Sourcepole
Sourcepole AG is a Zürich-based Swiss company, founded in 2000, that develops and supports open-source GIS solutions built on the QGIS platform. It serves public-sector and enterprise customers with QGIS Enterprise support, QGIS Cloud hosting, OGC-standards consulting, and managed Linux hosting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Sourcepole does
Sourcepole AG is a privately held Swiss company, founded in 2000 and headquartered at Weberstrasse 5 in Zürich, that develops custom geoinformatics solutions on open-source software. Its commercial center of gravity is the QGIS platform: the team includes Marco Hugentobler as long-time QGIS technical lead and core developer since 2003, plus four additional official QGIS core developers, giving the firm direct ability to modify upstream code to meet customer requirements. Sourcepole operates as an official developer across multiple OSGeo projects.
The company sells four interconnected product lines: QGIS Enterprise, a maintenance-and-support package (with implied LTS) for Geodaten-Infrastruktur (GDI); QGIS Cloud, a SaaS platform that publishes QGIS Desktop projects as WMS, WFS, WFS/T web services and mobile maps via a plugin from the QGIS Plugin Repository; GDI Beratung, consulting for OGC-standards-based geodata infrastructure design and implementation; and managed Linux hosting (with Switzerland/EU data residency options and a proprietary Sourcepole Security Package). Underlying technology includes the QGIS Suite, PostgreSQL/PostGIS (with Oracle Spatial and MSSQL as alternative back-ends), OGC-compliant QGIS Server, and integrations with OpenLayers, JasperReports, and Mapfisch.
The revenue model combines recurring subscriptions (QGIS Enterprise support, QGIS Cloud Pro, Managed Hosting) with professional services (GDI Beratung). Distribution is hybrid: self-serve via the QGIS Plugin Repository and qgiscloud.com for GIS professionals, and direct enterprise/government sales for larger GDI deployments. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; QGIS Cloud offers a free tier (public WMS/WFS) and a restricted-access Pro tier. Sourcepole's stated employee headcount is approximately nine, and the company is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds. Customers include the Canton of Zurich and the Öcher-Safari team, indicating exposure to Swiss public administration and smaller organizations.
Sourcepole firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sourcepole
- Legal name
- Sourcepole AG
- Website
- https://sourcepole.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Sourcepole AG is a Zürich-based Swiss company, founded in 2000, that develops and supports open-source GIS solutions built on the QGIS platform. It serves public-sector and enterprise customers with QGIS Enterprise support, QGIS Cloud hosting, OGC-standards consulting, and managed Linux hosting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Sourcepole is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sourcepole business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- QGIS Enterprise Support & Maintenance: Complete maintenance and support packages for enterprise GDI infrastructure, providing LTS support for QGIS-based solutions
- QGIS Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting service for publishing QGIS projects as web maps, mobile maps, and OGC web services. Includes database hosting and terminal server hosting options
- GDI Consulting Services: Professional consulting for geodata infrastructure projects including project preparation, data management, services layer, and domain-specific applications (Fachschalen)
- Managed Linux Hosting: Individually tailored hosting options on Linux with servers in Europe, optionally Switzerland, including PostgreSQL database hosting and the Sourcepole Security Package
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | QGIS Cloud Free - Public map publishing |
| Subscription | Monthly | QGIS Cloud Pro - Restricted access |
| Subscription | Monthly | Managed Hosting - Custom packages |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sourcepole product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sourcepole develops and supports open-source geospatial solutions based on the QGIS platform. It sells QGIS Enterprise (a maintenance and support package for geodata infrastructure built on open-source components), QGIS Cloud (a cloud platform for publishing QGIS maps as web, mobile, and OGC-compliant services), GDI Beratung (professional consulting for designing OGC-standard geodata infrastructures), and managed Linux hosting services located in Europe and Switzerland.
