wer denkt was

What wer denkt was does

wer denkt was GmbH is a German for-profit IT services and consulting firm founded in 2011 and headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, specializing in digital citizen participation (Bürgerbeteiligung) for the public sector. The firm operates a modular software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform architecture centered on its Beteiligungsplattform Dialog Digital, complemented by specialized procedure modules: Mängelmelder (and Mängelmelder Pro) for geo-referenced citizen defect reporting, Umfragen & Analysen for surveys, Bürgerhaushalt/Bürgerbudget for participatory budgeting, Stadtentwicklung for urban planning, Vorhabenlisten for project transparency, E-Voting for digital ballots, and Kartenbeteiligung/Crowdmapping for spatial input. Platforms are accessible via web and mobile apps (iOS and Android), with hosting managed by TeleData GmbH in an ISO 27001-certified German data center, and the firm also offers custom software development and an 'Open Source & KI-Lösungen' (open-source and AI solutions) service line.

The business serves more than 100 German municipalities, cities, counties, and public institutions — including major references such as Munich, Essen, Wuppertal, Mannheim, Bremen, Konstanz, Darmstadt, and Ludwigshafen — as well as non-governmental clients such as Körber-Stiftung and ADFC Bremen. The commercial model combines annual subscription SaaS licensing for hosted participation platforms, professional services (consulting, conception, project management, moderation, training, evaluation), and custom software development engagements, all priced on a quote basis tailored to client scope and municipality size. The firm is founder-owned and bootstrapped (no venture capital or private equity disclosed), managed by three Geschäftsführer: Dr. Robert Lokaiczyk, Dr. Tobias Klug, and Theresa Lotichius, and markets primarily through direct B2G sales, its own annual Fachkonferenz series (since 2015), a multi-list newsletter, client references, and occasional earned media (e.g., ZDF Markus Lanz feature in June 2026).

Name

wer denkt was

Legal name

wer denkt was GmbH

Website

https://werdenktwas.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

wer denkt was GmbH is a German IT services and consulting firm founded in 2011 that provides modular digital citizen participation SaaS platforms—including Mängelmelder defect reporting and Beteiligungsplattform dialogue tools—to over 100 German municipalities and public institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement Software

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Government Digital Service & eGovernment (Service Delivery, IDs, Portals) (BPAIAAAE)

Keywords

• Citizen participation software
• E-government platforms
• Municipal engagement solutions
• Civic participation platforms
• Digital participation tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Darmstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Licensing / Platform Subscriptions: Municipal clients pay for access to hosted citizen participation platforms (Mängelmelder, Beteiligungsplattform, surveys, etc.) on a subscription basis. The company operates and maintains the platforms, and clients access them as hosted services. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to the scope of services and municipality size.
2. Professional Services (Consulting & Implementation): The company provides consulting, conception, project management, moderation, evaluation, and training services alongside its software platforms. These include process design, survey creation, facilitation of participation processes, and post-project documentation and analysis.
3. Custom Software Development: Individual software solutions and custom development services are offered for clients with specific technical requirements beyond the standard platform modules.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

wer denkt was GmbH develops, operates, and sells web-based SaaS digital citizen participation platforms for German municipalities, cities, counties, and public institutions. Its core offerings include Mängelmelder Pro (a GIS-referenced citizen defect/issue reporting platform with web and mobile apps), the Beteiligungsplattform Dialog Digital (a configurable participation platform for citizen dialogues, participatory budgeting, surveys, and project lists), Umfragen & Analysen (an online survey and analytics platform), and custom software development services for specialized municipal needs.

Product overview

wer denkt was GmbH offers a modular citizen participation platform architecture centered on its Beteiligungsplattform Dialog Digital, supplemented by specialized procedure modules including Mängelmelder Pro (defect reporting with GIS-referencing), Umfragen & Analysen (surveys), Bürgerhaushalt/Bürgerbudget (participatory budgeting), Stadtentwicklung (urban planning), Vorhabenlisten (project lists), and Leitlinien (guidelines). The company also provides Software-Entwicklung (custom development) and Open Source & KI-Lösungen (open source and AI solutions) as add-on services. All solutions are tailored for German municipalities, cities, and public institutions to enable direct citizen engagement with politics and administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mängelmelder: Digital defect and issue reporting platform allowing citizens to report problems (e.g., litter, broken streetlights, damaged playgrounds) via app or web. Available as both a nationwide portal (mängelmelder.de) and customized city versions.
• Mängelmelder Pro
• Beteiligungsplattform Dialog Digital
• CoBi

