BIK ASCHPURWIS BEHRENS

What BIK ASCHPURWIS BEHRENS does

BIK ASCHPURWIS + BEHRENS GMBH is a Hamburg-based, owner-operated market, media, and regional research institute founded in 1970 and incorporated as a GmbH in 1988. It functions simultaneously as (a) a full-service B2B research provider for population-representative surveys, migration studies, B2B/decision-maker studies, advertising-effectiveness work, reader surveys, and market-media/regional studies, conducted via CATI (in-house 50-station studio), online, and face-to-face methods; (b) the operator of Germany's official sampling infrastructure — the ADM-Telefonstichprobensysteme (CATI landline and mobile) and the ADM-Flächenstichprobensystem — covering roughly 148 million landline and 357 million mobile numbers, plus 58,564 face-to-face grid-cell sample points, maintained annually on behalf of the ADM consortium; and (c) the producer and licensor of recurring regional-data products including BIK-Regionen (780-system municipal classification), BIK-Basisdaten/Gemeindedatei, the BIK-Haushaltsschätzmodell household estimator, the BIK-Lebensphasenmodell, and the BIK eASYSAMPLe / eASYMOBILe web sampling tools (used by 20+ research institutes).

The revenue model combines project-based professional-services revenue (custom multi-mode survey studies for government, academic, corporate, and media clients) with recurring subscription-style licensing of sampling frameworks and regional-data products to other ADM-member institutes. Commercial delivery is direct B2B only; there is no channel or reseller model. Customers include SVR, DeZIM, RKI, DLR, Universität Heidelberg, Universität Göttingen, Stanford/ETH Immigration Policy Lab, OMD/Omnicom, EVONIK, ADAC, TU Dortmund/Fraunhofer IML, and Landesanstalt für Medien NRW, with multi-wave engagements running continuously for over a decade in several cases (SVR since 2012 biennial; OMD/EVONIK since 2007 annually). The firm is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 20252:2019 certified, ESOMAR-compliant, and an ADM, BVM, and ASI corporate member; it is owner-managed by managing director Kurt Behrens with a small core scientific staff and a separate interviewer pool.

Name

BIK ASCHPURWIS BEHRENS

Legal name

BIK ASCHPURWIS + BEHRENS GMBH

Website

https://bik-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BIK ASCHPURWIS + BEHRENS is a Hamburg-based, owner-managed market, media, and regional research institute founded in 1970 that operates Germany's ADM sampling frameworks and provides CATI, online, and face-to-face survey services plus regional data products to government, academic, media, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Intelligence, Reporting & Visualization Services (BPAEAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Location Intelligence, Analytics & Geospatial BI (BPAMANAE)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Telephone survey sampling
• Regional demographic data
• Population-representative surveys
• Media and social research

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research Survey Services: BIK conducts complete market, media, opinion, and social research studies on a project basis for government agencies, research institutions, media companies, and corporate clients. Services include population-representative surveys, B2B studies, migration studies, regional studies, reader surveys, and advertising effectiveness research, conducted via CATI telephone, online, and Face-to-Face methods.
2. Sampling and Data Products: BIK develops and licenses sampling frameworks (ADM-Telefonstichprobensysteme, BIK eASYSAMPLe, BIK eASYMOBILe), regional data products (BIK-Basisdaten, BIK-Regionen, BIK-Haushaltsschätzmodell), and weighting/benchmark data to other market research institutes, media organizations, and research clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BIK ASCHPURWIS + BEHRENS is a German market, media, and regional research institute that conducts population-representative surveys via CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing), Face-to-Face, and online methods through its 50-station in-house telephone studio. The firm develops and licenses proprietary sampling frameworks (ADM telephone and F2F systems, BIK eASYSAMPLe, BIK eASYMOBILe), regional/demographic data products (BIK-Regionen, BIK-Basisdaten, BIK-Haushaltsschätzmodell), and analytical models (BIK-Lebensphasenmodell) for government agencies, media companies, universities, and corporate clients across Germany.

