What Vodafone Stiftung does

Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland gGmbH is a non-profit foundation (gemeinnützige GmbH) headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, with a Berlin representation office. Established in 1999 and operating as part of the Vodafone Group's corporate social responsibility infrastructure, the foundation pursues educational equity and digital skills development in the German education system, with selected pan-European reach. It serves schools (K-10), teachers, families with children, and policymakers through a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a unified commercial product. Core programs include Coding For Tomorrow (digital education hub active in 7 Bundesländer), LeseKI:DS (AI-supported reading promotion in elementary schools launched March 2025), Skills Upload Jr (pan-European digital learning initiative spanning 7 countries), Kliick (media literacy campaign), and EducationY-managed buddY and familY programs (social-emotional learning and parent education), alongside Deutscher Lehrerpreis and the legacy Teach First Deutschland fellowship. The foundation's value proposition combines digital skills curricula, social-emotional learning, and evidence-based policy research delivered through direct school partnerships, teacher training, events, and policy papers, with research collaborations at Weizenbaum-Institut, Hector-Institut Tübingen, and FiBS. The foundation is governed by a three-person Geschäftsführung (Marc Konarski as chair, Daniel Walther, and Julia Ebert joining July 2026) and a Beirat chaired by Marcel de Groot.

Name

Vodafone Stiftung

Legal name

Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland gGmbH

Website

https://vodafone-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland gGmbH is a non-profit foundation in Düsseldorf, Germany, delivering digital education, AI-supported reading, and social-emotional learning programs to schools, teachers, and families across Germany and selected European countries as part of the Vodafone Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Foundation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Development & Teacher Training Media (EDAGALAI), Open Multimedia OER (video, audio, podcasts, animations) (EDAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Digital education programs
• Teacher training services
• Media literacy initiatives
• Educational equity foundation
• Social-emotional learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding: As a non-profit foundation (gGmbH) affiliated with Vodafone Group, the foundation operates primarily through funding from Vodafone Group and Vodafone Group Foundation. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vodafone Stiftung operates a portfolio of educational programs in Germany focused on digital skills, AI-supported reading, media literacy, and social-emotional learning for schools, teachers, students, and families. Programs are delivered at no cost to beneficiaries, funded by the Vodafone Group Foundation, and offered in partnership with academic and educational organizations across Germany and Europe.

Product overview

Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland is a foundation focused on digital education and educational equity in Germany. The organization operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a unified software product. Core programs include Coding For Tomorrow (digital education hub), LeseKI:DS (AI-supported reading), Skills Upload Jr (pan-European digital learning), and Kliick (media literacy). Supporting programs include EducationY-managed offerings: buddY (social competency), familY (parent education), Deutscher Lehrerpreis (teacher recognition), and Teach First Deutschland (fellowship program). The foundation also publishes policy papers and studies on education topics including AI in education and digital school financing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coding For Tomorrow: Hub for digital education of the Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland, offering coding, robotics, and 21st Century Skills training for students and teachers
• Kliick
• Skills Upload Jr
• LeseKI:DS

