What Sterntalerhof does

Sterntalerhof is a charitable association (mildtätiger Verein, ZVR-Zahl 508720458) operating since 1998 as one of the few dedicated pediatric hospices in Austria. Its headquarters is a nature-protected facility at Dorfstraße 35, Loipersdorf-Kitzladen, Südburgenland, comprising residential accommodations for families, therapy rooms, stables for animal-assisted co-therapists (horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, therapy dogs), and the dedicated "Sternenhaus" (Star House) for end-of-life care. Its core service is holistic life, death, and grief support for families with life-threatening or life-limiting ill children, delivered through stationary family stays, ambulatory/outreach care, sibling weeks, grief counseling, and funeral preparation support by an interdisciplinary team of 30+ full-time staff.

The organization's product surface extends beyond direct hospice care into an educational arm — the Akademie am Sterntalerhof (annual Vortragtag, quarterly Hospizcafé), the Café Sterntaler podcast, the semi-annual magazine "Der Sterntaler," and Pferdinands Trostbox, an award-winning grief-support kit for bereaved children and adolescents. Tier-two sub-brands include "Schenken hilft" (gift-box initiative via schenkenhilft.at). Marketing and beneficiary reach are built through community engagement, corporate partner events (Vienna Charity Run, Hilton Vienna Waterfront galas, Pannonia Rock Aid concerts), and a network of 20+ Austrian corporate donors.

Sterntalerhof's revenue model is donation-driven, with no charge to families: private donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations remain the primary funding source, supplemented by benefit-event proceeds and non-tax-deductible gift-box sales. Since autumn 2025, coordination of the volunteer children's hospice team has received partial public funding under Austria's Hospiz- und Palliativfondsgesetz (HosPalFG). The organization holds the Austrian Donation Quality Seal (Österreichisches Spendengütesiegel, Reg.Nr. 05874, held continuously since 2012), is registered for tax-deductible donations (BMF SO 1157), and has been awarded the European Trustmark Quality Seal. It is currently planning a second location in Tyrol to extend services to western Austria.

Name

Sterntalerhof

Legal name

Sterntalerhof – Hospiz für Kinder und Familien

Website

https://sterntalerhof.at

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sterntalerhof is an Austrian pediatric hospice and family support organization (founded 1998) providing life, death, and grief support for families with life-threatening ill children from a nature-based facility in Südburgenland. It runs an Akademie, podcast, and award-winning grief-support products, funded by private donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Care

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care (HLADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Hospice & Palliative Respite Care (HSABAGAG)

Keywords

• Pediatric hospice care
• Palliative care services
• Family grief support
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Nonprofit hospice services

Headquarters

HQ city

Loipersdorf-Kitzladen

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: The primary revenue source since the organization's founding. Private donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations fund all operations. The organization is registered as a tax-deductible charity in Austria (BMF registration SO 1157). Since autumn 2025, the coordination of the honorary children's hospice team receives partial public funding under the Hospiz- und Palliativfondsgesetz (HosPalFG).
2. Benefit Events: Revenue generated through charity events such as the Vienna Charity Run, concerts, markets, and other fundraising activities organized by or for the Sterntalerhof.
3. Gift Boxes (Schenken hilft): The organization operates a gift box initiative through schenkenhilft.at, where purchases support the hospice work, though these are not tax-deductible donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sterntalerhof is a pediatric hospice and family support organization providing life, death, and grief support for families with life-threatening or life-limiting ill children in a protected, nature-based setting in Southern Burgenland, Austria. Its core offerings include inpatient residential care, mobile/outpatient home support, grief counseling, animal-assisted therapy, and educational programs through its in-house Akademie. All services are provided free of charge and funded primarily through private donations.

Product overview

Sterntalerhof operates as a unified hospice service for children and families, comprising core inpatient care (stationäre Familienbetreuung) complemented by educational programs through the Akademie (including Café Sterntaler podcast and Vortragtag), specialized grief support tools like Pferdinands Trostbox, semi-annual magazine "Der Sterntaler", mobile/ambulatory services (ambulante Begleitung), and annual charity events. The organization provides a comprehensive continuum of life, death, and grief support services centered on a protected natural environment with animal-assisted therapy as a distinctive therapeutic approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pferdinands Trostbox: A grief support box developed by Sterntalerhof's grief therapists, containing materials to support children and adolescents after the loss of a loved one.
• Schenken hilft

