I-Gelb
I-Gelb is a Cologne-based full-service digital agency specializing in TYPO3 website development, accessibility compliance, and digital strategy for German non-profit, church, educational, and public-sector organizations, complemented by its proprietary ai-gelb AI chatbot platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersCologne, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What I-Gelb does
I-Gelb (legal entity: i-gelb GmbH) is a Cologne-based, founder-led full-service digital agency founded in 2000 by Frauke Klemm and Julian Benser, operating with 11-50 employees out of its headquarters at Mauritiuswall 24-26. The company builds websites, performs graphic design, delivers digital strategy consulting, and runs accessibility compliance work, with TYPO3 CMS as its core technical platform — it holds TYPO3 Gold Partner status and supports both traditional and headless TYPO3 architectures alongside modern front-end stacks (React, TypeScript, Vue/Svelte). Its customer base is concentrated in German non-profits, church and religious organizations, educational institutions, medical/healthcare bodies, and public administration, with named accounts including Welthungerhilfe, Fairtrade Deutschland, Kirchliche Zusatzversorgungskasse Rheinland-Westfalen, and Bayerischer Jugendring.
Beyond agency services, I-Gelb operates ai-gelb, a proprietary AI platform that enables organizations to deploy chatbots built on third-party Large Language Models and a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture, hosted in Germany for DSGVO compliance and disclosed under EU AI Regulation Article 50. The company positions itself on accessibility compliance with BITV 2.0, WCAG 2.2, and the upcoming Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) effective mid-2025, and offers adjacent services such as digital annual reports, donation/fundraising projects, and TYPO3 support and maintenance.
I-Gelb makes money primarily through project-based professional services billed under a 50/50 payment structure (50% on contract signing, 50% on acceptance), augmented by a subscription/recurring component for the ai-gelb platform and ongoing TYPO3 maintenance contracts. The company acquires customers through direct enterprise sales, its professional websites (i-gelb.net, ai-gelb.de), and likely referrals within the German non-profit and religious sectors; it remains privately held with no external investors, subsidiaries, or public listing.
I-Gelb firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- I-Gelb
- Legal name
- i-gelb GmbH
- Website
- https://i-gelb.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- I-Gelb is a Cologne-based full-service digital agency specializing in TYPO3 website development, accessibility compliance, and digital strategy for German non-profit, church, educational, and public-sector organizations, complemented by its proprietary ai-gelb AI chatbot platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
I-Gelb industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Agency Services
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Generative AI & LLM Solutions Services (RAG, Agents, Copilots) (BPAEAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ)
Keywords
Where I-Gelb is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cologne
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
I-Gelb business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Digital Agency Services: Project-based digital agency services including web development, AI projects, accessibility consulting, TYPO3 development, design and conception, and ongoing support and maintenance. Payment terms: 50% deposit upon contract signing, 50% upon completion and acceptance.
- AI Platform (ai-gelb): Platform for AI-assisted chatbots offered to organizations. The company (i-gelb) acts as provider responsible for technical development, deployment and maintenance, while operators (clients) deploy the assistants for their end users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Project-based pricing with 50/50 payment split |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
I-Gelb product offering
Product offeringCore offering
I-Gelb is a full-service digital agency that plans, designs, develops, and operates websites and digital services for non-profit, church, education, healthcare, and public-sector organizations in Germany. Core deliverables include TYPO3 CMS web development (as a TYPO3 Gold Partner), accessibility-compliant implementations per BITV 2.0 and WCAG 2.2, and the proprietary ai-gelb platform for AI-powered, GDPR-compliant chatbots built on RAG and large language models.
Product overview
i-gelb is a full-service digital agency based in Cologne, Germany, specializing in sustainable digital projects with positive societal impact. The company operates as a unified service portfolio organized around its core offerings: website development, accessibility services (BITV 2.0/WCAG 2.2), and its AI platform product ai-gelb. The service lineup includes TYPO3 development (as a TYPO3 Gold Partner), digital strategy consulting, digital annual reports, donation/fundraising projects, and social media services. Support and maintenance services are provided primarily for TYPO3 installations. The AI platform ai-gelb represents the company's dedicated AI product sub-brand, enabling organizations to deploy AI-powered chatbots using RAG technology and LLMs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ai-gelb: AI platform for KI-assisted chatbots developed and operated by i-gelb, enabling organizations to deploy intelligent chatbots based on defined knowledge databases.
Products and services
- ai-gelb AI Platform AI-powered assistant platform developed by i-gelb enabling organizations to deploy intelligent chatbots that answer questions based on a defined knowledge database. Uses LLMs and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), hosted in Germany for GDPR compliance. Targeted at non-profits, churches, associations, and public institutions seeking to relieve service desks and automate processes.
