schwarzdesign

What schwarzdesign does

schwarzdesign is a Cologne-based digital agency founded in 2002 by Oliver Schwarz, operating as a sole proprietorship under the legal name "schwarzdesign, Oliver Schwarz." The firm specializes exclusively in open-source content management systems — Craft CMS, Kirby, WordPress, Drupal, and ProcessWire — and provides digital strategy, web design, CMS implementation, GenAI content services, and long-term platform operations. It serves German SMEs, institutions, associations, foundations, and government entities, with a horizontal segmentation approach and a sales-led, consulting-driven GTM focused on project-based engagements and referrals. Its customer base spans education (Bildung und Begabung, Bonn Institute, Sozialstiftung NRW), healthcare (Herzzentrum Bonn), transportation (VDV Akademie, UMT group), cultural heritage (Museum Selma), and public infrastructure (BDEW, Gedenkorte Rhein-Erft), with the firm having completed over 200 projects across 20+ years.

The agency's core technology stack combines multiple open-source CMS platforms with proprietary tooling, most notably nxttool, a GenAI content generator launched in April 2025 that integrates OpenAI, Azure, MistralAI, FLUX, and Google Imagen models behind brand-compliance layers and structured input masks. Ella, a domain-specific AI chatbot launched in June 2026 for the Begabungslotse educational portal, demonstrates applied conversational AI capability over curated knowledge bases. The firm holds official Craft CMS Partner Agency status (since November 2022) and positions itself around sustainability, accessibility (BFSG/WCAG 2.1/2.2 compliance), and data privacy. Revenue is generated through custom project-based pricing with multi-year contracts; no standardized pricing or publicly disclosed financials exist.

Name

schwarzdesign

Legal name

schwarzdesign, Oliver Schwarz

Website

https://schwarzdesign.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

schwarzdesign is a Cologne-based digital agency founded in 2002 that delivers open-source CMS implementations, web design, and GenAI content services for German SMEs, institutions, associations, and government entities, with over 200 projects and 20+ years of CMS expertise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Agency Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Blogging & CMS Content Platforms (BPAMAJAG), AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ), Customer Experience (CX) & Digital Experience (BPAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Digital agency services
• CMS implementation
• Web design
• GenAI content creation
• Accessible web development

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

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. Digital Agency Services: Professional services including web design, web development, CMS implementation, digital strategy consulting, GenAI integration, and ongoing website maintenance and support. Projects are typically custom engagements ranging from website relaunches to comprehensive digital platform development.
2. CMS & Platform Development: Implementation and development of content management systems using Craft CMS, Kirby, WordPress, Drupal, and ProcessWire. Includes custom development, migrations, and multi-site installations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

schwarzdesign is a Cologne-based digital agency that delivers web design, CMS implementation (specializing in open-source platforms such as Craft CMS, Kirby, WordPress, Drupal, and ProcessWire), and digital strategy services. The agency develops its own GenAI content generation tool, nxttool, and offers end-to-end services covering consulting, design, development, hosting, and long-term platform operations for SMEs, institutions, and other digital agencies.

