Semtation
Semtation GmbH is a Potsdam-based German software firm founded in 2001 that builds the SemTalk process modeling platform on Microsoft Visio and Microsoft 365, serving over 1,500 enterprise and public-sector customers across the DACH region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersPotsdam, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Semtation does
Semtation GmbH is a privately held German software company founded in 2001 in Potsdam, specializing in business process management solutions built on Microsoft platforms. The company develops and sells the SemTalk platform, which combines a Microsoft Visio-based desktop editor with a browser-based online editor (SemTalk Online) and portal services (SemTalk Services Portal) for publishing process models. SemTalk supports multiple modeling methods (BPMN, EPC, KSA/CSA), vocabulary-based modeling with embedded rules, and integrates with the Microsoft 365 stack including Teams, SharePoint, Power Automate, Planner, Graph, and Azure. The company has a customer base of over 1,500 organizations and 50,000+ end-users, spanning large enterprises such as Bayer, Vattenfall, JT International, T-Systems, and Covestro, German state governments (Berlin, Brandenburg, Baden-Württemberg), and public-sector entities including Hamburg Port Authority and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Semtation monetizes primarily through one-time SemTalk licenses (with optional bundled Visio licenses), professional services (training and coaching), and partner referrals to consulting firms such as Unity AG, Hahne Consulting, Knowlogy Solutions, and araneaNET.
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct sales through its website (with trial/demo versions), Microsoft partner channel leverage, and a consulting partner network. It also distributes the scimendo|DSMS GDPR compliance app (co-developed with araneaNET) via the Microsoft App Store and partner online shops. The product surface has expanded over time from a single Visio add-in to a multi-surface platform, with the 2025 launch of the SemTalk Online App in Microsoft365 and the 2023 browser-based SemTalk Online release with ChatGPT integration. Semtation participates in the QURATOR research consortium on AI-driven digital curation, covering NLP keyword recognition, hybrid machine-learning/curated-text document classification, and process visualization in mixed reality. The company has won industry recognition including the Process Solutions Award 2016 with Hamburg Port Authority and the Berliner Verwaltungspreis 2022 for the KibarDok heritage document search project.
Management is led by founders Christian Fillies and Dr.-Ing. Frauke Weichhardt, both with deep domain expertise in process modeling and Microsoft platform technology. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or external investors, and no M&A activity, restructuring events, or regulatory actions are on record. Geographic focus remains the DACH region, with website and documentation available in English and German.
Semtation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Semtation
- Legal name
- Semtation GmbH
- Website
- https://semtation.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Semtation GmbH is a Potsdam-based German software firm founded in 2001 that builds the SemTalk process modeling platform on Microsoft Visio and Microsoft 365, serving over 1,500 enterprise and public-sector customers across the DACH region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Semtation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Process Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Web Content Management (WCM) & Experience Platforms (Content Services) (HDAEAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Systems Engineering & Technical Program Management (BPAHAIAI)
Keywords
Where Semtation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Potsdam
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Semtation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: Primary revenue from selling SemTalk licenses. The company derives income from license sales for the SemTalk Editor and related products. Visio licenses can also be purchased through Semtation at discounted prices when bundled with SemTalk.
- Training and Coaching Services: Tool-related consulting including training sessions, workshops, and coaching for process modeling, process management setup, and Microsoft platform integration.
- Partner Referrals: Referral arrangements with consulting partners who implement modeling projects, with Semtation providing tool support and training.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Trial/Demo Version |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Semtation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Semtation develops and sells the SemTalk platform for business process modeling and management, built natively on Microsoft Visio (Editor) and available as a browser-based editor (SemTalk Online) integrated with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Office 365. The platform supports multiple methodologies (BPMN, EPC, CSA/KSA), provides vocabulary-based modeling with embedded rules, and enables customers to publish process models to SharePoint/Teams portals. The company sells one-time software licenses and provides training/coaching services, complemented by partner-referred consulting implementations.
Product overview
Semtation offers the SemTalk platform for business process management on Microsoft platforms. The platform consists of two primary product lines: (1) SemTalk Editor - a Visio-based desktop process modeling tool, and (2) SemTalk Online - a browser-based process modeling editor accessible via browser, Teams, or SharePoint. These core products are complemented by SemTalk Services for portal publishing and the SemTalk Online App in Microsoft365 for Teams integration. An additional offering is the scimendo|DSMS Data Protection App developed with partner araneaNET for GDPR compliance. All products integrate deeply with Microsoft technologies including Teams, SharePoint, Office 365, Power Automate, and Azure. The company also participates in the QURATOR AI research project for digital curation technologies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SemTalk Online: Browser-based process modeling editor for documenting business processes, available in browser, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft SharePoint, or desktop.
- SemTalk Services Portal
- scimendo|DSMS
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 400 processes designed and approximately 200 published and implemented in Hamburg Port Authority case study
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Semtation
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Semtation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration25 records
AI capability10 records
Feature5 records
Semtation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and strategic.
- MicrosoftcoreSemtation is a Microsoft Partner with focus on tool development for the SemTalk platform and portal creation in the Microsoft environment. SemTalk deeply integrates with Microsoft platforms including Teams, SharePoint, Azure, Office Graph, Power BI, Planner, and Flow. The company leverages Microsoft technology strategy and participates in Microsoft ecosystem events.
