What Undone does

Undone Work GmbH is a Berlin-based, founder-led production studio that researches and produces investigative podcasts and documentary films. Founded in 2021 by Khesrau Behroz, the company operates with a five-person core team (Gründer & Geschäftsführer, Production Manager & Investigative Editor, Production Manager, Producer & Editor, Head of Sound) and manages the full production pipeline in-house: format development, journalistic research, scriptwriting, sound and image acquisition, music composition, and final assembly. Its catalog comprises 20+ original productions, including named franchise series ('Legion', 'Cui Bono', 'Enden', 'Noise') and standalone documentary work such as 'Crunch' (2025), distributed across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, and the German public broadcaster platforms ARD Audiothek, ARD Sounds, and ARD Mediathek.

The studio's commercial model is project-based and dual-track. The primary revenue engine is co-production partnerships with German public broadcasters — rbb, NDR, MDR, and the broader ARD network — for investigative documentary and podcast series, supplemented by co-productions with non-broadcast institutions such as Futurium. A secondary revenue line consists of tailored consulting, lectures, and workshops sold directly to clients seeking the team's editorial and production expertise. Go-to-market is event- and project-driven: Undone selects topics it believes in, develops formats end-to-end, and secures distribution via broadcaster deals and consumer podcast platforms. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per project.

Undone has no proprietary technology platform, API, or app, and there is no evidence of external funding, institutional investors, M&A activity, or headcount expansion beyond the founding team. Its competitive position rests on the editorial credibility of its founder and team (evidenced by Deutscher Reporterpreis, Grimme Online Award, Otto-Brenner-Preis für kritischen Journalismus, Deutscher Podcast Awards, Deutscher Hörbuchpreis, Preis für Popkultur, and RIAS-Medienpreis) and on recurring co-production relationships with the German public-broadcasting system. The company serves two principal segments: end-consumer audiences reached via podcast and broadcaster platforms, and German public broadcasters and cultural institutions purchasing co-production and consulting services.

Name

Undone

Legal name

Undone Work GmbH

Website

https://undone.work

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Undone is a Berlin-based, founder-led podcast and documentary film studio producing award-winning investigative journalism. Founded in 2021, it serves German public broadcasters (ARD, rbb, NDR, MDR) and direct audiences through podcast platforms, with 20+ productions since inception.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Production Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Industries (5122), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

Keywords

• Podcast production
• Documentary filmmaking
• Investigative journalism
• Media production services
• Audio storytelling

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Podcast Production: Full-service podcast production from concept development through publication, including investigative journalism, scriptwriting, sound design, and music composition.
2. Documentary Film Production: Documentary film production, such as 'Crunch' about the gaming industry, produced for broadcast and streaming distribution.
3. Co-productions with Broadcasters: Co-productions with German public broadcasters (rbb, NDR, MDR, ARD) for investigative documentary series that are distributed via broadcaster platforms.
4. Consulting, Lectures, and Workshops: Expert consulting services, presentations, and workshops offered to external parties seeking their journalistic and production expertise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Undone is a Berlin-based podcast and film production studio that researches and produces investigative journalism stories end-to-end — from format development and editorial research through scriptwriting, sound and image acquisition, music composition, and final assembly. They develop original podcast series and documentary films, often co-produced with German public broadcasters (rbb, NDR, MDR, ARD), and also offer tailored consulting, lectures, and workshops leveraging their journalistic and production expertise.

