What Stadtbienen does

Stadtbienen is a Berlin-based nonprofit social enterprise (gGmbH) founded in 2014 that operates at the intersection of urban beekeeping, ecological education, and corporate sustainability services. The organization manages 378 bee colonies on corporate sites and 14 wild meadows, has trained more than 1,000 children as bee ambassadors through its Bienenbotschafter school program, and maintains a 80+ strong network of beekeepers and instructors across 25 cities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Its core product is the BienenBox, a purpose-designed urban beehive manufactured in partnership with Berliner Werkstätten für Menschen mit Behinderung, sold starting at €439 and complemented by Schnupperkurse (taster courses), Imkerkurse (full beekeeping certification at €395), and an Orientierungsseminar for prospective beekeepers.

The business model combines three revenue streams: direct-to-consumer education (courses and BienenBox sales), B2B corporate services branded as 'Bienen im Unternehmen' (on-site colony management) and 'Wilde Wiese' (ecological meadow consulting), and institutional programs including school-based bee ambassador training. Named B2B clients include Arcotel and Heimstaden, indicating hotel and real estate verticals. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the nonprofit structure routes surplus toward mission expansion rather than shareholder returns. Impact measurement is handled by PHINEO, providing independent ESG validation that supports the corporate sales pipeline.

Strategically, Stadtbienen has scaled geographically across the DACH region, expanded its product line beyond honeybees into wild pollinator solutions (WildbienenBox), and broadened its customer base through the 2023–2025 Familien schwärmen aus project targeting intergenerational and intercultural community engagement. The 2025 Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis Produkte award signals growing recognition in the German sustainability market, though the company remains a small-staffed nonprofit (19 core employees) with a capital-light contractor-led operating model.

Name

Stadtbienen

Legal name

Stadtbienen gGmbH

Website

https://stadtbienen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stadtbienen is a Berlin-based nonprofit social enterprise that runs urban beekeeping courses, sells the BienenBox urban hive, and provides corporate pollinator and biodiversity services across 25 DACH cities, serving consumers, schools, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Beekeeping & Biodiversity Education

NAICS

Apiculture (112910), Apiculture (11291)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services (AFAEAHAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Hives, Frames, Tools, PPE) (AFAEAHAI), Apiary Management Services (Contract Beekeeping, Hive Maintenance) (AFAEAHAJ), Beekeeping & Apiculture (EDAOAOAL)

Keywords

• Ecological beekeeping education
• Urban biodiversity services
• Corporate sustainability programs
• Beehive hardware products
• Environmental education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Beekeeping Courses: Annual Imkerkurse (year-long ecological beekeeping courses, ~8 sessions over a bee year) and seasonal Schnupperkurse (single-day taster courses, May–September) and an Orientierungsseminar (online orientation). Courses are sold as individual seats (per person). The Imkerkurs costs 395 EUR per participant.
2. BienenBox Hardware Sales: Sale of the BienenBox (beehive, starting at 439 EUR) and associated accessories (stand, balcony bracket, smoker, etc.) to private individuals and corporate customers. Manufactured in Berlin by Berliner Werkstätten für Menschen mit Behinderung.
3. Corporate Biodiversity Solutions: B2B packages for companies including corporate bee hosting (Firmenbienen mieten) with bee colonies on company premises, ecological care by professional beekeepers, and Wilde Wiese biodiversity landscaping (roof, facade, outdoor areas). Generates impact data for corporate sustainability reporting.
4. Gift Certificates: Value gift certificates (Wertgutschein, 395 EUR) sold as gifts, redeemable for any course. Valid for three years.
5. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and companies to fund environmental education for children without financial means (spenden.stadtbienen.org).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stadtbienen is a nonprofit social enterprise (gGmbH) that delivers ecological beekeeping education through year-long Imkerkurse, single-day Schnupperkurse, and an online Orientierungsseminar, and manufactures and sells the BienenBox urban beehive (Trogbeute) with accessories. For corporate clients it provides Bienen im Unternehmen (hosted honeybee colonies with ecological care and employee seminars) and Wilde Wiese biodiversity landscaping, while schools and kindergartens subscribe to Kita- und Schulbienen environmental education programs. The organization operates across 25 cities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with a core Berlin team and a network of 80+ trained beekeepers.

