Blackbit, Result of the Digital Disruption

While Daniel Gerlach, Remo and Stefano Viani founded Blackbit in 1989, they had no clue that the age of digitization was about to begin. Due to the launch of the personal computer into the pre-print phase the three founders were able to quickly gain fame with desktop publishing in northern Germany. At that time the Blackbit founders had to challenge with limited information about graphical user interfaces, a lack of network specialists and even the Internet had not been invented. Therefore, the founders acquire the necessary expertise and IT know-how by themselves. Until now the Blackbit DNA is formed by the time of foundation: Creativity, agility, the passion for technology and a deep understanding of digital exploitation.

With the release of the World Wide Web in 1993, the founders quickly realized that the distribution and consumption of information would change fundamentally. The company has to adapt to the new conditions in order not to be left behind by the competition. Therefore, a complete new business unit "Internet" was founded. Already in 1996 Blackbit developed a web editorial system for the company Schleicher & Schüll, which today belongs to General Electric. In 2003, Blackbit gave up the pre-press department. After only 14 years Blackbit reinvented itself.

In 1996, company founder Remo Viani retired from the operative business to take over the management of his father's wholesale business. In 1998, Blackbit created the first B2B online for Antonio Viani Importe GmbH. Therefore, Blackbit developed its own content management system from the web editorial system – optimized for inbound marketing and content marketing. Due to this convincing concept Blackbit was able to find an investor at the end of 2002 – despite the negative trend in the venture capital business.

In 2006, Blackbit extended the in-house CMS by a module for the administration of product information and an e-commerce framework. Both modules form the basis for the implementation of a very successful content marketing and e-commerce strategy for Antonio Viani Importe GmbH, which is completely under Blackbit's responsibility from 2006 to 2010.

At the latest since the spin-off of a spin-off and the search for an investor for his inbound marketing software, Stefano Viani has been dealing with digital value chains and analyzes successful e-commerce platforms. The result was the 3-C Commerce Model which is the basis of Blackbit´s strategic consulting. The strategic consulting enables Blackbit to support companies in planning, implementing and optimizing a digital commerce strategy.

Honours such as the Innovation Prize of the Initiative Mittelstand (which Blackbit has received on several occasions), the Innovation Prize of the German Printing Industry, and the awards we have received in the Year of Advertising (2013 and 2014) confirm our actions and expertise. In addition, we have received the acknowledgement as Google Adwords certified partner (ongoing since 2008), as xt:Commerce Solution Partner (2011), as AWS Consulting Partner (2012), as Pimcore Professional Partner (2013) as well as HubSpot Partner (2016) – all this guarantees Blackbit as the best partner for any digital commerce project. Last but not least Blackbit is continuously awarded with the SEA quality certificate of the BVDW since 2018 (article in the Göttinger Tageblatt).