Stiftung Kinder Forschen

What Stiftung Kinder Forschen does

Stiftung Kinder forschen is a German non-profit foundation (Stiftung des Privaten Rechts) founded in 2006 and headquartered in Berlin at Rungestrasse 18, registered in the Stiftungsregister Köln under Ordnungsnummer 07/97. The foundation's core mission is to provide early-childhood and primary-school MINT (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, Technology) education training for educators working in Kitas (Kindertageseinrichtungen), Horte (after-school care centers), and primary schools across all 16 German federal states.

Its core product is the Campus online learning platform — a closed, password-protected Learning Management System built on the open-source Totara LMS — which delivers free online courses, live webinars (currently via Microsoft Teams, transitioned from Zoom in June 2024), online workshops, downloadable teaching materials, and community features. Supporting products include the LehrKraftPakete (ready-to-use primary school lesson packages), the Forschungspass (Research Passport for documenting children's research activities), the children's magazine 'echt jetzt?', the specialist journal 'Forscht mit!', the Wimmelbuch picture book, the Network Portal for regional partners, a B2B-only online shop selling educational materials and merchandise, and a free Institution Certification Program held by approximately 6,500 Kitas, Horte, and primary schools. Approximately 95,000 educators have been trained to date across roughly 38,900 participating institutions.

Revenue is grant-based rather than commercial: primary funding comes from three family foundations — Siemens Stiftung, Dietmar Hopp Stiftung, and Dieter Schwarz Stiftung — plus the German Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, BMFSFJ). Earned income is secondary and consists of small cost-covering fees for in-person regional training sessions, B2B shop sales of pedagogical materials (with €5.70 flat shipping), and free certification. Delivery is hybrid: self-serve online via Campus combined with a nationwide network of approximately 179 regional training partners (including IHK chambers, museums, and education providers), plus in-house training for institutions requesting customized on-site delivery.

Name

Stiftung Kinder Forschen

Legal name

Stiftung Kinder forschen

Website

https://www.stiftung-kinder-forschen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Stiftung Kinder forschen is a Berlin-based German non-profit foundation, founded in 2006, that delivers MINT (STEM) education training, free online courses, and teaching materials to roughly 38,900 Kitas, Horte and primary schools through a Totara-based Campus platform and a nationwide network of regional training partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• STEM learning programs
• Educator training services
• Childcare professional development
• Primary school education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding: Primary funding from foundation partners (Siemens Stiftung, Dietmar Hopp Stiftung, Dieter Schwarz Stiftung) and government funding from Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend. As a non-profit foundation, revenue is primarily grant-based rather than commercial.
2. Regional Training Fees: Regional in-person training sessions offered through network partners typically charge a small fee covering costs. These are not free but are described as cost-effective.
3. Online Shop Sales: E-commerce shop selling educational materials, books, merchandise, and fan articles to pedagogical professionals and institutions. Shop is exclusively B2B, serving educators and institutions only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Stiftung Kinder Forschen is a German non-profit foundation that develops and delivers early childhood MINT (STEM — Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaften, Technik) education programs for Kitas (daycares), Horte (after-school care centers), and Grundschulen (primary schools). Its core deliverables include a research-backed MINT curriculum, the Campus online learning platform, institutional certification (Plakette), in-house training seminars, webinars, a B2B shop for educational materials, and a national network of 16 regional offices supporting educators and institutional partners.

Product overview

Stiftung Kinder forschen operates a unified educational platform ecosystem centered on MINT (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, Technology) education for sustainable development. The core offering is the Campus learning platform, which provides multiple delivery formats: self-paced Online Courses, collaborative Online Workshops, live Webinars via video conferencing, and Regional Trainings delivered by a network of approximately 179 local partners across all German states. The platform is complemented by Inhouse Training for on-site institutional delivery, free Materials for immediate classroom use, and the LehrKraftPakete for primary school lessons. Additional offerings include an Online Shop for pedagogical resources, an Institution Certification Program (held by approximately 6,500 facilities), themed publications like the children's magazine 'echt jetzt?' and specialist journal 'Forscht mit!', and the annual MINTmachtage event series. An Online Community enables practitioner exchange. The organization was founded in 2006 and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs and private foundations (Siemens Stiftung, Dietmar Hopp Stiftung, Dieter Schwarz Stiftung).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Campus: Online learning platform for MINT education offering online courses, webinars, and materials for educators

Products and services

• Stiftung Kinder Forschen Campus

Quantifiable outcome

• ~95,000 training participants nationwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Regional Network PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 100 local organizations across Germany including IHK offices, education providers, museums, and local initiatives that deliver Stiftung Kinder forschen training programs regionally. They organize and conduct in-person training sessions, workshops, and events in their areas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Stiftung: International operating foundation with education programs in STEM, early childhood, and social innovation across multiple regions. One of Stiftung Kinder forschen's named funders; comparable as a German-rooted education foundation running parallel programs.
• Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest operating foundations with broad education, social, and policy programs including early-childhood and school initiatives. Comparable as a larger foundation with education sector involvement, though its scope spans well beyond MINT.
• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb): German federal government agency delivering civic and political education programs, materials, and educator training nationwide. Comparable public-funded, federally backed educator training model with a different topical focus (civic rather than MINT).
• Deutsche Telekom Stiftung: German corporate foundation funding education initiatives focused on digital literacy, MINT, and school modernization. Comparable foundation-funded education model with overlapping K–12 educator and institutional audiences.
• Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland: German corporate foundation running programs in digital education and STEM engagement for schools and educators. Similar foundation-backed, education-focused mission with adjacent but less early-childhood-skewed target market.

Direct peers

• Stiftung Lesen: German non-profit foundation promoting reading and literacy in Kitas, schools, and libraries through educator training, materials, and campaigns. Highly comparable in foundation structure, multi-channel educator training model, and reliance on federal/state partnerships.
• MINT-EC: Network of MINT-excellence secondary schools and partners in Germany, providing teacher training, student competitions, and curriculum support. Comparable MINT-education focus and educator training programs, though skews to secondary schools rather than early childhood.
• Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (DKJS): German non-profit foundation focused on education participation, democratic education, and youth empowerment through programs in schools and Kitas. Comparable in operating model (foundation-backed K–12/early-childhood educator programs) with broader thematic scope beyond MINT.
• Joachim Herz Stiftung: German private foundation with extensive K–12 and early-education MINT/Natural Sciences programs, including teacher training and student competitions. Direct comparable because of similar foundation-backed funding model, MINT-pedagogy focus, and target audience of educators and schools in Germany.

Others

• Haus des Stiftens: German non-profit providing shared services, technology, and grantmaking infrastructure to charitable foundations and NGOs. Comparable as adjacent ecosystem enabler supporting foundation operations rather than directly delivering educational content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kinder_forschen
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kinder.forschen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kinder-forschen
• Instagraminstagram.com/kinder.forschen

Compliance4 records

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 Stiftung Kinder Forschen