Jugendarbeit.digital
Jugendarbeit.digital is a Swiss non-profit association developing digital tools, including the Jugendapp, secure chat, and pocket-money job platforms, that enable municipalities, youth organizations, and youth workers across the DACH region to deliver privacy-compliant, non-commercial digital youth services and participation programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersBasel, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Jugendarbeit.digital does
Jugendarbeit.digital is a Swiss non-profit association (Verein) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Basel, with team presence in Zürich (Switzerland) and Toruń (Poland). The organization develops and operates digital tools designed specifically for youth work and youth participation in the DACH region, including the Jugendapp (a white-label, modular mobile community app for municipalities), Jugend.chat (a secure, Rocket.Chat-based anonymous chat infrastructure with end-to-end encryption and GDPR compliance), Smalljobs (an open-source pocket-money job platform, with code on GitHub), and supporting tools (Pocketm8, meet.jugendarbeit.digital video conferencing, KryptoFox/KryptoKids privacy education). The underlying platform architecture is built on WordPress with Firebase push notifications, ClamAV antivirus, and self-hosted Matomo analytics, with all data stored on Swiss servers operated by METANET AG and Cyberlink AG (Nine.ch).
The organization's go-to-market operates through two parallel motions. First, a community-led membership model: municipalities, cities, and communes receive free Jugendapp access by joining the Jugendarbeit.digital association, with server costs covered by membership fees; this drives volume but generates modest per-member revenue. Second, a fee-for-service professional services motion including consulting, custom software development, UX/UI design, and training programs (notably the 'Zurück in die Zukunft' series distributed via SFBB Berlin-Brandenburg in Germany). Distribution is direct in Switzerland and routed through the exclusive German partner Openlynk e.V. (since October 2025). Customer segments span municipalities, youth work organizations, schools, youth counseling centers, and the end users themselves (youth aged 12+).
Funding is project-based rather than commercial: grants come from the Bundesamt für Sozialversicherungen (BSV), Manawa Foundation, Migros Kulturprozent, Beisheim Stiftung, and Lotteriefonds from cantons of Bern, Zürich, and Zug. The organization runs research-practice collaborations with FHNW (E-SPACE project, 2022-2025) and DOJ, and participates in the Eurodesk network spanning 34 countries. Following a leadership transition (departure of Gabriel Meisel in September 2024), the organization entered a formal organizational development process with IMTAKT e.G. in 2024-2025, alongside multiple 2025 product launches (Jugendapp redesign, Eurodesk integration, e_space platform) and plans for a German gGmbH entity to support cross-border scaling.
Jugendarbeit.digital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jugendarbeit.digital
- Legal name
- Verein Jugendarbeit.digital
- Website
- https://jugendarbeit.digital
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Jugendarbeit.digital is a Swiss non-profit association developing digital tools, including the Jugendapp, secure chat, and pocket-money job platforms, that enable municipalities, youth organizations, and youth workers across the DACH region to deliver privacy-compliant, non-commercial digital youth services and participation programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jugendarbeit.digital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Engagement Software
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Assistance (624)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Microlearning & Mobile Learning Content (EDAGAEAD)
Keywords
Where Jugendarbeit.digital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Basel
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Jugendarbeit.digital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Municipalities and organizations gain free access to the Jugendapp platform through membership in the association Jugendarbeit.digital, with server costs included. This is the primary mechanism for platform access.
- Professional Services (Consulting & Programming): Revenue generated through consulting, concept development, project management, software development, UX/UI design, and technical support services for youth work organizations, municipalities, and public institutions.
- Workshops & Training: Fee-for-service workshops, seminars, and training programs on digital youth work, media pedagogy, and digital transformation for teams, professionals, and youth workers. Provided in both digital and in-person formats.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free platform access for municipalities via association membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Jugendarbeit.digital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jugendarbeit.digital develops and operates digital tools and provides consulting services for youth work in German-speaking regions. Its central offering is the Jugendapp, a white-label mobile community application enabling municipalities and youth organizations to deliver information, events, secure chat, pocket money job boards, and political participation modules to adolescents aged 12+. Complementary products include Jugend.chat (secure anonymous messaging), Smalljobs (pocket money job matching), and professional consulting, training, and software development services.
