RUBICON Köln
rubicon e. V. is a Cologne-based non-profit LGBTQIA+ community center providing psychosocial counseling, anti-violence work, migration support, senior services, rainbow family support, and trans* counseling to LGBTQIA+ individuals and families across Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia, funded primarily by the City of Köln and the state of NRW.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersKöln, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What RUBICON Köln does
RUBICON Köln (legally: rubicon e. V.) is a Cologne-based non-profit LGBTQIA+ community and counseling center founded in April 1975 as glf Sozialwerk, later renamed Sozialwerk für Lesben und Schwule, and rebranded to its current form in 2014. The organization provides psychosocial counseling (in-person, telephone, and online), anti-violence and anti-discrimination work, migration support, senior services for LGBTQIA+ people aged 60+, rainbow family support, and trans* peer counseling. It serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, inter*, and queer individuals and their families across Cologne (local networks) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (statewide Fachberatung). The organization operates as the umbrella for more than 20 self-help and interest groups (including the baraka program for international queers since 2005) and runs sub-brands Regenbogenfamilien Köln and Fachstelle Regenbogenfamilien NRW.
RUBICON employs approximately 29 staff and is recognized as gemeinnützig (charitable). It is a member of the Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (DPWV), an authorized free youth welfare provider under §75 KJHG, and is governed by a board (Miriam Wolter, Jules Bieber, Dirk Schulz) under Managing Director Birgit Bungarten. There is no technology product; the offering is human-delivered social services supported by a website, an online counseling portal on aygonet.de, social media channels, a publications library, and a research information platform.
The organization is financed through public subsidies from the City of Köln and the NRW Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Flight and Integration, supplemented by tax-deductible donations and supporting membership (Fördermitgliedschaft) fees. Core services are free to end users. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025 and is actively seeking larger premises in Cologne's city center due to steady growth.
RUBICON Köln firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RUBICON Köln
- Legal name
- rubicon e. V.
- Website
- https://rubicon-koeln.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- rubicon e. V. is a Cologne-based non-profit LGBTQIA+ community center providing psychosocial counseling, anti-violence work, migration support, senior services, rainbow family support, and trans* counseling to LGBTQIA+ individuals and families across Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia, funded primarily by the City of Köln and the state of NRW.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RUBICON Köln industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social & Community Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)
Keywords
Where RUBICON Köln is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Köln
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
RUBICON Köln business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public Funding: The organization receives funding from public sources including the City of Köln and the Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Flight and Integration of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted; the organization operates as a recognized non-profit (gemeinnützig anerkannt)
- Membership Fees: Fördermitgliedschaft (supporting membership) available with annual fees according to membership fee schedule
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
RUBICON Köln product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RUBICON Köln is a non-profit community center in Cologne, Germany that provides psychosocial counseling, support, and community-based services for LGBTQIA+ people and their relatives. The organization offers confidential advice, peer support groups, cultural and educational events, and outreach programs targeted at lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, and other queer individuals and their families.
Product overview
RUBICON Köln is a non-profit LSBT*I*Q community center in Cologne, Germany offering psychosocial counseling, anti-violence work, support groups, training, and publications. The organization does not operate a technology product but provides community social services including counseling (personal, telephone, online), over 20 support groups, anti-discrimination work, family support, trans* support, migration support, and senior services. The organization has approximately 29 employees and serves as a networking hub for LGBTQ+ communities in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- baraka – a place for international queers: An open meeting point in Cologne since 2005 for queer people from all over the world. A structured contact point developed from a free meeting space in close cooperation with other organizations.
