Pixum

What Pixum does

Pixum is a German online photo service founded in 1999 and headquartered in Cologne, operating under the parent company CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA through its legal entity Diginet GmbH & Co. KG. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of personalized photo products including photo books (its flagship category), photo prints, wall art across multiple substrates (canvas, acrylic glass, Alu-Dibond, wood, photo tiles), photo calendars, photo gifts (mugs, textiles, magnets), custom puzzles, greeting cards, and phone cases for seven device brands. Pixum serves primarily individual B2C consumers across 20+ European countries through three complementary ordering channels: the award-winning Pixum App (iOS/Android/Huawei), the free Pixum Fotowelt desktop software (Windows/Mac), and a web-based Online-Designer with QR-code cross-device transfer.

The underlying technology stack combines a multi-channel design platform with on-demand manufacturing, using FUJIFILM photo paper (368-382 g/m²) processed with exposure printing technology and Layflat binding for premium photo book output. Pixum differentiates on proprietary UX features including MagicBooks auto-suggestion in the app, extensive design template libraries, and exclusive artist designs via the artboxONE sub-brand. Production occurs in 2-5 business days depending on product type, with FUJIFILM paper sourcing, FSC certification since 2013, and DHL GoGreen shipping supporting a sustainability narrative.

Pixum operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model with transaction-based revenue from one-time product purchases (photo books from €12.95 to €69.95 plus shipping from €3.99 to €30.99). The GTM motion is product-led growth via free software download and app store presence, supplemented by organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube), email/WhatsApp newsletters, and a 20% customer referral program. A secondary B2B Großkunden service handles bulk orders with dedicated consulting. The company has 51-100 employees and competes as one of the leading online photo services in Germany and Europe, evidenced by consecutive TIPA World Awards (2024, 2025) and 65,763+ customer reviews averaging 4.9/5 stars.

Name

Pixum

Legal name

Diginet GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://pixum.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pixum is a Cologne-based German online photo service (founded 1999) that designs, manufactures, and ships personalized photo products including photo books, prints, wall art, calendars, and gifts to individual consumers across 20+ European countries via web, desktop, and mobile app channels, operating as a subsidiary of CEWE Stiftung.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photo Printing Services

NAICS

Photofinishing (81292)

SIC

Services-Photofinishing Laboratories (7384)

akta.pro primary industry

Photo Books & Art Books Print-on-Demand (Coffee Table, Portfolios) (MPAJANAE)

Keywords

• Photo printing services
• Personalized photo books
• Custom photo gifts
• Photo wall art
• Online photo service

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Photo Product Sales: One-time transaction-based sales of customized photo products including photo books, prints, wall art, calendars, gifts, and other personalized items. Each product is individually manufactured based on customer specifications.
2. Shipping & Handling: Revenue from shipping costs added to each order, with fees varying by product type, weight, and destination. Express shipping available for select products in Germany via Fotowelt Software.
3. Business Customer Services: Bulk order services for business customers (Großkunden) with dedicated consulting and attractive pricing for larger orders of photo products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Pixum operates an online photo service that enables customers to design, personalize, and order custom photo products including photo books, photo prints, wall art, calendars, photo gifts, puzzles, greeting cards, and phone cases. Each product is individually manufactured to customer specifications using FUJIFILM photo paper and shipped directly to consumers across 20+ European countries. Design and ordering are conducted through a multi-channel platform spanning a web-based Online-Designer, a free Pixum Fotowelt desktop application, and a Pixum mobile app (iOS/Android/Huawei).

