Frankfurter Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder

What Frankfurter Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder does

Frankfurter Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder is a German charitable foundation (Stiftung) established in 1990 and headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, dedicated to advancing pediatric oncology research. The foundation operates the Dr. Petra Joh-Forschungshaus, a purpose-built research facility providing state-of-the-art infrastructure, materials, and personnel support for up to 60 scientists. Its primary beneficiaries are children diagnosed with cancer and their families; the foundation's stated mission is to push pediatric cancer cure rates beyond the current approximately 80%, with particular focus on aggressive forms such as neuroblastoma and leukemia where treatment resistance remains the principal cause of mortality.

The foundation houses two specialized research institutes: the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Pediatric Tumor and Virus Research (IDL), which maintains the RCCL Collection — the world's largest collection of drug-resistant tumor cell lines developed over more than 30 years — and the Institute for Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (EPHO), where research groups (van Wijk, Vogler, Heckl, Klusmann) investigate apoptosis, necroptosis, BCL2 protein family biology, NOXA protein function, and CAR-NK cell therapy. Research is conducted in close collaboration with Goethe University Frankfurt and its University Hospital, with researchers holding dual appointments. The foundation supports junior researchers through structured training (Nachwuchsförderung), awards the Dr. Maresch-Klingelhöffer-Preis for research excellence, and runs a Bildungsinitiative combining STEM and arts education with schools.

The foundation's revenue model is donation-based, with five primary streams: individual monetary donations (via Frankfurter Sparkasse 1822 and online), corporate partnerships (notably Brother International GmbH since 2014), foundation grants (Viessmann Foundation €470,000 over three years, plus DFG, Deutsche Krebshilfe, Wilhelm-Sander-Stiftung, Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung), legacy gifts and testamentary bequests, and event-driven fundraising through charity runs and festivals. The organization charges no fees for its research outputs and is governed by a board chaired by Dr. Jürgen Vogt, with a small operational team of approximately 7 staff supporting the broader research enterprise. In 2026 the foundation transferred the RCCL Collection to the University of Kent, retaining its role as the strategic driver of pediatric oncology research while extending the asset's geographic footprint.

Name

Frankfurter Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder

Legal name

Frankfurter Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder

Website

https://kinderkrebsstiftung-frankfurt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Frankfurter Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder is a German charitable foundation that operates the Dr. Petra Joh-Forschungshaus in Frankfurt, supporting up to 60 scientists across two pediatric oncology research institutes (IDL and EPHO) and stewarding the world's largest collection of drug-resistant tumor cell lines (RCCL).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Pediatric Hematology & Oncology (HLAKAFAE)

Keywords

• Pediatric cancer research
• Charitable foundation services
• Oncology research grants
• Drug-resistant tumor cells
• Childhood cancer cure research

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: Individual donors contribute direct financial support through the foundation's donation account at Frankfurter Sparkasse 1822. Multiple donation types including regular monetary donations, occasion-based donations, and condolence donations.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Companies support the foundation through event sponsorships (Brother Golden Ring Lauf), charitable shopping programs (Gooding), and direct corporate donations. Partners include Brother International GmbH (ongoing since 2014).
3. Foundation Grants: Other foundations provide significant multi-year funding for research projects. Notable: Viessmann Foundation providing €470,000 over three years for research projects at the Dr. Petra Joh-Forschungshaus.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Companies sponsor specific initiatives and educational programs. Example: MERCK KGaA sponsored €5,000 for the foundation's educational initiative combining art and STEM education.
5. Legacies and Bequests: The foundation accepts legacy gifts and testamentary bequests from donors wishing to support childhood cancer research beyond their lifetime.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The foundation funds and operates pediatric oncology research through its dedicated Dr. Petra Joh-Forschungshaus research facility in Frankfurt, housing two research institutes (IDL and EPHO) supporting up to 60 scientists working on drug-resistant childhood cancers, leukemia, and neuroblastoma. It maintains the world's largest collection of drug-resistant tumor cell lines (RCCL), awards the Dr. Maresch-Klingelhöffer-Preis research prize, runs junior researcher support programs, and delivers STEM/arts educational outreach to schools.