Product overview

Stadtbienen operates as a nonprofit social enterprise (gGmbH) offering a portfolio of educational services and physical products centered on ecological beekeeping and urban biodiversity. The core offering consists of BienenBox, a specially designed urban beehive for balconies and rooftops, complemented by comprehensive beekeeping education through annual Imkerkurse, introductory Schnupperkurse, and online Orientierungsseminare. For corporate clients, the company provides Bienen im Unternehmen (honeybee colonies with care and education) and Wilde Wiese (natural landscaping services). Educational programs extend to schools and daycares through Kita- und Schulbienen. Physical products include the BienenBox (starting at 439 EUR), WildbienenBox for wild bees, and gift vouchers. The company operates across 21 German cities, 3 Austrian cities, and Zurich, Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BienenBox: A specially designed beehive for urban balconons, rooftops, and gardens, developed for ecological beekeeping.
• WildbienenBox
• Wilde Wiese
• Imkerkurse

Products and services

• BienenBox A specially designed beehive (Trogbeute) for urban balcony, rooftop, or garden use. Features natural comb construction, removable floor for varroa mite inspection, ventilation system, and viewing window. Produced from FSC-certified wood from local forestry, manufactured and packed in Berlin by Berliner Werkstätten für Menschen mit Behinderung. Sold to private hobby beekeepers and corporate customers starting at 439 EUR, with accessories (stand, balcony bracket, smoker) sold separately.
• WildbienenBox A nesting habitat specifically designed for wild bees as part of Stadtbienen's biodiversity promotion projects. Used to support solitary and wild bee populations distinct from the honeybee-focused BienenBox offering.
• Imkerkurs (Annual Beekeeping Course) Comprehensive annual course teaching ecological beekeeping following the natural annual cycle of honeybees. Includes approximately 8 sessions of theoretical introduction and hands-on practical training over a full beekeeping year. Priced at 395 EUR per participant. Delivered across 21 German cities (Augsburg, Berlin, Bonn, Bremen, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Erfurt, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Hamburg, Hannover, Kassel, Köln, Leipzig, Mannheim, Mainz, München, Münster, Nürnberg, Stuttgart), 3 Austrian cities (Graz, St. Pölten, Wien), and Zürich, Switzerland.
• Schnupperkurs (Taster Course) Single-day practical introductory course for interested adults, offered seasonally between May and September. Approximately 4 hours in duration with around 20 participants per session. Gift certificates (Wertgutschein) of 395 EUR are redeemable for Schnupperkurse.
• Digitales Orientierungsseminar (Online Orientation Seminar) Online introductory seminar providing a digital entry into the world of bees and beekeeping, suitable for remote learning before committing to a full in-person Imkerkurs or Schnupperkurs.
• Bienen im Unternehmen (Bees at Company) Corporate service providing honeybee colonies on company premises with full ecological care by professional beekeepers, complemented by educational seminars for employees. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated directly with each company. Combined with impact reporting, it serves corporate sustainability and ESG strategies.
• Wilde Wiese (Wild Meadow) Corporate biodiversity service for natural landscaping of company grounds, including roofs, facades, and outdoor areas. Includes the creation of educational trails with information panels. Designed to deliver measurable impact for corporate sustainability reporting while strengthening climate resilience on site.
• Kita- und Schulbienen (Daycare and School Bees) Environmental education program establishing and maintaining beehives at school and daycare (Kita) facilities. Stadtbienen either provides full on-site stewardship with structured courses or trains teachers to lead their own independent bee groups (Bienen-AGs). Delivered as a paid engagement with educational institutions and municipalities.
• Wertgutschein (Gift Voucher) Digital gift voucher worth 395 EUR, redeemable for any Stadtbienen course including Imkerkurs, Schnupperkurs, and Digitales Orientierungsseminar. Valid for three years from purchase. Functions as both a paid offering and a referral/marketing mechanism.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of course graduates continue beekeeping using ecological criteria
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PHINEOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020PHINEO has supported Stadtbienen since 2020 with impact measurement methodology. PHINEO is a nonprofit analysis platform that evaluates social impact organizations, helping Stadtbienen measure and communicate the effectiveness of its environmental education and biodiversity projects.
• Berliner Werkstätten für Menschen mit Behinderung (BWB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BienenBox is manufactured and packed by Berliner Werkstätten für Menschen mit Behinderung, a workshop providing employment for people with disabilities in South Berlin. This partnership ensures social sustainability and local production quality control over the entire supply chain.
• DHL (Deutsche Post AG)minorOthersDHL (Deutsche Post AG, Bonn) is used as the shipping partner for physical products (BienenBox), with customers expressly consenting to data transfer for shipment delivery.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's largest nature conservation NGO, running bee education programs, habitat initiatives, and corporate biodiversity partnerships. NABU is a broad incumbent in the same advocacy and education space, with a wider species and policy scope than Stadtbienen.
• Deutscher Imkerbund e.V. National umbrella association for German beekeepers, with regional member associations delivering education, certification, and advocacy. As a broad incumbent, it covers the conventional beekeeping market Stadtbienen targets with its ecological niche, including annual courses and certifications.