Product overview

Pixum is an online photo service offering a comprehensive portfolio of personalized photo products centered around its core Pixum Fotobuch (photobook) platform. The product lineup includes photo prints, wall decorations (canvas, posters, acrylic glass, aluminum dibond, framed prints, wood prints, photo tiles), photo calendars, photo gifts (mugs, magnets, pillows, textiles), photo puzzles, greeting cards, and phone cases. Customers can create products through three design channels: the Pixum App (mobile, TIPA World Award 2025 winner), the Pixum Fotowelt Software (free desktop application for Mac/Windows), or the Online-Designer (browser-based). The artboxONE sub-brand provides exclusive artist designs, while a business customer service handles large orders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• artboxONE: A sub-brand offering exclusive artist wall art and modern designs in Pixum quality.

Products and services

• Pixum Fotobuch (Photo Book)

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% 5-star rating rate from 65,763 reviews
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FUJIFILMcoreTechnology or IntegrationFUJIFILM supplies high-quality photo paper for Pixum's photo book products. Pixum uses FUJIFILM photo paper (368-382 g/m² for glossy, 368-370 g/m² for matte finishes) with exposure printing technology for premium output quality.
• DHL / Deutsche PostcoreOthersPrimary shipping partner for product delivery. Pixum offers DHL GoGreen sustainable shipping option. Services include tracking, insured shipping, and carbon-offset delivery.
• artboxONEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive artist design marketplace accessible through Pixum. Offers wall pictures and modern designs from exclusive artists, delivered in Pixum quality.
• Deutsche Bank OldenburgminorOthersBanking partner for Pixum's business operations, listed with BLZ 28070057 and account 11998200.
• Dr. Rainer Buchert (Ombudsmann)minorOthersExternal compliance officer for reporting suspected corruption, fraud, or other serious irregularities. Appointed as part of Pixum's governance and compliance system.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA: CEWE is the parent company operating its own flagship photo products brand in Germany, directly competing with Pixum in the same photobook, print, wall art, and gift categories with overlapping European customer base and shared production infrastructure.
• myposter: myposter is a German online photo printing company offering posters, canvas prints, photobooks, and personalized gifts; it overlaps significantly with Pixum's product range and competes in the same DACH e-commerce channel.
• WhiteWall: WhiteWall is a premium photo printing specialist (gallery prints, acrylic, alu-Dibond, canvas) and a CEWE Group sister brand, overlapping with Pixum's Wandbilder catalog and competing in the higher-end wall art segment.
• Saal Digital: Saal Digital is a German photo lab specializing in premium photobooks, wall art, and photographic prints, competing head-on with Pixum for German and EU-based professional and prosumer photo customers.
• PosterXXL: PosterXXL is a German photo wall-art specialist offering canvas, posters, framed prints, and personalized gifts, directly competing with Pixum's Wandbilder and Fotogeschenke categories.
• Cheerz: Cheerz is a mobile-first European (French-origin) photo printing service within CEWE Group, overlapping with Pixum on photobooks, prints, and gifts; it's a CEWE sister brand targeting younger, smartphone-first consumers.

Broad incumbents

• Shutterfly: Shutterfly is a leading US photo products and personalized printing e-commerce platform (photobooks, stationery, gifts) with comparable technology stack; it's a useful strategic comparable on technology, scale, and category leadership though primarily US-focused.
• Snapfish: Snapfish is one of the largest online photo printing platforms globally (US/UK and EU presence), offering photobooks, prints, cards, and gifts at scale; it competes with Pixum on cross-border European demand as a broad incumbent with similar product breadth.

Emerging players

• FreePrints: FreePrints is a mobile-app-first photo printing service emphasizing free monthly prints with paid upgrades; it competes with Pixum on consumer print volume, especially on iOS/Android, but lacks the photobook/depth of Pixum's catalog.

Regional players

• Fotokoch (formerly myFOTO): Fotokoch is a German/regional DACH photo printing retailer offering photobooks, prints, and poster services; it competes with Pixum in the same geographies on similar product categories, though with a more retail/storefront footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/pixum
• Facebookfacebook.com/pixum
• Instagraminstagram.com/pixum
• Pinterestpinterest.de/pixum
• Xx.com/pixum_de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pixum

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 Pixum