Product overview

Frankfurter Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder is a charitable foundation dedicated to funding and conducting childhood cancer research. The organization operates its own research infrastructure centered around the Dr. Petra Joh Research House, which houses two main research institutes: the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Pediatric Tumor and Virus Research (IDL) and the Institute for Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (EPHO). These institutes host multiple research groups working on leukemia, neuroblastoma, and other pediatric cancers. Beyond research, the foundation supports junior scientists through training and mentorship programs, awards research prizes, and conducts educational outreach combining STEM and arts for schools. The foundation also operates donation collection services and charity shopping partnerships to fund its research activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dr. Petra Joh-Forschungshaus (Research House) State-of-the-art research facility providing infrastructure, equipment, and personnel support for up to 60 scientists conducting translational pediatric oncology research. Houses the IDL and EPHO research institutes and supports research from basic science to clinical application.
• Interdisziplinäres Labor für Pädiatrische Tumor- und Virusforschung (IDL) Interdisciplinary laboratory focusing on pediatric tumor and virus research, including drug-resistant cancer cell research and stewardship of the RCCL Collection, the world's largest collection of drug-resistant tumor cell lines.
• Institut für Experimentelle Pädiatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie (EPHO) Institute for experimental pediatric hematology and oncology conducting research on leukemia, neuroblastoma, and other pediatric cancers with multiple research groups including van Wijk, Vogler, Heckl, and Klusmann labs.
• Dr. Maresch-Klingelhöffer-Preis Research prize awarded by the foundation to support and recognize excellence in pediatric oncology research.
• Nachwuchsförderung (Junior Researcher Support) Programs supporting up to 20 junior scientists from internship through doctorate, including mentorship, training, and career development in pediatric oncology research.
• Bildungsinitiative (Educational Initiative) Educational programs combining STEM education with arts, targeting schools and children to raise awareness about cancer research and spark interest in science (e.g., 'Science meets Art: Cell as Power Plant' exhibition at Frankfurt Römer).
• Donation Programs (Geldspende, Anlassspende, Kondolenzspende, Zustiftung, Nachlass und Testament) Programs enabling individuals and corporations to financially support the foundation through regular monetary donations, occasion-based donations, condolence donations, endowments (Zustiftungen), legacy and testamentary bequests, and court-imposed fines and penalties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 80% of children with cancer can now be cured, up from lower historical rates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brother International GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Brother International GmbH has been a fixed partner of the German Golden Ring Run since 2014. Employees run collectively to raise funds for the foundation, with donations going directly to research projects. Over the partnership period, more than €160,000 has been raised for childhood cancer research. The 2026 event saw employees run 653 kilometers, equivalent to the distance from Bad Vilbel to Vienna, generating €20,000 in donations.
• Festival4FamilyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Festival4Family invited the foundation to participate in their 2026 event at myticket Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt. The foundation engaged with thousands of families through a drawing contest and educational conversations about childhood cancer research.
• Oldtimer & Motorsport Verein Freigericht e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The motorsport club organized a classic car rally through the Main-Kinzig district covering 130 kilometers from three starting points. The event generated €7,000 in entry fees and donations for the foundation's research into innovative therapies.
• MERCK KGaAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MERCK KGaA sponsored €5,000 to support the foundation's educational initiative that combines art and STEM education with schools. The initiative includes student artwork for exhibitions on childhood cancer awareness (e.g., 'Science meets Art: Cell as Power Plant' exhibition at Frankfurt Römer for World Childhood Cancer Day) and educational programs about cells with Frankfurt schools.
• GoodingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Gooding is a charity shopping platform that enables the foundation to receive donations from online purchases. Over 1,800 online shops are affiliated with Gooding, with participating shops supporting charitable organizations with an average bonus of 5% of purchase value.
• Frankfurter Sparkasse 1822coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Frankfurter Sparkasse 1822 serves as the foundation's official donation account bank. Donations can be made to the foundation's account (IBAN: DE43 5005 0201 1245 6354 40) through this institution.
• Goethe University FrankfurtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation collaborates closely with Goethe University Frankfurt's University Hospital. The EPHO (Institute for Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology) is jointly operated, and researchers like PD Dr. Sjoerd van Wijk hold positions at both institutions. The foundation's research house is located in the vicinity of Frankfurt University Hospital.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid): Largest German nonprofit funding cancer research across all cancer types and supporting patients. A direct co-funder of the foundation's projects but operating at much broader scale across adult and pediatric cancers.
• DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center): Germany's largest biomedical research institute, conducting cancer research across all cancer types including pediatric. Compares as a broader institution in the same German cancer research ecosystem that the foundation collaborates with and funds from.

Direct peers

• St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI): Austrian research institute dedicated specifically to pediatric oncology research, with comparable scientific scope (leukemia, solid tumors, immunology) and academic-affiliated research house model.
• Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung: National German foundation dedicated to fighting childhood cancer, funding research projects and supporting affected families. Closely comparable mission, scope, and donation-driven operating model to the Frankfurt foundation.

Regional players

• Fördergemeinschaft Kinderkrebs-Zentrum Hamburg: Regional Hamburg-based nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Comparable fundraising-and-research-funding model but limited to Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein geography.
• Kinderkrebshilfe Schweiz: Swiss foundation supporting children with cancer and their families, funding research and care projects. Similar mission and donation-driven model but operates in Switzerland rather than Germany.

Emerging players

• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: US-based nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research with comparable event-driven fundraising (lemonade stands) and research grant programs. Similar donor base approach and research-funding focus.
• Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern California (PCRF): US pediatric cancer foundation funding research, comparable mission of raising funds for childhood cancer research and providing support to families. Differs in geographic scope but operates on a similar charitable fundraising and grantmaking model.

Others

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Global nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children, including pediatric cancer. Adjacent rather than directly competing — comparable donor activation and corporate partnership model (e.g., corporate-sponsored charity events) but focused on family support rather than research.
• Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung: One of the largest German medical research foundations funding projects across disease areas. Comparable foundation structure and grantmaking function; has funded the subject foundation's NOXA research and operates as a peer foundation rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Frankfurter.Stiftung.fuer.krebskranke.Kinder
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frankfurter-stiftung-f%C3%BCr-krebskranke-kinder
• Instagraminstagram.com/kinderkrebs.forschung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Frankfurter Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder