Urban Souls E.V.

What Urban Souls E.V. does

HEIZHAUS gGmbH (formerly Urban Souls e.V.) is a Leipzig-based, non-profit socio-cultural center and certified "freier Träger der Jugendhilfe" (free provider of youth welfare services) operating since 2002. The organization runs a multi-program platform anchored by an indoor skate hall and dance rooms in the Grünau district, supplemented by two outdoor skate facilities and satellite project sites across Leipzig (including Conne Island and the Allee-Center). Its service portfolio spans open youth work (HEIZe), school-to-career transition support (SELBST.BEWUSST, SKILL UP!), sports promotion (skateboarding, BMX, MTB, scooter, rollerblade, Breaking, Hip Hop), dance and music programs, graffiti coordination, senior meeting places (Nebenan, Mittendrin, ZeitRaum), media education (Medienkiosk), migration support (Perspectives), care-leaver advocacy (Careleaver* Kollektiv), and a model project mentoring healthcare professionals with immigration history.

The organization has no proprietary technology product; its operational stack comprises off-the-shelf SaaS tools — Yolawo for online booking of sports courses, Stripe for payment processing, Zoho for fellowship application forms, Google Analytics for web measurement, and standard social-media embeds (Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube). Core technical "assets" are physical: a weather-independent indoor skate hall, dance and music rooms, an open atelier, and a community foyer.

The business model is non-commercial. HEIZHAUS is organized as a gemeinnützige GmbH (non-profit limited liability company), with a parallel sports-promotion association (HEIZHAUS Leipzig e.V., founded June 2023). Revenue derives from public-sector grants (youth welfare funding at federal/state/city level), tax-deductible donations, modest differentiated facility usage fees (weekday vs. weekend/event pricing for volunteer and program access), and freelance Honorarkraft compensation arrangements. The organization reaches more than 50,000 people annually across its programs and is staffed by 32 full-time employees, more than 80 freelance workers, and a large volunteer base — governance is led by Managing Director Sven Bielig, with a separate three-person board (Martin Klimpel, Tony Behrends, Ricky Felchner) overseeing the sports association.

Name

Urban Souls E.V.

Legal name

HEIZHAUS gGmbH

Website

https://urban-souls.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HEIZHAUS gGmbH (formerly Urban Souls e.V.) is a Leipzig-based non-profit socio-cultural center and certified youth-welfare provider, operating an indoor skate hall, dance and music programs, senior services, and migration support, serving more than 50,000 children, youth, and seniors annually through public funding and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cultural Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Dance Companies (711120), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI), Recreational Outings, Community Participation & Mobility Support (Non-Clinical) (HSABAAAI)

Keywords

• Youth welfare services
• Community cultural center
• Skate sports facility
• Intergenerational programs
• Socio-educational programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Public Funding: As a non-profit organization (gemeinnützig), HEIZHAUS gGmbH relies on donations and public funding to support its socio-cultural and youth welfare programs.
2. Usage Fees: The organization charges usage fees for skate hall and facility access, with differentiated pricing for weekdays versus weekends and holidays.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HEIZHAUS gGmbH (formerly Urban Souls e.V.) operates a socio-cultural community center in Leipzig providing weather-independent sports facilities (indoor skate hall, outdoor skate parks), dance spaces, music and graffiti programs, open youth work, school-to-career transition support, learning/homework help, and senior community programs. The organization also hosts events such as the Deutsche Skateboard Meisterschaft and coordinates a voluntary service program. As a freier Träger der Jugendhilfe and gemeinnützige GmbH, it is a non-profit delivering free or low-cost programs for children, youth, young adults, and seniors.

