WhereGroup
WhereGroup GmbH is an independent German Geo-IT company that delivers open-source GIS software and services — including the Mapbender and MapComponents WebGIS frameworks and QGIS plugins — alongside consulting, custom development, training, and support to public-sector and infrastructure clients in the DACH region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBonn, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What WhereGroup does
WhereGroup GmbH is an independent German Geo-IT software house specializing in open-source geographic information systems (GIS), headquartered in Bonn with additional offices in Berlin, Freiburg, and a fourth German location. The company has been operating for over 20 years in the open-source GIS space, growing organically from the FOSSGIS (Free and Open Source Software for GIS) community and absorbing MapMedia's operations in 2015. WhereGroup's core offerings include two open-source WebGIS frameworks it develops and maintains — Mapbender (a service repository and application administration platform, acquired via MapMedia in 2015) and MapComponents (a modern, modular WebGIS framework with 3D visualization capabilities) — together with proprietary QGIS plugins (QGIS2Mapbender, QGIS Profile Manager) that automate publishing and profile management for enterprise QGIS deployments.
The company monetizes primarily through professional services: strategic and technical GIS consulting (conceptual design, geodata infrastructure, process optimization), custom open-source software development (desktop, web, mobile GIS, and geodatabase implementation around PostgreSQL/PostGIS), and training delivered through FOSS Academy (co-founded in 2009) and WhereGroup Shorts webinars. A smaller recurring revenue line comes from QGIS Helpdesk support contracts, offered with no minimum contract term. WhereGroup's customer base spans German federal, state, and municipal public administration (BKG, LVermGeo, Stadt Troisdorf), transportation (Deutsche Bahn, BVG), logistics (DHL/Deutsche Post), energy (Vattenfall), media (Mediengruppe Pressedruck), and utilities (MEGAMAP), with a stated emphasis on digital sovereignty and IT infrastructure located in Germany.
WhereGroup's go-to-market is consultative and community-driven, combining direct enterprise sales with sustained investment in open-source community presence (FOSSGIS Platinum sponsorship, OSGeo participation, active QGIS contributions, GitHub repositories) and proprietary event formats (Where2B conference, WhereGroup Shorts webinars). The firm is managed by Olaf Knopp, Peter Stamm, and Tim Steinborn as managing directors (Geschäftsführer), is privately held with no disclosed external investors, and focuses on the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) with global reach for open-source software downloads. AI is positioned as a principled, exploratory theme on the company's blog rather than a deployed product capability.
WhereGroup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WhereGroup
- Legal name
- WhereGroup GmbH
- Website
- https://wheregroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WhereGroup GmbH is an independent German Geo-IT company that delivers open-source GIS software and services — including the Mapbender and MapComponents WebGIS frameworks and QGIS plugins — alongside consulting, custom development, training, and support to public-sector and infrastructure clients in the DACH region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WhereGroup industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Geospatial Software (Open-Source GIS)
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Geospatial Data Management & Enterprise GIS (Geodatabases, Web GIS, Spatial Analytics) (EUAHAKAC), Mapping & Basemap Platforms (Tiles/SDKs) (BPAMANAB)
Keywords
Where WhereGroup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bonn
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
WhereGroup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- GIS Consulting: Strategic and technical consulting for geodata infrastructures, process optimization, and GIS strategy. Includes requirements analysis, concept development, and implementation planning.
- Software Development: Custom Open Source GIS software development, WebGIS applications, desktop GIS solutions, mobile GIS, and geodatabase implementation.
- Training Services: GIS training programs through FOSS Academy including open enrollment courses, individual training, online seminars (WhereGroup Shorts), and summer/winter schools.
- Support Contracts: QGIS Helpdesk support contracts with no minimum term. Provides telephone, email, and contact form support for QGIS issues and questions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | QGIS Helpdesk Support |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
WhereGroup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WhereGroup is an independent Geo-IT software house that develops, maintains, and supports open-source GIS software (Mapbender, MapComponents, and QGIS plugins) and delivers professional services around them — strategic GIS consulting, custom software development, training, and QGIS Helpdesk support — for government agencies, public administration, and infrastructure companies in the DACH region.
Product overview
WhereGroup is an independent Geo-IT software house specializing in open-source GIS solutions for over 20 years. Its product portfolio centers on two open-source frameworks it develops and maintains: Mapbender (a WebGIS framework for creating and administering geospatial web applications with service repository, user/rights management, and administration interface) and MapComponents (a modern WebGIS framework for building modular, interactive map-based web applications with 3D capabilities). The portfolio is complemented by the QGIS2Mapbender plugin (enabling direct publishing from QGIS desktop to Mapbender via API) and the QGIS Profile Manager plugin (simplifying QGIS profile management in organizations). WhereGroup's services include GIS consulting (conceptual design, geodata infrastructure, process optimization, and support), software development (desktop GIS, WebGIS, mobile GIS, and geodatabase implementations), the QGIS Helpdesk (expert support for QGIS users), and training via the FOSS Academy (founded 2009, offering courses on QGIS, Mapbender, PostGIS, and related open-source GIS technologies). The company positions itself as vendor-independent, with all solutions built on open-source technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FOSS Academy: Training institute operated by WhereGroup offering GIS courses and education programs
Products and services
- Mapbender Mapbender is an open-source WebGIS framework developed and maintained by WhereGroup that enables the creation and administration of geospatial web applications. It provides a service repository, user management, rights management, and an administration interface for configuring map applications.
- QGIS2Mapbender Plugin A QGIS plugin developed by WhereGroup that enables desktop QGIS projects to be published directly as QGIS Server WMS services and simultaneously configured as Mapbender web applications via the Mapbender API, without requiring SSH access to the server.
- QGIS Profile Manager Plugin A QGIS plugin developed by WhereGroup that facilitates the management of QGIS profiles, enabling users to create, copy, rename, delete, and import profile contents (database connections, WMS sources, plugins, styles, bookmarks, functions, variables) across profiles with a graphical user interface.
- MapComponents MapComponents is an open-source WebGIS framework developed by WhereGroup for building interactive, modular map-based web applications. The framework uses modern frontend technologies and supports 3D visualization of geodata in web browsers.
- GIS Consulting WhereGroup provides GIS consulting services including conceptual design of geoinformation systems, geodata infrastructure setup and optimization, process optimization, and ongoing support for GIS implementations.
- Custom GIS Software Development WhereGroup develops custom open-source GIS software solutions tailored to client requirements, including desktop GIS, WebGIS, mobile GIS, and geodatabase implementations, without vendor dependencies.
- QGIS Helpdesk Support Service A subscription support service for QGIS users provided by WhereGroup. Customers describe problems via phone, email, or contact form and receive expert callbacks from QGIS developers or GIS consultants. Requires a support contract with no minimum duration, billed annually.
- FOSS Academy GIS Training The training institute operated by WhereGroup, offering in-person and online GIS training courses on open-source GIS software including QGIS, Mapbender, PostGIS, and related technologies. Includes open enrollment courses, individual training, corporate training, summer/winter schools, and WhereGroup Shorts webinars.
Quantifiable outcome
- Mapbender deployed for daily use by hundreds of users at Mediengruppe Pressedruck for delivery management
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use WhereGroup
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WhereGroup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
WhereGroup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.
- MapbendercoreWhereGroup acquired MapMedia assets including Mapbender project responsibility in 2015. Thorsten Hildebrand from MapMedia became the first Berlin employee of WhereGroup. WhereGroup maintains Mapbender as a core Open Source WebGIS project with their developers serving as lead maintainers.
- FOSS AcademycoreFOSS Academy was founded in 2009 by WhereGroup, MapMedia, and other partners as a joint training institute for Open Source GIS education. WhereGroup provides training personnel and course development. FOSS Academy offers GIS training in German and English, including summer schools, winter schools, and free webinars (WhereGroup Shorts).
- FOSSGIS e.V.coreWhereGroup co-founded the FOSSGIS Association and FOSSGIS Conference in 2006. FOSSGIS is the leading German-language conference for Free and Open Source GIS software. WhereGroup staff have held positions on the FOSSGIS board. The association serves as the organizational framework for the Open Source GIS community in the DACH region.
- QGIS ProjectcoreWhereGroup is an active contributor to the QGIS project, maintaining plugins and providing support. Staff participate in QGIS Contributor Meetings and User Conferences. WhereGroup offers QGIS Helpdesk support contracts as a commercial service.
- OSGeo (Open Source Geospatial Foundation)moderateWhereGroup staff are active members of the OSGeo community. OSGeo provides organizational support for Open Source geospatial projects including QGIS, PostGIS, and MapServer.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WhereGroup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Astun Technology: UK-based open-source GIS specialist offering QGIS, GeoServer, and PostGIS consulting, training, and support. Directly comparable service portfolio and target buyer profile to WhereGroup.
