About

We built the CRM
we wished existed.

ShadowCRM started when our founder — a software engineer — saw professionals storing their most sensitive relationships in US-hosted CRMs that violated every privacy standard they claimed to follow. He decided to build the alternative.

The origin

A broken workflow, a compliance gap, and a weekend prototype.

While working at Acta in Berlin in 2025, Luca learned a tremendous amount about building software and working with clients. But across the industry, he kept noticing the same pattern: professionals storing sensitive client data in US-hosted CRMs with servers outside Europe.

Inspired by what he'd learned at Acta, he knew it didn't have to be this way. That weekend, he sketched a CRM that would store everything locally, need no account, and work fully offline.

Today we're a small team in Düsseldorf, used by lawyers, advisors, coaches, and therapists across Europe who refuse to compromise on confidentiality.

The team

Small team. Strong opinions.

LW
Luca Wernicke
Founder
Software engineer, student, and founder. Previously at Acta, a company in Berlin (2025). Built ShadowCRM because the tools professionals rely on to manage relationships shouldn’t require handing their data to US cloud providers.
"I saw how professionals stored their most sensitive contacts in tools that violated every privacy principle they stood for. I knew I could build something better."
JN
Joshua Niederstraßer
Head of Growth
Helps the right people find ShadowCRM. Focused on getting the product in front of professionals who need it most.
SG
Samuel Gomez
Head of Law
Keeps ShadowCRM on the right side of GDPR and data protection law. Currently studying law — brings a sharp eye for compliance without the consulting rates.

What we believe

Principles, not slogans.

Privacy is architecture, not policy
We don't promise to protect your data — we make it technically impossible for us to access it. There's no server to breach, no database to subpoena, no admin panel with a 'view all users' button.
Built for one, not for fifty
Enterprise CRMs are designed around teams, permissions, and admin hierarchies. We design for the solo professional who needs power without complexity — someone who manages 20–200 relationships that actually matter.
Complexity is the enemy
Every feature we ship has to earn its place. If it takes more than 3 seconds to understand, it goes back to the drawing board. The best tool is the one you actually use every day.
European roots, global standards
Built in Düsseldorf. GDPR compliant by architecture, not by checkbox. We believe the European approach to data privacy is the right one — and we build software that makes compliance effortless.

Want to work with us?

We're always looking for people who care deeply about privacy, craft, and building tools that respect their users.

See open rolesJoin the waitlist →