Product overview
Jugendarbeit.digital operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture with a central product, the Jugendapp, surrounded by complementary tools and services. The core offering includes the Jugendapp (a customizable mobile community app for municipalities, youth work organizations, and cities providing information and engagement tools for teenagers), which integrates Jugend.chat (secure anonymous messaging), Smalljobs (pocket money job matching), Pocketm8 (supervisor contact tool), and meet.jugendarbeit.digital (video conferencing). Supporting products include KryptoFox and KryptoKids (privacy education tools), and programs like Kulturstifter (cultural participation). The organization also provides professional services including consulting, workshops/training, software development, and maintains collaborative projects like e_space for research and knowledge sharing in digital youth work. The entire ecosystem is built on open-source principles with GDPR/Swiss DSG compliance and is designed for non-profit use by youth organizations across German-speaking regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Jugendapp: Community app for youth work enabling participation, consultation, and youth work with features including chat, events, locations, forms, ratings, and challenges.
- Smalljobs
- Jugend.chat
- Pocketm8
- KryptoKids
- KryptoFox
- Kulturstifter
- e_space
Products and services
- Jugendapp A white-label mobile community application for municipalities and youth organizations enabling delivery of information, events, news, maps, secure chat, posts, forums, competitions, job listings, ratings, and political participation modules to teenagers aged 12+. Customizable per location with modules, categories, and content blocks.
- Jugend.chat
Quantifiable outcome
- 119 youth participated in trial cultural courses; 85% indicated intent to return as visitors or supporters
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Jugendarbeit.digital
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Jugendarbeit.digital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature7 records
Jugendarbeit.digital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Openlynk e.V.coreOpenlynk e.V. is a German partner organization representing Jugendarbeit.digital in Germany. As of October 2025, it serves as the primary point of contact for existing and new Jugendapp locations in Germany, ensuring municipalities, organizations, and youth workers receive optimal support for the Jugendapp, Smalljobs, and other digital offerings.
- Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW) – Institut Kinder- und JugendhilfecoreFHNW is a co-initiator of the E-SPACE action research project (2022–2025), collaborating with Jugendarbeit.digital and DOJ to develop digital tools for open youth work. FHNW conducts research while Jugendarbeit.digital provides technical development and practice integration. Project funded by the Federal Social Insurance Office (BSV) and Manawa Foundation.
- Dachverband Offene Kinder- und Jugendarbeit Schweiz (DOJ)coreDOJ is a co-initiator of the E-SPACE action research project alongside FHNW and Jugendarbeit.digital. DOJ serves as the Swiss umbrella organization for open youth work, hosts Eurodesk Switzerland, and connects Jugendarbeit.digital to its member organizations across Switzerland.
- openworlds.communityminorListed as a current cooperation partner on the Jugendarbeit.digital website, indicating a collaborative relationship in the digital youth work ecosystem.
- IMTAKT e.G.minorIMTAKT supports Jugendarbeit.digital's organizational development process, providing professional guidance on complex change processes, team supervision, and organizational structure development. The partnership began in 2024 and is financed by Migros Kulturprozent.
- METANET AGcoreMETANET AG is a Swiss hosting provider used for data storage and processing of platform data (Jugendapp, Jugend.chat, Smalljobs) in accordance with Jugendarbeit.digital's instructions. All data stored on Swiss servers.
- Cyberlink AG (Nine.ch)coreCyberlink AG (Nine.ch) is a Swiss hosting provider used alongside METANET AG for data storage and processing, ensuring Swiss-based data hosting for all platform services.
- fyldminorfyld co-developed the Kulturstifter program with Jugendarbeit.digital and Smalljobs. fyld and Jugendarbeit.digital together launched the first pilot in Winterthur in 2017 and continue to provide consulting for launching Kulturstifter in other municipalities.
- Youth Policy LabsminorYouth Policy Labs co-developed the 'Zurück in die Zukunft' training series with Jugendarbeit.digital and SFBB Berlin-Brandenburg, targeting youth work professionals in Germany.
- Eurodesk Schweiz / DOJminorEurodesk Switzerland (hosted by DOJ and funded by SBFI) provides international mobility information accessible through the Jugendapp platform, enabling youth to learn about exchanges, study abroad, and volunteer opportunities across 34 countries.
