What Penzilla does

Penzilla GmbH is a Munich-based HRTech company founded in 2021 that provides a cloud-based SaaS platform for automating the administration of occupational pension schemes (bAV) in Germany. The platform connects to over 40 HR and payroll systems — including DATEV, SAP SuccessFactors, Personio, HiBob, Workday, and Rexx — via API integrations with automated 3-hour synchronization cycles, enabling one-click transmission of bAV-related payroll accounting data. The platform covers all five legal implementation pathways (Durchführungswege: Direktversicherung, Unterstützungskasse, Pensionsfonds, Pensionskasse, Direktzusage) and includes modules for consulting (bAV Beratung), full-service administration (bAV Verwaltung), payroll automation, and an employee self-service portal (Mitarbeiterportal) with a Future-Check pension gap calculator. The company is GDPR-compliant and markets itself as '100% secure' with complete digital documentation of contracts, consultations, and regulatory waivers.

The company operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market motion targeting mid-sized German enterprises (typically 100–5,000+ employees) whose HR departments struggle with manual bAV administration. Customer acquisition is driven by free consultations, demo bookings via the website, and HubSpot-powered live chat. Pricing follows a per-employee subscription model (example cited at €150 per employee per month for deferred compensation), with free onboarding provided. Named enterprise customers include ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE (4,500+ employees), Lacoste, Notebooksbilliger.de, Personio, TIER, PeterHahn, and Martin GmbH, while mid-market customers include Motel-a-Miio (300 employees), Cansativa, and Govecs.

Penzilla monetizes through recurring SaaS subscriptions and has raised approximately €5.7 million in seed funding across two rounds — €2.5M in May 2023 from Motive Partners, WENVEST Capital, and angel investors, followed by €3.2M in May 2025 led by Acadian Ventures and Delin Ventures. The company operates through two legal entities: Penzilla GmbH (the SaaS business) and Penzilla Pension Solutions GmbH (a wholly-owned licensed insurance broker subsidiary). Distribution is exclusively direct via the company's website (penzilla.de), and the company is privately held with no parent company and operates within the DACH region.

Name

Penzilla

Legal name

Penzilla GmbH

Website

https://penzilla.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Penzilla is a Munich-based HRTech SaaS provider that automates administration of occupational pension schemes (bAV) for mid-sized German enterprises, integrating with 40+ HR and payroll systems including DATEV, SAP, and Personio to deliver end-to-end bAV management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pension Administration Software

NAICS

Payroll Services (541214)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Capital Management (HCM) & Payroll Platforms (HDAEAEAJ), Payroll, Contractor Payments & SME HR Finance (FSAGAJAI)

Keywords

• Occupational pension software
• Pension administration platform
• HR payroll automation
• Corporate benefits software
• HR system integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription: Software subscription model with per-employee pricing for bAV administration automation. Pricing is based on number of employees and penetration rate (percentage with bAV). The company offers free onboarding and consultation before subscription begins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Penzilla offers a cloud-based SaaS platform that fully automates the administration of German occupational pension schemes (bAV). The platform connects to a company's HR and payroll systems (including DATEV, SAP SuccessFactors, Personio, HiBob, Workday, and 40+ others), automates contract setup, contribution changes, employee onboarding/offboarding, and payroll processing, and provides an employee self-service portal. It also offers consulting (bAV Beratung) and full-service administration (bAV Verwaltung) across all five implementation pathways (Direktversicherung, Unterstützungskasse, Pensionsfonds, Pensionskasse, Direktzusage).

