What Bitkom Research does

Bitkom Research is a Berlin-based market research institute that operates as a brand of Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH, the commercial service arm of the Bitkom digital industry association. The firm specializes exclusively in the digitalization of the German economy and society, conducting representative surveys via telephone and online methods with sample sizes typically between 603 and 1,500 respondents. Its output is structured around three core product lines: (1) freely downloadable Studien (studies) covering AI, cybersecurity, consumer technology, digital trade, sustainability, digital health, and other recurring themes; (2) bespoke Marktforschung (custom market research) sold to Bitkom association members and external enterprises; and (3) the Bitkom-Dataverse, a central data portal launched in 2025 that aggregates the firm's numbers, studies, and analyses as a persistent knowledge asset.

The business model is a freemium + professional services hybrid. Standardized studies are published free of charge on the website and the Dataverse portal, serving as content marketing and lead generation. Paid engagements are quote-based custom research projects for clients with specific digitalization questions. Distribution is entirely domestic (Germany/DACH), relying on direct website downloads for top-of-funnel reach and a direct sales motion for enterprise custom work. There is no disclosed pricing, no public revenue, and no funding history; the entity is structurally funded as part of the Bitkom association's service company rather than through external capital.

Customer segmentation is horizontal across German businesses (primary), government and policy stakeholders, media organizations, and the general public. The Bitkom (Digitalverband) itself is the anchor client and commissions the majority of recurring studies. The firm operates with a very lean team (1–10 employees), relying on outsourced field research to sustain a publication cadence of more than 25 named studies annually. Technology stack is content-centric (Drupal-based website, PDF reports, a web portal) with no disclosed AI, API, or platform productization; the Bitkom-Dataverse represents the firm's first step toward a queryable data platform.

Name

Bitkom Research

Legal name

Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH

Website

https://bitkom-research.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bitkom Research is a Berlin-based market research institute specializing in the digitalization of the German economy and society, producing representative surveys, free annual studies, and custom research for German businesses, government, media, and the Bitkom digital association.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ICT Market Research

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Social & Digital Insights (Social Listening, Online Community Research) (MPAAALAK)

Keywords

• ICT market research
• Digitalization studies
• Survey research services
• Digital transformation research
• Consumer technology research

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Free Study Reports: Bitkom Research publishes numerous studies on digitization topics that are freely available for download on their website. These reports demonstrate expertise and serve as lead generation for paid custom research services.
2. Custom Market Research Services: Professional market research services for clients with specific questions regarding digitization. Services include study conception, field research execution, and results packaging for internal and external communication. Clients include Bitkom association members and external companies seeking tailored digitization insights.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bitkom Research provides market research services for the ICT and digitalization sector in Germany. Its core offerings include free downloadable Studien (studies/reports) on digitalization topics (AI, IT security, sustainability, consumer technology, etc.), bespoke Marktforschung (custom market research) for clients with specific questions, and the Bitkom-Dataverse central data portal aggregating numbers, studies, and analyses on digital transformation.

Product overview

Bitkom Research is a brand of Bitkom Servicegesellschaft that offers a portfolio of research services focused on digitalization. Their core offerings include Studien (Studies/Reports) - free downloadable market studies on digital topics; Marktforschung (Market Research) - custom research services tailored to specific client needs; and Bitkom-Dataverse - a central data portal with aggregated numbers, studies and analyses. The company conducts representative surveys on digital trends for businesses, politics, and media across Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studien (Studies/Reports)

Quantifiable outcome

• 73% of Germans consider AI the most important future technology (Bitkom Research 2025/2026 studies)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbHcoreOthersBitkom Research is a brand of Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH, the parent company that also operates Bitkom Consult, Bitkom Akademie, Bitkom Events, Bitkom Compliance Solutions, and the Bitkom Learning Campus.
• Bitkom ConsultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Bitkom Servicegesellschaft umbrella, offering consulting services in parallel with Bitkom Research's market research capabilities.
• Bitkom AkademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBitkom's training and education arm, potentially collaborating on knowledge sharing and professional development programs related to digital topics.
• Bitkom EventsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBitkom's events division organizing conferences and events where Bitkom Research findings may be presented.
• Bitkom Compliance SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBitkom's compliance solutions provider, potentially cross-referring clients needing compliance-related market research.
• Bitkom Learning CampusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBitkom's learning platform for digital skills training, potentially integrating Bitkom Research data into educational content.
• Bitkom (Digitalverband)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe primary client for Bitkom Research - the Bitkom digital association commissions regular studies on AI, consumer technology, and digitalization trends. Bitkom represents the German digital economy and IT industry.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Statista: Hamburg-headquartered data and market research platform. Directly comparable as a German-anchored B2B research and statistics business serving enterprises and media with both syndicated and custom research offerings, overlapping strongly with Bitkom Research's digitalization focus.
• Heute und Morgen / GIM (Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung): German qualitative and quantitative market research firm. Comparable as a Germany-based B2B market research provider running custom studies for enterprises and trade associations, with overlapping methodologies to Bitkom Research's custom market research offering.

Broad incumbents

• Forrester: Global research and advisory firm with deep coverage of digital transformation, AI, CX and technology adoption. Comparable in topic domain (digitalization, AI, consumer tech) but operates globally and primarily in English, contrasting with Bitkom Research's German-language, Germany-only focus.
• GfK (Growth from Knowledge): Major global market research firm founded in Germany (Nuremberg). Overlaps with Bitkom Research in consumer technology, retail and digital adoption research, but operates at a much larger, multinational scale with a broad portfolio of research products.
• IDC Germany / IDC Central Europe: International Data Corporation's German operations, focused on IT and digital market intelligence — directly overlapping Bitkom Research's core digitization topics (cloud, AI, chip supply, enterprise IT) while serving a wider enterprise audience globally.
• Kantar Germany: German arm of global research consultancy. Comparable as a large-scale market research provider serving German enterprises with consumer and technology research capabilities, though focused on a broader portfolio of industries beyond digital transformation.

Emerging players

• Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft (eco): German internet industry association producing its own research and position papers on digital infrastructure, AI and platform regulation. Comparable as a German association-anchored research producer competing for attention in the same digital-policy conversation that Bitkom Research covers.

Regional players

• Ifo Institut (ifo Institute): Munich-based economic research institute conducting widely cited surveys and indices. Comparable as a German, survey-driven research institution producing influential studies on economic and policy topics, though focused on macroeconomics rather than digital transformation.
• Destatis (Statistisches Bundesamt): Germany's federal statistical office producing authoritative data on digitalization of economy and society. Comparable as a German producer of official digitalization statistics, but it is a public-sector statistical body rather than a commercial market research competitor.

Others

• Bitkom (Digitalverband Bitkom): Parent association and primary commissioning client of Bitkom Research. Listed as a peer because Bitkom Research is structurally inseparable from the Bitkom brand and ecosystem, but it is not a commercial competitor — it is the ecosystem owner and customer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bitkom-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Bitkom Research