- Camptocamp: Swiss open-source GIS and geoinformatics specialist with comparable service offerings (consulting, custom development, training, support) around MapServer, GeoServer, QGIS, and PostGIS. Directly competes with WhereGroup in the DACH region for enterprise and public-sector open-source GIS engagements.
- Boundless (now part of IMG / Hexagon): Historically the most prominent open-source enterprise GIS company in North America; built commercial offerings around QGIS, PostGIS, and GeoServer. Provides a useful benchmark for WhereGroup's go-to-market and productization of open-source GIS, even if post-acquisition overlap is partial.
- mundialis: German open-source GIS and remote-sensing company headquartered in Bonn. Competes with WhereGroup in the same DACH open-source GIS market, with overlapping expertise in QGIS, PostGIS, and FOSSGIS community engagement.
- Gisxperts: German open-source GIS consultancy offering QGIS and PostGIS services and training. A direct niche competitor to WhereGroup in the German-speaking open-source GIS market.
Broad incumbents
- Hexagon Geospatial: Broad geospatial platform incumbent (Power Portfolio, Luciad). Competes for enterprise GIS budgets in transportation, utilities, and government — the same verticals WhereGroup targets — but with proprietary offerings and a much larger footprint.
- Esri: Global incumbent in GIS (ArcGIS platform). Defines the proprietary alternative that WhereGroup's open-source offering is positioned against; large installed base in German public sector and utilities represents the primary displacement opportunity for WhereGroup.
Others
- OSGeo (Open Source Geospatial Foundation): Foundation that incubates and stewards the underlying open-source geospatial projects (QGIS, PostGIS, GeoServer, MapServer) on which WhereGroup builds. Not a competitor but a critical ecosystem partner; its health directly determines WhereGroup's ability to maintain product credibility.
Emerging players
- CARTO: Cloud-native location intelligence platform combining mapping, spatial analytics, and data services. Adjacent to WhereGroup's WebGIS and infrastructure-management offerings, with overlap in transport and utility customer segments.
- Mapbox: Cloud-first mapping and location platform with strong developer ecosystem. Comparable on the WebGIS / map-components side (Mapbox GL JS vs WhereGroup's MapComponents), though Mapbox skews more consumer-facing and commercial rather than public-sector.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WhereGroup social profiles
Digital presenceWhereGroup compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
WhereGroup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WhereGroup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
WhereGroup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WhereGroup M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WhereGroup
What does WhereGroup do?
WhereGroup is an independent Geo-IT software house that develops, maintains, and supports open-source GIS software (Mapbender, MapComponents, and QGIS plugins) and delivers professional services around them — strategic GIS consulting, custom software development, training, and QGIS Helpdesk support — for government agencies, public administration, and infrastructure companies in the DACH region.
Is WhereGroup a public or private company?
WhereGroup is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was WhereGroup founded?
WhereGroup was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WhereGroup based?
WhereGroup is headquartered in Bonn, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does WhereGroup make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. GIS Consulting is the primary driver. The others are software Development, training Services and support Contracts.
Who are WhereGroup's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Astun Technology, Camptocamp, Boundless (now part of IMG / Hexagon), mundialis and Gisxperts. Broad incumbents are Hexagon Geospatial and Esri. OSGeo (Open Source Geospatial Foundation) is listed as an others. Emerging players are CARTO and Mapbox.
Does WhereGroup have an API?
Yes. WhereGroup develops the QGIS2Mapbender plugin, which connects QGIS desktop projects to Mapbender via its API. The Mapbender API (documented at https://demo.mapbender.org/api/doc) enables publishing QGIS projects as WMS services and creating or updating Mapbender applications programmatically. The API supports service management, application creation/copying, and file uploads. QGIS Server is also part of the product ecosystem, serving WMS and WFS via OGC standards, and the QGIS2Mapbender plugin uses the Mapbender API to eliminate the need for SSH connections to the server. Developer documentation is at demo.mapbender.org/api/doc.
What industry is WhereGroup in?
WhereGroup's product category is Geospatial Software (Open-Source GIS). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMANAK, GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms, with a secondary code of EUAHAKAC, Geospatial Data Management & Enterprise GIS (Geodatabases, Web GIS, Spatial Analytics). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7370.