What Sos Mediterranee Germany does

SOS MEDITERRANEE Deutschland gGmbH is a Berlin-registered charitable nonprofit (gGmbH) and the German arm of a four-country European civil society network (alongside France, Italy, and Switzerland) that conducts civilian search-and-rescue (SAR) operations in the central Mediterranean Sea. Its core operational asset is the Ocean Viking, a 69.3-meter former Norwegian offshore supply vessel converted for humanitarian SAR and operational since July 2019, equipped with dual radar, infrared cameras, three fast rescue boats, a 60 m² onboard medical clinic, helicopter landing pad, and refrigerated storage for deceased persons. Since 2016, the network has rescued more than 43,000 people across the Ocean Viking and its predecessor vessel Aquarius, with a single largest rescue of 623 people in August 2023.

In November 2025, the organization expanded its operating model by launching the ALBATROSS aerial observation mission in partnership with Humanitarian Pilots Initiative, conducting regular flights over the central Mediterranean since early 2026 to independently document distress cases, rescue coordination failures, and pullbacks. The organization is funded almost exclusively through private donations (one-time, recurring, corporate, and legacy), with the German Foreign Office and parent SOS MEDITERRANEE France each providing more than 10% of the annual budget. Operational cost runs €24,000 per day at sea. The German entity operates with a small staff (8 people as of 2024) and channels donations to the French parent, which operates the ship; IFRC served as medical partner until December 2025.

Commercially, SOS MEDITERRANEE has no revenue model in the conventional sense — it is a fundraising-driven humanitarian organization. Customer segments are individual donors (primary), corporate donors, and testamentary donors. Distribution is multi-channel: a FundraisingBox-powered donation website, organic and paid social (Facebook, Instagram), email/newsletter, public events and photo exhibitions, YouTube video content, influencer amplification, and a merchandise e-commerce shop. Recognitions include the Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel Prize), UNESCO recognition, the Aurora Prize, International Maritime Rescue Federation recognition, and the 2026 Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft seal.

Name

Sos Mediterranee Germany

Legal name

SOS MEDITERRANEE Deutschland gGmbH

Website

https://www.sosmediterranee.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SOS MEDITERRANEE Deutschland is the German arm of a European nonprofit network operating the Ocean Viking rescue vessel and ALBATROSS aerial observation mission to rescue migrants in distress in the central Mediterranean Sea, funded almost entirely by private donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR) (BPAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA), Emergency Response & Incident Command (Oil Spill/HAZMAT, SAR Support) (TLAHAIAC)

Keywords

• Civilian sea rescue
• Humanitarian maritime operations
• Search and rescue services
• Humanitarian aid nonprofit
• Refugee protection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Nearly exclusive funding source. Donations from individuals via one-time, recurring (Dauerspende), and testamentary channels. All donations are transferred to SOS MEDITERRANEE France for operation of the Ocean Viking rescue ship.
2. Corporate Donations: Corporate giving program with benefits including media exposure, employee engagement events, company visits to Ocean Viking, and recognition as a partner on the organization's website.
3. Institutional Funding: SOS MEDITERRANEE France (sole shareholder) and the Auswärtiges Amt (German Foreign Office) each provide more than 10% of total annual budget. From 2022 to 2025, IFRC was a medical partner supporting both financially and with medical personnel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SOS MEDITERRANEE Deutschland operates civilian search-and-rescue (SAR) operations in the central Mediterranean Sea via the Ocean Viking rescue vessel, which has rescued over 43,000 people since 2016, providing medical care, humanitarian protection, and disembarkation to safe ports. Complementing the ship, the ALBATROSS aerial observation mission (launched November 2025) provides independent documentation of maritime events including distress cases, pullbacks, and use of force. The organization is financed by donations and transfers them to SOS MEDITERRANEE France for operation of the rescue ship.

