Consulting, Software & Auction Managementfor High-Stakes Auctions

Trusted by regulators and bidders worldwide — delivering bidder consulting, auction design, secure auction platforms and end-to-end auction management across the globe.

Our Services

What We Do

We support regulators and bidders with auction strategy, auction design, and auction software across industries and jurisdictions worldwide.

Auction Design & Consulting

Auction Design & Innovation
Auction Rules Drafting & Analysis
Auction Simulations & Scenario Testing
Economic Analysis & Bidder Behavior Modeling
Policy Advice & Stakeholder Support

Auction Software

Proven Auction Software Platform
SMRA, Clock, Combinatorial & Sealed-Bid auctions
Secure, Scalable & Customizable
Trusted by Regulators Worldwide

Auction Management

End-to-End Auction Delivery
Bidder Onboarding & Communications
Training Workshops & Mock Auctions
Live Auction Execution & Monitoring
Post-Auction Analysis & Reporting

Bidder Strategy Support

Bidding Strategy Development
Competitive Analysis
Risk Assessment & Scenario Planning
Decision Support throughout the Auction

Bidder Training & Simulations

Custom Bidder Simulation Software
Mock Auctions & Strategy Testing
Team Training Workshops
Bid Process Preparation

Bidder War Room Support

Dedicated Auction-Day Support
Proven War Room Processes
Real-Time Strategic Advice
On-site or Remote Expert Support

Our Consulting Approach

Expert Support for Sellers and Bidders

We support both sides of high-stakes auctions: organizations designing and implementing auction processes and bidders preparing to participate in auctions.

Every auction design represents a series of trade-offs. Revenue, competition, simplicity, transparency, efficiency, and policy objectives often point in different directions. We work with clients to understand their objectives, market environment, and constraints before developing and testing auction designs that can be implemented reliably in practice. Our experience designing, implementing, and operating high-stakes auctions ensures that recommendations are grounded not only in economic theory, but also in operational reality.

Policy Objectives

Revenue
Competition
Fairness
Simplicity

Market Analysis

Bidder Incentives
Market Structure
Demand Assessment

Constraints

Legal
Regulatory
Technical
Operational

Implementation Experience

Software
Operations
Training
Security

Auction Design

Balancing objectives, market dynamics, constraints, and implementation realities.

Auction Format Product Design Pricing Rules Activity Rules

Reserve Prices Competition Measures Information Policy

From Design to Delivery

A key differentiator of our approach is that we routinely implement and operate the auction designs we advise on. Our software has been used in more than 200 high-stakes auctions worldwide, allowing us to evaluate design choices not only from an economic perspective, but also from the standpoint of usability, robustness, transparency, and operational risk.

Our bidder consulting engagements typically progress through three phases: strategy development, testing and refinement, and execution support. A key differentiator is our ability to implement the seller’s auction rules in our proven auction software, allowing clients to train and test strategies in an environment that closely mirrors the live auction. The result is realistic preparation, robust decision-making processes, and end-to-end support from initial analysis through auction day and beyond.

Every auction is unique. We begin by developing a thorough understanding of the auction rules, market environment, and our client’s objectives. Combining auction expertise with market analysis, we identify key strategic considerations and develop an initial bidding strategy tailored to the client’s position. Where consultation processes or bidder Q&A opportunities exist, we help clients identify important issues, formulate effective questions, and assess opportunities to influence the final auction rules.

Understand the Auction

Rules Review
Consultation / Q&A Support
Strategic Implications

Understand the Market

Client Objectives
Valuations
Competitor Profiles

Develop Initial Strategy

Decision Framework
Strategic Assumptions
Initial Bidding Strategy

Key Outcome

Initial bidding strategy and decision framework aligned with the client’s objectives and market position.

A key differentiator of our approach is our ability to implement the seller’s auction rules in our proven auction software. This allows clients to train and test strategies in an environment that closely mirrors the live auction. Through simulations, workshops, and scenario analysis, we challenge assumptions, refine strategies, and prepare teams for real-world decision making.

Auction Simulations

Workshops
Self-Service Training
Simulated Bidder Behavior

Finalized Strategy

Refined Strategy
Detailed Playbook
Management Sign-Off

Key Outcome

A robust bidding strategy and detailed auction playbook validated through realistic auction simulations.

Once the strategy is established, we focus on successful execution. We help clients prepare tools, processes, and decision-making procedures before the auction and provide analytical and strategic support throughout the live auction. Following the auction, we assist with reviewing outcomes and capturing lessons learned.

Prepare for Execution

Bid Tracking Tool
Checklists & Protocols
Roles & Responsibilities

Execute

War Room Support
Live Analysis
Decision Support

Post-Auction Analysis

Outcome Verification
Auction Summary
Lessons Learned

Key Outcome

Confident execution supported by robust processes, decision-support tools, and experienced advisors.

Our Software

A Highly Customizable Auction Software Platform

Given the high stakes of the auctions we support, our goal is to provide the best possible software product without compromise. We therefore do not offer one-size-fits-all software solutions. Instead, we have developed a modular auction software framework that allows us to efficiently customize our platform for each project. This approach enables us to robustly implement highly complex auction designs while maintaining an intuitive and user-friendly experience for both bidders and auctioneers.

Modular auction software framework diagram

We customize our software for every project and every client.
Our team has extensive experience applying this modular approach across different auction formats, rules, and jurisdictions.
The result is an optimal implementation of project requirements with maximum reliability, clarity and ease of use.