Product overview

Penzilla offers a unified digital platform for automating and managing occupational pension schemes (bAV) in Germany. The core Penzilla Platform connects to existing HR and payroll systems to automate all administrative bAV processes, supplemented by consulting (bAV Beratung) and administration (bAV Verwaltung) services. Key modules include the DATEV Interface for seamless payroll accounting integration, the bAV mit Lohnabrechnung automatisieren module for automated payroll processing, and an Employee Portal (Mitarbeiterportal) for employee self-service. The platform integrates with major HRIS systems including SAP SuccessFactors, Personio, HiBob, Workday, and Rexx, along with DATEV and SAP for accounting. An ROI Calculator tool helps prospects estimate savings. Implementation takes under 1 hour, and the platform covers all five legal implementation pathways for occupational pensions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Penzilla Platform Comprehensive digital SaaS platform for automating and managing the administration of occupational pension schemes (bAV) for German companies. Connects to HR and payroll systems, automates contract setup, contribution changes, employee onboarding/offboarding, and payroll processing.
• bAV Beratung (Corporate Pension Consulting) Independent consulting service providing comprehensive advice on occupational pension schemes, design of pension plans according to company needs, support in selecting insurance providers, and risk assessment of existing contracts.
• bAV Verwaltung (Corporate Pension Administration) Full-service administration of occupational pension schemes covering all five implementation pathways (Direktversicherung, Unterstützungskasse, Pensionsfonds, Pensionskasse, Direktzusage), including contract management, compliance documentation, and insurer communication.
• Mitarbeiterportal (Employee Self-Service Portal) Self-service portal for employees providing full contract visibility, personalized pension projections, tax and social security savings visualization, and answers to frequently asked questions.
• ROI Einsparungsrechner (Savings Calculator) Interactive calculator tool that helps companies estimate time and cost savings from using Penzilla, with sliders for employee count and bAV distribution to project annual savings including software costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• HR administrative burden reduced to 0 (complete automation of bAV activities)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DATEVcoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration partnership with DATEV, Germany's leading accounting and payroll software provider. Penzilla connects directly to DATEV for automated bAV payroll accounting with one-click transmission.
• SAP SuccessFactorscoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial integration with SAP SuccessFactors HR system enabling real-time employee data synchronization for bAV administration.
• PersoniocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership with Personio, Germany's leading HR software platform. Penzilla uses Personio for its own recruitment (applicant tracking system per privacy policy) and offers integration to Personio customers.
• Insurance Providers (unspecified)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnerships with major insurance providers for bAV product delivery. Exact insurers not specified in available sources.
• Major German Insurance CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPer news source: 'strategic partnerships with major insurance providers' for product delivery across all five implementation pathways (Direktversicherung, Unterstützungskasse, Pensionsfonds, Pensionskasse, Direktzusage).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Workday: Global enterprise HCM leader with native benefits and pension administration capabilities. Workday serves the upper end of the German market Penzilla targets and is an integration partner, representing a broad incumbent that could expand bAV-specific functionality down-market.
• SAP SuccessFactors: Enterprise HCM suite with strong installed base among large German employers. Penzilla integrates with SuccessFactors for HR data sync, reflecting its broad incumbent status in the same HR technology stack.

Direct peers

• Kenjo: Berlin-based HRIS platform targeting European SMB and mid-market employers with HR, time tracking, and document management. Overlaps with Penzilla's customer segment and could expand into benefits/pension administration.
• Papaya Global: Global payroll and HR platform with European presence serving mid-market and enterprise employers with multi-country workforce. Comparable in targeting payroll/HR complexity with automation and broad system integrations.
• Deel: Global HR and payroll platform rapidly expanding across Europe with localized compliance and benefits offerings. Represents a well-capitalized emerging competitor that could bring bAV/pension administration capabilities to the German market.
• Zalaris: Northern European HR and payroll services provider with multi-country payroll, HR outsourcing, and consulting offerings. Comparable as a European payroll/HR services firm serving mid-market employers with regional compliance depth.
• Pento: European payroll automation platform serving SMB and mid-market employers with modern API-first architecture. Comparable to Penzilla in being payroll-adjacent SaaS for the European mid-market with strong integrations to HRIS systems.
• HiBob: Modern HRIS platform targeting mid-market employers across Europe with employee-centric UX. Penzilla integrates with HiBob to pull HR data for bAV administration, positioning both as complementary rather than directly competing today.
• Personio: Munich-based HRIS platform serving the same German mid-market segment. Personio is both a Penzilla integration partner and a customer, illustrating the overlap in target buyer (HR departments) and the risk of Personio bundling bAV automation into its core platform.

Others

• DATEV: Dominant German payroll and accounting software provider with deep penetration among tax advisors and mid-market employers. As Penzilla's primary payroll integration partner, DATEV is both ecosystem enabler and a potential horizontal competitor if it extends into bAV workflow automation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penzilla

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Penzilla