# schnaq

> Architectural Intelligence — AI advisory, sovereign AI infrastructure and AI-native software development from Düsseldorf, Germany.

> Last updated: 2026-05

schnaq is a senior software consultancy from Düsseldorf. Three doctors of computer science lead every engagement, supported by an in-house engineering team. We focus on integrating AI into real businesses — not slide decks. Engagements are senior-only, GDPR-compliant by default, and architected for data sovereignty: European hosting, on-premise deployments, open-source LLMs as a first-class option. ChatGPT is not an AI strategy; we build the infrastructure that actually fits the customer.

## Positioning

"ChatGPT is not an AI strategy" — our subheading on the home page. We treat AI integration as an architecture problem: data flows, compliance, hosting topology, model selection, and operations. Our customers come to us because they need a senior engineering partner who can take an AI idea from data audit to production system, not a vendor reselling someone else's stack.

## Three Pillars

### 1. AI Readiness & Strategy

You know AI is relevant — but not where to start. We analyze your processes, identify the use cases with the biggest impact and deliver a concrete roadmap. No 200-page strategy paper, but a plan you can act on within days.

- Deliverable: prioritized AI roadmap with concrete next steps, typically in 2–3 days.
- Sub-services: Potential Analysis, Data Audits, Roadmap Development, AI Audits and AI Workshops.

### 2. Sovereign AI Infrastructure

Whether GDPR-compliant cloud integration, local on-premise systems or hybrid architectures — we build the AI infrastructure that fits the customer's data, compliance and budget. Open-source models, European hosting, full control. GDPR-compliant from day one.

- Deliverable: a running AI system — cloud, on-premise or hybrid — with clear data flows and no vendor lock-in.
- Sub-services: GDPR-compliant cloud integration, on-premise & hybrid deployment, infrastructure design.

### 3. AI-native Software Development

Sometimes the customer needs more than a setup, so we build the software too. Apps, backends and automations that are designed to be intelligent from the ground up, not retrofitted.

- Deliverable: custom software used every day — from intelligent search to automated data analysis.
- Sub-services: RAG-system building, custom agent flows, API integration, fullstack delivery.

## Selected Reference Projects

- **SAYA Safety-Ring** — Mobile app + backend for a wearable safety ring. Native iOS and Android, Stripe billing, sovereign cloud backend. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/saya
- **Rheinbahn Linksabbiegen** — Computer-vision / YOLO pipeline that detects left-turn conflicts at tram intersections from on-vehicle camera streams. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/rheinbahn-linksabbiegen
- **EWR KI-Beratung** — Sovereign AI live-translator for a regional energy provider; in production for over a year, removed the language barrier in customer centers. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/ewr-ki-beratung
- **Bechtle Darknet Scanner** — Threat-intelligence scanner for a security operations team. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/bechtle-darknet-scanner
- **Deepskill Coach Billing** — Coaching marketplace billing pipeline. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/deepskill-coach-billing
- **FAYA Nightlife App** — Native iOS/Android app launched and grown to market presence. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/faya-nightlife-app
- **LeetDesk Bluetooth** — BLE / iOS integration for a connected gaming-desk product. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/leetdesk-bluetooth
- **Unlock** — End-to-end engagement (full stack). https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/unlock
- **ImmoCloud** — Property-management SaaS engagement. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/immocloud
- **JustScanIt 3D** — 3D scanning / spatial computing engagement. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/just-scan-it-3d
- **MoneyMoney** — Finance-tooling engagement. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/moneymoney
- **Plutos Flugkarussell / Freizeitpark** — Image/video production pipelines for an amusement park. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/plutos-flugkarussell-video
- **Bergischer KI-Summit n8n** — AI-workshop and automation engagement. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/bergischer-ki-summit-n8n
- **KI-Workshop** — Training format we run on-site for customers. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/ki-workshop
- **Web Hosting** — Sovereign hosting service we run for selected customers. https://schnaq.com/en/projekte/web-hosting

## Labs

Internal experiments, prototypes and side products at https://schnaq.com/en/labs. Each lab item has its own detail page.

- **schnaq** — original collaborative-discussion platform.
- **Modoolo** — modular task / process tooling.
- **FoxHunt** — hardware/IoT side project.
- **Haushaltsplaner** — household-planning prototype.

## Team

- **Dr. Christian Meter — Co-Founder & CEO**. PhD in computer science. Leads schnaq's technical strategy. Focus: AI integration, software architecture, cybersecurity. Profile: https://schnaq.com/en/about/christian-meter
- **Dr. Alexander Schneider — Co-Founder**. PhD in computer science. Software-engineer across mobile, game development, 3D graphics and product engineering. Profile: https://schnaq.com/en/about/alexander-schneider
- **Michael Birkhoff — Co-Founder**. Game development, 3D graphics, Unity, real-time rendering. Profile: https://schnaq.com/en/about/michael-birkhoff
- **Dr. Björn Ebbinghaus — Software Architect & Engineer**. PhD in computer science. Designs and builds backend systems alongside the founders.

## Frequently Asked Questions

We publish an FAQ section on the home page covering common questions. Highlights:

- **Cost** — Engagements are scoped per project; a 2–3 day AI roadmap is a good starting point.
- **Collaboration model** — Senior-only delivery, no outsourcing. The team you speak to is the team that implements.
- **Contractors vs employees** — Our staff are employees; we do not subcontract project work.
- **Custom vs off-the-shelf** — We build custom when the customer's data, compliance or workflow doesn't fit existing tools.
- **What we do** — AI advisory, sovereign infrastructure, AI-native software. We don't do agency-style marketing or design-only retainers.

## Sovereignty & Compliance

- European hosting by default; Scaleway, Hetzner, and similar.
- On-premise option for sensitive workloads.
- Open-source LLMs supported as first-class citizens (Ollama, Claude via Anthropic API, OpenAI when contractually compatible).
- GDPR-compliant data flows; data-processing agreements available.
- We document the data flow before we deploy, not after.

## Location

Kasernenstraße 67, 40213 Düsseldorf, Germany.

## Contact

- Web: https://schnaq.com
- Email: hello@schnaq.com
- Phone: +49 15678 354 553
- Discovery call: https://calendar.app.google/xJi8kFHm1RcnsJSx7
- Languages: German, English.

## Key Facts

- Founded 2020; brand schnaq Consulting under schnaq GmbH.
- Three PhDs in computer science on the founding team.
- Senior-only delivery.
- Service area: DACH region plus international clients.
- Strong track record across mobile (iOS Swift, Android Kotlin, Flutter), web (Next.js, React, TypeScript), backend (Python, Clojure, Node), AI (Ollama, Claude, RAG, custom agents) and computer vision (YOLO, LiDAR).