hauser lacour and 21TORR pool their strengths, combining brand and digital expertise.
21TORR has acquired a stake in the Frankfurt-based design agency hauser lacour. The aim of the merger is to combine brand and technology expertise in a way that creates future-ready solutions for the digital transformation of businesses. As part of the transaction, co-founder Stefan Hauser transfers his shares to 21TORR and steps down from the management team. He is succeeded by Isabell Höffner (CDO, 21TORR), who, together with Laurent Lacour, will jointly lead the agency as part of a four-person management team completed by Natascha Doller as COO and Felix Kopp as CDO. Alongside 21TORR, Andreas Gahlert – a long-standing advisory board member of hauser lacour – has also joined the merger as a shareholder through his investment company Neue Digitale Ventures GmbH. Both agencies will remain owner-managed at their respective locations and continue to operate independently in their day-to-day business, while integrating key processes and deepening their collaboration through complementary expertise across projects. The merger extends both agencies’ presence in Frankfurt and Stuttgart, creating direct access for clients from the Rhine-Main region and Baden-Württemberg.
hauser lacour was founded 25 years ago by Stefan Hauser and Laurent Lacour and today ranks among Germany’s most renowned design agencies. Stefan Hauser is leaving the management team to dedicate himself fully to his professorship in communication design at HBK Saar. “The merger opens up enormous potential,” says Isabell Höffner. “I’m looking forward to bringing together the strengths of both teams and forging new paths together with our clients.”
Through the merger, hauser lacour and 21TORR are combining their expertise to develop brands in a holistic digital context. The foundation is a shared set of values and the conviction that design excellence and technological strength are an ideal match. “Working on joint projects has shown that we share an openness, a boldness and a passion for making things,” says Laurent Lacour.
“In future, we’ll be able to offer the full spectrum – from branding and UX through to technological implementation – under one roof, with a depth that is rarely seen,” adds Natascha Doller, COO at hauser lacour. Timo Günthner, Managing Partner at 21TORR, also sees clear advantages: “Our work is an investment in the digital future of brand and business model.”
The merger marks the beginning of a partnership in which synergies are actively pooled and structures aligned where it makes sense – for example in processes, tools and services. “Our clients will benefit from 21TORR’s agile working methods and user-centred approach,” says Felix Kopp, CDO at hauser lacour. “Combined with hauser lacour’s brand expertise, we will be able to rethink digital brand development from the ground up,” adds Benjamin Hillscher, Managing Director of 21TORR. Both agencies remain owner-managed at their respective locations and operationally independent, while having the flexibility to pool expertise and offer clients an expanded, integrated range of services.
Aside from the extended service offering and the added know-how, everything remains the same for clients: contact persons and project responsibilities are unchanged.
Press images and logos are available for download here.
Press contact: Orson Podgorski, o.podgorski@21torr.com
hauser lacour is an internationally active branding and design agency based in Frankfurt. Founded around 2000 by Stefan Hauser and Laurent Lacour, the agency develops holistic brand identities. With a focus on brand strategy, corporate design, interactive design and brandspace design, the agency combines strategic thinking with design excellence. Over 100 national and international design awards – including the Art Directors Club, Red Dot, iF Award, Deutscher Design Club, German Design Award and the Designpreis der Bundesrepublik – reflect its creative and executional strength. A flexible network of experts expands capabilities on a project-by-project basis. Clients include cultural institutions such as Alte Oper Frankfurt and Museum für Moderne Kunst, as well as companies such as Hager Group, Commerz Real, Bosch, Fraport AG, Deutsche Börse and Siemens. The team comprises 25 employees. hauserlacour.de
21TORR is a leading digital agency with locations in Stuttgart and Reutlingen, and part of Schöne Töchter. Founded in 1994, it develops digital and hybrid solutions at the intersection of strategy, design and technology. Its service portfolio includes native apps, responsive websites, e-commerce solutions, platforms and bespoke software development – always with a focus on user experience, performance and technical excellence. Over 70 specialists in strategy, UX/UI design, software development and data work in agile, interdisciplinary teams using methods such as Scrum and Kanban. 21TORR is a certified Shopify app developer and Symfony expert, with expertise in CMS integration, cloud, IoT, middleware, DevOps, analytics and SEO. The agency works with brands, mid-sized companies, corporations, start-ups and non-profit organisations – including BASF, Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall, Bioland, Hugo Boss, Julius Blum GmbH, Phoenix Group and Thonet. As a digital pioneer since the 1990s, 21TORR stands for innovation, quality and client-centred working.