Product overview

BIK ASCHPURWIS + BEHRENS GMBH is a market, media, and regional research institute founded in 1970, offering a portfolio of data products and research services. The core data products include BIK Basisdaten/Gemeindedatei (municipal-level demographic data), BIK Haushaltsschätzmodell (household estimation model), and BIK Regionen (regional classification system). Sampling software tools include BIK eASYSAMPLe (landline sampling) and BIK eASYMOBILe (mobile sampling), both utilizing the ADM sampling framework. The BIK Lebensphasenmodell provides a demographic life-phase segmentation model. Research services encompass population-representative surveys, migration studies, B2B/corporate surveys, advertising effectiveness research, reader surveys, and regional market-media studies. Methodological offerings include ADM telephone and face-to-face sampling systems, resident registration samples, georeferenced samples, and ethnic mobile samples. All services are delivered through an in-house CATI studio with 50 stations, with additional capabilities in online surveys and mixed-mode approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BIK Basisdaten / Gemeindedatei Municipal-level demographic and social structure database for all of Germany, linking official statistics and BIK-curated data to administrative and non-administrative territorial units. Provides the foundation for regional weighting and quota procedures, target-group sizing, and regional sampling design. Customers include market research institutes, media companies, and academic/government users needing consistent small-area demographic benchmarks.
• BIK Haushaltsschätzmodell Statistical model that estimates the number of households at the German municipal level, using microcensus-derived household-formation rates differentiated by nationality, gender, and 10 age groups. Delivers household-head quotients (HVQ) that clients use to calculate private households by municipality for media, retail, and B2B market sizing.
• BIK Regionen (780-system) Nationwide spatial classification system representing city-suburban relationships at the municipal level for metropolitan areas, city regions, and mid/small centers across Germany. Based on commuter data from the Federal Employment Agency and main-residence population; updated annually. Customers use it for regional market and media planning, advertising-area definition, and reading-area analyses for regional daily newspapers.
• BIK eASYSAMPLe Web-based software tool for drawing random samples from the ADM telephone sampling framework (landline). Allows national or regional random sampling with proportional/disproportional draws, postal code-defined areas, replenishment, and exclusion of blocked numbers. Licensed by ADM member institutes (>20) to operationalize standardized telephone samples in CATI studies.
• BIK eASYMOBILe Web-based software solution for drawing random samples from the ADM-CATI mobile phone sampling framework (~342 million mobile numbers as of 2019; ~357 million in 2024). Supports national random samples from the total pool or draws stratified by network operator proportions, with guarantees of non-overlap and matching with blocked numbers. Used by ADM member institutes and B2B clients for mobile-inclusive CATI fieldwork.
• ADM-Stichprobensystem CATI Dual-frame telephone sampling system (landline + mobile) for CATI surveys maintained by BIK for the ADM consortium. The CATI system covers ~148 million landline numbers and ~357 million mobile numbers (2024), and forms the foundation for population-representative CATI work across German market research institutes.
• ADM-Stichprobensystem Face-to-face Germany-wide face-to-face area sampling system based on georeferenced 100x100m INSPIRE grid cells, incorporating census data and OpenStreetMap information. The 2023 update defines 58,564 spatial sample points across Germany for F2F household surveys. Maintained by BIK for the ADM consortium.
• Einwohnermeldeamts-Stichproben (EWMA) Resident registration office sampling service for public-interest research in Germany. Two-stage random sampling per §46 BMG: municipal selection followed by random address extraction from population registers. BIK handles data procurement from registration offices, quality assurance, and privacy-compliant processing. Used for government, academic, and health studies (e.g., Baden-Württemberg statewide health study: 66,000+ addresses processed from 45 municipalities).
• Bevölkerungsrepräsentative Befragungen Population-representative survey service conducted via BIK's 50-station CATI studio using a dual-frame (landline + mobile) approach with 30–40% mobile numbers to reach otherwise difficult-to-reach population segments. Includes questionnaire design, fieldwork, weighting using official statistics, and reporting. Serves government, academic, media, and corporate research buyers.
• Migrationsstudien / Migrationsbefragungen Migration and integration research studies surveying both people with and without migration backgrounds using multilingual CATI interviewing (German, English, Turkish, Russian, French, Arabic). Includes BIK's Ethno-Mobile sampling methodology to reach migrant populations via specialized mobile providers. Anchor project: SVR-Integrationsbarometer (15,020 interviews in 2024).
• B2B-Studien / Unternehmensbefragungen B2B and corporate decision-maker research service using BIK's U+E (Unternehmen und Entscheider) approach to interview decision-makers in companies across industries and sizes (from KMU to large enterprises). Covers business climate, investment intentions, advertising effectiveness, and industry-specific studies (e.g., TU Dortmund / Fraunhofer IML open-source logistics study).
• Werbewirkungsforschung Advertising effectiveness research service measuring brand awareness, advertising recall, image, and media presence for corporate and media clients using BIK's CATI infrastructure. Includes decision-maker surveys (e.g., OMD / Omnicom) and recurring annual waves (e.g., EVONIK study, 18th wave by 2023).
• Markt-Media-Studien / Regionalstudien Market-media and regional research using a single-source approach that combines media usage, consumption behavior, household equipment, and shopping patterns. Used by media, publishing, and advertising clients for regional market potential, readership, and audience analyses (e.g., market potential for newspapers, regional commercial reach).
