Golem.de

What Golem.de does

Golem.de, operated by Golem Media GmbH and headquartered in Berlin, is a German-language IT news portal founded in 1997 (originally as a weekly magazine, transitioning to daily online publication in 1998 and rebranded to Golem.de in 2000). The platform delivers original journalism, technical analysis, product reviews, and commentary across hardware, software, telecommunications, network policy, security, gaming, science, and economics for an audience of IT professionals, decision-makers, and early adopters in the DACH region. The company operates a portfolio of sub-brands including the Golem.de Forum, the Besser Wissen podcast, Golem Ratgeber (a comparison and test portal), Golem Karrierewelt (seminars, e-learning, coaching, and employer branding), the Golem Stellenmarkt job marketplace, the Golem-PC custom PC service, and Golem Games, plus a suite of newsletters (daily news, AI Lab Report, Chefs von Devs, Karrierewelt).

The underlying technology stack is a content-managed web publishing platform integrated with a subscription management system (Golem Pur from EUR 3/month and Golem Plus), a job marketplace powered by Kimeta and Classmarkets, price comparison via geizhals.de, podcast hosting via Podigee, newsletter delivery via Brevo, and consent management via Sourcepoint for GDPR compliance. First-party engagement analytics run on the open-source Remp Beam tool, and the ad-supported version of the site integrates Google Analytics, Outbrain, Google AdSense, and Ströer Digital Media among more than 160 third-party data processors.

Golem.de monetizes through a diversified mix: contextual and behavioral advertising (subject to cookie consent), two tiers of consumer subscription (Golem Pur ad-free from EUR 3/month and Golem Plus premium), affiliate commerce across AWIN, Amazon PartnerNet, Tradedoubler, CommunicationAds, Daisycon, Financeads, Webgains, and direct retailer partnerships (Ebay, Notebooksbilliger.de, MediaMarkt, Saturn), and a job marketplace plus B2B career services via Golem Karrierewelt. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Computec Media GmbH, which belongs to the Swiss Marquard Group, and operates alongside sister property it-jobuniverse.de. Management is led by Geschäftsführer (Managing Directors) Benjamin Sterbenz (also Editor-in-Chief) and Rainer Rosenbusch.

Name

Golem.de

Legal name

Golem Media GmbH

Website

https://golem.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Golem.de is a Berlin-based German-language IT news portal serving technology professionals in the DACH region with daily journalism, reviews, podcasts, and newsletters, monetized via advertising, subscriptions (Golem Pur and Golem Plus), affiliate commerce, and a job marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Contextual and behavioral advertising displayed to users who consent to tracking cookies. The site uses Ströer Digital Media for ad targeting and supports up to 160 third-party data processors for advertising purposes.
2. Golem Pur Subscription: Premium ad-free subscription offering access to golem.de without analysis or advertising cookies. Available in monthly (€5.50), 6-month (€24), and annual (€36) plans.
3. Golem Plus Subscription: Full access subscription to all Golem.de content with additional premium features and benefits.
4. Affiliate Commerce: Revenue from affiliate partnerships and networks including AWIN, Amazon PartnerNet, Tradedoubler, and others. Commission earned on product referrals and conversions.
5. Job Marketplace: Career world platform featuring job listings, seminars, workshops, e-learning courses, and coaching services for IT professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Golem.de is a leading German-language IT news portal delivering daily journalism, analysis, reviews, and commentary on hardware, software, telecom, security, gaming, and science for technology professionals. It monetizes through advertising, tiered ad-free/premium subscriptions (Golem Pur, Golem Plus), affiliate commerce, and IT career services.

Product overview

Golem.de operates a multimedia IT news platform for technology professionals, consisting of a core news portal (Golem.de) offering daily IT news, analysis, reviews, and commentary across hardware, software, telecommunications, network policy, security, games, and science. The company offers two paid subscription tiers: Golem Pur (ad-free reading from 3 EUR/month with RSS and Dark Mode) and Golem Plus (full content access with exclusive articles and newsletters). Supplementary offerings include Golem Ratgeber (product test and comparison portal), Golem.de Forum (community discussions), Podcast Besser Wissen, multiple newsletters (daily news, AI Lab Report, Chefs von Devs, Karrierewelt), Golem Karrierewelt (seminars, workshops, e-learning, coaching), a Jobs marketplace, a Price Comparison powered by geizhals.de, Golem-PC custom PC service, Golem Games/Rätsel (gaming content), Deals, and Top Angebote (deal highlights). The portfolio is unified around IT-professional journalism with career development and commerce features extending the core editorial offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Golem Pur: Ad-free subscription service for Golem.de, available from 3 EUR per month
• Golem Plus
• Golem Ratgeber
• Golem Karrierewelt
• Golem Games