Product overview
Sourcepole is a Swiss company founded in 2000 that develops custom solutions in geoinformatics based on Open Source Software. The company offers a portfolio centered on QGIS technology: QGIS Enterprise provides maintenance and support with LTS for geospatial data infrastructure; QGIS Cloud enables publishing QGIS maps to the web via a desktop plugin with access through browsers, mobile clients, and OGC web services (WMS, WFS, WFS-T); and GDI Beratung offers consulting for designing OGC-standard geodata infrastructures. These are complemented by Linux-based hosting services (including PostgreSQL hosting and QGIS Cloud GDI hosting) with the Sourcepole Security Package. As official developers in multiple OSGeo projects with several QGIS core developers on staff, Sourcepole can directly modify the original open source code to meet customer requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Web-based collaborative editing of geospatial data directly from browser without local QGIS installation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sourcepole
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sourcepole technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature5 records
Sourcepole partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OSGeo (Open Source Geospatial Foundation)coreSourcepole is an official developer in multiple OSGeo projects, enabling direct code intervention in QGIS and other open source geospatial software to meet customer requirements
- QGIS ProjectcoreMarco Hugentobler serves as long-term technical lead and core developer since 2003; Sourcepole has four additional official QGIS core developers, making it a leading company behind QGIS
- Canton of ZurichminorCanton of Zurich sponsored the development of JasperReports WMS component for embedding maps in PDF reports
- PanterminorMika from Panter implemented the Java components of the JasperReports WMS map extension
- Öcher-Safari TeamminorOfficial sponsors of the Öcher-Safari team attending the Allgäu-Orient-Rallye, providing know-how, infrastructure, and support
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sourcepole competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Faunalia: Italian QGIS and open-source GIS consulting company with strong core-developer ties to QGIS, offering GDI and training services analogous to Sourcepole's consulting line.
- Kartoza: South African open-source geospatial consultancy providing QGIS, PostGIS, and GeoNode implementation services; competes for the same open-source GIS value proposition globally.
- 3Liz: French open-source GIS firm with QGIS plugin development (Lizmap) and enterprise GIS consulting, directly comparable to Sourcepole's combination of QGIS development and GDI services.
- WhereGroup: German open-source GIS services firm offering QGIS-based consulting, support, and hosting for public administration and enterprise, overlapping directly with Sourcepole's GDI Beratung and hosting portfolio.
- GeoCat: Dutch open-source geospatial services company focused on GeoNetwork, MapServer, and QGIS deployments for national mapping agencies, addressing the same European government/NMA customer base as Sourcepole.
- OPENGIS.ch: Switzerland-based QGIS services and hosting company that provides similar geodata infrastructure consulting, QGIS support, and cloud offerings, making it the closest regional peer to Sourcepole.
Broad incumbents
- Mapbox: Cloud mapping platform providing tiles, APIs, and styling used across web and mobile apps; while not a direct GDI replacement, it competes for the same web-mapping budget lines that QGIS Cloud targets.
- CARTO: Cloud-native geospatial analytics and mapping platform serving enterprise customers with hosted GIS capabilities; competes for the cloud GIS use case that QGIS Cloud addresses for SMBs.
- Esri: Global proprietary GIS incumbent (ArcGIS) whose enterprise customers form the addressable market for Sourcepole's open-source GDI migrations; broadly competing for the same geospatial infrastructure spend but with proprietary stack and much larger scale.
- Hexagon Geospatial: Established geospatial platform provider (Power Portfolio, M.App) that acquired Boundless's open-source GIS practice; overlaps with Sourcepole at the open-source/integrator boundary and competes for enterprise GDI budgets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Sourcepole social profiles
Digital presenceSourcepole financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sourcepole leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Sourcepole funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sourcepole 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 Sourcepole
What does Sourcepole do?
Sourcepole develops and supports open-source geospatial solutions based on the QGIS platform. It sells QGIS Enterprise (a maintenance and support package for geodata infrastructure built on open-source components), QGIS Cloud (a cloud platform for publishing QGIS maps as web, mobile, and OGC-compliant services), GDI Beratung (professional consulting for designing OGC-standard geodata infrastructures), and managed Linux hosting services located in Europe and Switzerland.
Is Sourcepole a public or private company?
Sourcepole is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sourcepole founded?
Sourcepole was founded in 2000.
Where is Sourcepole based?
Sourcepole is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Sourcepole make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. QGIS Enterprise Support & Maintenance is the primary driver. The others are QGIS Cloud Hosting, GDI Consulting Services and managed Linux Hosting.
Who are Sourcepole's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Faunalia, Kartoza, 3Liz, WhereGroup, GeoCat and OPENGIS.ch. Broad incumbents are Mapbox, CARTO, Esri and Hexagon Geospatial.
Does Sourcepole have an API?
Yes. QGIS Cloud provides Web Feature Service (WFS) and Web Feature Service Transactional (WFS-T) APIs. QGIS Server includes WFS-T functionality, enabling creation, deletion, and updating of geospatial features via the web. WMS (Web Map Service) endpoints are available for map rendering. Access to WFS-T services is available through QGIS Desktop and other WFS-T-compatible clients. Developer documentation is at plugins.qgis.org/plugins/qgiscloud.