sportainable

What sportainable does

sportainable is a non-profit research institute (Denkfabrik) registered in Germany as 'Verein zur Förderung der Denkfabrik sportainable e.V.' and headquartered in Bayreuth, Bavaria. Founded in 2022 by Prof. Dr. Peter Kuhn, a retired University of Bayreuth sport scientist who coined the term 'sportainable' and pioneered empirical sport ecology since 1992/1996, the organization conducts applied sustainability research aimed at transforming sport toward resource and emission minimization, recycling optimization, ecological compatibility, and social justice. It serves sports organizations (clubs, federations, leagues), researchers and academics, sports policy makers, and sports product/service providers seeking evidence-based sustainability frameworks and assessment tools aligned with the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and ESRS standards.

The organization's core outputs are research-based frameworks rather than a unified software platform. sportainableSCORE is a sustainability scoring instrument that measures and communicates the sustainability of sports products, services, and organizations using European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), co-developed with technology partner planetics and strategic partner Sport-Thieme. sportainable DOUGHNUT applies Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics model to sports, evaluating activities against social foundations and ecological ceilings, with Bayerischer Landessportverband and usefulprojects as partners. The 5win Mobility App is a digital tool for optimizing carpooling among athletes and fans traveling to sports events. A planned Handbook on Education for Sustainable Development in Sport is expected in 2025, and the recurring Sustainable Sports Symposium series (1st edition 2023, 5th edition planned for 2027 in Kufstein, Austria) functions as a primary channel for thought leadership and network expansion.

The organization has 11 employees and operates a non-commercial funding model. Revenue streams consist of annual membership fees from its Förderverein (booster club, established June 3, 2023), tax-deductible donations collected through the Twingle platform, and third-party research grants (Drittmittel), including funding through its partnership with Bayerischer Landessportverband. All research outputs, tools, and educational content are distributed free of charge via the website and blog. No external investors, parent company, or institutional funding rounds are evidenced; the trademark 'sportainable' is held by the founder, and governance rests with a board led by Sebastian Kleine (1st chairperson), Manuel Sand (2nd chairperson), Frederik Hornung (treasurer), and Andreas Kopp (secretary), with Dr. Nathalie Prüschenk on the advisory board.

Name

sportainable

Legal name

Verein zur Förderung der Denkfabrik sportainable e.V.

Website

https://sportainable.eco

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

sportainable is a Germany-based non-profit research institute (think tank) founded in 2022 that develops sustainability assessment frameworks, tools, and educational programs for sports organizations, federations, and product providers, primarily funded through booster-club memberships, donations, and third-party research grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Sports Research and Consulting

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAKAK

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

Keywords

• Sustainable sports research
• Sport sustainability consulting
• Sustainability assessment tools
• Environmental sport research
• Sustainable development education

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The booster club (Förderverein) generates funds through annual membership fees from supporters and sponsors who wish to contribute to sustainable sports research and education.
2. Donations: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations through their Twingle fundraising platform for general support of their activities.
3. Third-Party Research Funding: Research projects are financed through third-party funding (Drittmittel) from various sources, including partnerships with sports organizations like Bayerischer Landessportverband.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

sportainable conducts applied sustainability research for the sports sector and develops practical tools, frameworks, and educational content to support the transformation of sport toward resource efficiency, emission reduction, and social responsibility. Its core deliverables include the sportainableSCORE sustainability assessment instrument, the sportainable DOUGHNUT analytical framework, the 5win mobility app for sports-related carpooling, and educational publications such as the Handbook on Education for Sustainable Development in Sport.

