Denkungsart

What Denkungsart does

Denkungsart GmbH is a Mainz, Germany-based founder-owned software and consulting company founded in 2015 by Dr. David Zitzlsperger, Fabian Schwahn, and Andreas Venturini. The company develops and operates a portfolio of cloud-based SaaS products centered on casting and talent management, anchored by its proprietary native graph database, the Denkungsart DataCube. Its core platforms are Castupload (for professional actors in film, television, and theater), Castscreen (for advertising agencies and advertising talent), and a modular iOS On-Site Casting App that enables real-time on-location casting with immediate transfer of contact data, photos, and videos to a cloud backend. These offerings are complemented by white-label deployments (notably castingfueralle.de, licensed to Seapoint Productions) and adjacent tools including a Social Media Manager and a Help-Desk eCRM.

Under the hood, Denkungsart runs its solutions on the Heroku PaaS, distributes media globally via the AWS CloudFront CDN, and exposes enterprise integrations to Salesforce, Oracle, and SAP through Heroku Connect. The company's go-to-market operates on two parallel tracks: a direct, self-serve SaaS motion via its owned brands (Castupload, Castscreen) targeting casting professionals and a B2B sales-led motion licensing white-label modules to production companies, advertising agencies, and casting firms. A third revenue stream — management consulting covering market research, customer satisfaction analysis, and aviation MRO market studies — rounds out the business. Customer evidence is concentrated among German media and entertainment firms, with Seapoint Productions as the most prominent white-label account and roughly a dozen additional logos across production, casting, and music displayed on the company's website. The company has no disclosed funding, operates with a team of 11-50 employees supplemented by a freelancer network, and serves markets claimed across DACH, Europe, North America, and China.

Name

Denkungsart

Legal name

Denkungsart GmbH

Website

https://denkungsart-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Denkungsart GmbH is a Mainz-based SaaS company that builds and operates cloud casting and talent-management platforms (Castupload, Castscreen, On-Site Casting App) plus white-label solutions for media production, advertising, and casting-agency clients, supplemented by management consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casting and Talent Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Casting & Talent Services (Casting, Background, Talent Holding) (MPADAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Production & Talent Services (Casting, Crew, Production Management) (MPAAAMAF), Talent Casting & Auditions (Casting Directors, Open Calls) (HSACAHAL)

Keywords

• Casting software
• Talent management platform
• White label SaaS
• Marketing consulting
• Cloud casting solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Mainz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Licensing (White Label): White-label solutions where production companies, advertising and promotion agencies license casting platform modules under their own brand. Modules include On-Site Casting, eCasting, Studio Casting, Talent Database, Pre-selection, Rating and Archiving.
2. Owned SaaS Platforms: Operates owned brands Castupload (professional actors) and Castscreen (advertising talent) as cloud-based platforms for casting management.
3. Management Consulting: Strategic and operational marketing management consulting including market research, customer satisfaction analysis, and brand positioning strategies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Denkungsart develops and operates cloud-based SaaS casting and talent management platforms (Castupload for professional actors in film/theater/TV, Castscreen for advertising talent, and an On-Site Casting iOS app), offered both as direct self-serve brands and as white-label solutions for production companies, casting agencies, and advertising agencies. The company also provides strategic marketing management consulting including market research, customer satisfaction analysis, and brand positioning services for B2B clients.

Product overview

Denkungsart GmbH is a SaaS company offering a modular product portfolio centered on casting and talent management solutions. The core offerings include Castupload (for film/TV/theater professionals) and Castscreen (for advertising agencies), both cloud-based process management platforms enabling eCastings, studio castings, and on-site castings. The On-Site Casting App provides a modular iOS mobile solution with cloud database for on-location casting. These products are complemented by white label solutions (castingfueralle.de) and supporting tools like the Social Media Manager and Help-Desk eCRM. The company also provides custom software development and management consulting services. Key infrastructure includes the Denkungsart DataCube (proprietary graph database) and integrations with enterprise systems via Heroku Connect.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Denkungsart DataCube: Proprietary scalable native graph database enabling complex database functions with highest availability
• Castupload
• Castscreen
• On-Site Casting App
• Social Media Manager
• Help-Desk eCRM