Client Feedback on Our Auction Software

“The system consistently met, and often exceeded, our expectations. Feedback from bidders echoed our own impressions, highlighting the system’s clarity and ease of use.”
Ofcom Auction Team

“In addition to the ACMA’s satisfaction with the auction system, we have consistently received feedback from our bidders that they find the bidder interface clear and easy to use.”
ACMA Auction Team

“The auction system with the auction access portal and user interface itself was clear and user-friendly, with intuitive navigation and well-organized tabs for a safe and secure auctioneer and bidder experience.”
PTS Auction Team

Selected Projects

Auction Consulting & Software Projects Across Industries

We have applied our auction design, strategy, and software capabilities across a wide range of clients, industries and allocation challenges.

Bidder Consulting

Offshore Wind Bidder Consulting

We supported a bidder in the UK Crown Estate's Round 5 offshore wind auction with their bidding strategy.

Seller-Side

Orbital Slots

Our team ran Thailand’s first auction for specific orbital slots for communication satellites.

Telecommunications tower representing a spectrum auction

Bidder Consulting

Spectrum Bidder Consulting

For Pakistan's 2026 5G spectrum auction, we provided bidder strategy and war room support.

Patent documents and intellectual property concept

Seller-Side

Patent Portfolio

Deutsche Telekom engaged us to support the sale of a navigation technology patent portfolio.

Seller-Side

Fuel Distribution Rights

We operated several auctions to allocate fuel distribution rights for the service stations along the German Autobahn.

Abstract representation of internet domain names and global networks

Full-Service Auction Facilitation

Applicant Auction

We facilitated the vast majority of private contention resolution auctions for competing applicants in ICANN's 2012 gTLD round.

Salmon aquaculture facility in a Norwegian fjord

Seller-Side

Aquaculture Licenses

For the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, we designed and implemented the allocation of aquaculture production licenses.

Spectrum Auctions

Supporting Regulators with Frequency Allocations

A core focus of our work is supporting regulators with the design, implementation, and operation of spectrum auctions. We have extensive experience across all major auction formats, including Simultaneous Multi-Round Auctions (SMRA), Clock Auctions, Combinatorial Auctions, and Sealed-Bid Auctions, supported by a mature and highly configurable auction platform.

Beyond implementing established auction formats, we regularly help regulators develop innovative auction designs tailored to their specific policy objectives, market conditions, and spectrum holdings. Our combination of economic expertise, practical experience, and proven software has enabled regulators around the world to run secure, transparent, and efficient spectrum auctions.

Recent spectrum auction projects have included work for regulators in Norway, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Slovenia, Finland, Costa Rica, and Australia. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss our experience with specific auction awards, formats, or jurisdictions.

Our People

Innovative Auctions Leadership

Innovative Auctions brings together expertise in auction economics, software engineering, and live auction operations. Our leadership team has designed, developed, and delivered high-stakes auctions for governments and private-sector clients around the world, combining strategic advice with practical implementation experience.

Ulrich Gall

Director

Ulrich Gall has 20 years of experience across all major aspects of high-stakes auctions, with a particular focus on auction design and software. Since developing the first clock auction software for high-stakes online auctions in 2001, he has built a team that has since supported over 200 high-stakes auctions across a wide range of industries. In 2013, he assembled an interdisciplinary team to facilitate the Applicant Auction for generic Top Level Domains and directed marketing, contracting, software, escrow, auction management, and settlement. He continues to apply insights gained from designing and delivering high-stakes auctions to refine Innovative Auctions’ auction software, auction designs, and operational processes.

M.Sc. Computer Science, University of Erlangen

M.Sc. Management Science, Stanford University

Adeh DeSandies

Software

Adeh DeSandies is a software veteran with over 20 years of experience in the field. Since 2006, Adeh has led the development and customization of software for over 200 high-stakes auction projects around the world. He has designed user interfaces and refined interaction models for a wide range of auction designs including CCAs, SMRAs, Clock Auctions, and the new eSMRA format, as well as many custom designs. He has worked onsite with federal telecom regulators in countries as diverse as Finland, Australia, and Thailand, providing expert auction advice and realtime support during live auctions totaling billions in revenue.

B.Sc. Computer Science, Stanford University

Stefan Timmermann

Consulting & Operations

Since joining Innovative Auctions in 2017, Stefan Timmermann has advised regulators and private-sector clients on the design and delivery of high-stakes auctions across a range of sectors, including spectrum, energy, and natural resources.

His work spans auction design, bidder strategy, economic analysis, and the implementation of complex auction processes. Stefan has supported auction projects in Europe, the U.S., Asia, and Australia, helping clients evaluate auction formats, develop rules, prepare bidders, and successfully conduct live auctions. He has held operational responsibility for numerous auction projects around the world, overseeing implementation, bidder preparation, and live auction delivery for projects with several billion USD in volume.

Combining expertise in auction theory, software implementation, and operational delivery, Stefan provides end-to-end support from initial design through auction execution.

B.Sc. Economics, Humboldt University of Berlin

M.Sc. Economic Research, University of Bonn

Work With Us

Get in Touch

Whether you are considering a new auction, evaluating alternative allocation mechanisms, or preparing for participation in a high-stakes auction process, we would be happy to discuss your requirements.

Get in Touch

Provide a brief overview of your project or challenge.

Meet Our Team

Discuss your objectives, constraints, and timeline.

Receive a Proposal

A tailored proposal outlining how we can support you.

No formal specification is required at the outset. An initial conversation is often the best way to determine how we can help.

info@innovativeauctions.com