• Leserschaftsbefragungen Reader surveys for newspapers using standardized instruments developed and refined by BIK over 20 years. Analyzes reader markets, media usage, and distribution in regional daily newspaper markets. Serves newspaper publishers needing comparable, multi-edition readership data tied to regional advertising and distribution decisions.
• Georeferenzierte Stichproben Georeferenced sampling service using INSPIRE 100x100m grid cells, census population data, and OpenStreetMap information to build spatial sampling frames with coordinate-based targeting. Enables precise spatial / address-based recruitment for F2F and online panel studies (e.g., Baden-Württemberg statewide health study).
• Ethno-Mobilstichproben Ethnic mobile phone sampling methodology developed by BIK that identifies migrants through mobile providers with special international tariffs (e.g., LycaMobile, Lebara). Used as a stratification layer on top of the ADM mobile sampling framework to reach migrant populations in CATI surveys, showing significantly better accuracy than standard random samples.
• BIK Lebensphasenmodell Demographically-based analytical model classifying life phases (from infants through elderly), linked to sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes, values, consumption, and time-use behaviors. Applied for target-group definition, media positioning, and survey sample building. Licensed separately by BIK for use in market and media studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• SVR-Integrationsbarometer 2024: 15,020 interviews conducted in 6 languages (German, English, Turkish, Russian, French, Arabic) among population with and without migration background
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ADM (Arbeitskreis Deutscher Markt- und Sozialforschungsinstitute e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIK operates and maintains the ADM-Telefonstichprobensysteme (CATI landline and mobile) and the ADM-Flächenstichprobensystem (Face-to-Face) on behalf of the ADM working group. This is a core partnership: BIK is responsible for the annual update of sampling frameworks covering all of Germany (~148 million landline numbers, ~357 million mobile numbers, 58,564 F2F sample points). BIK also manages the ADM blocking file (sperrdatei) for the ADM consortium.
• GIM Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung mbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIK collaborated with GIM on the Baden-Württemberg health study 'Baden-Württemberg, wie geht's?' for the KNPM-BW. BIK and GIM jointly planned and designed the resident registration office sample (EWMA) methodology. BIK handled the operational implementation including procurement of registry data from municipal registration offices, quality assurance, and privacy-compliant processing.
• Kompetenznetzwerk Präventivmedizin Baden-Württemberg (KNPM-BW) / Universität HeidelbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKNPM-BW commissioned BIK and GIM to create a resident registration office sample for the statewide health study 'Baden-Württemberg, wie geht's?'. BIK processed over 66,000 addresses from 45 municipalities into a final sample of 55,000 for postal invitations to an online health survey.
• BVM (Berufsverband Deutscher Markt- und Sozialforscher e.V.)minorOthersBIK is a corporate member of BVM. Individual staff members (Kurt Behrens, Kathrin Wiese) hold personal memberships. BVM membership signifies commitment to professional codes of conduct and scientific quality standards.
• ASI (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sozialwissenschaftlicher Institute e.V.)minorOthersBIK is a corporate member of ASI, the umbrella organization for social science research institutes in Germany.
• Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)coreTechnology or IntegrationBIK collaborates with the Federal Statistical Office in the development and publication of Demographic Standards and Regional Standards (joint publications). BIK uses official statistics from Destatis as data sources for its regional databases, population estimates, and sampling frameworks. BIK also contributes to working groups of the Federal Statistical Office on municipal and regional statistics.
• Sachverständigenrat für Integration und Migration (SVR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIK has been the regular survey partner for the SVR Integration Barometer since 2012 (conducted every 2 years). For the 2024 edition, BIK conducted 15,020 CATI interviews in 6 languages. The SVR Integration Barometer measures integration climate among Germany's population with and without migration background.
• GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für SozialwissenschaftenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIK staff contribute to GESIS publications including the Demographic Standards (GESIS-Schriftenreihe Band 31, 2024) and Regional Standards. BIK data and methodologies are referenced in GESIS survey guidelines.
• Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der LändercoreTechnology or IntegrationBIK uses data from the ongoing population accounting (Laufende Bevölkerungsfortschreibung) of the state statistical offices as the basis for its BIK-Basisdaten, BIK-Haushaltsschätzmodell, and BIK-Regionen databases. BIK coordinates annually on municipal data (Gemeindegebührenstand) with the Federal Statistical Office.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos Germany: German operations of global market research firm Ipsos. Competes with BIK on population-representative and B2B research but offers a much broader portfolio including global tracking studies and panel products.
• Kantar Germany (Kantar Deutschland GmbH): German arm of global market research giant Kantar. Overlaps with BIK on media/advertising effectiveness research and consumer survey panels but operates at much larger scale with global product portfolio.
• NIQ (NielsenIQ, including legacy GfK): Global consumer intelligence firm with German heritage through GfK. Competes with BIK on consumer/media research and regional market data but at vastly larger scale, with global retail measurement products and consumer panels.