- ZHAW – CYPHER KompetenznetzwerkminorSince 2024, Jugendarbeit.digital cooperates with the ZHAW-initiated CYPHER network (Child and Youth Public Health Research) in the area of digital youth participation in science and research. CYPHER connects researchers from various disciplines working in child and youth health.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Jugendarbeit.digital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- openPetition: German civic engagement platform for online petitions and participation, with strong adoption among municipalities and NGOs. Comparable in offering white-label digital participation tools to public-sector and civil-society customers in the DACH region.
- Consul (Madrid eParticipation): Open-source eParticipation platform originally developed by the City of Madrid, deployed by hundreds of municipalities globally for citizen proposals and consultations. Comparable target market (municipalities) and similar open-source, customizable architecture for civic engagement.
- LiquidFeedback / Interaktive Demokratie: Open-source deliberation and proposal software used by civic organizations and parties in Germany. Comparable as a German-speaking, open-source civic engagement platform with similar target audiences (associations, civic organizations).
- Decidim: Open-source participatory democracy platform used by municipalities across Europe for civic engagement, budgeting, and participation processes. Directly comparable to Jugendarbeit.digital's Jugendapp in serving public-sector organizations with white-label digital participation tools, and similarly built on open-source principles.
Broad incumbents
- Signal Foundation: Non-profit behind the Signal messaging app, focused on privacy-preserving communication. Comparable in non-profit, privacy-first philosophy and secure-messaging capability relevant to youth counseling use cases, though Signal targets consumers rather than the municipal/youth-work vertical.
- Nextcloud: Open-source collaboration platform (files, chat, calendar, video) widely deployed by public-sector organizations in Europe with strong privacy/sovereignty positioning. Comparable to Jugendarbeit.digital in open-source ethos and in serving privacy-conscious European municipalities, though Nextcloud offers a much broader collaboration suite.
- Wire: Secure messaging platform used by governments and enterprises, including communication for sensitive contexts. Comparable to Jugendarbeit.digital's Jugend.chat in targeting organizations with end-to-end encrypted, compliant messaging, though Wire serves a broader enterprise/government audience rather than the youth-work niche.
- Element (Matrix Foundation): Provider of Element messenger built on the open-source Matrix protocol, serving enterprise and government customers with secure messaging. Comparable to Jugendarbeit.digital's Jugend.chat in delivering open-source, secure, privacy-compliant chat infrastructure, but at much larger scale and broader scope.
Regional players
- Stadtwerk eG: German cooperative providing digital infrastructure and open-source software (e.g., Consul-based participation platforms) to municipalities and public administrations. Comparable in offering open-source civic-tech software to German municipalities, though broader in scope than youth-specific applications.
Others
- Open Knowledge Foundation (Germany): German civic-tech non-profit promoting open data, transparency, and civic participation through projects and tools. Comparable as a non-profit civic-tech organization working with municipalities in the DACH region, though with a broader open-data agenda rather than youth-specific products.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Jugendarbeit.digital social profiles
Digital presenceJugendarbeit.digital compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Jugendarbeit.digital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jugendarbeit.digital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Jugendarbeit.digital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Jugendarbeit.digital 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 Jugendarbeit.digital
What does Jugendarbeit.digital do?
Jugendarbeit.digital develops and operates digital tools and provides consulting services for youth work in German-speaking regions. Its central offering is the Jugendapp, a white-label mobile community application enabling municipalities and youth organizations to deliver information, events, secure chat, pocket money job boards, and political participation modules to adolescents aged 12+. Complementary products include Jugend.chat (secure anonymous messaging), Smalljobs (pocket money job matching), and professional consulting, training, and software development services.
Is Jugendarbeit.digital a public or private company?
Jugendarbeit.digital is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Jugendarbeit.digital founded?
Jugendarbeit.digital was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Jugendarbeit.digital based?
Jugendarbeit.digital is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Jugendarbeit.digital make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are professional Services (Consulting & Programming) and workshops & Training.
Who are Jugendarbeit.digital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are openPetition, Consul (Madrid eParticipation), LiquidFeedback / Interaktive Demokratie and Decidim. Broad incumbents are Signal Foundation, Nextcloud, Wire and Element (Matrix Foundation). Stadtwerk eG is listed as a regional player. Open Knowledge Foundation (Germany) is listed as an others.
Does Jugendarbeit.digital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jugendarbeit.digital.
What industry is Jugendarbeit.digital in?
Jugendarbeit.digital's product category is Youth Engagement Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAFAN, Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills), with a secondary code of EDAGAEAD, Microlearning & Mobile Learning Content. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 7371.