Company
We built a company we actually want to work in.
In numbers
42+
A network of designers, developers, architects, urban planners, and artists across four disciplines.
16+
Years of working together as a collective, long before the company was founded.
0
Investors. Self-funded, self-organized. No outside pressure, no exit strategy.
Overview
We started as freelancers in loose networks. Over the years, we kept working together – not because we had to, but because it worked. In 2020, we opened a coworking space in Berlin-Wedding and renovated it ourselves. That space became the center. In April 2025, five of us founded Ceeju. A UG becoming a GmbH. No investors, no outside pressure. Just the decision to put on paper what had been real for a long time.
About
A collective with a company, not the other way around
Ceeju is a network first. Five co-founders, one partner, four disciplines, and 42+ people who work together across projects. We build small teams from the network depending on what a project needs – two people or ten. Each discipline has a head: Design & Branding, IT & Development, Architecture & Urban Development, Art & Craft. The Bauhaus idea: different trades belong at the same table.
Values
No stress. We mean it.
We take our work seriously. High standards, clear responsibilities, measurable goals – regardless of the budget. But we don’t do overtime. No weekend shifts, no artificial urgency, no competing with each other. Transparency means open rates and honest communication. Fairness means distributing profit and costs equally. Partnership means covering for each other during holidays and parental leave, sharing knowledge on taxes and bureaucracy. It sounds simple, but it takes work every day.
Team
Five co-founders, one partner, four disciplines.
Julie Finkel heads Design & Branding. Nils Uliczka heads IT & Development. Jan Augsburg brings architecture. Sophie Ilg and Julia Heppner run Art & Craft from their studio in Friedrichshain. Ruben Heppner leads the company and works in urban development.
History
From freelancers to a shared company
The story doesn’t start in 2025. Sophie and Julia founded their mask and figure studio in 2004. Nils started his agency in 2005. Ruben went freelance in 2011. Julie joined along the way. For years, we worked together in changing constellations – sharing projects, clients, and eventually a coworking space. In 2020, we opened CU.Office in Wedding. In 2023, we dissolved the older structures. In April 2025, we founded Ceeju. Not as a relaunch, but as a decision to build something together that reflects how we already work.
Clients
We work with the people, not for them
Museums, construction companies, event agencies, theaters, film productions, non-profits, food brands, media, science. We work across industries. What matters is the people, not the sector. Many of our clients have been with us since 2014.
What folks say
We don’t work for clients, we work with partners.
The work happens in conversation: reliable, transparent, and on equal footing. Ceeju is a network. Freelancers and small studios find a place to exchange work, support each other, and learn together.
Vision
A good life for everyone
Everyone paid fairly. No one forced to work full-time. Away from the focus on economic growth. Distribute resources fairly. When individuals are doing well, society does well. We live this in the small and hope it makes others think that things can be different.
Transparency
Open books, open rates. We say what things cost and what everyone earns.
Fairness
Fair distribution of profit and costs. No one is left behind.
Professionalism
High standards regardless of budget. Measurable goals, honest feedback.
Relaxed
Serious work without the stress. No overtime, no weekend shifts, no drama.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ceeju is a collective for design, development, architecture, and craft. Founded in April 2025 by five people in Berlin-Wedding. We build small teams from a network of 42+ people.
No. Ceeju is a UG, becoming a GmbH. Less bureaucracy, but we act with the same spirit of shared ownership and responsibility.
In our own coworking space in Berlin-Wedding, near Seestraße and Leopoldplatz. We renovated the space ourselves in 2020.
Long-term and on equal footing. Many clients have been with us for years on retainer contracts. We become part of their team without being employed. More affordable than a full-time hire, but with the know-how of 42+ people.
Yes. We work across industries: museums, construction, events, film, non-profits, food, media, science. If we’re on the same wavelength, we work together. If not, we part ways honestly.
You work with us and over time become a partner. For coworking, visit cu-office.berlin/tour. For the digital network, join as a Friend for 5 €/month on ceeju.coapp.io. No application, no elite club.