Product overview

Undone is a Berlin-based production studio specializing in investigative podcasts and documentary films. The company develops original formats, conducts journalistic research, writes scripts, produces audio and visual content, composes music, and handles full production from concept to publication. Their portfolio includes multiple named podcast series (Legion, Cui Bono, Enden, Noise, SchwarzRotGold, Tekkal & Behroz, Weird Animals, Judging Amanda Knox, Rasenball, Geteiltes Leid, This is America) and documentary films (Crunch), plus custom consulting and workshop services. Productions are distributed through platforms like ARD Audiothek, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legion Podcast Series Investigative podcast series exploring cybercrime, hacking, online fraud, and digital culture across multiple seasons, co-produced with German public broadcasters rbb and NDR.
• Cui Bono Podcast Investigative true-crime podcast examining internet culture, cyberbullying, and viral phenomena in Germany.
• Enden Podcast Documentary podcast series exploring stories of decline and endings, including coverage of Nauru's economic fall and deep-sea mining.
• Noise Podcast Podcast series examining social media, public discourse, and political manipulation, hosted by Khesrau Behroz and Patrick Stegemann.
• Crunch Documentary Film Documentary film exposing the dark side of the gaming industry, including exploitation, mass burnouts, and sexual harassment in game development.
• Rasenball Podcast Documentary podcast series about RB Leipzig's rise in German football, exploring fan culture and Bundesliga transformation.
• Judging Amanda Knox Podcast Investigative podcast examining the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox, media sensationalism, and judicial errors in true crime.
• This is America: Free Luigi Podcast Investigative podcast on the Brian Thompson murder case and media framing of the Luigi Mangione phenomenon.
• Consulting, Lectures, and Workshops Custom expert services offering consulting, talks, and workshops for clients seeking guidance on investigative journalism, podcast production, and storytelling.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• rbb (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 'Legion: Hacking Anonymous'. rbb is the public broadcaster for Berlin and Brandenburg, collaborating with Undone on investigative documentary series.
• NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 'Legion: Hacking Anonymous'. NDR is a German public broadcaster contributing to Undone's investigative documentary projects.
• MDR (Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 'Rasenball: Red Bull und der moderne Fußball'. MDR is a German public broadcaster for Central Germany.
• FuturiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 'Enden: Pleasure Island' and 'Enden: Land Unter'. Futurium is a German museum and platform exploring future societal topics.
• ARDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner across multiple ARD channels including ARD Audiothek, ARD Sounds, and ARD Mediathek for Undone's podcast series and documentary films.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Studio Hamburg Production Group: One of Germany's largest independent production groups producing TV series, films, and digital content for public and private broadcasters. Overlaps with Undone's documentary film work but operates at vastly greater scale across a much broader portfolio.
• Bavaria Film: Long-established German film and TV production company producing documentaries, dramas, and event formats for public broadcasters. Comparable production capabilities to Undone for documentary film and series commissions from German broadcasters, at materially larger scale.
• UFA Fiction: Major German TV and film production company (Bertelsmann-owned) producing scripted series, documentaries, and event programming for ARD/RTL and streaming platforms. Comparable as a co-production partner to German public broadcasters producing investigative and documentary content, though much larger and more diversified.
• Spiegel TV: Long-running German documentary production house producing investigative TV documentaries and web content for public broadcasters. Comparable investigative-reporting stance, though substantially larger headcount and primarily video-led rather than podcast-led.

Direct peers

• Detektor.fm: Independent German podcast and online audio platform producing original editorial podcasts on politics, society, and culture. Closely comparable as a German audio-first content producer in the same investigative/non-fiction editorial territory as Undone.
• Looks Filmproduktionen: Berlin-based documentary and feature film producer specializing in socially engaged, journalistic storytelling. Closely comparable editorial positioning to Undone's documentary film work (e.g. Crunch) and co-production relationships with broadcasters.
• Podstars by OMR: Hamburg-based audio content and podcast production company that develops and produces branded podcasts and original series for enterprises and media brands. Most comparable business model to Undone as a German standalone podcast production studio serving broadcasters and brand clients.

Others

• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) Podcast Unit: Public broadcaster podcast unit producing original podcasts (including investigative series) on social, political, and cultural topics. Comparable editorial space and target audience, but functions as an internal broadcaster production arm rather than an independent studio; Undone already partners with ARD/WDR for Legion series distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Undone