terrestris

What terrestris does

terrestris GmbH & Co. KG is a Bonn-based, privately held open source GIS specialist founded in 2003 (over 20 years operating) that designs, builds, and operates WebGIS applications and geodata infrastructure for German federal and state agencies, municipalities, and research institutions. The company is structured as a German GmbH & Co. KG with managing directors Torsten Brassat and Roland Hachmann, holds DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications (since December 2023), and is an OSGeo charter member with deep contributor status across OpenLayers, GeoServer, GeoStyler, SHOGun, and Masterportal.

The technology stack is built around SHOGun, terrestris's proprietary open source WebGIS framework (Spring Boot/Hibernate backend, OpenLayers frontend, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, GeoServer for OGC services WMS/WFS, Keycloak for RBAC, MapFish Print, containerized via Docker and Kubernetes-deployable), supplemented by proprietary commercial offerings OSM WMS Premium and the hosted On-A-Map platform (co-developed with meggsimum). Service offerings span consulting, conception and architecture, custom software development, agile project management, quality and test management, operation and maintenance, and training and workshops. Named customer work includes the BfS Geoportal, BKG GDI-DE Test Suite, MDI-DE Portal, GDA Rheinland-Pfalz (1,800+ subject areas, 170+ applications), the Geoportal Spatial Planning Baden-Württemberg, and the Map Viewer API for LGB Brandenburg.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from professional services sold on a project and retainer basis to government buyers, augmented by modest recurring streams from OSM WMS Premium subscriptions and On-A-Map hosting. Distribution is fully direct (no resellers or self-serve marketplace), with demand generated primarily through a community-led, event-driven GTM centered on FOSS4G and FOSSGIS conferences, OSGeo code sprints, webinars, and a knowledge-base content engine. The company is independently owned by its founding/management team; no external investors, parent, or M&A activity is identified.

Name

terrestris

Legal name

terrestris GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://terrestris.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

terrestris is a Bonn-based open source GIS consulting firm founded in 2003 that designs, develops, and maintains WebGIS applications, geoportals, and OGC/INSPIRE-compliant spatial data infrastructure for German federal, state, and municipal government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geospatial Software & Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Geospatial Data Management & Enterprise GIS (Geodatabases, Web GIS, Spatial Analytics) (EUAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Open source GIS
• Geospatial solutions
• WebGIS development
• Geodata infrastructure
• Spatial data management

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services (Consulting & Software Development): The primary revenue stream. terrestris sells its expertise through consulting, conception and architecture, custom software development, project management and agile support, quality and test management, and operation and maintenance services. Services are sold to government agencies, municipalities, and research institutions on a project and retainer basis. Training and workshops are also offered as billable services.
2. OSM WMS Products: Sale of premium and free OpenStreetMap WMS products, providing pre-rendered map tiles as OGC-compliant WMS layers. Revenue is generated from premium tier subscriptions/licensing of the OSM WMS Premium product.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

terrestris is a German open source GIS specialist that delivers customized WebGIS applications, geoportals, and spatial data infrastructure to government agencies, research institutions, and private organizations. The company sells professional services (consulting, conception, custom software development, project management, quality assurance, and operation/maintenance) as its primary offering, alongside commercial products (OSM WMS Premium map service and the On-A-Map hosted map platform) and its proprietary open source WebGIS framework SHOGun.

