heinekingmedia

What heinekingmedia does

heinekingmedia GmbH is a privately held German technology company, headquartered in Hannover and founded in 2006, that develops and sells integrated hardware-software systems for digital education and digital signage. Its core products are the Digitale Tafel (an interactive whiteboard available in 65, 75, and 86-inch 4K variants running an EDLA-certified Android 13 operating system) and the Digitales Schwarzes Brett (DSB®), a digital noticeboard consisting of proprietary media-player software and professional display hardware. The technical architecture spans an Android-based device ecosystem with centralised HKM Mobile Device Management, a DSBElements content management platform for the corporate bemotive brand, DSBsync for automated content synchronisation, and the DSBmobile companion application. Since taking a minority stake in bentimento GmbH in May 2024, the company has pre-installed bentimento's AI-powered Creator Software on the new Digital Tafel C10 (launched October 2024) to automatically convert photographed worksheets into structured digital lesson units. The product set is rounded out by the HKM Academy online training portal and add-on modules including DSBplan, DSBnavigation, and the Karrieremonitor DooH career-information display.

The company serves two primary verticals: schools and educational institutions (its dominant and historical market, with an installed base of more than 11,000 German schools) and corporate/enterprise customers served through the bemotive sub-brand. Geographic focus is the DACH region, with international expansion supported by the wholly-owned Austrian subsidiary J. Klausner Professional Multimedia GmbH (acquired April 2022), Swiss channel leadership since November 2021, and the wholly-owned German DooH advertising network Dooh.eu GmbH (acquired December 2022). The business model combines one-time hardware sales (interactive whiteboards, signage displays, OPS upgrade modules) with recurring software subscriptions (DSB player, DSBElements, HKM MDM, DSBmobile, Education Platform), training revenue from the HKM Academy, and advertising revenue from Karrieremonitor DooH inventory. Distribution spans direct field and inside sales, two dedicated online shops (edu-shop and corporate-shop), the Synergy three-tier channel partner programme (currently ~17 partners, targeting ~120 in Germany), and a strategic distribution partnership with Alliance Technologies (Nuvias UC Gruppe).

The company has been owned by private equity firm Premium Equity Partners since July 2021, which acquired it from the founders and Madsack Mediengruppe to fund internationalisation and a strategic pivot toward software-led recurring revenue. Since the 2021 acquisition, the group has executed a series of inorganic moves (J. Klausner, Dooh.eu, bentimento), launched a flagship AI-enabled hardware product, and refreshed executive leadership including a Group CEO transition to Heike Discher in November 2024, the appointment of Wilfried Tollet as Chief Sales Officer, and Gina Brauße as SVP Channel to operationalise the partner-led scaling strategy. The company employs over 100 people across the Hannover headquarters and Austrian operations.

Name

heinekingmedia

Legal name

heinekingmedia GmbH

Website

https://heinekingmedia.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

heinekingmedia is a German market leader in digital education and digital signage, providing interactive whiteboards, digital noticeboards, and AI-powered education software to schools and enterprises across the DACH region, supported by training and channel partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interactive Whiteboards & Digital Signage Hardware

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Interactive Whiteboards, Digital Annotation & Screen Sharing Tools (EDAFABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Whiteboards, Annotation & Collaborative Canvas Tools (EDAFAGAD), Classroom Communication & Messaging Platforms (EDAFAGAA), Microlearning & Short-Form Lesson Platforms (MPACALAE)

Keywords

• Digital signage systems
• Interactive whiteboards
• Education technology hardware
• Corporate communication displays
• Digital notice boards

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of Digital Signage displays, Interactive Whiteboards (Digitale Tafel), DSB Media Players, Android OPS upgrade modules, and accessories. One-time hardware revenue with optional service packages.
2. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Recurring software licensing for DSB Media Player, DSBElements CMS, HKM MDM, DSBmobile, and the Education Platform. Subscriptions enable ongoing software updates, cloud services, and platform access.
3. HKM Academy Training Services: Online courses and on-site training for Digital Tafel and DSB products, sold as one-time purchases (typically one-year access) or subscription (Abo) model. Revenue from training course sales and certificates.
4. bemotive B2B Brand Solutions: Corporate Communication and Collaboration solutions under the bemotive sub-brand for business customers, including Digital Signage boards with bundled DSBElements CMS platform and related services.
5. Karrieremonitor (DooH): Digital out-of-home advertising on DSB screens in schools, displaying current apprenticeship, internship, and job vacancies from regional and national companies — monetised via DooH advertising revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