Products and services

• Castupload A scalable, cloud-based process management platform for professional actors, casting directors, and agents in film, theater, and television. Enables eCastings, studio castings, and pre-selection assistance for casting processes.
• Castscreen A sister platform to Castupload, tailored for advertising agencies and ad castings. Provides a scalable, cloud-based process management platform for talent including commercial actors, models, and background performers, enabling quick on-site castings, eCastings, and studio castings.
• On-Site Casting App A modular iOS mobile application with cloud database for casting directors, agents, and producers to cast candidates on-site, including contact details, photos, and videos, with immediate data transfer to backend for review, filtering, and rating. Particularly used in scripted reality, model scouting, and extras casting.
• castingfueralle.de (White-Label Casting Platform) A near-complete implementation of all relevant casting function modules, operated by Denkungsart as a white-label solution for Seapoint Productions GmbH & Co. KG. Provides a talent database that has been used to cast TV formats including 'Die Bachelorette' via eCastings, studio castings, and on-site castings.
• White-Label Casting Portfolio A modular white-label casting portfolio that includes On-Site Casting, eCasting, Studio Casting, talent database, pre-selection, rating, and archiving modules. Configurable for production companies, advertising or promotion agencies for permanent or project-specific use under the partner's own brand.
• Management Consulting Services Strategic and operational marketing management consulting services including market and competition analyses, market segmentation, target group analyses, customer satisfaction analyses, and customer service excellence concept development for B2B clients.
• Social Media Manager A standalone tool for centrally managing multiple social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. Allows monitoring of RSS feeds, internal knowledge bases, and social media content sorted by reach and virality for redistribution.
• Help-Desk eCRM

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HerokucoreTechnology or IntegrationPaaS (Platform as a Service) provider hosting Denkungsart's SaaS solutions. Enables seamless integration with existing ERP, BI and CRM systems through Heroku Connect.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCloud resources including CloudFront CDN for worldwide content delivery. Used for streaming training videos, presentations, and monitoring content usage.
• SalesforcecoreTechnology or IntegrationCRM system integration capability for enterprise B2B customers. Denkungsart's SaaS solutions offer seamless integration with Salesforce.
• OraclecoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise system integration capability. Solutions offer seamless integration with Oracle ERP systems for B2B customers.
• SAPcoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise system integration capability. Solutions offer seamless integration with SAP ERP systems for B2B customers.
• Seapoint Productions GmbH & Co. KGcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMajor white-label customer licensing the complete castingfueralle.de platform. Cologne-based production company has made building their own talent database a central success factor and has cast known TV formats including 'Die Bachelorette'.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Casting Networks: Casting Networks is a US-based SaaS platform providing online casting and talent management for film, television, theater, and commercial casting. Directly comparable to Castupload/Castscreen in product scope, target customers (casting directors, agents, talent), and self-serve SaaS delivery model.
• Breakdown Services / Actors Access: Breakdown Services (parent of Actors Access and Casting Frontier) is the dominant US platform for actor submissions and casting project management, used by most professional actors and casting directors in North America. Direct competitor to Castupload in terms of actor profile hosting and electronic casting submissions.
• Spotlight: Spotlight is the leading UK-based casting platform for professional actors, with strong European presence. Comparable to Castupload in serving theatrical and screen actors with profile hosting, casting notices, and agency tools.
• Backstage: Backstage combines a casting platform with a long-running industry publication, serving actors, casting directors, and talent across film, TV, theater, and commercials. Comparable business model combining casting SaaS with content/community engagement.
• Mandy: Mandy is an international casting and crew network with strong UK/EU presence, listing roles for actors, extras, models, and crew. Comparable to Castupload/Castscreen in self-serve talent profile management and casting notice distribution.
• StarNow: StarNow is an Australia/NZ-headquartered casting and talent platform covering actors, models, musicians, and extras with global reach. Comparable in cross-vertical talent profiles and self-serve casting tools, but with broader international footprint.

Emerging players

• Stage 32: Stage 32 is a global networking and learning platform for film, TV, and theater creatives, with casting listings as one of its features. Comparable overlap in serving casting professionals, though with a social/community-led approach rather than a pure casting workflow tool.

Others

• Simone Bär Casting: Simone Bär Casting is a prominent German casting agency displayed as a Denkungsart partner/logo customer. Comparable as a customer-side reference rather than a competitor; useful proxy for how German casting agencies consume casting technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Denkungsart