- Website Development Full-service website development including frontend and backend programming, interfaces, databases, and server administration. Specializes in TYPO3 CMS implementations and modern headless architectures for German organizations.
- TYPO3 Development Professional TYPO3 CMS implementation including custom extension development, system integration, security implementation, performance optimization, and responsive web design. I-gelb holds TYPO3 Gold Partner status.
- Accessibility Services Consulting, conception, development, and operation of accessible digital services compliant with BITV 2.0 and WCAG 2.2 standards. Includes accessibility auditing and support for BFSG / Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz compliance.
- Digital Strategy and Consulting Workshop-based communication strategy development and holistic consulting across all project phases, including strategy, concept, graphic design, web development, online marketing, and SEO.
- Frontend Development Modern frontend development using React, TypeScript, Vue, Svelte, HTML5, CSS3/SASS, with headless CMS integration, API integration, and accessibility optimization.
- Digital Annual Reports Development of digital annual reports for organizations, including conception, design, and implementation.
- Donation Projects Online fundraising solutions including payment processing integration and connections to various payment providers for non-profit donation flows.
- Social Media Services Social media strategy and implementation services for client organizations.
- TYPO3 Support and Maintenance Ongoing technical support and maintenance programs for TYPO3 installations, ensuring security, performance, and quality through a proven support system.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4x 100% in Google Score achieved for Kirchliche Zusatzversorgungskasse Rheinland-Westfalen website
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use I-Gelb
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
I-Gelb technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
I-Gelb partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
I-Gelb competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Userlike: Cologne-based live chat and AI messaging platform - comparable in geography and adjacent in product (customer-facing chat infrastructure) to ai-gelb, though focused on live chat rather than RAG knowledge assistants.
- Parloa: Berlin-based AI platform for enterprise customer service automation with generative AI - comparable to ai-gelb's RAG chatbot offering but at larger scale and broader enterprise focus.
Direct peers
- dkd Internet Service GmbH: Frankfurt-based full-service digital agency and TYPO3 specialist with comparable web development, CMS, and enterprise integration offerings - the closest peer in the German TYPO3 agency space.
- Cognigy: Düsseldorf-based enterprise conversational AI platform for customer service automation using LLMs and RAG - a directly comparable German-built AI chatbot platform to i-gelb's ai-gelb.
- b13 GmbH: Stuttgart-based TYPO3 agency and long-standing TYPO3 partner with similar custom development, integration, and CMS specialization - directly comparable in service mix and TYPO3 depth to i-gelb.
- nexum: Cologne-based digital agency with overlapping TYPO3, web development, AI, and digital transformation offerings - a directly comparable local competitor operating in the same city and verticals as i-gelb.
Others
- Aleph Alpha: Heidelberg-based sovereign European LLM provider - an adjacent player and potential technology partner/supplier for ai-gelb, with overlapping emphasis on EU data sovereignty and German-hosted AI.
Broad incumbents
- Publicis Sapient: Global digital transformation agency (Publicis Groupe) offering strategy, technology, and experience design at enterprise scale - a broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise digital services RFPs as i-gelb.
- IBM watsonx: IBM's enterprise AI platform including watsonx Assistant for conversational AI and RAG - a broad incumbent in enterprise AI assistants directly competing for the same use cases as ai-gelb, but at much larger scale.
- SinnerSchrader: Hamburg-based digital agency (now part of Accenture Song) offering strategy, design, and platform development for enterprise clients - a comparable German digital services incumbent with broader scope than i-gelb.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
I-Gelb social profiles
Digital presenceI-Gelb financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
I-Gelb leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
I-Gelb funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
I-Gelb M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about I-Gelb
What does I-Gelb do?
I-Gelb is a full-service digital agency that plans, designs, develops, and operates websites and digital services for non-profit, church, education, healthcare, and public-sector organizations in Germany. Core deliverables include TYPO3 CMS web development (as a TYPO3 Gold Partner), accessibility-compliant implementations per BITV 2.0 and WCAG 2.2, and the proprietary ai-gelb platform for AI-powered, GDPR-compliant chatbots built on RAG and large language models.
Is I-Gelb a public or private company?
I-Gelb is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was I-Gelb founded?
I-Gelb was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is I-Gelb based?
I-Gelb is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does I-Gelb make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Digital Agency Services are the primary driver. The others are AI Platform (ai-gelb).
Who are I-Gelb's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Userlike and Parloa. Direct peers are dkd Internet Service GmbH, Cognigy, b13 GmbH and nexum. Aleph Alpha is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Publicis Sapient, IBM watsonx and SinnerSchrader.
Does I-Gelb have an API?
No public API is recorded for I-Gelb.
What industry is I-Gelb in?
I-Gelb's product category is Digital Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAHAG, Generative AI & LLM Solutions Services (RAG, Agents, Copilots), with a secondary code of HDAEANAJ, AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7370.