Studentenwerk Gießen

What Studentenwerk Gießen does

Studentenwerk Gießen (legally Studierendenwerk Gießen A. d. ö. R.) is a public-law institution (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts) headquartered at Otto-Behaghel-Straße 23–27 in Gießen, Germany, mandated to provide essential student services across four Central Hesse locations: Gießen, Friedberg, Fulda, and Wetzlar. It serves approximately 48,000 enrolled students at three partner universities — Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, and Hochschule Fulda — through an integrated portfolio spanning affordable housing (3,475 dormitory units managed via the Wohnbörse platform), subsidized food service (Mensen, Cafeterien, Kaffeebars, and Automaten across all four cities, with digital Speisepläne and the Vytal deposit-free reusable container system), BAföG federal financial-aid administration (processing ~8,000 applications annually), social and study-financing counseling, childcare via U3-Kitas KIWIS and PINGUINE, and international student services including ISIC card issuance.

The organization operates a hybrid revenue model anchored on three streams: recurring student housing rent at below-market subsidized rates, transaction-based food-service revenue at per-meal/per-100g pricing (e.g., pasta dishes €2.50–€2.90, salad bar €1.05/100g), and public funding via government subsidies and mandatory student contributions. Customer segmentation is horizontal across four primary personas: enrolled students, international students, student parents, and students with disabilities or chronic illness. Distribution is exclusively direct and on-campus across the four Hochschulstandorte, with no intermediary channels. Digital services include the appWash mobile laundry app, Jobbörse student job board, video counseling, and an email newsletter system.

Strategically, the institution is a member of the Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW) national umbrella and pursues ESG positioning — evidenced by the 2026 PETA Hochschulmensen-Ranking Gold award (87 points) for vegan-friendly dining across three facilities, and the KlimaTeller climate-meal initiative. The organization publicly advocates for student-affairs policy through its 2026 Kommunalwahl Wahlprüfsteine questionnaire and operates as a non-commercial public service entity with no private equity, venture capital, or M&A activity disclosed.

Name

Studentenwerk Gießen

Legal name

Studierendenwerk Gießen A. d. ö. R.

Website

https://studentenwerk-giessen.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studentenwerk Gießen is a public-law institution providing affordable student housing, subsidized dining, BAföG administration, counseling, and childcare services to approximately 48,000 students at three universities across Gießen, Friedberg, Fulda, and Wetzlar in Central Hesse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Student Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Residence Halls & Dormitory Management (On-/Near-Campus) (EDAIALAB)

Keywords

• Student housing services
• University dining services
• Student financial aid
• Social counseling services
• Childcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gießen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Housing Rent: Monthly rental income from 3,475 student dormitory units in Gießen, Friedberg, and Fulda. Rent is priced affordably below market rates as a public service.
2. Food Service Revenue: Revenue from operating Mensen (canteens), Cafeterien, Kaffeebars, and Automaten across university locations in Gießen, Friedberg, Fulda, and Wetzlar. Students pay per meal item.
3. Government Subsidies and Student Fees: Public funding and mandatory student contributions fund core operations including BAföG administration (8,000 applications/year), counseling services, childcare, and international student support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Studentenwerk Gießen is a public-law student services institution that provides affordable student housing (3,475 dormitory places), subsidized campus dining (Mensen, Cafeterien, Kaffeebars, vending machines) at four locations, BAföG application processing (8,000 applications per year), social and study financing counseling, U3 childcare (KIWIS and PINGUINE), and integration support for international students. Services are delivered directly on-site at three partner universities (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, and Hochschule Fulda) serving roughly 48,000 enrolled students in Central Hesse.

