Initiative Nat

What Initiative Nat does

Initiative NAT (Naturwissenschaft & Technik NAT gemeinnützige GmbH) is a Hamburg-based, non-profit educational initiative founded in 2007 that operates as a coordinating hub between secondary schools, Hamburg's five universities, the DESY research center, the Hamburg Ministry for Economic Affairs (Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation), corporate partners, and foundations. Its core function is to bridge classroom STEM (MINT) education with real-world science and technology practice through structured programs: mint:pink (girls in grades 9+, running since 2013 with 2,629 cumulative participants across 17 Hamburg schools), clean:tech (clean-technology awareness, 254 participants from 15 schools in the 2025 cohort), mint:match (teacher excursions), and mint:dual (federally funded dual vocational education cluster launched in 2024). Supporting infrastructure includes the NAT-Hub knowledge database for teachers, ArcGIS-based interactive dashboards (CO2-Schulmonitor, NAT-Dashboard, Dashboard Clean Tech), the annual Klimakongress, and recurring Match Days and Zukunftskonferenz events.

The organization is governed by a Kuratorium (supervisory board, chaired since 2025 by Prof. Dr. Monika Bessenrodt-Weberpals) and a Trägerschaft of nine institutional trustees; day-to-day operations are led by Geschäftsführerin Sabine Fernau with a core team of approximately eight staff. All programs are free for participants, and there are no tuition or participation fees. Revenue is not publicly disclosed but is composed of diversified funding from the nine trustees, project-level grants (e.g., Joachim Herz Stiftung Perlenfonds, Haspa Hamburg Stiftung, Jungheinrich Stiftung, Rotary), and corporate sponsorships (notably Aurubis and Flughafen Hamburg for clean:tech inside). Technology footprint is limited to ESRI ArcGIS dashboards provided free for non-commercial educational use; there is no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capability, and no disclosed parent company or external equity backing.

Name

Initiative Nat

Legal name

Initiative Naturwissenschaft & Technik NAT

Website

https://www.nat.hamburg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Initiative NAT is a Hamburg-based non-profit founded in 2007 that runs free STEM (MINT) education programs — mint:pink, clean:tech, mint:dual, mint:match — connecting secondary schools, all five Hamburg universities, DESY, and corporate partners to inspire young people, especially girls, toward STEM careers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), STEM Competitions & Olympiads (Science Bowls, STEM Challenges) (EDAMABAL)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Youth career orientation
• Teacher professional development
• Clean technology education
• Climate education programs

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional funding and grants: NAT receives ongoing support from its nine trustees (five universities, two foundations, one government authority, and one research center). Additional project funding comes from government bodies (Behörde für Arbeit, Wirtschaft und Innovation, Behörde für Schule und Berufsbildung) and foundations (Joachim Herz Stiftung Perlenfonds, Haspa Hamburg Stiftung, Jungheinrich Stiftung, Rotary). Program sponsorship also comes from private companies (Aurubis, Flughafen Hamburg).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Initiative NAT organizes STEM (MINT) education programs and networking activities for young people and teachers in Hamburg, connecting secondary schools with universities, research institutions, and companies. Its portfolio includes structured programs such as mint:pink (girls' STEM orientation since 2013), clean:tech (clean technology and climate awareness), mint:dual (federally funded dual vocational education launched 2024), and mint:match (teacher excursions), along with annual conferences including Klimakongress, Match Days, and Zukunftskonferenz. All programs are offered free of charge to participants, funded by nine institutional trustees (five Hamburg universities, DESY, foundations, and the Hamburg Ministry for Economic Affairs), government project grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Initiative Nat (NAT) is a Hamburg-based educational initiative focused on STEM (MINT) education that operates as a network connecting schools, universities, companies, and research institutions. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including mint:pink (girls' STEM program since 2013), mint:dual (federally funded dual education program launched 2024), clean:tech/Clean Tech inside (clean technology awareness), and mint:match (teacher excursions). Supporting these programs are digital tools including interactive dashboards built on ArcGIS, the NAT-Hub knowledge platform, CO2-Schulmonitor, and CO2-Schulhofchallenge workshops. The initiative also organizes conferences including the annual Klimakongress, Match Days, and Zukunftskonferenz.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mint:pink: Program for middle school girls (class 9+) to encourage interest in STEM subjects
• clean:tech
• mint:match
• Klimakongress
• NAT-Hub

Products and services

• mint:pink
• clean:tech
• mint:dual
• mint:match
• Klimakongress (Climate Congress)
• Match Days
• Zukunftskonferenz (Future Conference)
• NAT-Hub
• Clean Tech inside
• CO2-Schulmonitor (CO2 School Monitor)
• CO2-Schulhofchallenge (CO2 Schoolyard Challenge)
• NAT-Dashboard
• Dashboard Clean Tech

