Vringstreff e. V.

What Vringstreff e. V. does

Vringstreff e.V. is a registered charitable association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1996 in Cologne's Südstadt district, operating as a multi-service community center for people experiencing homelessness and those at risk. It functions as a Fachberatungsstelle under § 67 ff SGB XII and is managed by two Geschäftsführer (Sabine Rupp and Thorsten Wacker) with a seven-person staff and a board chaired by former Lutherkirche pastor Hans Mörtter. The organization served approximately 100 meals daily and, as of October 2025, had housed 32 individuals through its Housing First Köln initiative since the first apartment purchase in January 2020.

The service portfolio spans in-person and digital channels: a consolidated Vringstreff-Bistro (launched May 2025) offering subsidized lunch, café, and Friday breakfast; professional social counseling in-person and via a secure online platform launched September 2022; the multilingual wohnungslos-in-koeln.de information portal (German, English, Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, French); the Digitale Lernwerkstatt digital literacy program (launched 2021); a Malgruppe painting workshop; Kunst & Kultur programming featuring high-profile supporters (Steve Hackett, Frank Schätzing, Sabine Postel, Gerd Köster, Wolf Maahn); and free internet/workstation access. The technology stack is standard CMS-based with GDPR-compliant hosting in Germany, and there is no proprietary AI/ML capability.

Revenue is derived from donations (channeled through the website and Betterplace), annual membership fees, foundation and church grants (Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege NRW, Aktion Mensch, Bethe-Stiftung, Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland, Diakoniespende matching campaigns), public funding from Stadt Köln, and nominal bistro transaction fees (€2.40–€5.00 lunch; €1.20–€2.00 waffles/cake). The organization is a co-founder (September 2022) of the Bundesverband Housing First, with deputy managing director Dr. Kai Hauprich serving as co-chairman, and maintains deep operational partnerships with local churches, the Kölner Strassennetz coalition, and the city of Cologne's Winterhilfe program.

Name

Vringstreff e. V.

Legal name

Vringstreff e.V.

Website

https://vringstreff.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vringstreff e.V. is a Cologne-based registered charity founded in 1996 that operates a multi-service community center serving homeless and at-risk individuals with subsidized meals, social counseling, Housing First apartments, digital literacy, and cultural programming across a single site in the Köln-Südstadt.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne (Köln)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: The organization relies primarily on donations from individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations. Promotional campaigns and public events (e.g., benefit concerts, art exhibitions) are used to raise funds. Donations are solicited via the organization's website and at public events.
2. Membership fees: The organization is a registered association (e.V.) and generates revenue through annual membership fees from its members.
3. Bistro and meal services (subsidized pricing): The Vringstreff Bistro serves meals at subsidized prices. Guests with a Köln-Pass pay reduced rates (e.g., €2.40 for Mittagstisch vs. €5.00 standard; €1.20 for waffles vs. €2.00 standard). These fees represent a minor revenue contribution while ensuring affordability for low-income guests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Vringstreff e. V. runs a community center in Cologne's Südstadt that provides low-cost meals (breakfast and lunch), drop-in social counseling, the Housing First Köln housing program, online counseling, a digital learning workshop with internet access, and cultural, creative, and leisure activities for people affected by homelessness, housing insecurity, and poverty.

Product overview

Vringstreff e.V. operates as a multi-service community center in Cologne's Südstadt offering both in-person and digital services for socially disadvantaged people, particularly those experiencing homelessness. The organization provides a comprehensive ecosystem of services centered around the Vringstreff-Bistro (combining meals, café, and breakfast), professional counseling (both in-person and online), the Housing First Köln housing program, digital literacy training through the Digitale Lernwerkstatt, creative and cultural activities (Malgruppe, Kunst & Kultur), leisure activities, and employment support. A key digital platform is wohnungslos-in-koeln.de, a multilingual mobile-first resource directory for homeless services. The organization functions as a Fachberatungsstelle under German social law (§ 67 ff SGB XII) and serves as a meeting point for people with and without housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Housing First Köln: A Housing First initiative launched by Vringstreff e.V. to provide permanent housing to homeless individuals in Cologne, operating with its own social media profiles and branding.

