Schalk and friends

What Schalk and friends does

schalk&friends GmbH is a Munich-based, full-service digital agency founded in 1998, serving primarily the German Mittelstand (mid-sized companies) and select enterprise clients across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The firm is privately held and management-controlled by three Geschäftsführer (Matthias Bierich, Sven Maier, Alexander Reinhold), with a headcount in the 11–50 range and no disclosed external funding. It positions itself around a three-pillar service model — Consult (strategy, AI, analytics, customer experience), Code (web development, CMS, e-commerce, integrations), and Create (brand design, content, storytelling) — addressing the Mittelstand pain point of slow legacy systems and limited in-house digital resources.

The company's technology stack is platform-agnostic and explicitly multi-vendor, with implementation expertise across WordPress, Pimcore, Kirby (including headless configurations), Shopify, Customer.io, Langdock, Intercom, and Algolia. Notable client projects include a multibrand Kirby Headless CMS for Brainlab (medtech), a modern e-commerce relaunch for Feinkost Käfer, a Kirby CMS Shop with SAP integration for Amphenol, AI-supported event communication via Customer.io for München Ticket, and strategic brand design for wellsystem. The agency has also built AI capabilities through partnerships with Langdock and Intercom and offers AI consulting plus AI hackathons as a distinct service line.

schalk&friends monetizes through professional services: project-based engagements and multi-year retainer arrangements priced custom to scope, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue streams fall into digital consulting, web/technical development, and content/marketing services. Distribution is direct consultative sales targeting mid-market and enterprise buyers, supplemented by an inbound content engine (magazine, webinars, weekly newsletter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram). Independent third-party validation includes the BVDW (Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft) Ranking, where the firm improved from 65th to 63rd position in 2026.

Name

Schalk and friends

Legal name

schalk&friends GmbH

Website

https://schalk-and-friends.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Consulting Services: Strategic consulting for digital marketing transformation, including brand strategy, customer experience consulting, and online marketing services. Delivered as project-based engagements or retainer arrangements.
2. Web Development & Technical Services: Website development, CMS implementation, e-commerce solutions, and web applications. Includes frontend design, backend development, and ongoing maintenance contracts.
3. Content Creation & Marketing: Content production, digital branding, and ongoing online marketing services including SEO, SEM, and data analytics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schalk and friends is a Munich-based full-service digital agency that designs, develops, and operates digital marketing frameworks for mid-sized German companies. The agency delivers end-to-end solutions across three pillars — Consult (digital strategy, AI integration, analytics, customer experience), Code (web development, CMS, e-commerce platforms, integrations), and Create (brand design, content production, storytelling) — using platforms such as WordPress, Pimcore, Kirby, Shopify, Customer.io, Langdock, Intercom, and Algolia.

Product overview

schalk&friends is a full-service digital agency based in Munich, Germany, offering a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected digital marketing and web development services. The agency operates as a unified consultancy and implementation firm organized around three core pillars: Consult (strategy, AI, analytics, customer experience), Code (web development, CMS, e-commerce, integrations), and Create (brand design, content, storytelling). Their service offerings span the full digital value chain — from brand strategy and web development (using platforms such as Shopify, Kirby, WordPress, and Pimcore) to AI-powered customer engagement (via Langdock, Intercom, Customer.io) and intelligent search (Algolia). Clients include mid-market companies such as Bayerische Staatsoper, Brainlab, Käfer, and München Ticket, for whom the agency designs and implements digital marketing frameworks, e-commerce systems, and marketing automation workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AI Services (KI-Leistungen) AI consulting and implementation services for Mittelstand companies to integrate AI capabilities into digital marketing and operations, including AI hackathons for rapid prototyping and use case evaluation.
• Corporate Website Development Design and development of corporate websites from system architecture to web applications, serving as the central marketing tool for clients.
• Brand Strategy (Markenstrategie) Strategic brand development and design services including look-and-feel, corporate identity, and brand foundations for clients.
• Content Management System (CMS) Implementation and customization of CMS platforms (WordPress, Kirby, Pimcore) tailored to client requirements for content management and editorial workflows.
• Accessible Website (Barrierefreie Website) Development of WCAG 2.2-compliant, accessible websites ensuring digital experiences for users regardless of physical or technical abilities.
• Customer Experience Consulting Consulting services focused on optimizing the end-to-end customer journey, improving usability, and reducing friction across digital touchpoints.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability6 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• denkwerk: Cologne-based digital agency delivering web development, e-commerce, and digital marketing with a strong Mittelstand and enterprise client base — directly comparable offerings including CMS, SEO, and digital transformation.
• SinnerSchrader (Accenture Song): Hamburg-based digital agency (acquired by Accenture Interactive in 2017) offering web development, e-commerce, and digital marketing for German enterprise and Mittelstand — directly comparable service mix and client base.
• Nexum: Cologne-based digital agency offering brand strategy, web platforms, and content marketing for German enterprise clients — comparable scale, DACH focus, and integrated service portfolio.
• Kernpunkt: Cologne-based full-service digital agency providing web development, e-commerce, and digital strategy to mid-sized German companies — close overlap on Mittelstand focus and three-pillar (consult/build/create) service model.
• UDG United Digital Group: Hamburg-based full-service digital agency group serving enterprise and mid-market clients across brand, web, and marketing — comparable multi-disciplinary agency model serving DACH region.
• TLGG (Torben, Lucie und die gelbe Gefahr): Berlin-based digital agency (part of Accenture Song) specializing in digital transformation, brand strategy, and content for German-speaking enterprise clients — overlapping client segments and digital strategy focus.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Digital: Global consultancy's digital practice offering strategy, design, and technology services to enterprise clients — overlaps with schalk&friends' enterprise work but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Publicis Sapient: Global digital transformation consultancy delivering strategy, customer experience, and platform engineering — overlaps with schalk&friends' Consult/Code/Create pillars but at enterprise scale across multiple geographies.
• Accenture Song: Global digital agency network encompassing former SinnerSchrader and TLGG, offering end-to-end marketing and commerce transformation — competes for the same German enterprise transformation mandates at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@schalk-and-friends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/companies/1211224
• Instagraminstagram.com/schalkfriends
• Xx.com/schalk_friends
• Facebookfacebook.com/schalkandfriends

Compliance1 record

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 Schalk and friends