Product overview

schwarzdesign is a Cologne-based digital agency offering a portfolio of web design, CMS implementation, and GenAI content services. Its product portfolio centers on nxttool — an in-house GenAI content generator for Kirby CMS that enables brand-compliant text and image creation without prompting knowledge — alongside a multi-CMS services practice offering Craft CMS (as an official partner), Kirby CMS, WordPress, ProcessWire, and Drupal. The agency also provides specialized services for accessible websites, sustainable websites, and AI marketing. The offerings work together as follows: nxttool provides the GenAI content layer on top of Kirby CMS; Craft CMS serves as the preferred enterprise CMS for complex projects; and specialized agency services (accessibility, sustainability) integrate across all CMS and web development work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• nxttool schwarzdesign's proprietary GenAI content generation platform that enables users to generate high-quality text and images for websites via a customizable workflow. Supports multiple AI providers (OpenAI, Azure, MistralAI, FLUX, Google Imagen) and is offered as a hosted SaaS solution for website content creation.
• Digital Agency Services End-to-end web project delivery including consulting, conception, design, CMS implementation, hosting, and ongoing operations. Targeted at SMEs, institutions, associations, and other digital agencies needing full-stack web project support.
• Accessible Website Services (Barrierefreie Websites) Design and implementation of accessible (barrierefreie) websites built to WCAG/BITV standards, ensuring usability for people with disabilities and compliance with accessibility regulations. Targeted at public-sector and regulated organizations, plus any company seeking inclusive digital experiences.
• Sustainable Website Services (Nachhaltige Websites) Design and development of sustainable, carbon-aware websites optimized for energy efficiency, including green hosting and lean code. Targeted at organizations seeking to reduce the environmental footprint of their digital presence.
• AI Marketing (KI-Marketing) AI-driven marketing services leveraging generative AI tools (including nxttool) to produce and optimize marketing content such as copy, imagery, and campaign assets. Targeted at SMEs and organizations wanting to integrate AI into their marketing workflows.
• CMS Implementation Services Consulting, setup, customization, and migration services for open-source CMS platforms including Craft CMS, Kirby, WordPress, Drupal, and ProcessWire. Targeted at organizations that prefer open-source content management and need expert implementation and long-term operation.

Quantifiable outcome

• websites built with 20+ years CMS experience
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Craft CMS (Pixel & Tonic)coreTechnology or Integration · 6 November 2022Official Craft CMS Partner Agency. schwarzdesign has been a certified partner since November 2022, specializing in Craft CMS implementation for medium to large web projects. The partnership provides access to CMS expertise, support resources, and official recognition as a specialized Craft CMS agency.
• Bildung und BegabungflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2021Long-term partnership for the Begabungslotse educational portal. schwarzdesign manages and develops the platform featuring ~5,000 curated educational entries. The partnership includes ongoing development of AI features like the Ella chatbot and continuous platform improvements.
• MeilisearchcoreTechnology or IntegrationOpen-source search technology integrated into client projects for fault-tolerant, typo-friendly search functionality. Used in Begabungslotse and VDV Akademie projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• dkd Internet Service GmbH: Frankfurt-based digital agency specializing in open-source CMS (Drupal, TYPO3) implementations for enterprise and institutional clients — directly comparable open-source CMS focus, similar service-based GTM, and comparable mid-sized German agency profile.
• Neofonie GmbH: Berlin/Potsdam-based digital agency offering CMS, content platforms, and AI-driven content solutions for German enterprise and institutional clients — comparable full-service digital agency model with overlapping CMS and content capabilities.
• Ueberschall GmbH: Hamburg-based digital agency with deep CMS expertise serving institutional and corporate German clients — comparable mid-sized German CMS-specialist profile with similar project-based professional services model.
• Sunzinet AG: Cologne-based digital agency with strong CMS and digital transformation capabilities for mid-market and enterprise clients — a local peer with similar customer segments and consulting-led service delivery.
• Werkraum GmbH: German-speaking digital agency focused on CMS-driven web platforms for institutional and cultural clients — directly comparable in CMS specialization, long-term platform operations, and DACH institutional customer base.
• com wrap: Cologne-based digital agency with deep TYPO3 and CMS expertise serving German enterprises and public-sector clients — a local Cologne peer with similar CMS-implementation service model and institutional client mix.

Broad incumbents

• Aperto (IBM iX): Berlin-based digital agency (now part of IBM iX) offering CMS, digital experience, and platform services to large German enterprises and public-sector clients — a much larger incumbent in the same digital agency space.
• SinnerSchrader (Accenture Song): Hamburg-based German digital agency (now part of Accenture Song) offering digital strategy, platform development, and content solutions at significantly larger scale — a broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise digital mandates schwarzdesign targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 schwarzdesign