The Beauty of Social

The sociomantic labs were born out the joint expertise and passion of its founding members in the areas of computer science, social network analysis, and communications management. Back in 2006, the first inklings of the company were manifested in the work of two research associates at the Institute for Media and Communications Management at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The labs were officially founded in January of 2009.

Today, we are a fast-growing private limited company based in the heart of Berlin, but the international experience of our team ties the company to many parts of the world, from Australia to Texas and back again. We are driven by a constant curiosity about new technologies and our communal dedication to innovation. Our high-level industry experience and digital media know-how enable our team to develop and deliver the highest standards in internet services.

Dr. Thomas Nicolai

As one of our Managing Directors, Dr. Thomas Nicolai is the visionary who drives the overall development of our service and our company. Prior to co-founding sociomantic labs, he  guided the global web service strategy and development as the Director Web Services at zanox AG. He received his PhD from the Institute for Media and Communications Management at the University St. Gallen in 2010.

Thomas Brandhoff

As one of our Managing Directors, Thomas Brandhoff is responsible for managing all commercial and organizational aspects of sociomantic labs. Prior to co-founding sociomantic labs, he was leading the international advertiser sales force of the zanox AG as a Global Industry Manager, coordinating sales teams in 10 international subsidiaries. Thomas received his Bachelor of Arts in media businesses and administration from the University of Hertfordshire England.

Lars Kirchhoff

As our Vice President of Product Management and Innovations, co-founder Lars Kirchhoff is responsible for leading the team into uncharted territory. He is a research associate and PhD candidate at the Institute for Media and Communications Management at the University St. Gallen, Switzerland, where his research on the integration of social network analysis and information retrieval systems continues to inform the development of sociomantic labs. Prior to his work at the labs, Lars built and managed digideep, one of the web’s largest underwater photography communities.

Our Founders