Chewing the Sun GmbH

What Chewing the Sun GmbH does

Chewing the Sun GmbH is a German communication design studio founded in 1999 and headquartered in Wuppertal. The studio offers an integrated portfolio of creative services including website design and development, corporate identity and branding, e-commerce platforms, print design, spatial communication and wayfinding, and campaign development. Its client base spans luxury fashion brands (Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta, Stephan Schneider), luxury goods (Dom Perignon, Villeroy & Boch), architectural firms, photographers, art galleries, and cultural institutions (Robert Schumann Hochschule, KaDeWe Group). The studio is co-founded and managed by three principals: Eva Gödel, Martin Steinigen, and Kristian Wolf, with Wolf holding a professorship in Design of Interactive Media at the University of Wuppertal.

The business operates as a professional services design agency on a project-based engagement model, with work acquired through portfolio visibility, industry reputation, and referrals rather than a formal sales function. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific, not publicly disclosed. The studio has progressively expanded its technical scope, moving from pure design execution into full technical implementation, evidenced by the KaDeWe Loyalty Portal (2024) and the Villeroy & Boch tile configurator (2022). The studio's core technology is standard web design and development tooling, with no proprietary platform or AI capabilities identified.

Chewing the Sun is independently owned by its three co-founders with no external investors, parent company, or institutional funding. The firm has operated continuously for over 25 years and has accumulated a portfolio of design awards including German Design Award GOLD, Red Dot, ADC, and London International Awards. Marketing and client acquisition is driven primarily by portfolio quality, industry press coverage, social media presence, and award recognition.

Name

Chewing the Sun GmbH

Legal name

chewing the sun GmbH

Website

https://chewingthesun.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chewing the Sun GmbH is a German communication design studio founded in 1999, serving luxury fashion brands, photographers, architects, galleries, and cultural institutions with branding, web design, e-commerce, print, and spatial communication services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wuppertal

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Services: Project-based design services including branding, website design and development, print design, campaigns, lookbooks, spatial communication, and corporate identity work. Projects range from individual artist portfolios to large corporate clients like KaDeWe Group and fashion houses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chewing the Sun GmbH is a German communication design studio that delivers advertising, branding, web, print, spatial, and campaign design services to fashion, photography, architecture, gallery, and cultural institution clients. Engagements are project-based and cover corporate identity, bespoke website design and e-commerce, print publications, wayfinding signage, and advertising campaigns.

Product overview

Chewing the Sun GmbH is an established German advertising design studio founded in 1999 by Eva Gödel, Martin Steinigen, and Kristian Wolf. The studio operates as a design agency offering an integrated portfolio of creative services including website design and development, corporate identity and branding, e-commerce solutions, print design and publications, spatial communication, and campaign development. The studio's client base spans luxury fashion brands (Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta, Stephan Schneider), photographers (Bryan Adams, Reinhard Hunger), architectural firms, galleries, and cultural institutions. Their interdisciplinary approach combines print and digital media, with projects ranging from responsive websites and online stores to lookbooks, catalogues, signage systems, and advertising campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Website Design and Development Bespoke, visually distinctive responsive website design and development for fashion brands, photographers, architects, galleries, and cultural institutions. Each site is custom designed to reflect the client's brand identity and includes performance optimisation.
• Corporate Identity and Branding Development of comprehensive brand identities including logotypes, corporate design systems, brand guidelines, and visual language frameworks for fashion labels, photographers, architects, and corporate clients.
• E-commerce and Online Stores Development of online retail platforms including full e-commerce functionality, product configurators, and integrated shop systems for fashion brands and luxury retailers.
• Print Design and Publications Design and production of print materials including lookbooks, catalogues, annual reports, brochures, magazines, invitations, and business stationery systems.
• Spatial Communication and Wayfinding Design of building signage concepts, orientation systems, and spatial communication solutions for institutional clients such as music conservatories.
• Campaign Development Concept and design of advertising campaigns, key visuals, trade fair materials, and point-of-sale displays for fashion brands and retail clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple prestigious design awards including German Design Award GOLD 2021, Red Dot Award 2021
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• HORT: Berlin-based independent design studio working across brand identity, editorial, and digital for European cultural and commercial clients. Comparable boutique scale and design-led approach.
• KMS Team: Munich-based independent brand consultancy serving enterprise clients across strategy, identity, and communications. Comparable German agency with overlapping luxury and corporate clientele.
• Scholz & Volkmer: Wiesbaden/Berlin-based brand and communication agency with deep roots in corporate identity, digital, and integrated campaigns. Comparable German independent agency serving enterprise clients.
• Strichpunkt: Stuttgart/Berlin design and brand agency serving enterprise clients across brand strategy, corporate design, and digital. Comparable German design agency model serving premium commercial clients.
• &Walsh: New York-based independent design agency led by Jessica Walsh, serving fashion, art, and cultural clients. Comparable in size, creative positioning, and luxury/fashion portfolio focus.
• Bureau Borsche: Munich-based independent design studio specializing in brand identity, editorial, and exhibition design for cultural and luxury clients. Closely comparable in size, scope (luxury/cultural focus), and bespoke-services model to Chewing the Sun.
• Fuenfwerken Design: Munich-based brand design studio focused on corporate identity and communication design. Comparable boutique German design firm with similar client mix.
• Meiré und Meiré: Cologne-based creative agency with a strong portfolio in fashion, lifestyle, and cultural branding. Comparable to Chewing the Sun in its German roots, luxury/fashion vertical focus, and full-service branding and digital work.

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Global, partner-owned design firm with offices in major markets. While far larger, Pentagram's model of independent partner-led design serving premium cultural and commercial brands is structurally analogous to Chewing the Sun's boutique positioning.
• Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy working with major corporate and luxury clients on identity and experience. Overlaps with Chewing the Sun's brand and campaign work but at much larger scale and broader strategic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chewing-the-sun-GmbH-243645145669550
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chewing-the-sun-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Chewing the Sun GmbH