Products and services

• Golem.de Leading German-language IT news portal for technology professionals, delivering daily news, analysis, interviews, reviews, and commentary on hardware, software, telecommunications, network policy, business, security, game culture, and science.
• Golem Pur Ad-free subscription tier priced from EUR 3/month, offering Golem.de without advertising and analytics cookies, RSS full-text feed for offline reading, Dark Mode, event discounts, and access to video recordings.
• Golem Plus Premium subscription providing full access to all Golem.de content, including exclusive Plus articles and additional editorial newsletters.
• Golem Ratgeber Product test and comparison portal covering computer hardware, electronics, gaming, smart home, outdoor, and WLAN categories with detailed reviews, buying guides, and product rankings monetized via affiliate links.
• Golem Karrierewelt Career services platform offering seminars, workshops, e-learning courses, coaching, language learning (via Gymglish), a job board, and employer branding solutions for IT professionals and companies.
• Golem Stellenmarkt Job marketplace for IT professionals, powered by kimeta and classmarkets technology, where companies post job listings and candidates apply.
• Podcast Besser Wissen Podcast series covering technology topics, hosted via Podigee.
• Golem.de Newsletters Multiple newsletter offerings including Tagliche Nachrichten (daily news), AI Lab Report, Chefs von Devs, and Karrierewelt, delivered via Brevo/Sendinblue.
• Golem.de Preisvergleich Price comparison search engine powered by geizhals.de enabling users to compare product prices across retailers.
• Golem-PC Custom PC configuration and purchasing service for readers.
• Golem.de Forum Community discussion platform where registered users post in forums and comment on articles.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration30 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ströer Digital Media GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital advertising marketer for behavioral targeting on Golem.de. Golem and Ströer are joint controllers for advertising data processing.
• Sourcepoint Technologies Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationConsent management platform provider for managing cookie consents and privacy preferences per GDPR requirements.
• Brevo (Sendinblue GmbH)coreTechnology or IntegrationEmail service provider used for newsletter delivery and campaign analytics.
• Podigee GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationPodcast hosting service for Golem's Besser Wissen podcast and audio content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heise Online: Heise Online is the leading German-language IT news portal, operated by Heise Verlag, which also publishes c't, iX, and Make magazines. It is Golem.de's most direct head-to-head competitor for German IT professional readership, advertising, and subscriptions.
• WinFuture: WinFuture is a long-running German-language IT news and software download portal covering Windows, mobile, and consumer technology. It targets a comparable German-speaking tech enthusiast audience with similar ad-supported and affiliate-driven monetization.
• t3n: t3n (digital pioneers) is a German digital business and technology magazine covering the digital economy, tech, and the future of work. It targets an overlapping DACH professional audience and competes for tech advertising and event sponsorships.
• ComputerBase: ComputerBase is a major German-language technology news and review portal with a strong enthusiast and hardware-focused audience. It competes directly with Golem.de for technical readers, advertising, and affiliate revenue in the DACH market.
• Computerwoche: Computerwoche is Germany's flagship B2B IT publication, published by IDG, serving IT decision makers with news, analysis, and events. It directly overlaps Golem.de's IT decision-maker audience and competes for B2B advertising and recruiting revenue.
• Netzwelt: Netzwelt is a German consumer and prosumer technology news and review site covering hardware, software, gaming, and streaming. It targets a comparable German-speaking tech audience with similar advertising and affiliate monetization.

Broad incumbents

• The Verge: The Verge is a major US-based consumer and professional technology media outlet covering gadgets, tech policy, and the digital economy. It competes for global IT-pro audience attention and ad budgets, and serves as a comparable digital-native tech media business model.
• TechCrunch: TechCrunch is a leading global technology and startup news property. While English-language and broader in scope, it competes for the same kind of premium advertising and event sponsorships that fund Golem.de's IT-professional newsroom.
• Ars Technica: Ars Technica is a long-established English-language technology news and analysis publication known for deep technical reporting. While it serves a broader international audience, its editorial positioning, subscription model (Ars Pro), and audience profile closely parallel Golem.de's premium IT-prosumer approach.
• ZDNet: ZDNet is a global B2B technology news and reviews publication owned by Red Ventures. It serves an IT decision-maker audience similar to Golem.de's and operates comparable advertising, affiliate, and subscription monetization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GolemRedaktion
• Facebookfacebook.com/golem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/golemmediagmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Golem.de