Blackout Collective

What Blackout Collective does

Blackout Collective is a Swiss-registered creative association (Verein/non-profit) headquartered in Glattpark (Opfikon), founded around 2019, that operates a community-led platform for individual creators, designers, filmmakers, photographers, and programmers. The collective offers a three-tier subscription membership — Trial at 40 CHF/quarter, Basic at 120 CHF/year, and Pro at 400 CHF/year — delivered through a dedicated member portal (portal.blackoutcollective.art), providing access to networking, templates, partner brand discounts (Canon, Samyang, Tamron, SmallRig, Peak Design, Zhiyun, Ilford), pro tools (Audiio Pro, WeTransfer Pro), and tiered project revenue-sharing (0% / 80% / 100%). Membership is governed by a board including a Präsident (Kay Mogg), CTO (Stephan Kirchhoff), and 'Chief Happiness Officer' (Selia Lakatos), with ~15 named members spanning hair styling, filmmaking, 3D animation, photography, webdesign, and content creation.

The company monetizes through tiered recurring subscriptions (the primary stream) and a WooCommerce-based branded merchandise storefront (apparel, accessories, promotional items priced CHF 3–100). It also packages its member network for external clients, offering end-to-end creative services spanning concepting, production, and publishing. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on the website, member referrals, events/workshops, and a contact form for client and partner inquiries; the website was designed by LOFTNINE. There is no proprietary technology platform described beyond the member portal and storefront, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no institutional funding, no parent company, and no public listing — the organization is independently member-funded.

The entity is privately held under Swiss law with formal statutes, no subsidiaries, no investment activity, and no M&A history. Operating scope is primarily Switzerland, with the merchandise storefront distributed regionally in CHF. No revenue figure is publicly disclosed; headcount from firmographics is listed as 5 employees alongside ~15 named board/member profiles. The collective competes implicitly with creative agencies and freelance networks but emphasizes its non-profit structure, diverse multi-disciplinary membership, and partner-deal access as its primary differentiators.

Name

Blackout Collective

Legal name

The Blackout Collective

Website

https://blackoutcollective.art

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blackout Collective is a Swiss non-profit creative association that runs a three-tier membership network (Trial 40 CHF/quarter, Basic 120 CHF/yr, Pro 400 CHF/yr) connecting ~15 multidisciplinary creatives, while offering concepting–production–publishing services to clients and selling branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Creative collective network
• Creative services agency
• Member networking platform
• Branded merchandise store
• Non-profit association

Headquarters

HQ city

Glattpark (Opfikon)

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The collective generates revenue primarily through tiered membership subscriptions. Members pay quarterly or annual fees to join the network, with pricing tiers offering varying levels of benefits including project revenue sharing (80-100% cut for members), webshop discounts, access to templates, partner deals, and pro tools.
2. Merchandise Sales: The collective operates an e-commerce storefront selling branded merchandise including apparel (hoodies, t-shirts, jackets, hats), accessories (water bottles, mouse pads), and promotional items. Revenue from merchandise sales with prices ranging from CHF 3 to CHF 100.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blackout Collective is a non-profit creative association operating a multi-tier membership platform (Trial, Basic, Pro) that connects independent creatives for networking, collaboration, and project work. For external clients, the collective provides end-to-end creative services covering concepting, production, and publishing. The organization additionally sells branded merchandise through its own WooCommerce storefront, with prices ranging from CHF 3 to CHF 100.

Product overview

Blackout Collective is a creative collective/association operating as a platform connecting creators, designers, and programmers. The core offering consists of a three-tier membership program (Trial at 40 CHF/quarter, Basic at 120 CHF/year, and Pro at 400 CHF/year) providing networking, collaboration opportunities, professional templates and assets, workshops, and job matching services. The Pro membership tier includes access to professional tools. For clients, the collective offers full-service creative project support through concepting, production, and publishing phases. Additionally, the organization operates a branded merchandise storefront featuring apparel and accessories including hoodies, t-shirts, jackets, water bottles, and other promotional items.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Services (Concepting, Production, Publishing) Client-facing creative services spanning the full project lifecycle — from initial concepting (sketchboard to final idea) through production execution (people and leadership to make any production happen) to publishing and distribution with the right strategy for the target audience. Targeted at businesses and brands needing integrated creative expertise.
• Membership Program Tiered membership offering networking, collaboration, professional templates, documents, assets, presets, workshops, exclusive community events, partner discount programs, portfolio website inclusion, and project revenue sharing (80-100% revenue cut depending on tier). Targeted at independent creatives — designers, filmmakers, photographers — seeking peer collaboration, skill exchange, and job opportunities.

Named customers3 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• CanonminorOthersPartner brand offering deals and discounts to Blackout Collective members as part of member benefits.
• SamyangminorOthersLens manufacturer providing exclusive partner deals to collective members.
• TamronminorOthersLens manufacturer offering member discounts as part of partner program.
• SmallRigminorOthersCamera cage and accessory manufacturer providing partner deals to members.
• Peak DesignminorOthersCamera and travel gear brand offering member discounts through the partner program.
• ZhiyunminorOthersGimbal and stabilizers manufacturer providing exclusive member deals.
• IlfordminorOthersFilm and photography equipment brand offering discounts to collective members.
• AudiiominorOthersPro audio platform accessible to Pro members, providing professional music resources.
• WeTransfer ProminorOthersFile transfer service provided to Pro members for large file sharing needs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dribbble: Invite-only community for designers and creative professionals offering portfolios, job boards, and networking. Closely comparable to Blackout Collective's curated, community-led model for creatives seeking collaboration and client work opportunities.
• Working Not Working: Invite-only creative talent network connecting independent creatives with brands and agencies for freelance and full-time work. Directly comparable to Blackout Collective's curated membership model and client-facing creative services.
• The Futur: Community and education platform for creative professionals offering courses, content, and networking. Comparable in its creator-led, community-driven approach to serving independent designers, filmmakers, and brand builders.
• 500px: Photography community platform with portfolio hosting, licensing marketplace, and member networking. Directly comparable to Blackout Collective's photographer/member focus and partnership-driven member benefits.

Emerging players

• Resource Magazine: Independent photography publication and community featuring interviews, education, and creative industry coverage. Comparable in serving working photographers and creative professionals with curated content and networking opportunities.
• Squarespace Circle: Squarespace's community program for designers and creative professionals offering discounts, resources, and networking. Comparable member-benefit structure with brand-sponsored perks, similar to Blackout Collective's partner deal model.

Broad incumbents

• CreativeLive: Online learning platform for creatives offering courses in photography, design, filmmaking, and business. Comparable in serving creative professionals seeking skill development and community, though primarily education-focused rather than network-led.
• Behance (Adobe): Adobe-owned creative professional network for showcasing portfolios and connecting with clients. Operates at massive global scale as part of Adobe's Creative Cloud ecosystem; comparable to Blackout Collective in serving creative professionals seeking collaboration and visibility, though much broader in scope.

Regional players

• Creative Boom: UK-based online magazine and community for creative professionals featuring interviews, jobs, and inspiration. Comparable in serving the creative community with content and networking, though UK-focused rather than DACH-centric.

Others

• Slack/Discord creator communities: Platform-based creator communities on Discord and Slack host member networking, project collaboration, and exclusive events similar to Blackout Collective's WhatsApp community and exclusive member events structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackout-collective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Blackout Collective