Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung

What Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung does

Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung is a German charitable foundation (Stiftung) established on December 23, 1992 by Hans Hermann Voss, headquartered in Wipperfürth, North Rhine-Westphalia. It operates with a small 5-person team to administer grantmaking across four stated purpose areas: Natural Science and Research, Education and Training, Youth and Seniors, and Charitable Causes. Since inception, the foundation has distributed approximately €26 million across roughly 1,430 projects, supporting a network of approximately 290 non-profit organizations and educational institutions, with historical concentration in the Oberbergischer Kreis region.

The foundation's operating model is a classical non-profit endowment-and-grant structure: it does not sell a product or service, generate commercial revenue, or pursue shareholder returns. Its disclosed technology stack is non-commercial and administrative, consisting of Microsoft SharePoint for internal collaboration, the xFound foundation-management platform for grantee and application workflow, and Meta Pixel for basic web analytics on its public-facing portal. Operational reach has been extended through institutional partnerships with RWTH Aachen (STEM/research), Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung / sdw (vocational talent, since 2020-2021), the START scholarship program (since 2016), and the Goethe-Institut (since 2022).

In recent years the foundation has expanded its geographic footprint beyond Oberbergischer Kreis into international education projects in Chennai (India), Bulgaria, Brazil, and Mexico, signaling a measured move toward cross-border development programming. There is no evidence of commercial product lines, AI/ML capabilities, M&A activity, or significant headcount expansion; growth indicators are limited to programmatic diversification and partnership buildout rather than scaling of the core operating footprint.

Name

Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung

Legal name

Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung

Website

https://hans-hermann-voss-stiftung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung is a German charitable foundation established in 1992 in Wipperfürth that distributes grants across natural science, education, youth/seniors, and charitable causes, having disbursed approximately €26 million across 1,430 projects to 290 non-profits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation / Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation grants
• STEM education funding
• Youth scholarship programs
• Nonprofit grantmaking services
• Regional philanthropy funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Wipperfürth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: The foundation provides funding to charitable projects in four focus areas: Natural Science and Research, Education and Training, Youth and Seniors, and Charitable Causes. Funding is awarded through an application process to non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and public corporations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung is a charitable foundation that awards project funding to non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and public corporations in four statutory areas: natural science and research, education and training, youth and seniors, and charitable causes. Since 1992 it has distributed approximately €26 million across 1,430 projects, and it also delivers scholarship programs such as the Hans Hermann Voss scholarship in the sdw and START-Stipendien, plus STEM initiatives including TuWaS! and Zukunftsschmiede. Funding is applied for through an online portal and decided at quarterly board meetings.

Product overview

Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung is a non-profit charitable foundation based in Wipperfürth, Germany, focused on funding projects in four areas: natural science and research, education and training, youth and seniors, and charitable causes. The foundation operates digital platforms including an online application portal for funding requests and an applicant portal for job recruitment. Major funded initiatives include STEM education programs like Zukunftsschmiede and TuWaS!, scholarship programs such as the Hans Hermann Voss Scholarship in the sdw and START-Stipendien, youth support programs including PlanBildung and Medieninitiative, and technology projects like the phyphox physics app. Since 1992, the foundation has distributed over 26 million euros supporting 1,430 projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Funding Programs Grants awarded to non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and public corporations across four areas: natural science and research, education and training, youth and seniors, and charitable causes. Since 1992 more than €26 million has been distributed across 1,430 projects.
• Hans Hermann Voss Scholarship in the sdw Joint scholarship with Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft for bachelor's and master's students in STEM subjects from NRW, combining financial support, an interdisciplinary program, and volunteer trustee engagement at university locations.
• START-Stipendien (Bergisches Land) Scholarships for committed young people with migration experience in the Bergisches Land, including material support, educational opportunities, and personal pedagogical supervision.
• Studienkompass Oberberg Three-year guidance program for young people from non-academic families, supporting career decisions from penultimate school year through first year of study or vocational training.
• Projekt START Socio-pedagogical project supporting young people without school graduation to obtain qualifications and apprenticeships, with particular focus on single parents and young families.
• PlanBildung Socio-pedagogical support program helping students with school-related and social problems complete education and find apprenticeships, operated at schools in Cologne and Wipperfürth.
• Medieninitiative des Oberbergischen Kreises Media literacy program training students in grades 7-9 as media scouts to educate peers about social media opportunities and dangers, with teacher training and coordination with police and youth welfare offices.
• Zukunftsschmiede Hückeswagen Technology workshop at a vocational college in Hückeswagen offering courses and equipment in digitalization, robotics, VR, and 3D technologies for technology education.
• TuWaS! Science and technology program for elementary schools in Oberbergischer Kreis providing pre-packed learning units, experiment materials, and teacher training on topics including weather, electricity, chemistry, and motion.
• Speed Funds Program at RWTH Aachen University funding master's students to transform thesis concepts into hardware prototypes within six months, covering material costs.
• phyphox App Physics education app developed at RWTH Aachen that turns smartphones into a portable physics lab using built-in sensors, free for Android and iOS.
• Kölner Klinik-Clowns at Gummersbach Children's Clinic Funded hospital clowns performances at the Gummersbach children's clinic, helping ease pain and anxiety for young patients, including traumatized children from war and crisis zones.