Product overview

HEIZHAUS (formerly Urban Souls e.V.) is a socio-cultural community center in Leipzig operating as a multi-faceted platform of interconnected projects and offerings. The core facilities include an indoor skate hall and dance spaces, which serve as the anchor for a broader ecosystem of youth work, music, media, graffiti coordination, and senior programs. Major program modules include HEIZE (open youth work), SELBST.BEWUSST (school-to-career transition), the SKILL UP! learning support program, and various senior meeting places (Nebenan, Mittendrin, ZeitRaum). Additional specialized offerings include the Careleaver* Kollektiv, Perspectives (migration support), Medienkiosk (media education), and Offenes Atelier Grünau (art studio). The organization also hosts the German Skateboard Championship and operates a voluntary service program (Freiwilligendienst). As of February 2024, Urban Souls e.V. transformed into HEIZHAUS gGmbH, with a parallel sports association (HEIZHAUS Leipzig e.V.) founded in June 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HEIZHAUS Skatehalle (Skate Hall) Indoor skate hall offering weather-independent facilities for skateboarding, BMX, MTB, scooter, and rollerblading activities, including structured courses and open training sessions for young people and sports enthusiasts in Leipzig.
• Tanzräume (Dance Spaces) Dance rooms hosting weekly courses, holiday projects, battles, performances, and open training sessions in various styles including Breaking and Hip Hop Dance, for children, youth, and dance enthusiasts.
• HEIZE - Offene Kinder- und Jugendarbeit (Open Youth Work) Open youth work project serving as a central meeting point for children and teenagers, combining music, dance, skate, graffiti, and creative offerings with social work support for personal, school, and career challenges.
• SELBST.BEWUSST (School-to-Career Transition)

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Stadtsportbund Leipzig e.V.coreOthersCity sports association providing institutional support and network connections for sports promotion activities.
• Landessportbund Sachsen e.V.coreOthersState sports association in Saxony supporting sports development and organization-wide initiatives.
• Rollsport- und Inlineverband Sachsen e.V.coreOthersSaxon rollsport and inline association supporting skate and roller sports activities and competitions.
• Landestanzsportverband Sachsen e.V.coreOthersSaxon dance sports association supporting dance programs and dance-related activities.
• Sächsischer Radfahrer-Bund e.V.supportingOthersSaxon cycling association providing support for cycling-related programs.
• Deutscher Tanzsportverband e.V.supportingOthersGerman dance sports federation supporting dance programs at national level.
• Conne IslandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner location for skateboard activities in Leipzig Connewitz since the early years of the organization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Skateistan: International nonprofit using skateboarding as a vehicle for youth education and empowerment, with public funding and donor-supported programs. Comparable to HEIZHAUS in the combination of action-sports facilities, formal youth development outcomes, and reliance on grants/donations.
• Culturtraeger e.V. Leipzig-based freier Träger der Jugendhilfe providing socio-cultural youth work, music, dance, and creative education. Directly comparable in mission, legal status, and Leipzig geography; named in HEIZHAUS's own donor acknowledgements.
• Familia e.V. Leipzig: Leipzig association offering open youth work, migration support, and family services. Comparable to HEIZHAUS as a freier Träger serving migrant, youth, and neighborhood populations in Leipzig with public funding.
• Skateboard e.V. Stuttgart (Hafen Stuttgart): Stuttgart nonprofit running the Hafen Stuttgart indoor skatepark with structured youth work, school programs, and community offerings. Directly comparable to HEIZHAUS as a German member-based skate community organization with social welfare mandate.
• all eins e.V. (Mellowpark Berlin): Berlin-based nonprofit operating the Mellowpark, a combined indoor/outdoor skate and BMX facility paired with youth and community programs. Closest direct comparison to HEIZHAUS: a freier Träger der Jugendhilfe delivering subculture-rooted sports and social work in a single physical location.

Emerging players

• The Boardr: US-based organization producing the Tampa Pro and other major amateur/pro skateboard competitions, alongside grassroots programming. Comparable to HEIZHAUS in the combination of event production (Deutsche Skateboard Meisterschaft) and youth-focused skate community building, though operating in a more commercial US context.

Regional players

• Hafen 16 (Jugendkulturzentrum): German youth culture center combining music, dance, and creative programming with formal youth welfare status. Comparable to HEIZHAUS in operating model and target demographics, though outside Leipzig.
• Schweriner SUB (Soziokulturelles Bildungswerk): Schwerin/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sociocultural center offering youth work, dance, music, and creative education. Comparable to HEIZHAUS in combining subculture-rooted facilities with formal freier Träger status in a smaller German city.
• Conne Island: Long-running Leipzig cultural and political center in Connewitz and a long-standing partner of Urban Souls / HEIZHAUS for skate activities. Comparable as a Leipzig subculture and youth gathering space, but focused on music, events, and political work rather than social-pedagogical programming.
• Treibhaus e.V. Döbeln: Saxony-based youth and subculture community center with skate and creative programming, listed as a supporter/partner of HEIZHAUS. Comparable as a regional freier Träger delivering youth cultural work in smaller Saxony cities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/heizhausleipzig
• Instagraminstagram.com/heizhaus_leipzig
• Xx.com/HeizhausL
• Pinterestpinterest.com/heizhausleipzig
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-souls-e.v.

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Urban Souls E.V.