heinekingmedia develops modern screen communication and professional secure messaging for public authorities, companies, schools and retail, anchored by the Digitale Tafel interactive whiteboard and the Digitales Schwarzes Brett (DSB®) digital noticeboard. Its offering is a vertically integrated hardware-software-service ecosystem: interactive 4K displays running EDLA-certified Android 13, bundled with proprietary CMS (DSBElements), device management (HKM MDM), content sync (DSBsync), mobile access (DSBmobile) and an AI-powered Creator/Education Platform for digitising worksheets.

Product overview

Heinekingmedia is a German pioneer and market leader in Digital Education and Digital Signage since 2006, offering an integrated ecosystem of hardware, software, and services for education and corporate communication. The core product portfolio includes the Digitale Tafel (Interactive Whiteboard, available as C10 with AI and Creator-Software) and the Digitales Schwarzes Brett® (DSB® - digital notice board system), both supported by the Android 13 OPS upgrade module. The HKM Academy provides online training, while the Creator/Education Platform uses AI to automatically digitize worksheets into interactive lessons. The bemotive sub-brand targets B2B/corporate customers with meeting room solutions and DSBelements CMS. Add-on modules include DSBmobile® (mobile access), DSBsync (auto-sync), DSBplan (substitution plans), DSBnavigation (interactive navigation), and the Karrieremonitor (career display). The company also owns DooH.eu (digital out-of-home advertising) and J. Klausner (Austrian operations), operates the Synergy channel partner program, and serves the DACH region through direct sales and over 120 authorized partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digitales Schwarzes Brett (DSB): Digital notice board solution for school and corporate communication, featuring DSB Player and digital displays.
• Digitale Tafel
• Synergy
• DSB-Elements
• HKM Academy