Quantifiable outcome

• €26 million in funding distributed since 1992
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RWTH Aachen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple project partnerships including phyphox smartphone physics lab app, Speed Funds for master's thesis prototypes, Germany national scholarships, E-Jet electric vehicle concept study, and TeachING engineering awareness programs. The foundation supports both financial and ideal components of these educational initiatives.
• Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint scholarship program since 2020/2021 winter semester. The Hans Hermann Voss scholarship in the sdw supports STEM students from NRW with financial and ideal support. Also partners on Studienkompass Oberberg program for youth from non-academic families.
• START-Stiftung gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2016, the foundation sponsors five START scholarships for students in the Bergisches Land region targeting youth with migration experience. The program includes material support, educational opportunities, and personal pedagogical supervision.
• Kölner Gymnasial- und StiftungsfondsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for PlanBildung project since 2014, supporting students in grades 7+ with school-related and social problems. Project operates at Konrad-Adenauer Hauptschule (2014-2023) and Hermann-Voss-Realschule (since 2016).
• Goethe-InstitutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2022, the foundation funds twelve scholarships for students in Mexico and five scholarships for students in Brazil as part of the worldwide Studienbrücke preparatory education program for direct entry into German STEM or economics university programs.
• Initiative Neue Bildung e. V. (IFNB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2021, partnership for Chennai Nook project in India. Together with Project DEFY, self-learning centers called 'Nooks' are established for people of all ages, providing laptops, internet, technology, and tools for independent learning.
• Ökumenische Initiative e. V. WipperfürthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner for Projekt START helping youth without school graduation, integration weekend excursions with refugees, and charitable causes. Multiple projects supported including youth room renovation after 2021 floods and soundproofing for charity soup kitchen.
• Kölner Klinik-Clowns e. V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2023-2024, funding for hospital clowns performances at Gummersbach children's clinic. The performances help ease pain and anxiety for young patients and are particularly beneficial for traumatized children from war and crisis zones.
• Bergische Agentur für Kulturlandschaft (BAK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 partnership for interactive brochure project bringing regional agriculture and dairy farming into classroom education. Focus on practical, regional topics like milk and eggs.
• Schnörringen Telescope Science Institute (STScI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supported setup of student laboratory with telescopes, spectrographs, oculars, and cameras. The institute awakens passion for technology and science in young people through hands-on observatory work.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw): German foundation supporting students from non-academic backgrounds. sdw is a direct peer — Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung runs the joint 'Hans Hermann Voss scholarship in the sdw' program with them, making them direct partners in scholarship delivery for STEM students in NRW.
• Karl Kübel Stiftung: German family foundation supporting family, education, and international development. Comparable scale and structure to Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung, with similar purpose-area grantmaking (education, family/youth support) and a mix of regional and international programs.
• Kölner Gymnasial- und Stiftungsfonds: Cologne-based educational foundation supporting students with school and social challenges. Direct peer and partner — Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung co-runs the PlanBildung program with them, sharing program structure, target students (grades 7+), and regional focus in NRW.
• Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes: Germany's largest and most prestigious scholarship foundation. Directly comparable as a German scholarship and study-support foundation targeting high-achieving students, with similar program structures (financial plus ideal support) to Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung's sdw scholarship.
• START-Stiftung gGmbH: German foundation providing scholarships to youth with migration experience. START is a direct peer and partner — Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung has co-funded five START scholarships in Bergisches Land annually since 2016, making the program structures and target demographics directly comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Dietmar Hopp Stiftung: One of Germany's largest private foundations funding youth, education, sports, and health. Broad incumbent peer with substantial regional funding programs in Baden-Württemberg — relevant comparison for grantmaking scale, structure, and program portfolio composition.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: Major German foundation addressing education, health, and social issues. Broad incumbent peer — shares the education and charitable-causes purpose areas but operates across Germany and internationally with significantly larger resources than Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung.
• Fritz Thyssen Stiftung: German foundation supporting research and academic talent across sciences and humanities. Comparable as a research-grantmaking foundation but at much larger scale and broader academic scope — relevant benchmark for the natural-science research pillar of Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung.
• VolkswagenStiftung: One of Germany's largest science-focused foundations funding research and science communication. Broad incumbent peer — operates at much larger scale but shares the natural-science-and-research grantmaking orientation that is one of Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung's four purpose areas.

Regional players

• Heinz Nixdorf Stiftung: West German/East Westphalia-focused foundation supporting STEM education, IT, and regional development. Strong regional peer — similar focus on STEM education programs and on the German Mittelstand region, though anchored in Paderborn rather than Oberbergischer Kreis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hans Hermann Voss-Stiftung