Products and services

• Mängelmelder Pro A digital citizen defect and issue reporting platform that enables residents to submit geo-referenced reports (e.g., illegal dumping, broken streetlights, damaged playgrounds) via web or mobile app (iOS and Android). Reports are routed directly to the responsible municipal department with status tracking and administrative workflow management.
• Beteiligungsplattform Dialog Digital A configurable participation platform enabling direct dialogue between citizens and municipal administrations through idea submission, feedback collection, comments, voting, map-based participation (crowdmapping), and project list management. Supports citizen budgets, online discussions, surveys, and cross-media participation combining online and in-person formats.
• Umfragen & Analysen An online survey and analytics platform that enables municipalities and public institutions to create questionnaires, collect citizen responses, evaluate data, and generate reports for various consultation and research purposes.
• Software-Entwicklung Custom software development services creating individualized digital solutions for specific municipal needs, including specialized widgets, integration with existing municipal systems, bespoke participation tools, and process automation.
• Open Source & KI-Lösungen Services combining open-source technologies with artificial intelligence capabilities for municipalities' participation processes, including the incorporation of open source components and the exploration of AI-based solutions within the company's participation software portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% of citizen reports are resolved by municipalities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TeleData GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationTeleData GmbH provides server hosting and server management for wer denkt was GmbH's platforms. The hosting is performed in an ISO 27001:2013 certified data center in Friedrichshafen, Germany. TeleData GmbH operates as a data processor under Art. 28 GDPR.
• Domainfactory GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationDomainfactory GmbH provides domain registration services, domain certificates, and email service provisioning for wer denkt was GmbH. The company operates as a data processor under Art. 28 GDPR.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ invited wer denkt was GmbH to present its Mängelmelder to a Southeastern European delegation (Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro) as part of the GIZ Open Regional Fund for Southeast Europe – Modernization of Municipal Services (ORF MKD) program. This is a knowledge-transfer and capacity-building engagement, not a commercial contract.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• OpenGov: US govtech platform covering budgeting, permitting, and civic engagement. Comparable end customers (governments/municipalities) with overlapping functionality in civic engagement, though as part of a much broader suite.
• Granicus: Large US-headquartered govtech SaaS provider for communications, service delivery, and citizen engagement. A broader incumbent with overlapping citizen-facing capabilities but a much wider portfolio targeting public sector.
• Kantar Public: Global public-sector research and citizen engagement consultancy. Serves the same government and municipal customers with surveys, consultation, and policy research — adjacent to wer denkt was's professional services arm.

Direct peers

• Decidim: Open-source participatory democracy platform originating in Barcelona. Provides proposals, votes, debates, and assemblies for cities and public institutions — directly comparable modules to wer denkt was's Beteiligungsplattform.
• Consul Democracy: Open-source e-participation platform forked from Madrid's Decide Madrid initiative. Serves cities with voting, debates, proposals, and budgeting — a direct functional competitor to wer denkt was's participation modules.
• Zebralog: German dialogue and e-participation consultancy based in Nuremberg. Directly comparable target market (German municipalities) and service offering, including moderation, conception, and online participation tools.
• Bang the Table (EngagementHQ): Australian-founded community engagement SaaS for local governments. Directly comparable target market and product suite (surveys, forums, place-based engagement) used by municipalities globally.
• LiquidFeedback: Berlin-based open-source e-participation software for proposals, voting, and delegation. Closest German-language peer, with comparable functionality and a similar niche in civic-tech tooling.
• OpenPetition: German online petition and civic participation platform. Overlaps with wer denkt was on citizen engagement tooling and shares the German market, though more narrowly focused on petitions and civic campaigns.
• CitizenLab (now Go Vocal): Belgian/Dutch-origin citizen engagement SaaS platform serving cities and governments worldwide. Closest direct competitor to wer denkt was in the municipal e-participation category, offering consultation, ideation, voting, and budgeting modules.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/werdenktwas
• Facebookfacebook.com/werdenktwas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wer-denkt-was-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 wer denkt was