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We help you to stay ahead of disruptive innovations

About

AKRYL is an award-winning consulting firm, offering digital strategy consulting, ICT development as well as project implementation services. We focus on digitalization, digital transformation, and data-driven strategies in the context of international development and public sector projects.

As an official endorser of the Principles for Digital Development, AKRYL offers digital solutions that are built for sustainability, are designed with the user, are data-driven, and address privacy and security issues.

Our digital consultants have more than 10 years of experience in developing digital strategies, providing capacity building services, and implementing mid and large-scale ICT projects worldwide.

We help our clients leverage digital strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

Watch our video production

The project Cultural and Creative Industries aims to improve employment and income opportunities for creative professionals – especially women – in Africa and the Middle East. AKRYL produced the video for the client GIZ.

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International projects

AKRYL has worked for a variety of international projects in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe

Consulting

We help you navigate the digital ecosystem you’re operating in

When tasked with defining the strategy and objectives for your web presence or the implementation of a digital tool, it is essential you are familiar with the latest developments in technology as well as the regulatory framework. We help you achieve these goals and understand the big picture before you set out to realize your project.

What’s more, a couple of key principles have to be applied when it comes to designing and successfully executing a digital project. First, the users’ needs have to be clearly understood. We guide you through the analyze & plan phase of your project during which you will learn about the users’ expectations and challenges. User adoption of technology is a major barrier to success, so prioritizing this aspect is key. In other words, we make sure you include the user as much as possible in this early stage of your project so that you address the real needs of your target group.

In the next phase, we help you identify the right technology for your initiative. During this stage, it is recommended to investigate open source technologies, standards, data, and innovation environments. It may not always be possible to use open practices, but to increase transparency and make you less dependent on proprietary software, it should be a guiding principle to use open source as much as possible. Moreover, we make sure you’re thoroughly familiar with all aspects related to privacy security. At this stage, you will need to decide how and which data will be collected and where it will be stored.

Building sustainable projects

It is essential that from the outset, you conceptualize a model of sustainability for your digital initiative. We help you with this important task and make sure you also include an appropriate theory of change when it comes to developing a vision for sustainability. This stage requires that you decide about the scale of the project and consider the question of continuous funding. Sustainability is linked to all other aspects of a successful project lifecycle. If the users’ needs are met and they develop ownership, and fundings is secured, sustainability can result. This in turn allows you to scale. We’ll enable you to see the interrelationship of these various components as they relate to your digital initiative, thus allowing you to make the best strategic decisions.

Big picture and detail oriented approaches

Top-down approach

To define your digital innovation or product, AKRYL initially examines how the world is changing and where it is headed.

Your tech solution

Bottom-up approach

AKRYL builds tech products from the ground up and lifts them to the next level through an agile and iterative process.

Software and digital tool development

We offer a wide range of programming and tech solutions

Custom software solutions

that are designed for scale and are built with open source technologies. Either as web-based applications or mobile Apps.

Project websites

that are built with well-known content management systems (CMS) enabling its editors greatest flexibility and automony.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

that are built with popular frameworks. We also develop and program courses on existing platforms, incl. establishing content integrations from one LMS to another.

Digital monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools

that integrate and facilitate data driven approaches within an organization’s workflow for business, financial, project or social media data.

Fintech & e-commerce systems

that provide your project with funding opportunities and revenue streams. We implement payment solutions in form of donation (e.g. NGOs) or paywall features (e.g. exclusive online trainings) for your digital system.

Online communities

that connect individuals and groups. Having created and operated a social network community ourselves, we bring firsthand experiences to building a digital online community.

Geo-location systems

that allow tracking and the display of country, regional or worldwide data and information on a digital map or other types.

Blockchain tools

that link you to the most popular Blockchains (e.g. Ethereum or Bitcoin). We build and customize user-management systems to facilitate tokenized transactions between users and the blockchain.

Multimedia productions

that enhance your project's visibility online and on social media. Our digital film and multimedia experts create image films, video interviews, podcasts that can be shared online and on popular video channels.