Product overview

sportainable is a non-profit think tank (Denkfabrik) for sustainable sport that offers a portfolio of research-based tools and frameworks rather than a unified software platform. Its core products include sportainableSCORE (a sustainability assessment and communication instrument based on ESRS), sportainable DOUGHNUT (applying Doughnut Economics to sports contexts), and 5win (a mobility app for optimizing carpooling in sports). The organization also produces educational publications such as the Handbook on Education for Sustainable Development in Sport. These offerings are research-driven and developed through collaborative projects with partners in the sports sector, aimed at making sustainability in sport visible, measurable, and actionable for stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• sportainableSCORE: A sustainability scoring instrument to evaluate and communicate the sustainability of sports products, services, and organizations based on ESRS standards.
• sportainable DOUGHNUT
• 5win – sportainable Mobility App

Products and services

• sportainableSCORE A sustainability scoring instrument that measures and communicates the sustainability of sports products, services, and organizations based on European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), providing transparent and differentiated information for consumers and users.
• sportainable DOUGHNUT An analytical framework applying Doughnut Economics principles (by Kate Raworth) to sports, evaluating sports activities against social foundations and ecological ceilings to identify sustainable development pathways for the sports sector.
• 5win – sportainable Mobility App

Quantifiable outcome

• Development of sportainableSCORE prototype for measuring sustainability based on ESRS
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bayerischer Landessportverband (BLSV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLSV is a key cooperation partner for the sportainable DOUGHNUT project, contributing to the development of sustainability frameworks for Bavarian sports organizations. Also partner for the 5win mobility app development.
• planeticscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for the sportainableSCORE project, providing technical infrastructure for the sustainability scoring platform.
• Sport-Thieme GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the sportainableSCORE project, contributing to the development of sustainability assessment criteria for sports products and services.
• usefulprojectssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the sportainable DOUGHNUT project, providing expertise in sustainability application and implementation.
• Martens Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbHsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal consultancy engaged as data processor for conducting stakeholder surveys and materiality analyses in sustainability research.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Öko-Institut: One of Europe's leading independent applied sustainability research institutes, working on environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Comparable as a non-profit research operator applying sustainability science to multiple sectors, including sports-adjacent topics.
• South Pole Group: Major global sustainability solutions provider offering climate consulting, carbon credits, and ESG services. Comparable as a much larger commercial counterpart that also serves sports organizations and could become a competitor sportainable must differentiate against.
• Green Sports Alliance: North American coalition of sports leagues, teams, and venues working on environmental sustainability. Comparable in mission and member-network model, but larger and more established with a regional rather than European focus.

Direct peers

• Sport Positive: UK-based initiative that tracks, ranks, and ranks sport organizations on sustainability and runs the Sport Positive Summit. Directly comparable in combining sustainability measurement, events, and thought leadership specifically for the sport sector.
• planetics: Technology partner behind sportainableSCORE's underlying platform and a fellow European sport-sustainability data venture. Directly comparable as a digital and data infrastructure provider for sports sustainability assessment.
• Pledgeball: Sustainability-focused sport organization that mobilizes fans, clubs, and governing bodies around climate action. Highly comparable as a sport-specific sustainability platform operating across Europe with event-driven engagement and behavior-change tools similar to sportainable's 5win app.
• Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI): European umbrella organization advancing sustainability in the sport sector through research, events, and policy work. Directly comparable as a multi-stakeholder platform building frameworks, networks, and standards for sustainable sport — overlapping sportainable's research-and-events model.
• usefulprojects: Sustainability strategy and transformation consultancy that is both a sportainable partner (core DOUGHNUT project) and a peer in applying sustainability frameworks to organizations. Comparable as a practical sustainability-engagement partner to sports and cultural institutions.

Emerging players

• Stiftung Nachhaltigkeit (Foundation for Sustainability): German non-profit foundation promoting sustainability across sectors, including sport. Comparable as a non-profit foundation structure driving sustainability research and education, with similar funding model constraints.

Others

• UNESCO Sport for Development: United Nations programme that uses sport as a vehicle for sustainable development goals. Comparable as an international reference framework for sport's social and environmental contribution, against which sportainable's research and DOUGHNUT framework can be benchmarked.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sportainable
• Instagraminstagram.com/sportainable

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 sportainable