Fessen+Friends

What Fessen+Friends does

Fessen+Friends is a Munich-based independent design studio founded in 1999 by Gerald Fessen with two friends, operating from a townhouse at Gärtnerplatz in central Munich. The studio delivers integrated design services across three categories — web design, print design, and corporate design (including logo design) — for a heterogeneous client base that spans small and medium enterprises (SMEs and solo practitioners), German universities and scientific research institutes (e.g., FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universität Augsburg, ISF München), and occasional large corporations (arte, Bayerische Vereinsbank, Bertelsmann, Oracle, Porsche, ZDF, Baxter). The core technology stack is built around Contao, an open-source CMS in which the firm is an official Premium Partner with 15+ years of expertise, supplemented by Shopware for e-commerce, PHP/MySQL, and standard front-end tooling (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript frameworks). Differentiated technical capabilities include barrier-free web design compliant with WCAG and the German BITV/BFSG regulations, SEO-integrated build processes, privacy-compliant self-hosted web fonts (specifically to avoid Google Fonts GDPR exposure), and energy-efficient web engineering.

The business operates as a project-based professional services firm with a small team of 1-10 employees. Revenue is generated entirely from project fees across the four service lines; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with explicit preferential rates for startups, SMEs, and education/environmental/animal-welfare organizations versus large corporate clients. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: clients initiate contact via phone, email, or website form, with no resellers, marketplaces, or formal referral programs. Distribution is overwhelmingly direct from the Munich studio to clients across Germany, with occasional international projects in Switzerland and Luxembourg executed remotely. Operational practices are deliberately positioned around sustainability — green electricity from Stadtwerke München, TÜV-certified CO2-neutral hosting via Alpine hydropower, eco-certified print suppliers, and a documented paperless-office workflow — and serve as both a cost discipline and a marketing differentiator.

The studio maintains active operations as of 2026 and has navigated the rise of generative AI by publicly positioning against fully algorithm-driven design, asserting that "Wahre Kreativität braucht Erfahrung, Empathie und eine klare Haltung – Dinge, die kein Algorithmus ersetzen kann" while still leveraging AI as an internal tool. No funding rounds, acquisitions, subsidiaries, or external investors are evidenced; the firm is founder-owned and operated with Gerald Fessen serving as founder, owner, and creative head.

Name

Fessen+Friends

Legal name

Fessen+Friends

Website

https://fessen-friends.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Munich-based independent design studio providing web, print, and corporate design services on Contao CMS to German SMEs, universities, and select corporations since 1999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Webdesign Services: Professional web design services including barrier-free design, CMS integration, SEO optimization, and responsive development. Project-based pricing based on scope and complexity.
2. Corporate Design: Corporate identity development including color schemes, typography, imagery, and comprehensive brand guidelines. Project-based professional services.
3. Print Design: Print design services including business stationery, promotional materials, packaging design with environmental considerations. Project-based engagement.
4. Logo Design: Logo design and redesign services including responsive logo variants, logo guidelines, and brand identity elements. Agile, participatory design process with project-based pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fessen+Friends is a Munich-based design studio that delivers integrated web design, corporate design, print design, and logo design services. The studio builds accessible, responsive websites on the Contao CMS with built-in SEO and delivers branding, print collateral, and packaging. Services are sold as project-based professional engagements to small/medium enterprises, universities, scientific institutes, and select corporations primarily across Germany.