Our key tech products

Manage all your data

Datama Works is a full suite of data management tools focused on relevant insights for development sector clients, including data monitoring & evaluation, data governance, web analytics, social media monitoring, and business intelligence.

Your virtual trainings

Exchange 4 Development (E4D) is a digital training and event solution specifically designed for the development cooperation sector. It is a flexible, modules-based, and secure platform that enables stakeholders to experience multi-facetted trainings and events in the virtual space

Learn together

AKADEMOS is a custom Learning Management System (LMS) based on open source and caters to stakeholders from the development sector.

Sync your data

The ICT4D Cloud is a secured file transfer solution which is hosted in Germany and complies to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Digital products in cooperation with our clients and partners

Adaptation Communications Drafting Assistance Tool (AdComm-DAT)

AdComm-DAT serves as a working tool for countries to formulate their adaptation notifications. It also contributes to the planned supplementary guidance to be drawn up by the UNFCCC Adaptation Committee by June 2022.

Tool for Assessing Adaptation in the NDCs (TAAN)

The Tool for Assessing Adaptation in the NDCs (TAAN) is an interactive knowledge platform that provides detailed information on adaptation in the (I)NDCs.

Stiftung Allianz für Entwicklung und Klima - Navigator

For Stiftung Allianz für Entwicklung und Klima we created a navigator that offers a compendium of basic knowledge, in-depth knowledge and concrete practical examples.

Sino-German Agricultural Centre (DCZ) Expert Matchmaking Database

AKRYL implemented and launched a custom database that provided background information on a multitude of German and Chinese experts and institutions working in the field of development cooperation in the agricultural sector. Also, German and Chinese experts were matched based similar criterias defined by a algorithm.

Stiftung Allianz für Entwicklung und Klima - CRM

For Stiftung Allianz für Entwicklung und Klima we created a custom relation management system (CRM) based on the open source software CiviCRM.

Climate Risk Assessment Method Search Engine (CRAMSE)

This search engine enables the user to find a suitable selection of methodological approaches based on the selection of single or multiple criteria, which can be choosen regarding the specific context and conditions in which the CRA is to be implemented.

Latest news & projects

Our management team

Ben von der Recke
Co-Founder

With more than 20 years of professional experience, Ben has been at the forefront of digital developments since the time of the dot com bubble. Besides being the creative lead designer, Ben is also an experienced technology consultant – a rare combination that benefits technical conceptions, information architecture, and UX design.

Ben is interested in topics such as digital payments in the non-profit sector, tech entrepreneurship, and geolocation technologies.

Ben graduated from the SAE Institute in Hamburg and started his career at major digital media agencies.

 

Karsten Luc
Karsten Luc
Co-Founder

Karsten has conducted many workshops on digital topics including digitalization, social media, and data analysis. As a digital consultant with over ten years of international experience, he works on methodologies and frameworks for agile, user centric, and data driven approaches.

His interests include topics such as social media’s conflicting role regarding open societies and authoritarian regimes, the advancement of big data in the development sector, tech entrepreneurship, and digital literacy education.

Karsten holds a Magister Artium in Sinology and Communication Science at Free University Berlin and Technical University Berlin.
In 2015, he has been a Visiting Academic Fellow at the Mercator Institute of China Studies (MERICS).

The team that makes AKRYL successful

Isabell
Franck
Johannes
Sebastian
Maxime
Guillaume
Alexandra
Charleen
Patrick
Marie
Raphael
David
Amandine

Contact

Headquarter

AKRYL digital agency GmbH
Eppendorfer Weg 198/200
20253 Hamburg, Germany

Berlin

AKRYL digital consulting
Rungestr. 20
10179 Berlin, Germany

Shanghai
AKRYL Consulting (Shanghai) Limited 
WeWork Fuhui Building, 3rd floor 
No.16 Qixia Road, Block C
Pudong New District, 200120 Shanghai, China

Official endorser & supporter: