Higher education 🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany Since 2015 3.8 · 123 ratings

Kiron

Free online learning pathways for refugees into higher education.

Visit kiron.ngo Try Kiron free All companies
learners since 2015, according to Kiron
200,000+
self-paced courses from 13 providers
700+
job readiness programs since 2021
10+
for verified learners
€0

About Kiron

Kiron is a Berlin non-profit that runs free online learning for refugees, migrants and underserved communities. On the Kiron Campus, verified learners take 700+ self-paced courses from 13 providers, English and German from A1 to C2, and get certificates. Kiron also runs free job readiness programs such as THRIVE for refugee and migrant women in tech, SkillsForward for AI skills and Kiron Mentoring. Learners pay nothing; government ministries, foundations, companies and donors fund the work. In 2026 the legal entity changed its name from Kiron Open Higher Education gGmbH to Kiron Education gGmbH.

Kiron gives refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and members of underserved communities free access to online courses. A learner registers on the Kiron Campus in about 2 minutes, uploads a document that proves their status and then studies at their own pace. Kiron is not an accredited university and does not award degrees. Learners earn course and program certificates.

Markus Kreßler, Vincent Zimmer and Christoph Staudt founded Kiron in Berlin in 2015. A crowdfunding campaign raised about €500,000, and the first goal was to help refugees start university online and transfer to partner universities. In 2017 Kiron counted 50 partner universities in 8 countries. In 2022 it moved its focus to job market access, and in 2024 it closed its offices in Lebanon and Jordan.

Kiron Education gGmbH is a tax-exempt non-profit company. In 2024 it took in €3.58 million: €1.68 million in grants and donations and €1.87 million in revenues. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Federal Foreign Office and Lingoda each paid more than 10% of its income in 2024. Its subsidiary Kiron Digital Learning Solutions GmbH sells white-label learning platforms to other organisations and reinvests in Kiron’s programs.

History

  1. 2015 Founded in Berlin. A crowdfunding campaign raises about €500,000 and enrolments start.
  2. 2016 Wins the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize. Markus Kreßler and Vincent Zimmer make the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
  3. 2016 The Federal Ministry of Education and Research grants about €2.1 million for 13 months.
  4. 2017 Chancellor Angela Merkel visits Kiron. It registers as an NGO in Jordan and counts 50 partner universities in 8 countries.
  5. 2018 Expands to Lebanon. More than 3,500 students are enrolled on the Kiron Campus.
  6. 2019 Launches the Kiron Campus Android app.
  7. 2020 Founds the for-profit subsidiary Kiron Digital Learning Solutions GmbH.
  8. 2022 Shifts its programs from higher education access to job market readiness.
  9. 2023 Launches THRIVE, a tech upskilling program for refugee and migrant women.
  10. 2024 Wenke Christoph becomes CEO in April. Kiron closes its offices in Lebanon and Jordan.
  11. 2025 Kiron turns 10. Co-founders Markus Kreßler and Vincent Zimmer leave the shareholder group in December.
  12. 2026 The company becomes Kiron Education gGmbH. THRIVE wins a European Digital Skills Award, according to Kiron.

Kiron funding and investors

€3.58 million total income in 2024
  1. 2015
    Crowdfunding about €500,000

    Individual donors

    Source: Kiron
  2. September 2016
    Public grant about €2.1 million

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    Source: German Wikipedia
  3. October 2024
    Grant Amount not disclosed

    Google.org AI Opportunity Fund via the Centre for Public Impact

    Source: Kiron
  4. 2024
    Award to Kiron Digital €150,000

    ProjectTogether

    Source: Kiron Annual Report 2024

Kiron is a non-profit and has no equity investors. Income in 2024 came from grants and donations (€1.68 million), revenues (€1.87 million) and other income. In 2023 total income was €4.05 million. The rows below are grants and campaigns named in public sources.

Leadership

  • Wenke Christoph CEO and shareholder, former State Secretary in the Berlin Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Affairs
  • Anne Parsons Deputy CEO
  • Fabienne Huber Head of Programs
  • Kathrin Dischereit Head of Fundraising
  • Nora Rizor Head of People and Culture

Co-founder Christoph Staudt holds 44.985% of the shares. Co-founders Markus Kreßler and Vincent Zimmer left the shareholder group in December 2025. An advisory board of six approves the annual budget.

