSO's 2025 'Mit Empathie gegen Rassismus' seminar series. The initiative focuses on racism, discrimination, and social justice education.
• Sozialdienst Katholischer Frauen (SkF) Koblenz & Frauennotruf KoblenzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISSO co-hosted the exhibition 'was ich anhatte…' on sexualized violence against women with the Catholic Women's Social Service and the Women's Emergency Hotline of Koblenz. The event was held at the Bistro of the Dreikönigenhaus.
• Entwicklungspolitisches Landesnetzwerk Rheinland-Pfalz / RENN.westminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISSO participates in events organized by the Rhineland-Palatinate Development Policy Network and RENN.west, a national sustainability network. Programs have included online conferences on climate protection and energy justice.
• Förderverein Lesen und Buch Koblenz / Zonta Club Koblenz Rhein-MoselminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized the musical reading 'Wir haben keine andere Zeit als diese' featuring Mascha Kaléko's texts to raise funds for the Frauenhaus Koblenz (women's shelter). The event was presented in cooperation with the Förderverein Lesen und Buch and Zonta Club.
• Club latino vivo e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized a bilingual German-Spanish reading event for democracy as part of Interkulturelle Wochen 2024. ISSO partnered with Förderverein Lesen und Buch, Stadtbibliothek, Club latino vivo, and others for this intercultural language and democracy event.
• Stadtbibliothek Koblenz (Forum Confluentes)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCity Library of Koblenz serves as an event venue partner for ISSO's intercultural programming and democratic education events. Hosted the bilingual German-Spanish reading as part of Interkulturelle Wochen 2024.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB): A large Berlin-based social science research institute that actively conducts 'Wissenschaftstransfer' — communicating research findings to policymakers and the public. The most direct conceptual parallel to ISSO's stated mission of science transfer, though at vastly larger scale.
• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb): The federal German agency for civic education. Operates nationwide with programming on democracy, anti-racism, and political participation that overlaps with ISSO's 'Mit Empathie gegen Rassismus' and democracy offerings, but at much larger scale.
• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: A German political foundation affiliated with the Greens that funds civic-education, sustainability, and democracy programming nationally. Comparable thematic overlap with ISSO's sustainability and anti-racism focus, at much larger national scale.
• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: A major German political foundation affiliated with social democracy that runs extensive civic education, seminar, and conference programming across Germany. Comparable thematic focus to ISSO, with vastly broader reach and resources.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung: A major German political foundation affiliated with the CDU that runs civic education, conferences, and seminar programming across Germany. Comparable to ISSO in delivering educational programming on democratic and societal topics, but at national scale.

Direct peers

• Goetheanum: The General Anthroposophical Society headquarters in Dornach, Switzerland. Operates as a cultural, educational, and conference venue with programming in sustainability, social transformation, and anthroposophical philosophy — a strong conceptual parallel to ISSO's anthroposophically-informed, sustainability-focused institute model.
• Impact Hub Berlin: A mission-driven coworking and event space in Berlin that combines workspace rentals with programming on social entrepreneurship and sustainability. Comparable to ISSO in combining coworking/event rentals with mission-driven content programming.
• Volkshochschule Koblenz (VHS Koblenz): The municipal adult education center serving Koblenz. Most directly comparable to ISSO in offering fee-based continuing education, seminars, and civic-education programming to adults in the same regional market.
• St. Oberholz: A Berlin coworking, café, and event venue operator that combines workspace rentals with event programming. Comparable to ISSO in operating a community-oriented coworking/event-venue model anchored in a distinctive physical space.
• Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Rheinland-Pfalz: The Rhineland-Palatinate state agency for civic and political education. Operates in the same geography as ISSO and runs parallel programming on democracy, anti-racism, and civic engagement — competing for the same institutional and individual audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@studiyoo639/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISSO.Institut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isso-institut
• Instagraminstagram.com/isso_institut

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ISSO Institut