STAGENET

What STAGENET does

Stagenet is a Berlin-based sole proprietorship founded by Vera Gundlach in 2004 that develops and continuously maintains a custom Content Management System purpose-built for German-speaking theaters. The product is built on a traditional PHP and MySQL stack and incorporates theater-specific functionality including schedule management with search, play/production information with photo handling, real-time daily cast updates, ensemble member pages, press portals with photo downloads, and customizable page layouts. A differentiating feature is automatic schedule-based page building, which eliminates the manual monthly content entry required by generic CMS platforms; the system is designed to be operated by non-technical theater staff without training. The product has been continuously refined since inception based on real-world theater usage.

The company operates as a one-person business, with Gundlach acting as sole designer, developer, sales, and support. Its client base of 20+ theaters spans the DACH region and includes prominent institutions such as Schaubühne Berlin, Gärtnerplatztheater München, Salzburger Landestheater, Staatstheater Meiningen, and Theater Lübeck, with several multi-decade relationships. Delivery is combined with a curated network of independent design agencies (e.g., Bureau Bald, seidldesign, hellofarm), allowing Gundlach to outsource visual design while retaining CMS development. The GTM motion is direct and sales-led, targeting theater management and marketing/PR departments through a structured workflow of consultation, proposal, design, development, and ongoing support.

Stagenet's business model blends project-based custom CMS implementation fees on multi-year contracts with a recurring monthly flat-rate subscription for ongoing updates and support. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is fully bootstrapped with no external funding or institutional investors, holds no patents or awards, is GDPR-compliant, and hosts exclusively with Hetzner in Germany. There is no evidence of expansion beyond the DACH region, no AI capabilities, and no organizational scaling beyond the sole proprietor.

Name

STAGENET

Legal name

Vera Gundlach

Website

https://stagenet.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stagenet is a Berlin-based sole proprietorship founded by Vera Gundlach in 2004 that develops and maintains a custom PHP/MySQL CMS purpose-built for German-speaking theaters, serving 20+ clients across Germany and Austria with project implementation plus monthly support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theater Content Management Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Blogging & CMS Content Platforms (BPAMAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Studio Operations, Scheduling & Stage Management (MPADAIAH)

Keywords

• Theater content management
• Theater website development
• Performing arts cms
• Theater schedule management
• Custom cms development

Headquarters

HQ city

Hermsdorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CMS Development and Implementation: One-time project-based fees for designing and developing custom theater CMS solutions. This includes initial consultation, concept development, design, template creation, CMS setup, staff training, and launch support.
2. Ongoing Support and Updates: Monthly flat-rate fee for regular updates and technical support. Stagenet provides ongoing maintenance, updates, and assistance as part of post-project support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

STAGENET develops and sells a custom-built Content Management System (CMS) written in PHP and MySQL that is purpose-built for theaters. The CMS covers theater-specific workflows including performance schedule management with search functions, play/production information with photos and daily cast updates, ensemble member pages, and a press portal with photo downloads. It is offered together with design, implementation, training, and ongoing support as an end-to-end web presence solution for performing arts institutions in Germany and Austria.

Product overview

Stagenet is a single unified CMS product tailored exclusively for theaters. The core product is the Stagenet CMS (Content-Management-System), which comes in a base version with theater-specific features including schedule management, production/performance details, ensemble member pages, and press portals. The product is customized per client with individual design and navigation, unlimited additional pages, and modular add-ons. Since 2004, it has been continuously developed and deployed at various German-speaking theaters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stagenet CMS A content management system specifically designed for theaters, featuring theater-specific functionality including performance schedule management with search, production information pages with photos and daily cast updates, ensemble member pages, and a press portal with photo downloads. The CMS is modular and individually customized per client with bespoke design, navigation, and unlimited additional pages. Sold to German-speaking theaters and performing arts institutions.
• Ongoing Support and Updates Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 years of continuous development and refinement based on real theater usage
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Various Design AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStagenet collaborates with multiple independent designers and design agencies for visual design work. Referenced partners include Maria Prinstinger, klein laut, Bureau Bald, Volker Wäsch, Schmid/Widmaier, formdusche OHG, hellofarm Design Studio, Schütz Brandcom, seidldesign, Victoria Muhle, Katharina Tauer, and Esther Kühne. Stagenet handles CMS development while these partners provide visual design for theater clients.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AudienceView: AudienceView offers ticketing, CRM, and content/website tools for performing arts venues and theaters globally, overlapping Stagenet on digital content management for performing-arts customers.
• PatronBase: PatronBase provides CRM and box-office/e-commerce software for performing arts venues including theaters, addressing the same operational workflows Stagenet's CMS serves.
• Spektrix: Spektrix delivers a cloud-based CRM, ticketing, and digital engagement platform for theaters and arts organizations in the UK and beyond, competing for the same CMS/marketing budget Stagenet targets in DACH.
• Tessitura Network: Tessitura provides an integrated CRM, ticketing, and CMS platform purpose-built for performing arts organizations including theaters, opera houses, and dance companies — the same vertical Stagenet serves, with overlapping marketing/web functionality.
• TimeKontor AG: TimeKontor AG is a German software provider for theaters and cultural venues offering scheduling, ticketing, and administration tools, directly competing in the same DACH theater market Stagenet addresses.
• Artlogic: Artlogic provides CMS and online sales tools for galleries and arts organizations — a comparable vertical-specialist web platform model that competes with Stagenet for arts/culture digital budgets in Europe.

Broad incumbents

• WordPress: WordPress is the world's most-used CMS, including by smaller theaters, and serves as the low-cost incumbent alternative many theater clients weigh against Stagenet.
• Drupal: Drupal is a flexible open-source CMS used by some larger cultural institutions and theaters in Europe, representing another generic-platform alternative to Stagenet's purpose-built product.
• TYPO3: TYPO3 is a widely adopted German open-source enterprise CMS frequently used by public theaters and cultural institutions across DACH, representing the generic-platform alternative Stagenet competes against.

Emerging players

• Gallery Systems: Gallery Systems offers digital collection and content management solutions for museums, galleries, and cultural institutions — a comparable vertical-specialist CMS approach to the cultural sector that Stagenet serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

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 STAGENET