Others

• PHINEO gAG: German social-impact analysis and advisory nonprofit that has supported Stadtbienen with impact measurement since 2020. PHINEO is an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, providing third-party validation that underpins Stadtbienen's CSR positioning.

Direct peers

• Best Bees Company: US-based full-service beekeeping company managing hives for homes, businesses, and institutions, with a research and data focus. It is a direct corporate-bee-hosting peer to Stadtbienen and an emerging global model the DACH market is replicating.
• Mellifera e.V. German nonprofit beekeeping association focused on ecological beekeeping and bee-friendly habitat, with educational programs and advocacy. Mellifera overlaps with Stadtbienen on ecological beekeeping philosophy, course content, and pollinator advocacy in the German-speaking market.
• Alvéole: Montreal-based urban beekeeping company installing and maintaining bee colonies on corporate rooftops and schools across North America and Europe, with employee education seminars. Alveole is the closest direct peer to Stadtbienen's 'Bienen im Unternehmen' line, offering the same corporate-bee-hosting playbook Stadtbienen uses in DACH.
• Bienenkiste (Bauerhaus): Germany-based inventor and supplier of a simple, low-intervention backyard beehive (Kistenbeute) aimed at hobbyist and natural beekeepers. The Bienenkiste targets the same urban/backyard hobbyist segment as the BienenBox with a competing philosophy of minimal intervention and natural comb building.

Emerging players

• Flow Hive Australia: Australian company that designs and sells a patented honey-harvesting hive aimed at hobbyist and backyard beekeepers globally. Flow Hive competes with BienenBox in the urban/hobbyist hardware niche but with a different value proposition (convenience-focused harvesting vs. ecological method).
• BeeWild / Wildbienen-Patenschaften (e.g., SUMSEJ): German wild-bee conservation organizations offering sponsorships, nesting habitats, and education. They are partial peers in the pollinator-education and corporate-biodiversity space, especially for the WildbienenBox and Wilde Wiese sub-products.

Regional players

• Plan BEE (UK): UK-based social enterprise offering corporate bee colony hosting, training, and CSR programs for UK businesses. Plan Bee overlaps with Stadtbienen's corporate offering but operates in a different geography, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stadtbienen

Compliance3 records

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 Stadtbienen