Jugendarbeit.digital

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.

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

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

• Digital youth work
• Youth participation platforms
• Community mobile apps
• Youth counseling software
• Non-profit youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Openlynk e.V.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2025Openlynk 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 JugendhilfecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022FHNW 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022DOJ 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.communityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a current cooperation partner on the Jugendarbeit.digital website, indicating a collaborative relationship in the digital youth work ecosystem.
• IMTAKT e.G.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIMTAKT 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 AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationMETANET 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationCyberlink 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.
• fyldminorStrategic or Co-development Partnerfyld 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 LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth 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 / DOJminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEurodesk 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 KompetenznetzwerkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 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

Direct 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

• GitHubgithub.com/smalljobs/smalljobs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jugendarbeitdigital
• Instagraminstagram.com/jugendarbeit.digital/?hl=de

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Jugendarbeit.digital