Product overview

SOS Mediterranee Germany is a humanitarian organization operating rescue vessels in the central Mediterranean Sea. The core offering consists of the Ocean Viking rescue ship (operational since July 2019), which replaced the earlier Aquarius vessel (2016-2018). A newer aerial observation program called ALBATROSS, launched in late 2025, provides independent documentation of maritime events. The organization also operates an online donation platform enabling public support for rescue operations. The product portfolio centers on life-saving maritime rescue missions, documentation of humanitarian crises, and public engagement through fundraising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALBATROSS: Air observation mission using aircraft to independently document what happens at sea in the central Mediterranean - documenting distress cases, rescue coordination or lack thereof, interceptions, rejections and use of force

Products and services

• Ocean Viking rescue ship operations Civilian search-and-rescue (SAR) deployment of the 69.3m Ocean Viking in the central Mediterranean Sea (~50 km off the Libyan coast). The vessel is equipped with dual radar, infrared cameras, three fast rescue boats (Easy-1, Easy-2, Easy-3), a 60 m² onboard clinic, helicopter landing pad, and refrigerated storage for deceased persons. Survivors are transported to safe ports assigned by Italian authorities. Operated by SOS MEDITERRANEE since July 2019; over 40,000 people rescued by the Ocean Viking (through September 2024).
• ALBATROSS aerial observation mission Independent aerial observation mission over the central Mediterranean that documents distress cases, rescue coordination or absence thereof, pullbacks, and use of force by state, private, and EU-supported actors. Alerts relevant maritime authorities per civil aviation regulations for every detected distress case. Operated in partnership with the Humanitarian Pilots Initiative (HPI), which handles flight technical aspects while SOS MEDITERRANEE manages operational coordination.
• Donation services Online donation infrastructure supporting rescue operations, including one-time donations, recurring donations (Dauerspende), personal fundraising campaigns, corporate donations, and testamentary gifts. Processing handled through FundraisingBox payment integration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 43,000 people rescued since 2016
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Humanitarian Pilots Initiative (HPI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025HPI is a Swiss-based NGO specializing in humanitarian air operations, bringing extensive experience in aerial reconnaissance over the central Mediterranean — having identified over 54,000 people in distress for reporting to authorities. HPI handles flight technical aspects; SOS MEDITERRANEE handles operational coordination of the ALBATROSS mission.
• IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022From September 2021 to December 2025, IFRC served as the medical partner on board the Ocean Viking, providing both financial support and medical personnel. The partnership began with a joint rescue operation and developed into comprehensive operational support.
• Ärzte ohne Grenzen / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016MSF was the medical partner from 2016 to June 2020, providing medical staffing and financing for both the Aquarius and later the Ocean Viking. After the partnership ended, SOS MEDITERRANEE assumed full operational and financial responsibility for the Ocean Viking.
• Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with ZHdK's Knowledge Visualization department to create a short animation explaining the dilemma between law and human rights faced by civil rescue organizations.
• SOS MEDITERRANEE SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the European SOS MEDITERRANEE network; collaborated on the ALBATROSS mission animation and shares operational resources across the network.
• UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe (UNHCR Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed among funders and supporters of SOS MEDITERRANEE Germany.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sea-Watch: German civil SAR NGO operating rescue vessels (e.g., Sea-Watch 3, Sea-Watch 5) in the central Mediterranean; directly comparable mission, funding model, and target audience of distressed migrants.
• Sea-Eye: German civil SAR NGO operating rescue vessels (formerly Alan Kurdi, Sea-Eye 4) in the Mediterranean; competing for donations in the same German fundraising market.
• Proactiva Open Arms: Spanish civil SAR NGO operating the Open Arms vessel in the Mediterranean with an identical rescue and advocacy mission, also targeted by Italian port-assignment restrictions.
• SOS Humanity: Former SOS MEDiterranee Deutschland arm that became independent in December 2021; operates the Humanity 1 rescue vessel in the Mediterranean with a near-identical mission and donor base.
• Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS): Historical civil SAR organization that operated vessels and aerial assets in the Mediterranean under a near-identical humanitarian mandate, providing a comparable predecessor model for SOS MEDiterranee.
• Humanitarian Pilots Initiative (HPI): Swiss-based NGO specializing in aerial observation of the central Mediterranean; ALBATROSS partner with documented identification of 54,000+ people in distress, providing the only direct aerial peer to SOS MEDiterranee.
• Refugee Rescue: UK/Greek SAR NGO operating vessels in the Aegean and Mediterranean with the same civil-sea-rescue mission and donor-supported model as SOS MEDiterranee.

Others

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Historical medical partner on the Aquarius (2016-2018) and Ocean Viking (2019-2020); comparable humanitarian SAR delivery model through vessel-based medical care and Mediterranean operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Sos Mediterranee Germany