Product overview

Fessen+Friends is a Munich-based design studio providing integrated design services across three core areas: Webdesign (web design with Contao CMS, SEO, and accessibility), Print Design (business stationery, advertising materials, packaging), and Corporate Design (logo design, brand identity, color systems, typography). The studio offers these services as a unified offering, with web and print design often combined with corporate identity work for comprehensive brand development. They are official Contao Premium Partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Webdesign (Web Design) Accessible (barrierefrei / BITV-compliant), mobile-friendly, responsive, and SEO-optimized web design services. Built on Contao CMS with multi-language support and delivered to businesses, universities, and corporations needing a professional, easy-to-maintain web presence.
• Contao CMS Integration Implementation and customization of the open-source Contao CMS as an official Contao Premium Partner. Delivers multi-language, easy-to-manage content websites for clients, drawing on 15+ years of Contao expertise.
• Suchmaschinenoptimierung (SEO) Search engine optimization services including onpage optimization, semantic content structuring, responsive images, code optimization, keyword research, and KPI monitoring, integrated into the web design process or delivered as a standalone engagement.
• Print Design Print design for business stationery (visiting cards, vouchers), promotional materials (posters, flyers), packaging, and outdoor signage, with environmental sustainability considerations including eco-certified paper and printing partners.
• Corporate Design Comprehensive corporate identity development including color schemes, typography, imagery, brand guidelines, and corporate design manuals for businesses and institutions.
• Logo Design Logo design and redesign services creating wordmarks, image marks, and icons with responsive variants (primary, secondary, icon) suited to all media applications, delivered through an agile, participatory process.

Quantifiable outcome

• ClassiCon website remained unchanged and successful for 8 years (2012-2020) without redesign
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 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

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Contao Association / Contao Open Source CMScoreTechnology or IntegrationFessen+Friends is an official Contao Premium Partner and Supporter of the Contao Association. As a Premium Partner, they have over 15 years of CMS expertise with Contao, one of the most modern and powerful Open Source Content Management Systems. They deliver websites with Contao including multi-language support, responsive design, and easy content management for clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KircherBurkhardt: Berlin-based independent creative agency offering branding, corporate design, and digital services with a similar boutique scale and B2B focus. Comparable to Fessen+Friends as a German independent creative shop with a strong design-led positioning and project-based model.
• kempertrautmann: Hamburg-based independent creative agency specializing in brand strategy, corporate design, and digital experiences for clients like Volkswagen, Lufthansa, and Tchibo. Comparable as a German independent design agency with strong branding credentials and enterprise client roster.
• argonauten: Munich-based independent creative agency specializing in brand strategy, corporate design, and digital experiences for enterprise clients like BMW, Linde, and Telefónica. Directly comparable as a Munich-based boutique agency with overlapping service lines (corporate design, web, brand).
• UEBERBIT: German digital agency focused on CMS-driven corporate websites, brand portals, and digital platforms using enterprise CMS platforms. Comparable as a German CMS specialist serving mid-market and enterprise clients, though operating at slightly larger scale than Fessen+Friends.
• Kolle Rebbe: Hamburg-based independent creative agency known for integrated campaigns, brand design, and digital work for clients like Lufthansa, Otto, and Deutsche Bahn. Comparable as a top-tier German independent creative agency with a design-led approach.
• denkwerk: Cologne-based digital agency offering web design, UX, and digital strategy services for clients like Volkswagen, Deutsche Telekom, and BMW. Comparable to Fessen+Friends as a German digital agency serving enterprise and SME clients with web and brand design services.
• Scholz & Volkmer: German digital agency based in Wiesbaden/Oberhausen specializing in web design, corporate communications, and digital transformation for enterprise clients like Deutsche Bahn, Lufthansa, and Samsung. Comparable as a long-established, mid-sized German creative agency with a similar integrated web/brand/print service offering.
• nexum: Cologne-based full-service digital agency offering web design, brand strategy, and digital marketing. Comparable to Fessen+Friends in offering integrated web/brand services for B2B clients with similar positioning on craft and creativity.
• Strichpunkt Design: Stuttgart-based design agency focused on brand design, corporate identity, and digital design for enterprise clients. Comparable to Fessen+Friends as a German boutique design studio with strong corporate design and branding specialization.

Broad incumbents

• SinnerSchrader (Accenture Song): Hamburg-based digital agency (now part of Accenture Song) offering large-scale web, brand, and commerce services. Comparable as a German digital agency with overlapping service lines (web design, corporate design, CMS), but operating at significantly larger scale as a broad incumbent rather than a boutique studio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Fessen_Friends

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 Fessen+Friends