SimpleThings

What SimpleThings does

SimpleThings GmbH is a Bonn-based full-service internet agency founded in 2001 that designs, develops, and hosts custom web platforms, primarily for German public-sector, education, nonprofit, and mid-sized enterprise clients. Its core technology stack is open-source and centered on TYPO3 CMS and the Symfony PHP framework, supplemented by Shopware for e-commerce, WordPress for smaller sites, and Apache Solr for enterprise search across large content repositories; the firm holds TYPO3 Silver Member status and TYPO3 Certified Integrator certification and is listed in the BITV-Test 90plus register for accessibility competence.

The company's service portfolio spans consulting, corporate and web design, responsive and accessible implementation, custom software development, SEO/SEM and email marketing, and managed hosting on its own infrastructure at two locations. A proprietary newsletter tool, SiMPl (Simple Mailing Platform), is offered alongside other technologies. Revenue is generated through individually quoted project engagements, typically structured as multi-year contracts with bundling of design, development, and hosting services; pricing is project-specific and never flat-rate, reflecting the customized nature of each engagement.

SimpleThings is a privately held German GmbH with approximately 20 employees and two managing directors, Tobias Hövelborn and Sebastian Wahl. New business is acquired through direct outreach, the company website, and referrals, with a sales-led motion and free initial consultation leading to detailed project proposals. The firm serves the DACH region with no disclosed expansion outside Germany.

Name

SimpleThings

Legal name

SimpleThings GmbH

Website

https://simplethings.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SimpleThings GmbH is a Bonn-based, full-service internet agency founded in 2001 that designs, develops, and hosts custom TYPO3, Symfony, and Shopware web platforms for German public-sector, education, nonprofit, and mid-sized enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Agency Web Development Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Application UX, Portals & Low-Code Extensions (BPAEAGAM)

Keywords

• TYPO3 web development
• Symfony application development
• Accessible web design
• Open-source CMS services
• Online marketing consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Web Development & Software Development: Project-based professional services for custom websites, web applications, and software solutions built on open-source technologies. Pricing is individually quoted based on project scope and requirements. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Web Design and Creative Services: Corporate design, web design, screendesign, responsive web design, and print design services, billed as part of project engagements.
3. Online Marketing Services: SEO, SEM, email marketing, newsletter campaigns, and web analytics services, typically bundled within project engagements or as ongoing retainer work.
4. Hosting Services: Web hosting on company-owned infrastructure including server configuration, automated backups, domain registration/management, and email protection via virus scanning and spam filters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SimpleThings is a full-service internet agency that designs, develops, and hosts custom websites, web applications, and software solutions for German public sector, educational, nonprofit, and mid-market clients. Its core offerings center on TYPO3 CMS implementations and Symfony-based custom application development, complemented by Shopware e-commerce, WordPress sites, Apache Solr enterprise search, design services, online marketing, accessibility consulting, and proprietary hosting infrastructure. Projects are sold as individually scoped engagements supported by an in-house newsletter platform (SiMPl) and managed hosting.