Products and services

• Coding For Tomorrow Hub for digital education of the Vodafone Stiftung providing training, workshops, holiday camps, and educational materials aligned with German state media competency frameworks for teachers and students in grades 1-10.
• LeseKI:DS AI-supported reading promotion program for elementary school students that uses artificial intelligence to help children develop reading skills.
• Skills Upload Jr Pan-European initiative promoting participation through digital learning, jointly implemented by Vodafone foundations across seven European countries.
• Kliick Social media awareness campaign aimed at empowering young people as confident and opinionated creators of digital media, addressing misinformation and media literacy.
• buddY-Programm School-based social competency program promoting perspective-taking, reflection, cooperation, conflict resolution, and communication skills through peer-based learning.
• familY-Programm Parent education program supporting families in optimizing learning conditions for children during the transition from kindergarten (Kita) to elementary school.
• EducationY Non-profit organization managing innovative educational programs including buddY and familY, focused on social, emotional, and digital competencies.
• Deutscher Lehrerpreis Nationwide competition that recognizes engaged and creative teachers for their contributions to education in Germany.
• Teach First Deutschland Fellowship program placing committed academics in schools in challenging environments for two years to help students achieve better educational outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,800 schools reached with social-emotional and digital education programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Weizenbaum-InstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2025Joint development of policy paper 'Datenbasiert zum Erfolg' on data-based education transformation. The Weizenbaum-Institut provides research excellence and interdisciplinary digitalization research.
• Tech and TeachcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Coding For Tomorrow cooperates with the non-profit project provider Tech and Teach for the delivery of educational programs and curriculum development.
• EducationYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducationY (formerly buddY e.V.) is a key partner implementing buddY and familY programs. Vodafone Stiftung was founding funder and supported the organization from 2005 onwards.
• Hector-Institut für Empirische Bildungsforschung (Universität Tübingen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with the Hector Institute for Empirical Educational Research at the University of Tübingen for policy papers on AI in education.
• Forschungsinstitut für Bildungs- und Sozialökonomie (FiBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned study on financing of school digitalization in Germany examining structural deficits in funding and governance.
• Vodafone Stiftungen (Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkills Upload Jr is a pan-European initiative involving Vodafone foundations in Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Turkey.
• Teach For AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of independent initiatives. Vodafone Stiftung was founding partner of Teach First Deutschland from 2008-2012.
• Stiftung MercatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of studies including 'Große Vielfalt, weniger Chancen' research project with University of Düsseldorf.
• Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal ministry supporting the familY program as overregional funder alongside Vodafone Stiftung.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Deutsche Telekom Stiftung: Direct peer: a German telecommunications corporate foundation focused on digital education and STEM skills, structurally analogous to Vodafone Stiftung. Operates similar programs targeting teachers, schools, and digital competencies across Germany, making it the closest comparable in scale, mission, and funding model.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: Major German corporate foundation running substantial education programs including school development and teacher professional development. Comparable as a German corporate foundation with a multi-program portfolio addressing 21st century skills and educational equity.
• Stiftung Mercator: Major German education foundation funding school development, teacher training, and integration programs. Already an active co-partner with Vodafone Stiftung on research studies (University of Düsseldorf), operating comparable programs with similar grantmaking approach and educational-equity focus.
• Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest private operating foundations, with education as a central pillar addressing educational equity, digital transformation, and teacher training. Highly comparable to Vodafone Stiftung in mission and policy influence, though materially larger in budget and program scope.
• Joachim Herz Stiftung: German private foundation focused on education, science, and economics with major programs in STEM literacy, language learning, and teacher training. Operates comparable digital education programs at scale across Germany and is a natural comparison for donor-funded school-focused interventions.
• Wübben Stiftung Bildung: German education foundation dedicated exclusively to educational equity and school improvement, with strong focus on digital transformation and teacher professional development. Directly comparable mission and target beneficiary group (schools, teachers, students in disadvantaged contexts).
• Siemens Stiftung: Corporate foundation of Siemens with strong focus on STEM and digital education in Germany and internationally. Directly comparable mission (education equity through technology skills) and operational model (corporate-funded foundation running educational programs for schools and teachers).
• Heinz Nixdorf Stiftung: German private foundation focused on education in STEM/digital fields, supporting schools, universities, and teacher training. Comparable to Vodafone Stiftung's Coding For Tomorrow program in particular, with overlapping mission around digital literacy and 21st century skills.
• Software AG Stiftung: German corporate foundation supporting educational projects including digital learning, civic education, and teacher training. Operates comparable grantmaking model to Vodafone Stiftung and runs programs targeting digital competencies in schools.

Emerging players

• EducationY: Non-profit organization originally founded as buddY E.V. and spun out of Vodafone Stiftung in 2004; remains a core implementation partner delivering buddY and familY programs. Operates similar school-based social-emotional learning and parent education programs, with deep operational overlap to Vodafone Stiftung's programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VF_Stiftung
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/VodafoneStiftung
• Facebookfacebook.com/vodafonestiftung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vodafone-stiftung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Vodafone Stiftung