Product overview

terrestris is an Open Source GIS specialist offering both commercial products and extensive open-source software solutions. Their commercial portfolio includes OSM WMS Premium (a fee-based map service) and On-A-Map (a complete hosting solution for interactive web maps). Their core open-source products include SHOGun (their proprietary WebGIS framework with modular architecture, role-based access, and OGC compliance) and GeoStyler (a generic geodata styler developed with meggsimum). They actively support and contribute to major open-source GIS projects including GeoServer, OpenLayers, Masterportal, CesiumJS, GeoNetwork, MapProxy, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, and Apache Superset. Their services span geoportal development, WebGIS application creation, spatial data management, and consulting, with a focus on Open Source Geospatial technology (OSGeo) and OGC standards compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OSM WMS Premium Premium Web Map Service based on OpenStreetMap data, providing pre-rendered map tiles as OGC-compliant WMS layers for integration into GIS applications, with enhanced quality, reliability, and support compared to the free version.
• Freier OSM WMS Free Web Map Service providing OpenStreetMap data as WMS layers for basic mapping needs.
• SHOGun WebGIS Framework Proprietary open source WebGIS framework from terrestris for creating modern, productive WebGIS applications with modular architecture, Spring Boot/Hibernate backend, OpenLayers frontend, PostgreSQL/PostGIS database, GeoServer for OGC services, Keycloak role-based access control, and Kubernetes-ready cloud deployment.
• On-A-Map Complete hosted web map solution for regions, cities, municipalities, and associations, built on Masterportal and OpenLayers, providing ready-to-use interactive map applications with hosting, maintenance, and updates included.
• GeoStyler Generic geodata styler (OSGeo Community project) co-developed by terrestris and meggsimum to harmonize differences between different cartographic display formats and translate between format A and format B.
• GIS Professional Services End-to-end professional services covering GIS consulting & conception, custom WebGIS and geoportal software development, project management and agile coaching, quality and test management, long-term operation & maintenance, and training/workshops. Sold to government agencies, research institutions, and private organizations on a project and retainer basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Geoportal manages over 1,800 subject areas and integrates 170+ specialized applications for Rhineland-Palatinate's water management administration
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• mundialiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partnermundialis is a related company also based in Bonn. The terrestris website displays mundialis's logo alongside its own, indicating a close strategic relationship. Both companies share expertise in geoinformation and open source GIS, and appear to collaborate on projects and initiatives.
• meggsimumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnermeggsimum is a key strategic partner with whom terrestris co-developed the GeoStyler project (a generic geodata styler harmonizing different display formats) and the On-A-Map hosting solution. Both companies are core contributors to GeoStyler and share open source GIS development goals.
• OSGeo (Open Source Geospatial Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSGeo is a non-profit organization promoting global adoption of open source geospatial technology. terrestris is an active OSGeo charter member and core developer in OSGeo software projects. OSGeo provides financial, organizational, and legal support for open source GIS projects and the broader community.
• FOSSGIS e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOSSGIS (Freie und Open Source Software für Geoinformationssysteme) e.V. is a registered non-profit association organizing the largest German-speaking FOSSGIS conference. terrestris has been actively involved since the founding of the association (evolved from the UMN MapServer User Conference), helped organize FOSS4G 2016 in Bonn, sponsors the conference, and participates with numerous employees.
• DataportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDataport is listed as a partner on terrestris's website. Their representative (Jens Nienaber) co-presented the Masterportal webinar with terrestris, indicating collaborative work on the Masterportal open source project and related government IT projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Esri: Global GIS software incumbent (ArcGIS); competes with terrestris for the same German government GIS budgets but from a proprietary, broad-portfolio position rather than open source WebGIS specialization.
• Hexagon Geospatial: Global geospatial platform vendor (Power Portfolio, M.App Enterprise); competes for enterprise and government spatial data management contracts where terrestris also bids, but from a much larger proprietary platform base.

Others

• wetransform: German open source GIS technology company and listed terrestris partner; comparable because of overlapping technology stack (open source ETL/GIS) and shared German public-sector customer base.
• meggsimum: Strategic partner and co-developer of GeoStyler and On-A-Map; directly comparable as a German open source GIS consultancy with overlapping community (OSGeo) engagement and similar public-sector customer profile.
• mundialis: Bonn-based sister/partner company focused on geoinformation and Earth observation; comparable because it shares terrestris's open source GIS DNA and is jointly marketed, though its EO/raster focus differs from terrestris's WebGIS/government-portal core.

Direct peers

• WhereGroup: German open source GIS services and products company (PostNAS, Mapbender) serving public-sector geodata infrastructure; the closest direct competitor to terrestris in the German open source WebGIS/geoportal market.
• lat-lon: German geoinformation services and OGC-compliant software solutions firm; comparable as a German-language open source GIS specialist targeting government and enterprise spatial data infrastructure customers.
• Camptocamp: Swiss/French open source GIS and infrastructure company (GeoMapFish, Odoo) with deep OSGeo involvement; comparable as a European open source WebGIS specialist serving public-sector geodata customers.
• con terra: German GIS specialist (esri partner historically) focused on spatial data infrastructure and INSPIRE compliance; comparable as a German public-sector-focused GIS professional services and platform company.

Regional players

• Geocat: Netherlands-based open source geospatial consultancy with INSPIRE and metadata expertise; comparable as a small European open source GIS services firm, though primarily serving Benelux public-sector clients rather than the German market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/terrestrisde
• GitHubgithub.com/terrestris
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/terrestris-gmbh-co-kg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 terrestris