Chives

Name

Chives

Legal name

CHIVES Design- & Digitalagentur

Website

https://chives.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Design Agency Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Web design agency
• Corporate branding services
• CMS web development
• Digital accessibility consulting
• Design system creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Darmstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-Based Design & Digital Services: CHIVES generates revenue primarily through project-based engagements for design and digital agency services including corporate design, web design, editorial design, and more. Projects range from website relaunches to full brand identity development.
2. Retainer / Ongoing Retainer Partnerships: CHIVES offers retainer models providing continuous agency partnerships with defined monthly budgets, guaranteed capacity, and rapid response times. Combines strategic consulting with operational execution, allowing flexibility for varying monthly workloads (design, content, website management).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CHIVES is a design and digital agency (Design- & Digitalagentur) based in Darmstadt, Germany, that has operated for over 25 years. The agency delivers corporate design, web design and CMS development (primarily Craft CMS and WordPress), UI/UX design, frontend and backend development, branding, editorial and information design, illustration, photography, and digital accessibility consulting. Services are delivered to mid-market B2B companies, public sector organisations, and self-employed professionals in Germany through project-based engagements and retainer partnerships.

Product overview

Chives is a design and digital agency based in Darmstadt, Germany, with over 25 years of experience. The agency offers a comprehensive portfolio of services organized as interconnected offerings rather than a single software product. Their core services include Craft CMS development (their primary CMS platform) and WordPress development for content management; WebDesign & UI/UX Design for interface creation; Frontend & Backend Development for web applications including React, Vue.js, and modern JavaScript frameworks; Design Systems & Atomic Design for scalable visual systems; Corporate Identity & Branding for brand development; Editorial & Information Design for print materials; Illustration & Iconography for visual communication; Photography & Image Concepts for visual assets; Trade Show & Event Design for exhibition presence; Social Recruiting Campaigns for employer branding; and Retainer Partnership Models for ongoing client relationships. The agency also provides Digital Accessibility Services ensuring WCAG/BITV compliance. All services can be delivered individually or as part of comprehensive integrated campaigns, with Craft CMS and WordPress serving as primary technology platforms for web implementations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft CMS Development Custom content management system development using Craft CMS, featuring flexible content models, multi-site support, multi-language capabilities, responsive image manipulation, versioning, asset management, and an intuitive backend for editors, targeted at mid-market B2B clients and public sector organisations.
• Web Design and UI/UX Design User interface design, responsive web design, and user experience optimisation for websites and web applications, serving mid-market B2B companies, public sector organisations, and self-employed professionals in Germany.
• Frontend and Backend Web Development Custom web development including responsive websites, modular frontends using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and Vue.js, plus backend integrations, targeted at mid-market B2B companies and public sector organisations.
• Design Systems and Atomic Design Modular, scalable design systems built on Atomic Design principles, enabling theming via naming conventions and color replacements, used to create consistent user interfaces across multiple products and portals for public sector clients.
• Corporate Identity and Branding Visual identity development including logo design, brand positioning, wordmark development, corporate guidelines, brand definition, typography, and photography language, delivered to mid-market B2B clients and self-employed professionals.
• Editorial and Information Design Print media design including brochures, flyers, business cards, catalogues, data sheets, roll-ups, banners, and information graphics with consistent visual language, serving B2B clients, public sector, and non-profit organisations.
• Illustration and Iconography Custom illustration services including pictograms, icon sets, infographic design, and unique visual elements for brand communication, web, and print media.
• Photography and Image Concepts Professional photography direction and image concept development for websites, print materials, and brand communication, delivered in collaboration with photographers including Gregor Schuster.
• Trade Show and Event Design Trade show booth design, exhibition materials, roll-ups, signage systems, and event-related marketing collateral for B2B clients, often in collaboration with specialist partners.
• Social Recruiting Campaigns Social media-based recruitment campaigns including employer positioning, recruiting funnels, and interactive application processes delivered via Instagram and Facebook, targeted at SMB and self-employed clients such as tax advisors.
• Retainer Partnership Model Continuous agency partnership model with fixed monthly budget, guaranteed capacity, and strategic and operational execution across design and digital services, providing clients with an outsourced agency partner alternative to internal hires.
• Digital Accessibility Services Digital accessibility implementation and consulting including BITV and WCAG 2.1 compliance, WAI-ARIA implementation, barrier-free design, accessibility testing using tools such as WAVE, and accessible design in Figma.