Products and services

• Vringstreff-Bistro (Community Bistro) A low-threshold in-house bistro offering subsidized breakfast and lunch (each priced at 1 euro) to people affected by homelessness and poverty, and used as a social contact point within the community center.
• Soziale Beratung (Drop-in Social Counseling) Free, low-threshold social counseling for people affected by homelessness, housing insecurity, and poverty, delivered in person at the community center without appointment or referral.
• Online-Beratung (Online Counseling) Digital counseling service designed for people without reliable internet access, enabling remote social counseling via an online platform.
• Housing First Köln Housing First program that places chronically homeless individuals directly into permanent, independent apartments with accompanying support, helping them stabilize and re-integrate.
• Digitale Lernwerkstatt (Digital Learning Workshop) Workshop providing access to the internet and digital devices, combined with guided training to build digital skills for community-center guests.
• wohnungslos-in-koeln.de (Information Portal) Online information portal providing search, calendar, and resource information for people affected by homelessness in Cologne, including a donation function.
• Kunst & Kultur-Programm (Art and Culture Program) Art and cultural events including exhibitions, readings, and creative workshops offered at the community center to encourage social participation.
• Freizeit- und Kreativangebote (Leisure and Creative Activities) Regular leisure activities and creative groups (including the Malgruppe painting group) run at the community center for guests and neighbors.
• Arbeit & Beschäftigung (Work and Employment Initiatives) Work and employment-related programs and projects that connect community-center guests with meaningful activity, training, and pathways toward employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32 people moved into permanent apartments through the Housing First Köln initiative (as of October 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and notable.