Products and services

• Digitale Tafel (Digital Board / Interactive Whiteboard) Interactive 4K display for education available in 65, 75 and 86-inch sizes with screen mirroring, multi-touch writing, EDLA-certified Android 13 (RK3588 chip) and pre-installed AI-powered Creator Software on the C10 model. Sold to schools, vocational colleges and universities across the DACH region.
• Digitales Schwarzes Brett® (DSB®) Digital noticeboard and signage system replacing paper-based communication in schools and corporate environments, consisting of a proprietary DSB Media Player plus professional display (or interactive DSBtouch). Supports images, video, PowerPoint, Excel, Word and HTML, drag-and-drop sync via DSBsync, schedule-based content, role management and mobile access via DSBmobile.
• Android 13 OPS Upgrade Module OPS (Open Pluggable Specification) upgrade module that brings existing Digital Tafel models (DT2020, DT2021, L30) up to current standards with the RK3588 chip (same as Digitale Tafel C10), EDLA certification, ChromeOS license compatibility and Android 15 upgrade path.
• bemotive B2B Solutions (Corporate Sub-brand) B2B sub-brand offering Digital Signage boards, meeting-room solutions, collaboration systems, DSBElements CMS and hybrid meeting infrastructure targeted at corporate customers. Customised solutions for employee communication, scheduling and hybrid meetings are delivered with full-service consultation, installation and support.
• HKM Academy Training Platform Online learning portal offering video-based courses and step-by-step tutorials for the Digital Board and DSB products, with progress tracking and official completion certificates. Sold as one-time purchase (approximately 1-year access) or subscription (Abo) model; free quickstart course available.
• Creator / Education Platform AI-powered digital education assistant that automatically converts photographed or uploaded worksheets into structured interactive digital lesson units, supports collaborative groupwork in protected rooms, multilingual teaching, and runs GDPR-compliant on-premise without cloud dependency.
• DSBelements CMS Platform Content management platform for 4K UHD Digital Signage boards bundled with the bemotive corporate brand, featuring a comprehensive admin portal and campaign module to manage internal and corporate communications centrally.
• HKM Mobile Device Management (MDM) Centralised device-management platform for Digital Boards that enables administrators (school operators, trustees, IT managers) to configure automatic on/off times, brightness, security and network settings across individual devices or groups of more than five boards.
• DooH.eu Digital-Out-of-Home Advertising Network Germany's largest digital-out-of-home advertising network acquired by Heinekingmedia Group at end of 2022. Operates as an independent legal entity within the group, providing DooH advertising and digital recruitment services through digital screens including school DSB screens under the Karrieremonitor module.
• Digitale Tafelflügel (Hybrid-Whiteboard) Wing attachments for Digital Boards enabling simultaneous analog and digital writing. Analog content is captured and digitised without media breaks, eliminating the last media break in teaching and enabling seamless hybrid teaching.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,000+ schools in Germany equipped with Digital Tafel products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliance Technologies GmbH (Nuvias UC Gruppe)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2023Strategic channel partnership since 01 July 2023. Alliance Technologies places Heinekingmedia products (Interactive Whiteboards, Digital Signage) in new markets and target groups, particularly in the B2B corporate segment. The partnership also supports the build-out of the Synergy partner programme.
• SMF Solutions GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 June 2023Partner at ISE 2025, where Heinekingmedia presented its bemotive product portfolio at SMF's stand in Hall 2, Stand 2S350.
• Dooh.eu GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 December 2022Germany's largest network for digital out-of-home (DooH) advertising, acquired at year-end 2022. Operates as an independent legal entity within the group. The acquisition complements Heinekingmedia's portfolio and supports growth strategy and internationalisation, including access to DooH advertising sales and digital recruitment.
• J. Klausner Professional Multimedia GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2022Austrian company for media technology, AV distribution, and system integration acquired in April 2022. Operates as a subsidiary within the Heinekingmedia Group, providing the group's entry into the Austrian market and DACH regional expansion.
• mobile.schuleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner at didacta 2025, co-hosting the mobile.schule Tagung. Heinekingmedia was also exhibited at mobile.schule's stand B60 in Hall 5 at didacta 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CTouch: CTouch is a Dutch-headquartered European manufacturer of interactive touch displays for education and business. It is a regional direct peer with strong Benelux/DACH overlap to heinekingmedia's Digitale Tafel product line.
• SMART Technologies: SMART is the original pioneer of interactive whiteboards for K-12 education, with SMART Board displays and SMART Notebook software. It is the most directly comparable global peer to heinekingmedia's Digitale Tafel and education software stack.
• Newline Interactive: Newline Interactive sells IP Series and Q Series interactive displays for education and corporate use with embedded Android/Windows. A direct display peer competing with Digitale Tafel on features and price in European education procurement.
• Promethean: Promethean is a leading global provider of ActivPanel interactive displays and classroom software (Promethean ActivSuite), with strong European K-12 penetration. Directly comparable to heinekingmedia's Digitale Tafel and Education Platform in education customers and channel motion.
• BenQ: BenQ offers the InstaShow and interactive flat-panel displays (RP Series, Board Pro) targeted at education and corporate meeting rooms. A direct hardware peer competing on Android-based large-format displays in the same DACH and EU tenders.
• CleverTouch: CleverTouch manufactures interactive touchscreens (IMPACT, V Series) primarily for UK and European schools, bundled with its own software ecosystem. A directly comparable EdTech display + software peer, especially in DACH-adjacent UK/EU tenders.
• ViewSonic: ViewSonic provides the ViewBoard line of interactive displays and myViewBoard software, sold into both education and corporate markets globally. Directly competes with heinekingmedia on Android-based interactive flat panels and classroom software.

Broad incumbents

• Samsung Electronics (Display & Flip): Samsung offers the Flip interactive display and a broad commercial display portfolio that competes in the same education and corporate tenders as heinekingmedia, while leveraging far greater scale, R&D and channel breadth.
• LG Electronics (Commercial Displays): LG's commercial display business (including CreateBoard and One:Quick series) targets both education and corporate digital signage, overlapping with both Digitale Tafel and bemotive/bemotive's DSBElements CMS use cases.
• Scala (Digital Signage): Scala is an established enterprise digital signage CMS vendor used in retail, corporate and education environments. Comparable to heinekingmedia's DSBElements CMS offered under the bemotive B2B brand for corporate communication.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heinekingmedia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/heinekingmedia_gmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heinekingmedia-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/heinekingmedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/heinekingmedia

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries3 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 heinekingmedia