DATA & INSIGHTS

Insights on AI strategy, compliance and software delivery

What we're working on.

Studies, analysis and articles on the topics that matter to mid-market executives and CEOs. The basis is our own surveys since 2009, third-party sources cited in the text, and experience from our own projects. We write ourselves. AI helps with research.

Original data.

Representative survey on internet communication in Germany.

16Waves since 2009.

4Dimensions: email, AI, cloud, data privacy. Annually n=1,004.

100+Citations in Heise, W&V, Statista, BNN and other third-party outlets.

46 tables, all cross-tabs →

AI Cost Benchmark 2026

42 models, 12 business scenarios, cost per completed task from list prices. As of 10 September 2026.

To the benchmark →

12.1%

of companies have fully implemented NIS2Another 20% are in the final phase. Law in force since December 2025, no transition period.Source: G DATA/Statista/brand eins, "Cybersecurity in Numbers" 2025/26 (company survey)

42%

of AI projects fail before productionMain causes are data quality, missing governance and isolated pilots.Source: Salesforce, State of IT 2025

3.3x

AI gap between 16 to 19 year-olds and the over 60s87.5% of 16-19 year-olds use ChatGPT, 26.6% of those over 60 (question P24, multiple answers).Source: Convios, Internet Communication Study, wave 16 (10/2025, n = 1,004, CAWI)

AI pricing models as a stair diagram: the AI price ladder in five steps from price per token to price per outcome

Market & StrategyAI & Technology

AI Pricing Models in 2026: The AI Price Ladder from Tokens to Outcomes

Token prices keep falling while AI bills keep growing, and vendors keep swapping their counting units. The AI price ladder sorts today's AI pricing models in five steps.

August 10, 2026 · 16 min read

Hourglass with black sand nearly run out, symbolizing time-based fees giving way to outcome-based pricing

Market & Strategy

Outcome-Based Pricing Comes for the Day Rate: Consulting Fees in the AI Era

Most consultancies say AI hasn't touched their prices. The largest firms are already tying fees to results. When outcome-based pricing beats the day rate, and when it doesn't.

August 2, 2026 · 8 min read

An older man in a work apron leans over a potter's wheel in a workshop, watching a boy shape the clay

PE Operations

More German SMEs Now Plan to Close Than to Hand Over

By 2029 some 114,000 German SMEs plan to wind down each year, against 109,000 looking for a successor. The IfM points to earnings, not to ageing owners.

August 1, 2026 · 10 min read

Empty office chairs at a conference table, an image for SaaS pricing models losing their per-seat anchor

Market & StrategyAI & Technology

SaaS Pricing Models in the Agent Era: Per-Seat Pricing Is Losing Its Anchor

AI agents complete work without filling seats, and SaaS pricing models are shifting toward hybrid and outcome billing. What buyers and software leaders should sort out before the next renewal.

July 7, 2026 · 8 min read

A person photographing the Brandenburg Gate with a smartphone, a picture of digital communication in Germany.

AI & TechnologyMarket & Strategy

AI Usage in Germany: Who Uses ChatGPT and Where Trust Ends

The Internet Communication Study 2025/26 shows who uses AI in Germany: ChatGPT reaches 87.5% of the youngest, autonomous AI shopping meets resistance, email stays the preferred channel.

July 2, 2026 · 5 min read

Aerial of a magnificent moated castle with intact walls, a picture of a defensible niche B2B SaaS.

Market & StrategySoftware & Delivery

Building your B2B SaaS castle: how niche players dig a moat in the AI era

How smaller, niche B2B SaaS companies build a defensible castle, on their own data, deep workflow, regulation and a physical layer.

June 24, 2026 · 8 min read

Aerial view of a medieval castle ringed by a river moat, a picture of a defensible B2B SaaS business model and its competitive moat.

Market & StrategyAI & Technology

Scaling B2B SaaS in the AI era: the wall everyone builds and the moat that pays

Around six percent of companies turn AI into real bottom-line value. Four levers and a well-dug moat separate the winners from the expensive rest.

June 14, 2026 · 9 min read

Stacked cargo containers on one identical grid in different colours, an image for the buy-and-build platform

PE OperationsMarket & Strategy

The clock is gone: how longer hold periods change the buy-and-build platform

Hold periods keep stretching and evergreen vehicles keep launching. What that does to the buy-and-build platform, and where the line between group and company should really run.