How Kiron works

self-paced courses
700+
English and German
A1–C2
course completions, according to Kiron
193,000+
  • Free courses and certificates
  • English and German from A1 to C2
  • Coursera for Refugees
  • Courses about life in Germany
  • Topic channels for learners
  • Mentoring and career coaching
  • Job readiness programs
  • Help center and student support
  • Android app

Course areas

Languages3

  • English, A1 to C2
  • German, A1 to C2
  • How to learn a language

Tech and data4

  • First Coding Steps
  • Google IT Support Professional Certificate
  • IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
  • Graphic Design Essentials

AI3

  • AI Bites
  • Your First Steps in Artificial Intelligence
  • Google AI Essentials

Life in Germany3

  • Learn about Germany
  • Information in a Digital Age
  • Integration courses

Course titles from the Kiron Campus page on 8 October 2026. Courses come from Kiron and partners such as Coursera, DataCamp, FutureLearn, Cisco and LinguaTV.

Products

  • Kiron Campus An online platform with 700+ self-paced courses, certificates, topic channels for learners and student support. Free for verified refugees, asylum seekers and underserved communities. Explore the campus
  • THRIVE A 6-month career pathway for refugee and migrant women in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with tech training, language courses and coaching. 1,150+ women took part since 2023. About THRIVE
  • SkillsForward Two 9-week pathways, Boost Your Career with AI and Drive Your Success with Human Skills, open worldwide with B1 English. The 2026 cycle, funded by LinkedIn, reached 5,675 learners. Programs
  • Kiron Mentoring 6 to 8 sessions over 10 weeks with a mentor from TE Connectivity, on job search and workplace culture. Kiron counts 1,900+ mentorships arranged. Programs
  • Kiron Campus app The campus on Android, with 10K+ downloads on Google Play. Google Play
  • Kiron Digital The subsidiary builds white-label, GDPR-compliant learning platforms hosted in Germany for NGOs and companies, with content and consulting. Clients include ReDI School and Acker e.V. kiron.digital

How much is Kiron?

  • Self-paced Kiron Campus €0/mo Free, for verified learners
  • Job readiness programs €0/mo Free, application required

Is Kiron free?

All courses on the Kiron Campus and all Kiron learning programs are free for verified learners. Kiron asks learners never to pay anyone for a Kiron course and to report such requests to student-support@kiron.ngo.

From the Kiron FAQ on 8 October 2026. Courses and programs are free for verified learners. Kiron is funded by grants, donations, partners and revenue from its subsidiary.

For partners and organisations

Partner with Kiron
  • 01Companies and foundations fund programs such as THRIVE and Kiron Mentoring.
  • 02Kiron Digital builds white-label learning platforms hosted in Germany.
  • 03Kiron Digital clients have over 50,000 learners on their campuses.
  • 04Donations to Kiron are tax deductible in Germany.

Partnership and platform prices are not published.

App rating

App details, App Store US

Google Play
3.8 from 123 reviews, 10K+ downloads
Last update
27 July 2026
iPhone
No App Store app found; the campus works in the browser

Latest news

  1. SkillsForward reached 5,675 learners with AI and human skills
  2. Kiron Digital and ReDI School work together on digital education
  3. Co-founders Markus Kreßler and Vincent Zimmer leave as shareholders
  4. Kiron celebrates a decade of impact
  5. Kiron selected for the Google.org AI Opportunity Fund
  6. Wenke Christoph becomes CEO

Contacts and company data

Legal entity
Kiron Education gGmbH (formerly Kiron Open Higher Education gGmbH), c/o Impact Hub Berlin, Rollbergstraße 28A, 12053 Berlin, Germany
Register
Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, HRB 171400 B
VAT ID
DE305357316
Legal form
gGmbH, non-profit limited company
Non-profit status
Confirmed by the Berlin tax office on 14 January 2026
Subsidiary
Kiron Digital Learning Solutions GmbH, 100%, since 2020
Result 2024
Surplus of €4,815, annual report

Programs and documentsTHRIVETHRIVE AfghanistanAll programs

Alternatives to Kiron

How we built this profile

  1. Sources. Facts come from the company’s own website, press room, imprint and careers page, from Wikipedia, the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot. Every source is listed on the page.
  2. Checks. Kinescope checked every number on 8 October 2026. Prices, ratings and job counts change, and we refresh them with each update.
  3. Our words. Descriptions are written by the Kinescope team. Quotes from reviews are marked with the author and source, and we do not rate the company ourselves.
  4. Corrections. The company can send new facts or corrections, and we update the profile.

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Kiron FAQ

Kiron Education gGmbH is a non-profit in Berlin, founded in 2015. It gives refugees, migrants and underserved communities free online courses on the Kiron Campus and runs free job readiness programs. Until 2026 its legal name was Kiron Open Higher Education gGmbH.

Yes. All courses on the Kiron Campus and all Kiron learning programs are free for verified learners. Kiron does not give scholarships or other financial support.

Refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, stateless people and members of certain underserved communities. Learners need a document that proves their status, a device, a stable internet connection and time to study.

No. Kiron is not an accredited university and does not offer Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees or help with university applications. Learners earn certificates for courses and programs.

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