Quantifiable outcome

• Modern composable web stack (Payload CMS + React + Vercel) reduces development time by 30-50% compared to custom backend solutions, with ongoing costs in the low to mid three-digit EUR/month range.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pixel & Tonic (Craft CMS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCHIVES has been a Craft CMS agency since 2016, leveraging the CMS's flexible content-first approach, custom field builder, multilingual support, multi-site capabilities, responsive image manipulation, and minimalist backend. Craft CMS is their primary CMS platform, powering most client websites.
• Koerle Exhibition & DesignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrade show specialist Koerle handled 3D conceptualization and on-site implementation for aprimeo diagnostics' ECCMID trade show booth, with CHIVES responsible for 2D design of wall layouts and printed materials.
• Gregor Schuster FotografieminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGregor Schuster, a photographer based in Darmstadt, collaborates with CHIVES on professional photography for client websites and marketing materials. Notable projects include Auto Primus, Wetzel + Schuster, DieRadiologen, and Esther Backes photography.
• NONOT (Design Agency)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNONOT developed the corporate design for the Jüdische Gemeinde Frankfurt am Main; CHIVES handled the technical frontend/backend implementation on Craft CMS.
• Body Sculpt AG / Craith Lab (Schweiz)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBody Sculpt AG in Switzerland engaged CHIVES for the complete visual identity, corporate website, infographics, social media, and print production management for the Craith Lab cosmetics collection launch.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Scholz & Volkmer: German digital agency offering corporate digital, branding, web and platform work for enterprise and public-sector clients. Highly comparable in service mix (strategy, design, web implementation) and DACH market focus, though typically larger than CHIVES.
• Strichpunkt Design: Stuttgart-based brand and digital design agency delivering corporate identity, web design and UI/UX for German mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable in offering mix and customer profile, slightly larger in scale.
• Loved GmbH: Hamburg boutique for brand strategy, corporate design and digital products targeting mid-market and enterprise B2B. Similar boutique scale and full-service positioning across brand, web and editorial design.
• KMS TEAM: Munich-based brand and digital agency serving mid-market and enterprise B2B clients across corporate design, digital experiences and communication. Comparable as a German boutique with overlapping branding, web and design-system capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• LOOP: Austrian/German digital experience agency focused on digital products, platforms and service design. Comparable on digital product and UX craft but generally serves larger enterprise engagements than CHIVES.
• Jung von Matt: Major German creative/digital network providing branding, campaigns and digital experiences. Adjacent competitor for branding and digital mandates but skewed toward larger advertising budgets and campaign-led work.
• nexum: Cologne-based digital agency covering strategy, branding, web and content for enterprise clients. Competes with CHIVES for mid-market and enterprise digital mandates but with much larger delivery capacity.
• Accenture Song (formerly SinnerSchrader): Large-scale digital agency within Accenture serving enterprise and public-sector clients across strategy, design and technology. Significant overlap with CHIVES' core offerings but at vastly greater scale and resource base.
• denkwerk: Cologne-headquartered digital agency with a broad portfolio spanning digital strategy, web, e-commerce and platforms. Overlaps with CHIVES on digital design and web implementation but operates at meaningfully larger scale and broader scope.

Emerging players

• Moccu: Berlin boutique for digital products, UX/UI and web platforms with a focus on mid-market tech and B2B clients. Smaller, more product-focused competitor that overlaps on digital execution for similar client profiles.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/guido-haak
• Instagraminstagram.com/chives.interaktive.medien
• Facebookfacebook.com/chives.darmstadt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Chives