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,629 girls have participated in mint:pink since 2013
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Monika Bessenrodt-Weberpals (NAT Kuratoriumsvorsitzende)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Prof. Dr. Monika Bessenrodt-Weberpals, former Vice President of HAW Hamburg and Professor of Physics and Gender Studies, became Chair of the NAT Kuratorium in 2025. She provides strategic oversight and represents NAT's mission for gender equity in STEM.
• Aurubis AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Aurubis is a key industry partner and program sponsor of clean:tech inside. The company hosts student visits, provides executive mentorship (mint:dual goes CEO program), and supports NAT financially as a project sponsor alongside Flughafen Hamburg.
• Flughafen Hamburg GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Flughafen Hamburg co-sponsors the clean:tech inside project and opens its facilities for student excursions, providing insight into aviation technology and airport operations for mint:pink and clean:tech participants.
• Joachim Herz StiftungmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Joachim Herz Stiftung funds the Perlenfonds which supports the CO2-Schulmonitor and CO2-Schulhofchallenge projects under NAT's Klimabildung (climate education) initiative.
• Ingeborg-Gross-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015The Ingeborg-Gross-Stiftung joined the trusteeship in 2015 and was joined by Prof. Dr. Manfred Döring representing the foundation on the Kuratorium. It entered the formal trusteeship in 2025.
• Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation (BWI) / Freie und Hansestadt HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015BWI joined the trusteeship in 2015, representing Hamburg's government interest in STEM workforce development. Senator a.D. Frank Horch and Dr. Christopher Schwieger have served as Kuratorium members. BWI also funds the clean:tech inside project.
• DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009DESY is one of the nine trustees of Initiative NAT. It joined the trusteeship in 2014 and provides research facilities and scientists for student programs. DESY staff serve as role models and hosts for student visits, and the organization participates in NAT's governing Kuratorium (supervisory board).
• Universität Hamburg (UHH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009UHH is one of the five founding Hamburg universities in the NAT trusteeship. University researchers participate as role models and hosts for student programs, and the university co-hosts the annual Klimakongress (hosted kk23).
• TU Hamburg (TUHH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009TU Hamburg is one of the five founding Hamburg universities in the NAT trusteeship. It hosts the Klimakongress (kk22) and provides researchers and facilities for mint:match excursions and mint:dual program activities.
• HAW HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009HAW Hamburg is one of the five founding Hamburg universities in the NAT trusteeship. Its professors serve as Kuratorium members and role models; the university hosts Match Days and provides facilities for programs.
• Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg (HSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009HSU is one of the five founding Hamburg universities in the NAT trusteeship. It hosts excursions on drone defense and other research topics for the mint:match program and has professors serving on the Kuratorium.
• HafenCity Universität Hamburg (HCU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009HCU is one of the five founding Hamburg universities in the NAT trusteeship. It co-hosted the Klimakongress Vernetzte Zukunft in 2019 and provides the CityScienceLab for mint:pink and mint:match visits.
• Hamburger Technologie-Stiftung (HTS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009HTS is one of the founding trustees of NAT and has been providing long-term financial and strategic support since 2009. Helmut Meyer represents HTS on the Kuratorium.
• Körber-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Körber-Stiftung was a founding trustee of NAT in 2009 and was instrumental in the initiative's establishment. The foundation's former leader Julia Andrée is quoted as highlighting NAT's contributions to MINT education in Hamburg schools.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Haus der Kleinen Forscher: Germany's largest STEM education nonprofit for early childhood and primary school, funded by partners including the Helmholtz Association and foundations. Highly comparable nonprofit model, national scope, and school-based delivery, though focused on younger age groups than NAT.
• Wissensfabrik: A German initiative of companies and foundations promoting STEM and entrepreneurship education in schools. Directly comparable as a multi-stakeholder network connecting schools, companies, and civil society for K-12 STEM education.
• MINT Zukunft schaffen: National German initiative under BDA/BDI/Stifterverband promoting MINT education across all school levels. Comparable in mandate (STEM education advocacy) and stakeholder model (industry + foundations + schools), but operates at national policy level rather than regional program delivery.
• MINTvernetzt: Federally funded national MINT network coordinating extracurricular STEM education providers across Germany. Closest direct peer in terms of mission (school-based STEM enrichment) and funding model (federal grant-backed nonprofit).
• Junge Tüftler: Berlin-based nonprofit offering makerspace and digital fabrication STEM programs for young people. Comparable nonprofit model with technology/maker focus, though focused on hands-on coding and making rather than career orientation and research exposure.
• BWINF (Bundeswettbewerb Informatik): National STEM competition organizer for computer science and related disciplines targeting German students. Comparable as a federally recognized extracurricular STEM education provider, though operating through competitions rather than school-based programs.

Broad incumbents

• Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft: Larger German member-based foundation addressing STEM education, among other topics, through grants, research, and policy advocacy. Comparable as a funder/convener of STEM education, but operates at a much broader scope than school-based program delivery.
• Deutsche Telekom Stiftung: Major German corporate foundation with extensive MINT education programs in schools. Comparable as a STEM education funder and convener, but operates at national scale and with broader educational remits beyond STEM.

Others

• Joachim Herz Stiftung: Hamberg-based foundation funding NAT's CO2-Schulmonitor and CO2-Schulhofchallenge via the Perlenfonds. Already a partner of NAT and a major MINT education funder; comparable as a STEM/climate education grantmaker but not a direct operational peer.
• Körber-Stiftung: Hamburg-based foundation and founding trustee of NAT. Operates overlapping educational initiatives in Hamburg, making it an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor, but with shared mission and geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Initiative Nat