• Kölner Strassennetz – Bündnis gegen WohnungslosigkeitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVringstreff e.V. is a member of the Kölner Strassennetz coalition, a city-wide alliance against homelessness in Cologne. The network coordinates services, shares resources, and advocates for people experiencing homelessness through joint events (e.g., Nikolausfeier on 04.12.2018).
• ONE WARM WINTER / ImmoScout24 (#HomeStreetHome)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerVringstreff participated in the #HomeStreetHome campaign, a cooperation between the ONE WARM WINTER homeless initiative and ImmoScout24. The campaign placed information about Housing First and partner organizations in housing listings on ImmoScout24 across Germany and Austria, and featured 'Homefluencers' (including Jan Köppen) promoting housing access for homeless people.
• Bundesverband Housing FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded on 07.09.2022 in Bremen. Vringstreff's Dr. Kai Hauprich serves as co-chairman (alongside Corinna Müncho of Housing First Berlin). The association brings together Housing First projects from Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Köln, and Nürnberg to establish common standards, provide consulting to interested municipalities, and institutionalize Housing First in Germany.
• MenschenSinfonieOrchesternotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn inclusive orchestra founded in 2001 by Alessandro Palmitessa and then-Lutherkirche pastor Hans Mörtter (now Vringstreff board chair). The orchestra brings together professional musicians, amateurs, homeless individuals, and artists from different cultures. Palmitessa holds 'Musik am Tisch' sessions at Vringstreff, fostering inclusion through spontaneous music.
• Städtepartnerschaftsverein Köln-BethlehemnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerA city partnership association that collaborates with Vringstreff on the Kölner Krippenweg (Cologne Nativity Trail). Vringstreff has served as a station on the trail, and the partnership connects local social engagement with international solidarity.
• Lutherkirche (Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Köln-Süd), St. Severin (Katholische Kirchengemeinde), Kartäuserkirche KölncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMultiple churches in Cologne serve as institutional partners. Clergy members (Hans Mörtter, Mathias Bonhoeffer, Stefan Burtscher, Sven Thomsen) serve on the Vringstreff board. The Lutherkirche co-founded the MenschenSinfonieOrchester with Vringstreff. St. Severin provides venue space for benefit concerts. These partnerships provide both governance oversight and physical/social resources.
• Katholische Kirchengemeinde St. SeverinnotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvided venue space for the Cornel Wachter BenefiT concert on 16.06.2025. Staff including Dr. Giovanni Gullotta and Vanessa Squadrito from the parish office supported event logistics, and the church's Hausmeister Pascal Bruch managed technical preparation.
• Johanneshaus (housing facility)notableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA housing facility whose director Monika Scholz serves on the Vringstreff board. The Johanneshaus and Vringstreff collaborate on housing support services. Johanneshaus hosted the 'Männerherberge' photo exhibition (displayed in St. Severin through June 2024).
• Mark Benecke (forensic biologist, public figure)notableGTM or Marketing PartnerForensic biologist and celebrity who supports Vringstreff by talking about the organization and recommending it to his network. He participated in a celebrity cooking event and visited the Housing First initiative to exchange with tenants. His public profile generates significant media attention for the organization.
• Steffen Baumgart (FC Köln football coach)notableGTM or Marketing PartnerFC Köln's head coach appeared in a campaign shooting for Housing First Köln (March 2022), creating 150 large-format donation posters. His high profile in Cologne brought significant public attention and donations to the Housing First initiative.
• Cornel Wachter (artist, 'Menschenzusammenbringer')notableGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal artist and community connector who initiated and organized multiple benefit events for Vringstreff, including bringing Steve Hackett (Genesis), Frank Schätzing, and other celebrities to the organization. He created the bronze 'Rievkooche' award and is a long-term advocate for the organization.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Asphalt e.V. Düsseldorf homelessness support nonprofit and co-founder of the Housing First Fonds alongside Vringstreff. Runs street outreach, housing programs, and a magazine — directly comparable mission, geography, and funding model.
• fiftyfifty: Düsseldorf-based street magazine and Housing First provider, co-operator of the Housing First Fonds with Vringstreff. Operates an identical model combining media, housing placement, and outreach to homeless individuals in NRW — the closest operational peer.
• Housing First Berlin: Berlin-based Housing First initiative co-founded alongside Vringstreff in the Bundesverband Housing First (co-led by Corinna Müncho and Vringstreff's Dr. Kai Hauprich). Direct peer in mission, model, and national coalition membership.
• Housing First Düsseldorf: Düsseldorf Housing First initiative and member of the Bundesverband Housing First. Operates the same direct-housing-first model in the immediate NRW region, sharing both donor networks and the Housing First Fonds with Vringstreff.
• Housing First Bremen: Bremen-based Housing First project and fellow founding member of the Bundesverband Housing First. Comparable Housing First operating model serving a different city, providing a useful benchmark for Vringstreff's scaling path.

Broad incumbents

• Diakonie Köln und Region: Protestant welfare umbrella organization in Cologne that runs the Diakoniespende campaigns directed at Vringstreff in 2018/19 and 2024/25. Overlaps significantly with Vringstreff's counseling and housing services but at much broader institutional scale.
• SKM Köln – Sozialdienst Katholischer Männer: Cologne-based Catholic social services organization providing homelessness outreach, housing support, and counseling. Direct overlap with Vringstreff's core services but operating as part of a national SKM federation with greater resources.
• Caritas Köln: Large Catholic welfare organization serving Cologne with overlapping services (homeless aid, counseling, housing support). Operates at much greater scale and competes with Vringstreff for the same Köln-Pass user base and municipal funding.

Regional players

• Verein für Gefährdetenhilfe: Bonn-based nonprofit providing housing, counseling, and outreach for vulnerable populations including people experiencing homelessness. Comparable services in the adjacent NRW region, though operating in a different metropolitan market.

Others

• Kölner Strassennetz: City-wide Cologne coalition against homelessness in which Vringstreff is a member. Not a peer in the competitive sense but an ecosystem organization coordinating events, advocacy, and resource sharing across Cologne's homelessness services providers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vringstreff
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVDSeSvu1ARx5D6JTPIMCug
• Facebookfacebook.com/vringstreff
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vringstreff-e.v.
• Instagraminstagram.com/vringstreff

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Vringstreff e. V.