- Unity AGmajorConsulting partner that has successfully implemented their modeling methods and procedural models as their own tools on the SemTalk platform. Unity AG is a key consulting partner deploying SemTalk solutions for customers.
- Hahne ConsultingmajorConsulting partner that has successfully implemented their modeling methods and procedural models as their own tools on the SemTalk platform.
- Knowlogy Solutions AGmajorPartner specializing in SharePoint-based repositories for E-Government application procedures implementation. Works with c.i.t. GmbH on public sector solutions.
- c.i.t. GmbHminorPartner working with Knowlogy Solutions AG on SharePoint-based repositories for public sector E-Government implementations.
- IMT (Intelligent Modeling Technology)minorPartner for BIM-compliant implementation of construction projects, creating project rooms for building construction using BIM-compliant process models with corresponding SharePoint templates.
- araneaNET GmbHcoreLong-term strategic partner developing IT service management solutions. Together created scimendo|DSMS GDPR compliance app for Microsoft SharePoint. araneaNET uses SemTalk and SemTalk Services for process modeling and Microsoft Office 365 consulting. Joint GDPR portal developed as template for GDPR requirements implementation.
- Qurator ConsortiumstrategicResearch partnership focused on digital curation possibilities using artificial intelligence. Research areas include process and knowledge management, digital communication, and AI-supported content presentation. Semtation presents research results at Qurator conferences and develops AI applications for process modeling.
- COSMO CONSULT GmbHminorConsulting partner working on reference modeling for Microsoft Dynamics Navision using SemTalk. Presented at SemTalk User Meeting 2019.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Semtation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Software AG (ARIS): Software AG's ARIS is the most established enterprise BPM and process modeling suite, supporting EPC, BPMN, and a comparable vocabulary-based modeling approach. Directly competes with SemTalk in process management tooling, especially in DACH enterprise accounts.
- iGrafx: iGrafx provides business process modeling, analysis, and digital transformation tooling with strong BPMN/EPC support. It directly competes with SemTalk for the same mid-market and enterprise process modeling use cases, including Visio-style graphical interfaces.
- Signavio (SAP): Signavio is a leading BPM/process modeling platform now part of SAP Signavio, offering collaborative process modeling, BPMN 2.0, and SAP ecosystem integration. A direct peer to SemTalk, particularly for large enterprises standardizing on BPMN.
- Bizagi: Bizagi offers a low-code BPM suite with BPMN 2.0 modeling and process automation capabilities. Directly competes with SemTalk in the process modeling layer, especially for organizations seeking integrated execution.
- BOC Group (ADONIS): BOC Group's ADONIS is a BPM and enterprise architecture tool widely used in European enterprises, with strong BPMN support and consulting-style deployment. Directly competes with SemTalk for process documentation and management mandates.
- MEGA International (HOPEX): MEGA's HOPEX platform covers business process modeling, enterprise architecture, and governance. Directly competes with SemTalk in process documentation and BPMN/EPC modeling for large, regulated organizations.
Emerging players
- Visual Paradigm: Visual Paradigm offers BPMN, EPC, and UML modeling tools with a desktop and cloud presence. An emerging player that overlaps SemTalk on the modeling methodology layer, often considered by mid-market customers.
- Lucid Software (Lucidchart): Lucidchart provides collaborative diagramming with BPMN shape libraries and Microsoft Teams/Office integrations. A partial competitor to SemTalk for process modeling use cases, especially among business users seeking lightweight alternatives.
Broad incumbents
- IBM Blueworks Live: IBM's Blueworks Live is a cloud-based BPM and process discovery tool integrated with the broader IBM automation portfolio. A broad incumbent offering overlapping process modeling functionality, particularly in regulated industries.
- Microsoft Power Platform: Microsoft's Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps, Visio, Copilot) is a broad incumbent in process automation and modeling, deeply integrated into Microsoft 365. It both competes with SemTalk and serves as the platform Semtation builds on, making it the most consequential adjacent player.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Semtation social profiles
Digital presenceSemtation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Semtation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Semtation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Semtation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Semtation 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 Semtation
What does Semtation do?
Semtation develops and sells the SemTalk platform for business process modeling and management, built natively on Microsoft Visio (Editor) and available as a browser-based editor (SemTalk Online) integrated with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Office 365. The platform supports multiple methodologies (BPMN, EPC, CSA/KSA), provides vocabulary-based modeling with embedded rules, and enables customers to publish process models to SharePoint/Teams portals. The company sells one-time software licenses and provides training/coaching services, complemented by partner-referred consulting implementations.
Is Semtation a public or private company?
Semtation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Semtation founded?
Semtation was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Semtation based?
Semtation is headquartered in Potsdam, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Semtation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are training and Coaching Services and partner Referrals.
Who are Semtation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Software AG (ARIS), iGrafx, Signavio (SAP), Bizagi, BOC Group (ADONIS) and MEGA International (HOPEX). Emerging players are Visual Paradigm and Lucid Software (Lucidchart). Broad incumbents are IBM Blueworks Live and Microsoft Power Platform.
Does Semtation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Semtation.
What industry is Semtation in?
Semtation's product category is Business Process Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAGAK, Web Content Management (WCM) & Experience Platforms (Content Services), with a secondary code of BPAHAIAI, Systems Engineering & Technical Program Management. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.