June 11, 2026 · 9 min read

RegulationTalks

AI Agents, Vibe Coding and the EU AI Act

A practical impulse for mid-sized firms: a checklist for responsible AI use, six decisions and the legal context (EU AI Act, GDPR, NIS2). Slides and checklist as PDF.

June 8, 2026 · 4 min read

Two traders at a multi-monitor desk. One walks the other through the market on screen — coaching at the touchpoint, one step before the trade.

Software & DeliveryMarket & Strategy

How B2B software scales beyond direct sales: three levers from three operator roles

In 2026, most B2B software no longer scales through direct sales alone. Three levers from three mandates, plus one thing that holds them all together.

May 2, 2026 · 11 min read

Wall covered with hundreds of paint sample cards in an ordered grid, sorted from green through blue to purple

AI & TechnologySoftware & Delivery

Multi-Agent Frameworks for Mid-Market: Four Contenders, Nine Criteria, One Uncomfortable Answer

Multi-agent frameworks for mid-market: after the three architecture decisions from Part 2, the selection question looks different. Nine criteria, four clusters, one skill-pool caveat.

April 29, 2026 · 11 min read

Abstract black-and-white 3D wire network with interconnected nodes, representing knowledge graph architecture and multi-agent systems in AI compliance

AI & TechnologyRegulation

AI Compliance Architecture: Three Decisions That Outweigh Your Framework Choice

The framework question is the wrong first question. Three architecture decisions decide whether your AI compliance architecture survives an audit.

April 13, 2026 · 9 min read

AI agent with speech bubbles and AI icons in front of a laptop, representing multi-agent RAG systems in enterprise use

AI & TechnologySoftware & Delivery

Multi-Agent RAG in Production: Four Complexity Levels and What Each One Costs

Multi-agent RAG for mid-sized companies: when does it pay off, what does it cost, and which architecture fits 50 to 500 employees? Complexity levels, costs, and concrete first steps.

April 10, 2026 · 14 min read

Regulation

AI Regulation 2026: What German SMEs Must Do Now

Six EU regulations active simultaneously. NIS2 enforcement live since December 2025. What German SMEs must implement before autumn 2026.

April 8, 2026 · 8 min read

AI investments in mid-market companies generating returns, represented as a tree growing from coins

AI & TechnologyMarket & Strategy

AI ROI Map: Where AI Investments Pay Off

81% of mid-market firms don't measure AI ROI. The AI ROI Map shows which investments pay off and how fast.

March 30, 2026 · 10 min read

AI frameworks for mid-market companies, Rubik's cube reading Figure it out representing strategic clarity

RegulationAI & Technology

15 AI Frameworks That Shape Your Strategy

43% of mid-market firms lack an AI strategy. 15 frameworks reveal where you stand, what's legally required, and where to find free support.

March 25, 2026 · 11 min read

AI terms for business leaders, dictionary entry for artificial symbolizing the language of AI

AI & TechnologyPE Operations

25 AI Terms Every CEO Must Know in 2026

36% of German companies use AI. Most CEOs have a hard time catching up with the terminology. 25 terms explained through five real situations from mid-market companies.

March 22, 2026 · 12 min read

Centaur vs. Cyborg model: humans and AI working as a team

AI & TechnologyMarket & Strategy

When the AI Reflex Gets Expensive: The Real Value of Expertise

Executives use AI, and students rely on AI. Neither checks the output properly. When does AI make sense, and when does it take human judgment?

March 15, 2026 · 12 min read

Cover image: 35 percent replace SaaS with custom code, which business models survive AI disruption

RegulationAI & Technology

35% Replace SaaS With Custom Code: Which Business Models Survive AI

35% of enterprise teams have already replaced SaaS with custom builds. But disruption hits unevenly. A framework separating fixed market dimensions from controllable levers.

March 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Agentic AI in enterprises: moving from pilot to production

AI & Technology

Agentic AI: Why Moving from Pilot to Production Fails 42% of the Time

42% of companies abandon AI initiatives before production. Three root causes and four steps to move agentic AI into operations.

March 12, 2026 · 9 min read

Setting up an AI operating system for midmarket companies

AI & Technology

Build Your AI Operating System: A CEO Field Report

How an AI operating system works in practice: field report, CLAUDE.md template, and an honest three-week assessment with Claude Code.

February 27, 2026 · 8 min read

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