What Version1 does

Version1 (version1 GmbH) is a Karlsruhe-based German brand agency offering integrated brand communication services spanning strategy, corporate and brand design, UX/UI, motion design, print and editorial, campaign development, web and app development, and brand spaces. The firm serves enterprise clients across Medtech and Healthcare (Getinge, Optimed, Schwabe Group), industrial and HVAC (Oventrop), smart building (wibutler), food service (Dr. Oetker Professional), finance (Sparkasse Karlsruhe), and select municipal and SMB accounts, with international reach across DACH and parts of Europe (Albino Rocca in Italy, Thalgo in France). Its proprietary KI Brand Engine, launched in 2025, applies AI-driven text and image generation to brand-consistent content production across social, web, and print channels.

The firm's go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales executed through project-based engagements with named key accounts and referrals, supported by a portfolio-driven website and case-study visibility. Pricing is custom per project with one-third invoiced upon contract conclusion, recurring services billed monthly in advance, and time-based work billed per started quarter hour; no public pricing exists. Revenue is therefore lumpy and deal-driven rather than subscription-based. The team is small (1–10 employees, firmographics) and interdisciplinary, combining corporate and brand designers, motion designers, UX/UI designers, frontend/WordPress developers, and CGI/3D artists, and is co-managed by Torsten Schmitt and Juliane Herzog.

Version1 holds no external funding, has no parent company, and operates as a privately held GmbH. Its competitive positioning rests on the 20-plus-year Getinge relationship, German Brand Award recognition (2021 Best of Best for Oventrop and 2021 Gold), and the KI Brand Engine as a productization lever. Constraints include heavy customer concentration risk in enterprise anchors, thin headcount limiting throughput, and reliance on project-based revenue without disclosed recurring SaaS contracts.

Name

Version1

Legal name

version1 GmbH

Website

https://version1.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Version1 (version1 GmbH) is a Karlsruhe-based German brand agency delivering integrated brand strategy, corporate design, UX/UI, motion, print, web, and campaign services to enterprise clients in Medtech, healthcare, industrial, food service, and smart building, supported by its proprietary KI Brand Engine for AI-driven brand-consistent content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Design and Creative Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Strategy & Identity Systems (MPAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC), Brand Guidelines, Governance & Brand Management (BPAFAEAF), Brand Consulting, Audits & Research (Brand Health, Equity, Competitive) (BPAFAEAJ)

Keywords

• Brand development agency
• Corporate design services
• Brand strategy consulting
• UX/UI design services
• Motion design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Karlsruhe

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Creative Agency: Project-based creative services including brand strategy, corporate design, campaign development, web/app development, motion design, and digital transformation. Pricing based on estimates in offers, with one-third of total price invoiced immediately after contract conclusion. Recurring services billed at beginning of billing period. Services rendered by third parties require prepayment. Time-based work billed per started quarter hour at month-end.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Version1 is a brand development and design agency that creates comprehensive brand identities and corporate designs for medium-to-large enterprises, covering strategy, design, digital, motion, print, and content. Services span brand strategy, corporate design, UX/UI design, motion design, web and app development, campaign creation, and digital transformation. The agency's flagship proprietary product is the KI Brand Engine, an AI-powered tool that automates brand-consistent text and image content creation through pre-configured brand language and assisted prompting.

Product overview

Version1 is a German branding agency (Markenagentur) based in Karlsruhe, Germany. The company provides strategic brand development and creative services including brand identity, corporate design, UX/UI design, motion design, print & editorial, content strategy, campaign development, web & e-commerce development, app development, and brand spaces & experiences. The agency's primary product is the KI Brand Engine, an AI-powered brand asset creator that enables automated, scalable, and brand-compliant content generation across text and images for marketing applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KI brand engine: AI-powered brand-compliant content creation tool that automates text and image generation while maintaining consistent brand identity.

Products and services

• KI Brand Engine AI-powered brand asset creator that automatically maintains brand guidelines for recognizable designs, generating text and image content consistent with a client's pre-configured brand language. Built for brand teams seeking scalable, on-brand output for social media, web content, print, trade shows, and out-of-home applications.
• Brand Identity and Corporate Design Holistic development of brand identities including logo, color world, typography, packaging, guidelines, and brand portals. For enterprises seeking a unified, cross-channel brand presence.
• UX/UI Design Design of digital interfaces including websites, apps, interfaces, and screen design that guide users intuitively while expressing the brand.
• Motion Design Animation, motion graphics, explainer videos, and intro sequences used as brand design elements to create dynamic, recognizable brand experiences.
• Print & Editorial Design Analog media design including brochures, packaging, catalogs, and editorial layouts for tangible brand communications.
• Web & App Development Website and mobile app design and development, including web configurators and front-end implementation, typically aligned with brand identity systems.
• Campaign Development Creation of integrated campaigns across digital and physical channels for product launches, brand awareness, and lead generation.
• Brand Spaces & Experiences Design of physical brand spaces including trade show booths, corporate spaces, and packaging environments that bring the brand to life in tangible settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% sales increase for Albino Rocca wine label redesign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• gmk MarkenberatungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic brand consulting partnership for Oventrop brand relaunch and wibutler brand development. gmk Markenberatung handles brand strategy while Version1 executes design and development.
• Phoenix DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct design partnership for Oventrop project. Phoenix Design contributed product design as part of the collaborative brand relaunch award-winning project.
• comevisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound branding partner for Oventrop project. comevis handled audio/sonic branding elements as part of the integrated brand experience.
• nacona FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm production partner for Getinge ECMO awareness campaign. Produced films including two films shot in five days during the Corona pandemic for intensive care and emergency use awareness.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strichpunkt: Stuttgart-based brand and corporate design agency focused on brand identity, motion, and editorial design. Closely comparable mid-size German peer with similar holistic brand-development positioning.
• MetaDesign: German-origin international brand strategy and corporate design agency with deep experience in identity systems, brand strategy, and corporate communications — directly overlapping with Version1's core offer across strategy, identity, and digital.
• Serviceplan Group: Munich-headquartered independent agency group combining brand strategy, design, and integrated campaigns. Comparable in offering and German-market posture to Version1 but at significantly greater scale.
• Scholz & Friends: Hamburg-based creative agency with strong brand strategy, campaign, and corporate design capabilities — a direct German peer competing for similar enterprise clients and awards (e.g., German Brand Award).
• denkwerk: Cologne-based independent digital agency combining brand, UX, and technology delivery. Comparable full-service 'brand + digital + tech' value proposition to Version1's interdisciplinary pitch.
• Mutabor: Hamburg-based independent brand and design agency focused on holistic brand experiences, identity, and brand spaces — closely matches Version1's 'brand with character' positioning and interdisciplinary studio model.

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: Global brand consulting firm with a strategy-led identity offering; competes for the same enterprise branding engagements as Version1 but operates at much larger scale and with broader geographic coverage.
• Landor & Fitch: Large global brand strategy and design consultancy. Overlaps in brand strategy and identity systems; out-scales Version1 on multinational enterprise mandates.
• Jung von Matt: Major independent European creative network with integrated brand and campaign work. Overlaps in brand strategy and design; competes on enterprise creative AOR assignments.

Regional players

• Wirz Brand Identity: Swiss brand identity agency specialized in corporate brand design and brand strategy — closely comparable methodology but serving primarily the DACH (Swiss) market rather than competing head-to-head in Germany.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/version1-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/version1_de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Version1