Product overview

SimpleThings is a full-service digital agency offering a portfolio of interconnected web development and digital marketing services. The core offering centers on TYPO3 CMS implementations and Symfony-based custom application development, supplemented by e-commerce solutions via Shopware, WordPress development for smaller projects, and Apache Solr enterprise search integration. The agency bundles these technical services with design capabilities (corporate design, web design, responsive design, print), online marketing (SEO, SEM, email marketing, web analytics), hosting services, and accessibility consulting. The SiMPl (Simple Mailing Platform) newsletter system represents their proprietary add-on for email marketing needs. Services are offered as bundled project engagements rather than a SaaS product with self-service modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TYPO3 CMS Development Enterprise open-source Content Management System implementation, including custom extension development, responsive theming, accessibility compliance, and Apache Solr search integration, targeted at organizations needing content-rich, accessible websites and web platforms.
• Symfony Application Development Custom web application development using the Symfony PHP framework with MVC architecture for clients requiring complex database integrations, modular structures, and long-term maintainability, including enterprise search applications and supplier directories.
• Shopware E-Commerce Development E-commerce platform development based on Shopware, including Shopware-specific theming, plugin development, and integration, for clients seeking online shop functionality on one of Europe's leading open-source shop systems.
• WordPress Development Website and blog development using WordPress, including custom theme development, plugin customization, and responsive implementation for smaller websites and campaign pages.
• Web & Screen Design Services UI/UX design services including corporate design, web design, screendesign, responsive web design, and print design to deliver consistent brand presence across digital and physical channels.
• Online Marketing Services Digital marketing services covering search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), email newsletter marketing, and web analytics/tracking, typically bundled within project engagements or as ongoing retainers.
• Web Hosting Managed hosting services run on the company's own infrastructure with automated backups, domain registration/management, email protection with virus scanning and spam filtering, and dedicated server options.
• Web Accessibility Services Accessibility (Barrierefreiheit) consulting and implementation ensuring websites meet BITV accessibility standards, WCAG guidelines, and legal requirements under German accessibility law, particularly for public-sector organizations.
• Consulting & Project Management Strategic digital consulting covering analysis, conception, project management, and training for digital transformation and web projects.
• SiMPl (Simple Mailing Platform) Newsletter System Proprietary newsletter and email marketing system developed in-house by SimpleThings, providing subscriber management, newsletter creation, campaign statistics, and optimized deliverability for client campaigns.
• Apache Solr Enterprise Search Enterprise full-text search implementation using Apache Solr, offering auto-complete, auto-correction, faceted search, synonym search, hit highlighting, and OCR-enabled document search across large content repositories.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96.75 out of 100 points on BITV-Test accessibility evaluation for oekolandbau.de (rated 'Sehr gut' / Very Good)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TYPO3 AssociationcoreTechnology or IntegrationSimpleThings holds TYPO3 Silver Member status and is a TYPO3 Certified Integrator, indicating a deep certified relationship with the TYPO3 Association and active participation in the TYPO3 open-source ecosystem. This partnership provides access to the latest TYPO3 developments and reinforces the company's core technology positioning.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bitmotion GmbH: Cologne-based TYPO3 accessibility specialist and Silver Member agency, also known for BITV competence. Closest direct competitor in the public-sector accessibility niche that SimpleThings operates in.
• dkd Internet Service GmbH: Frankfurt-based TYPO3-specialized full-service agency with a long-standing reputation in German enterprise and corporate CMS implementations. Highly comparable in technology stack and target customer profile.
• Netresearch GmbH: Leipzig-based TYPO3, e-commerce, and digital strategy agency with comparable services portfolio. Direct competitor for German SME and public-sector digital projects.
• Neofonie GmbH: Berlin-based digital agency with comparable TYPO3/CMS and custom web application capabilities serving DAX and public-sector clients. Directly competes with SimpleThings for similar German enterprise and government web engagements.
• Junique GmbH: Bonn/Cologne-area TYPO3 agency with similar-size team, sharing geographic overlap and DACH mid-market project focus. Directly comparable boutique peer.
• Sitewards GmbH: TYPO3-focused web agency with strong e-commerce (Shopware) and CMS capabilities serving mid-market German customers. Comparable size, technology focus, and project-based professional services model.

Broad incumbents

• TWT Digital Group: Düsseldorf digital agency with broader marketing, CRM, and TYPO3 capabilities, serving large German enterprises. Competes in the upper end of the same DACH project market.
• AVENGA Germany (formerly Q_PERIOR): European IT/digital services group with German operations delivering custom web, portal, and enterprise application services. Competes for similar larger public-sector and enterprise digital programs.
• Aperto GmbH (IBM iX): Long-established Berlin digital agency, now part of IBM iX, that historically won major German federal and European Commission web projects. Comparable for large public-sector digital programs though now embedded in a global holding structure.

Regional players

• Elbcloud GmbH: Hamburg-based TYPO3 and Symfony agency with hosting services, conceptually similar bundled offering. Comparable digital agency model and hosting infrastructure approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SimpleThings_de
• Facebookfacebook.com/simplethings.internetagentur
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simplethings-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/simplethings_bonn

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 SimpleThings