Institute for Communication in Social Media

What Institute for Communication in Social Media does

ikosom GmbH is a Berlin-based research institute and consultancy that operates as a networked think tank focused on social media communication, digital participation, and crowdfunding. Founded in January 2010 and registered as a German private limited company (GmbH) at Martin-Luther-Strasse 8, 10777 Berlin, the firm is led by managing shareholder Karsten Wenzlaff alongside co-founder Jörg Eisfeld-Reschke and a small roster of named experts in youth research, social media measurement, webinar didactics, and e-participation. It is explicitly structured as a hybrid of network, think tank, consultancy, research center, and project manager, serving both public sector and private sector clients.

The company's core offering is professional services rather than a software product. It delivers four interconnected service lines: applied research and publications (including the Crowdfunding Report, the Toleranz Online youth study, and the CSOS-Online project), strategic consultancy on social media and online fundraising for public agencies and NGOs, educational workshops and certifications (most notably the Crowdfunding Manager course with IHK Berlin), and project management for EU-funded and bilateral initiatives such as the Interreg Central Europe Crowd-Fund-Port program and Franco-German youth barcamps with DFJW. Revenue is generated through fee-based consulting engagements, paid training, publication sales, and event management, with no publicly disclosed pricing or recurring subscription model.

ikosom's client base spans government and public sector agencies, non-profits and NGOs, educational institutions, and a handful of corporate partners — most notably Google, which has provided financial support for the Toleranz Online OpenScience study and partnered via the Co:llaboratory initiative. The firm also maintains a broad partner network across academic institutions, think tanks (Stiftung Neue Verantwortung), and youth organizations (IJAB, DFJW, mediale pfade, LKJ Berlin). With 11–50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no software or AI product surface, ikosom functions as a bootstrapped, relationship-driven niche consultancy rather than a venture-backed growth firm.

Name

Institute for Communication in Social Media

Legal name

ikosom GmbH

Website

https://ikosom.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ikosom GmbH is a Berlin-based research institute and consultancy providing social media research, digital participation strategy, crowdfunding studies, and training to government agencies, NGOs, educational institutions, and select corporates across Germany and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Media Research and Digital Participation Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Social media research
• Digital participation consulting
• Crowdfunding advisory services
• Youth media research
• Social media training workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research and Studies: ikosom conducts and publishes research studies on social media, crowdfunding, digital participation, and online communication. Studies are sold or provided free as downloads.
2. Consulting Services: Provides consultancy services to government agencies, NGOs, and corporations on social media strategy, digital communication, and participation projects.
3. Training and Workshops: Organizes and delivers workshops, seminars, and training programs on topics such as crowdfunding, social media governance, online fundraising, and youth participation.
4. Event Management: Organizes events, barcamps, and conferences on digital communication and participation topics.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ikosom operates as a networked think tank, consultancy, and research center offering social media research studies, strategic consulting, project management, training workshops, and event organization for public and private sector clients. Core deliverables include commissioned research on crowdfunding, youth internet behavior, tolerance online, and social media measurement; strategic advice on digital participation and online fundraising; and hands-on management of multi-stakeholder projects across Europe.

Product overview

ikosom (Institut für Kommunikation in sozialen Medien) operates as a networked think tank, consultancy, and research center based in Berlin. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of research services, consultancy offerings, and project management solutions focused on social media communication, digital participation, and crowdfunding. Key offerings include research studies (crowdfunding studies, youth studies, social media measurement), strategic consultancy, educational workshops, and collaborative projects such as Crowd-Fund-Port, Toleranz Online, and CSOS-Online. The organization serves clients from public and private sectors, partnering with academic institutions, corporates, governments, NGOs, and media organizations across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Studies

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universities and Academic InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerikosom maintains partnerships with academic institutions for research collaboration, including universities for student projects and joint research on digital communication topics.
• DATAJOCKEYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on youth studies including Toleranz Online 2014. DATAJOCKEY provides social research and dialogue expertise while ikosom contributes communication research capabilities.
• Co:llaboratory (Google)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Google Co:llaboratory initiative focusing on copyright in the information society and digital rights topics.
• Stiftung Neue VerantwortungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvolved in project group on the Future of Journalism organized by the think tank.
• Competence Center for Culture and Creative Industries (Bund)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with German federal competence center for culture and creative industries for crowdfunding events and research.
• Deutsch-Französisches Jugendwerk (DFJW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with the French-German Youth Organization for youth participation projects including youth barcamps and cross-border digital projects.
• youthpart / IJABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on youth e-participation guidelines and projects with IJAB, the International Youth Service of Germany.
• mediale pfademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with media education agency for youth media literacy projects and barcamp facilitation.
• Crowd-Fund-Port (Interreg Central Europe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Interreg Central Europe project focused on crowdfunding support for platforms and project creators across Central Europe.
• Landesstelle für kulturelle Jugendbildung Berlin (LKJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Kombischulung eKultur project for media education training with youth workers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• nextpractice: German social media and digital communication agency combining research, strategy, and training. Comparable to ikosom in social media research, training workshops, and NGO/corporate advisory services.
• Zebralog: German consultancy specializing in e-participation, digital democracy, and online citizen engagement platforms. Closely comparable to ikosom's e-participation and digital participation consulting practice, serving similar public-sector and civic clients.
• ifok: German consulting firm focused on participation, dialogue, and stakeholder engagement processes for government and corporate clients. Overlaps with ikosom's community engagement, e-participation, and stakeholder facilitation work.
• Deutsches Institut für Vertrauen und Sicherheit im Internet (DIVSI): German institute conducting research on internet trust, safety, and digital society issues. Closely comparable to ikosom in research methodology, public-interest orientation, and focus on online behavior and participation.
• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung: Berlin-based think tank focused on digital policy, technology, and societal change. Directly comparable to ikosom given its policy research, public-sector advisory work, and shared geography; the two organizations are also existing project partners.

Emerging players

• Deutschland sicher im Netz (DsiN): German non-profit consortium promoting digital security and media literacy. Comparable to ikosom in public-interest research, media literacy focus, and government/civil society partnerships.
• Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW): German digital economy industry association representing digital agencies, platforms, and tech companies. Comparable to ikosom in its convening role across digital communication topics, though structured as a membership association rather than a consultancy.

Broad incumbents

• Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest operational foundations, with extensive digital policy, education, and participation research programs. A broader incumbent that operates at greater scale in adjacent policy and digital society research areas.
• Vodafone Institute for Society and Communications: European research institute funded by Vodafone studying the impact of digitalization on society. Overlaps with ikosom in digital participation, research, and policy advisory work, though operating at significantly greater scale and funding.
• Allensbach Institut: Established German market and social research institute conducting long-running public opinion and media studies. Comparable to ikosom in social research methodology, though focused on a much broader research portfolio at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ikosom
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbLhWwG6AH2eI6cXjE3m1hQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ikosom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ikosom---institut-f-r-kommunikation-in-sozialen-medien

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Institute for Communication in Social Media