- Regenbogenfamilien Köln
- Fachstelle Regenbogenfamilien NRW
Products and services
- Psychosocial Counseling
- Peer Support Groups
- Community Events & Cultural Programs
- Training & Professional Workshops
- Coming-Out Support Services
- Information & Referral Services
Companies that use RUBICON Köln
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RUBICON Köln technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RUBICON Köln partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DPWV (Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband)coreRUBICON e.V. is a member of DPWV, the German Paritarian Welfare Association, providing organizational backing and network access
- Queeres Netzwerk NRWcoreMember of the Queer Network NRW, coordinating LGBTQIA+ advocacy and services across North Rhine-Westphalia
- AIDS-HilfecorePartnership with AIDS-Hilfe organizations for HIV prevention and support services
- Paritätischer WohlfahrtsverbandcoreMember of the Paritarian Welfare Association, operating as an authorized free youth welfare provider under §75 KJHG
- Stadt Köln (City of Cologne)corePrimary public funder of RUBICON e.V. operations and services
- Ministerium für Kinder, Jugend, Familie, Gleichstellung, Flucht und Integration des Landes Nordrhein-WestfalencoreState ministry providing funding for LGBTQIA+ services and programming across NRW
- baraka – a place for international queerscoreSince 2005, an open meeting point in Cologne for queer people from around the world, operating under the RUBICON umbrella as a structured point of contact
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RUBICON Köln competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Deutsche Aidshilfe e.V. National umbrella organization for regional AIDS-Hilfe groups in Germany, including rubicon's local partner Aidshilfe Köln. Provides the federal coordination layer that complements rather than competes with rubicon's local service delivery.
- LSVD – Lesben- und Schwulenverband in Deutschland: Germany's largest national LGBTQ+ advocacy and civil rights organization. Operates at a broader federal scale than rubicon but shares the human rights, anti-discrimination, and rainbow-family policy agenda.
Direct peers
- Lesbenberatung Berlin e.V. Berlin-based lesbian/queer psychosocial counseling center. Closely comparable to rubicon's trans*, rainbow family, and women's counseling specializations within a similar publicly-funded, non-profit service model.
- Berliner Aids-Hilfe e.V. Berlin-based HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ support organization offering counseling, prevention, and community services — analogous to rubicon's collaboration with Aidshilfe Köln within a larger urban context.
- Münchner Aids-Hilfe e.V. Munich-based HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ community support organization providing counseling, prevention, and self-help — analogous service mix to rubicon's anti-violence and psychosocial programs in a different metro market.
- Aidshilfe Köln e.V. Cologne-based HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ support organization, explicitly listed as a rubicon partner. Operates overlapping psychosocial, prevention, and self-help services within the same city and target community.
- Schwules Netzwerk NRW e.V. Statewide LGBTQ+ network in North Rhine-Westphalia, listed as a core rubicon partner. Comparable mission of coordinating LGBTQ+ advocacy and services across NRW, with overlapping membership and referral flows.
- Magnus-Hirschfeld-Centrum Hamburg: A long-standing LGBTQ+ community center in Hamburg offering psychosocial counseling, cultural programming, and self-help groups. Operates the same non-profit, publicly-funded, multi-service model as rubicon in a comparable major German city.
- PULS e.V. München: Munich LGBTQ+ psychosocial support center offering counseling, groups, and community services for queer people. Closely mirrors rubicon's multi-channel service model in another major German metropolitan area.
- PLUS Berlin e.V. Berlin-based LGBTQ+ psychosocial support and community organization targeting gay men and queer people, with similar counseling, group, and community-building offerings as rubicon in Cologne.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
RUBICON Köln social profiles
Digital presenceRUBICON Köln financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RUBICON Köln leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
RUBICON Köln funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RUBICON Köln M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RUBICON Köln
What does RUBICON Köln do?
RUBICON Köln is a non-profit community center in Cologne, Germany that provides psychosocial counseling, support, and community-based services for LGBTQIA+ people and their relatives. The organization offers confidential advice, peer support groups, cultural and educational events, and outreach programs targeted at lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, and other queer individuals and their families.
Is RUBICON Köln a public or private company?
RUBICON Köln is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was RUBICON Köln founded?
RUBICON Köln was founded in 1975. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is RUBICON Köln based?
RUBICON Köln is headquartered in Köln, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does RUBICON Köln make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations and membership Fees.
Who are RUBICON Köln's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Deutsche Aidshilfe e.V. and LSVD – Lesben- und Schwulenverband in Deutschland. Direct peers are Lesbenberatung Berlin e.V., Berliner Aids-Hilfe e.V., Münchner Aids-Hilfe e.V., Aidshilfe Köln e.V., Schwules Netzwerk NRW e.V., Magnus-Hirschfeld-Centrum Hamburg, PULS e.V. München and PLUS Berlin e.V..
Does RUBICON Köln have an API?
No public API is recorded for RUBICON Köln.
What industry is RUBICON Köln in?
RUBICON Köln's product category is Social & Community Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAE, LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAB, Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.