Products and services

• Stationäre Familienbetreuung (Inpatient Family Care) Residential inpatient care at the Sterntalerhof facility providing family-centered support for families with seriously ill children, including therapy, counseling, respite care, and end-of-life accompaniment in a protected natural environment.
• Ambulante Begleitung (Mobile/Outpatient Support) Mobile/outpatient hospice and palliative care services brought directly to families in their homes and communities across Austria, delivered by the interdisciplinary Sterntalerhof team.
• Trauerbegleitung (Grief Counseling) Bereavement counseling services for families after the loss of a child, delivered through individual and group sessions by trained grief counselors at Sterntalerhof.
• Akademie am Sterntalerhof (Academy) Educational arm of Sterntalerhof offering lectures, workshops, the annual Vortragtag, quarterly Hospizcafé gatherings, and professional development programs for caregivers, professionals, and the broader public.
• Café Sterntaler Podcast Podcast series featuring conversations about hospice care, grief, trauma, and family experiences with Sterntalerhof staff, families, and external experts.
• Pferdinands Trostbox (Ferdinand's Comfort Box) A collection of materials developed by Sterntalerhof's grief therapists to support children and adolescents in grief after the loss of a loved one; awarded the SozialMarie 2025 audience prize and 4th place expert jury prize.
• Magazin „Der Sterntaler" Semi-annual magazine published by Sterntalerhof featuring family stories, background reporting, and current news about the hospice and its work.
• Benefiz-Veranstaltungen (Charity Events) Charity events and fundraisers including the Vienna Charity Run, concerts, markets, and community events that raise funds and awareness for the hospice.
• Tiergestützte Therapie (Animal-Assisted Therapy) Animal-assisted therapy services featuring horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, and therapy dogs as co-therapists in the healing process for children and families at Sterntalerhof.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Schweizerhaus (Family Karl Kolarik)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term supporter of children's flea market event, doubling proceeds each year
• Business Campus OberwartsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent ambassadors (Sternderl-Botschafter*innen) from this business school support the organization
• Claudia Mogg-HeindlsupportingOthersCustomer center employee at Grawe in Hartberg who volunteers as a children's hospice companion for the organization's families
• Pannonia Rock AidsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMusic group organizing benefit concerts ('Back to the Future') to support the organization
• Missio ÖsterreichsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCatholic missionary organization that supports the organization's work
• EO Oberwart (Shopping Center)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerShopping center management organizes fundraising activities and events
• Charity Sports (Christoph Vetchy)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganizer of Vienna Charity Run charity sports events

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS): Scotland's national pediatric hospice operator running residential hospices, home-care teams, and bereavement services — analogous in mission to Sterntalerhof but at national scale.
• St. Nikolaus Kinderhospiz: Bad Grönenbach-based children's hospice run by the St. Nikolaus Kinderhospizverein, offering palliative care, respite, and bereavement support comparable to Sterntalerhof's pediatric palliative offering.
• Martin House Children's Hospice: UK-based children's hospice serving Yorkshire providing residential, community, and bereavement support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families — a directly comparable operating model.
• Regenbogenland Düsseldorf: Children's hospice in Düsseldorf offering inpatient, ambulatory, and sibling support for families of seriously ill children, closely comparable to Sterntalerhof's interdisciplinary team approach.
• Kinderhospiz Balthasar: German pediatric hospice in Olpe providing residential care, ambulatory support, and grief counseling for families of seriously ill children. Closely mirrors Sterntalerhof's holistic family-centered service model.
• Kinder- und Jugendhospiz Löwenherz: Pediatric hospice in Syke, Lower Saxony offering inpatient, outpatient, and sibling-support services comparable to Sterntalerhof's stationäre Familienbetreuung and ambulante Begleitung model.
• Kinderhospiz Sternenbrücke: Hamburg-based pediatric hospice providing inpatient, outpatient, and family grief support for children with life-limiting illnesses. Direct peer in mission, model, and services to Sterntalerhof, operating in the neighboring German market.

Broad incumbents

• Malteser Kinderhospiz- und Familienbegleitdienst: National Malteser pediatric hospice and family accompaniment service across Germany. Operates as a broader-incumbent with overlapping pediatric hospice and family support services, but at much larger scale than Sterntalerhof.
• Hospiz Österreich: Austrian umbrella hospice organization coordinating hospice and palliative care policy, training, and standards. Acts as a broad incumbent setting the national framework within which Sterntalerhof operates.

Emerging players

• Together for Short Lives: UK charity supporting children's palliative care services through advocacy, research, and family support. Comparable as an ecosystem and standards-setting organization for pediatric hospice care, though it does not directly deliver residential hospice services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sterntalerhof

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sterntalerhof