What iRights.Lab does

iRights.Lab GmbH is an independent German think tank founded in 2009 by Philipp Otto and headquartered at Oranienstr. 185 in Berlin-Kreuzberg, with staff in eight additional German cities. The organization operates at the intersection of law, technology, politics, and society, with an interdisciplinary team of 35+ experts delivering commissioned research, advisory, training, and stakeholder-engagement services on digital transformation topics including AI ethics and regulation, digital administration, democratic participation, digital literacy, digital security, and digital twins. It has implemented 978+ projects, published 238+ outputs, and collaborates with 100+ partners annually, including the German federal ministries (BMBF, BMV, BMUV, BMFTR), Berlin Senate departments, the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb), the Umweltbundesamt (UBA), and civil-society networks such as Seitenstark e.V. and Aktion Mensch.

Name

iRights.Lab

Legal name

iRights.Lab GmbH

Website

https://irights-lab.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

iRights.Lab is an independent Berlin-based think tank that advises German federal ministries, Berlin Senate departments, and civil-society organizations on AI ethics, digital administration, and digital policy through commissioned research, training, and stakeholder engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-funded research projects: Primary revenue through commissioned research and project work funded by German federal ministries (BMBF, BMV, BMUV), EU funding programs (mFUND), and public institutions.
2. Academy Training Programs: Revenue from professional training programs including AI courses, media literacy training, and organizational development workshops offered through the iRights.Lab Academy.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

iRights.Lab is an independent think tank that delivers commissioned research, strategic advisory, and participatory project implementation on digital transformation at the intersection of law, technology, politics, and society. It runs flagship projects on AI ethics and regulation, digital administration innovation, digital twins, democratic participation, and digital literacy, complemented by the iRights.Lab Academy training platform and the prompt/ newsletter on generative AI law. Revenue is generated through government-funded research grants, public-sector advisory mandates, and Academy training programmes.

Product overview

iRights.Lab is an independent think tank offering a portfolio of research, advisory services, and training programs focused on digital transformation at the intersection of law, technology, politics and society. Their offerings include the iRights.Lab Academy (online training platform with AI and democracy modules), various research publications (OpenTwin reports, GenKI reports, position papers), advisory services on AI ethics, digital administration and digital twins, and collaborative networks like ZVKI (Centre for Trustworthy AI) and Civic Coding. They also publish the prompt/ newsletter on AI legal issues. The organization does not offer a traditional software product but rather provides consulting, research, training, and knowledge-sharing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iRights.Lab Academy: Training and education platform offering modules on AI, digital literacy, and media education for various audiences.
• prompt/
• ZVKI (Zentrum für Vertrauenswürdige Künstliche Intelligenz)

Products and services

• iRights.Lab Academy Online training platform (academy.irights-lab.de) offering professional development modules on AI, democracy, digital literacy, and organisational topics, serving educators, public administrators, and civil society participants.
• prompt/ Newsletter on Generative AI Law Subscription newsletter covering news, tips, and debates on legal issues around generative AI, including AI legal frameworks, court proceedings, and AI Act implementation updates, targeted at policy and legal professionals.
• AI Ethics & Regulation Advisory Advisory service analysing AI deployment at the intersection of technology, law, regulation, and ethics, developing practical guidelines, strategies, and recommendations for policy-makers and institutions.
• Digital Twins Research & Consulting Research and consulting on digital twins for infrastructure, construction, and living spaces, including the OpenTwin project on transnational digital twin implementation across Europe.
• Fair and Diverse Guidelines Berlin guidelines for discrimination-sensitive and inclusive AI use in public authorities, developed through participatory multi-stakeholder processes with the Berlin Senate administration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 978+ projects successfully implemented
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing political education. Partner in AI-related research and knowledge dissemination, including the AI Dossier project.
• Umweltbundesamt (UBA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Environment Agency. Collaborates on digital policy projects related to environmental protection and sustainable digitization.
• Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Ministry of Education and Research. Primary funding source for multiple research projects including civic tech initiatives and AI education projects.
• Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz (BMUV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. Collaborates on digital sustainability and innovation projects.
• Civic CodingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI innovation network for the common good. iRights.Lab is a founding member working on AI ethics and public interest technology.
• Aktion MenschminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman social funding organization supporting projects related to digital inclusion and social participation.
• mFUND (BMVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding program of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure supporting research projects like OpenTwin on digital twins.
• Zentrum für Vertrauenswürdige Künstliche Intelligenz (ZVKI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter for Trustworthy AI - a key initiative where science, politics, business and society work together to shape the future of trustworthy AI.
• Seitenstark e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork for child-friendly websites and digital offers. Collaborates on the KUCOBINA project addressing AI in child-oriented education.
• Deutsche Stiftung DenkmalschutzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Foundation for Monument Protection. Partner in digital memory culture and heritage preservation projects.
• Bundesverband Deutscher StiftungenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of German Foundations. Collaborates on foundation-specific digital policy issues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Das Progressive Zentrum: Berlin-based think tank producing research and convening events on digital transformation, democracy, and social policy. Closely comparable in format (research, events, publications) and stakeholder mix.
• Agora Digitale Transformation: German digital policy think tank working on the societal implications of digitalization. Comparable in mandate and audience (government, civil society), with parallel focus on digital participation, AI ethics, and democratic discourse.
• Centrum für Europäische Politik (CEP): German policy think tank focused on European integration and regulation. Comparable as an independent advisory organization producing position papers, studies, and policy briefings for institutional clients.
• Interface: European tech policy and research organization working on digital transformation, platform governance, and public-interest technology. Directly comparable as a project-funded think tank advising EU and member-state institutions.
• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV): Berlin-based independent think tank focused on digital and technology policy in Germany. Operates with a similar project-based, government-funded model and addresses overlapping topics such as AI governance, platform regulation, and digital administration.
• Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG): Berlin-based research institute studying the intersection of internet, society, and law. Closely comparable to iRights.Lab in scope (digital policy, regulation, governance) and stakeholder base (academia, policymakers, civil society).

Others

• Ashoka: Global network supporting social entrepreneurs and civic innovation. Indirectly comparable as an ecosystem player in digital inclusion and civil society capacity-building, with overlapping partner base in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey Public Sector Practice: Global consultancy with a public-sector and digital-government practice. Competes with iRights.Lab for government transformation mandates, but at materially larger scale and with bundled implementation capabilities.
• Fraunhofer IAIS: Large applied-AI research institute within the Fraunhofer Society. Competes with iRights.Lab on government-funded AI and trustworthy-AI projects, but at significantly greater scale and with deeper technical infrastructure.
• Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest private foundations, with substantial programmes on digitalization, education, and democratic participation. Broader portfolio than iRights.Lab but overlapping heavily in digital policy and AI ethics advisory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iRightslab
• Facebookfacebook.com/iRights.lab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
• Instagramhelp.instagram.com/519522125107875

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 iRights.Lab