Emerging players

• Civey GmbH: Berlin-based online market and opinion research firm using its own probabilistic panel for representative surveys. Emerging alternative to traditional CATI-based institutes like BIK for media and political research clients.

Direct peers

• Sinus Markt- und Sozialforschung GmbH: Heidelberg-based German market and social research firm specializing in social milieu segmentation and target-group analysis. Comparable to BIK in offering proprietary analytical frameworks (Sinus-Milieus vs. BIK-Lebensphasenmodell) and population research services.
• GIM Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung mbH: Heidelberg-based German market research firm focused on qualitative and quantitative research. BIK and GIM are existing collaborators (jointly designed the BW health study sample) and share ADM membership and a similar mid-sized, German-only footprint.
• infas Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft GmbH: Bonn-based German social and market research institute with strong government and academic client base. Closely comparable in survey methodology (CATI, F2F), sample design expertise, and B2B/B2C research services for public-sector clients.
• respondi AG: Cologne-based German online panel and market research provider. Direct competitor for online research services and access to consumer samples, though focused on online panels rather than BIK's CATI/F2F strength.
• forsa Gesellschaft für Sozialforschung und statistische Analysen mbH: German market and social research institute of similar size and scope. Both are ADM member institutes conducting population-representative CATI/online surveys for government, media, and corporate clients in Germany. Directly comparable in service mix and customer base.

Others

• GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften: Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, a major German academic research infrastructure provider. BIK contributes to GESIS Demographic Standards and is referenced in GESIS survey guidelines, making them an ecosystem participant and standards-setter rather than a commercial competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bik-aschpurwis-behrens-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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