Product overview

Studentenwerk Gießen is a public-law institution (A. d. ö. R.) providing comprehensive student services for approximately 48,000 students at three universities in Central Hesse (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, and Hochschule Fulda). The organization operates a portfolio of services organized into seven main areas: Essen & Trinken (dining services including Mensen, Cafeterias, and coffee bars in Gießen, Friedberg, Fulda, and Wetzlar with daily meal plans and Vytal reusable containers), Wohnen (student housing with 3,475 dormitory places across three cities plus a housing exchange platform), Geld (financial services including BAföG processing with 8,000 annual applications, study financing counseling, and study start assistance), Beratung (counseling services including social counseling, study financing advice, disability/chronic illness support, and family services), Kinder (childcare including two U3 daycare facilities KIWIS and PINGUINE, babysitter subsidies, holiday care, and family service office), Internationales (services for international students including ISIC cards and integration programs), and a digital Jobbörse platform. Additional services include laundry management via appWash, insurance advisory, and advocacy activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mensen, Cafeterien, Kaffeebars & Co. (Campus dining facilities)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Justus-Liebig-Universität GießencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary university partner. Studentenwerk provides housing, dining, and support services to approximately 48,000 students enrolled at this university. The university provides institutional support and student enrollment data.
• Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner at Gießen and Friedberg campuses. Studentenwerk provides student services including Mensa THM Gießen, Mensa THM Friedberg, and student housing at these locations.
• Hochschule FuldacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner at Fulda campus. Studentenwerk provides Mensa Hochschule Fulda, student housing, and support services for students at this university.
• Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational umbrella organization representing German student unions (Studierendenwerke). DSW publishes research on student housing and finances, coordinates policy advocacy, and facilitates knowledge sharing among member organizations.
• PETA DeutschlandminorOthersAnimal rights organization that conducts annual Hochschulmensen-Ranking. Studentenwerk Gießen's facilities have received Gold-Ranking recognition (87 points) for vegan-friendly dining options.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Studentenwerk München: Larger Bavarian Studierendenwerk serving multiple Munich universities. Comparable mandate and service portfolio at meaningfully greater scale, useful as a benchmark for what a mature, multi-campus Studierendenwerk operation looks like.
• Studierendenwerk Berlin: Largest German Studierendenwerk, serving Berlin's universities and Hochschulen. Comparable service model — housing, dining, counseling, childcare — but at city-wide scale, providing a reference point for operational complexity and portfolio depth.
• Kölner Studierendenwerk: Major North Rhine-Westphalian Studierendenwerk serving Universität zu Köln and TH Köln. Similar mandate and service mix as Studentenwerk Gießen but at significantly larger scale and in a different state legal framework.

Emerging players

• Greystar Real Estate Partners: Global purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) operator active in Germany. Not a direct competitor to the Studierendenwerk's public-service mandate, but operates in the same student-housing demand pool that Studentenwerk Gießen serves.
• Youniq (International Campus GmbH): German private student housing operator with PBSA properties in multiple university cities. Represents the private-market alternative that competes for the same student housing demand as the public Studierendenwerke.

Others

• Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW): National umbrella organization for all 57 German Studierendenwerke. Strategic partner that publishes research on student housing, coordinates policy advocacy, and facilitates knowledge sharing — explicitly listed as a core partner of Studentenwerk Gießen.

Direct peers

• Studierendenwerk Darmstadt: Hessian Studierendenwerk serving TU Darmstadt and Hochschule Darmstadt. Same public-law mandate and service portfolio — student housing, Mensen, BAföG administration, and counseling — making it a like-for-like peer for benchmarking.
• Studentenwerk Marburg: Hessian Studierendenwerk serving Philipps-Universität Marburg. Operates the same housing/dining/counseling/BAföG model under the same state legal framework as Studentenwerk Gießen, with comparable scale and service mix.
• Studentenwerk Kassel: Hessian Studierendenwerk serving Universität Kassel. Direct peer under the same state-level framework, providing housing, dining, and BAföG services with comparable operational scope to Studentenwerk Gießen.
• Studentenwerk Frankfurt am Main: Regional Studierendenwerk serving Goethe-Universität Frankfurt and Frankfurt UAS. Directly comparable mandate — student housing, Mensen, BAföG processing, and counseling — operating in the same Hessian public-law framework as Studentenwerk Gießen.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKo1C1GCQawQmQJ1Il3xaPw
• Facebookfacebook.com/stwgiessen
• Instagraminstagram.com/stwgiessen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studentenwerk-gie%C3%9Fen

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 Studentenwerk Gießen