nebenan.de is operated by Good Hood GmbH based in Berlin. We are a social enterprise, which means: with our neighborhood platform, we aim to create a positive social impact while operating sustainably (more about this in our impact report).

nebenan.de is free for private individuals. To be able to offer nebenan.de in the long term, we must also find ways to cover our costs independently (e.g., for our team of over 100 people, for operating our servers, or office rent).

We follow a fair, transparent, and sustainable business model in which all actors in the “neighborhood ecosystem” contribute. 

The financing of nebenan.de is based on 3 pillars:

1. Voluntary contributions from private individuals
2. Advertising contributions from local businesses, non-profit organizations, cities & municipalities
3. Paid, clearly marked advertising content

Voluntary contributions from private users

Through our “support model,” you as a private user can support the operation of nebenan.de with a voluntary contribution of your choice. On average, supporters give 4-5 euros per month. You can subscribe monthly or annually and cancel at any time. We also appreciate occasional or one-time contributions. More about this here.

Paid profiles for locally based businesses

Local businesses as well as organizations, cities, and municipalities can register on nebenan.de with their own profile as Local Partners and draw the neighborhood’s attention to their offerings. In addition to a free version, several paid packages are available. Whether bakery, pharmacy, craft business, grocery store, daycare, or physiotherapy, locally based businesses and organizations are an important part of vibrant neighborhoods, and we want to support this with our offering.

A local partner profile on nebenan.de enables targeted, local visibility and increases reach in the immediate area. This way, new customers can be gained and existing contacts strengthened. Recommendations from the neighborhood build trust and increase the likelihood that interested parties will choose an offering. Through direct communication without scatter losses and personal exchange, the foundation is laid for more neighbors and, in the long term, higher revenue. Profiles also offer great advantages for organizations and initiatives. We collaborate with larger non-profit organizations, such as Diakonie Deutschland in the pilot project “Villages with a Future.” Projects, offerings, and events can be made visible, supporters gained, and local engagement strengthened. Direct exchange with the neighborhood promotes participation, networking, and the implementation of joint activities on site.

In addition to local businesses, more and more cities, districts, and municipalities are using nebenan.de as a digital communication channel. Through official profiles, they inform citizens hyperlocally about current topics, participation opportunities, events, or construction measures and engage directly in dialogue with the neighborhood.

For example, the city of Hohen Neuendorf uses nebenan.de deliberately to communicate information from city administration transparently and accessibly to citizens. The Berlin district office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg has also been using the platform for several years as a fixed part of its digital citizen communication, reaching tens of thousands of people monthly in a neighborhood-specific and targeted manner.

In this way, nebenan.de supports cities and municipalities in strengthening citizen proximity, promoting participation, and sustainably networking local communities. 

Paid advertising content

In some places on nebenan.de, we show you paid advertising content. More information about advertising on nebenan.de can be found here.

Support from investors 

Until we are able to financially sustain ourselves independently, there is still a way to go. We invest a lot of time, passion, and money in this project. Time and passion come from our employees, the money from our investors. 

Since August 2020, Hubert Burda Media has held the majority of shares in Good Hood GmbH, which operates the platform. After Hubert Burda Media, the founders hold most of the shares. Additionally, Deutsche Tele Medien GmbH, Nordwest-Zeitung Verlagsgesellschaft, and pd ventures, the venture arm of Mediengruppe Pressedruck Augsburg, have invested in nebenan.de.