What DFKP does

DFKP GmbH (Deutsche Firmenkredit Partner), founded in 2019 and headquartered in Berlin, operates a bank-independent financing brokerage and digital lending platform targeting German small and medium enterprises (KMU). The company connects SME borrowers with a curated network of more than 200 banks and specialized financiers, including Commerzbank, UniCredit, KfW, NRW.BANK, Hamburger Sparkasse, auxmoney, Qred, OLB, and numerous regional Sparkassen and Volksbanken, enabling customers to access multiple financing options through a single application. Its product suite spans core SME loans (Betriebsmittelkredit, Firmenkredit, Expresskredit, Wachstumsfinanzierung, Kontokorrentkredit, Investitionsfinanzierung, KfW-Unternehmerkredite, Zwischenfinanzierung up to €500K), alternative financing (Leasing & Mietkauf, Einkaufsfinanzierung, Umsatzfinanzierung, Factoring, Bürgschaften, Sale-and-Lease-Back), and customer self-service tools (Konditionsrechner, Digitale Selbstauskunft, Bankenspiegel). DFKP has served over 6,000 customers and operates from eight German offices (Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Essen, Nuremberg) with a stated medium-term goal of expanding to the 20 most important metropolitan regions.

The underlying DFKP-Plattform is a proprietary web application combining Open Banking, API-based connections to financing partners, automated credit databases, document management, and intelligent analysis of account and balance sheet data. The platform supports a 4-minute application with same-day feedback and 48-hour express decisions on bridging loans. DFKP's business model is commission-based: the company earns a percentage of financing volume upon successful contract conclusion, with the commission basis varying by product type (loan amount for credits, credit line for purchasing financing and factoring, financing volume for leasing, total agreed limit for guarantees). Pricing is success-based, with no upfront customer fees, and framework contracts have a 12-month term. The company also operates a tax advisor and broker partner referral channel, an internal DFKP-Akademie for consultant training, and holds three German Trade Regulation permits (§34c, §34d, §34i), ISO/IEC 27001 certification, GDPR compliance, and membership in the Digital Lending Association (DLA) since June 2025.

DFKP is led by three Managing Directors (Paul Weber as Chairman, Benedikt Matzinger, Sebastian Büchele) and has scaled to over 50 employees. Its go-to-market combines digital-first lead capture (Google Ads, LinkedIn, Microsoft Advertising, Meta, content marketing via the DFKP financial blog, HubSpot-driven appointment booking) with personal advisory delivered by local financing consultants, supported by a separate partner portal channel for tax advisors, business consultants, and financial brokers who refer SME clients. The company is privately held, with a single disclosed funding round of approximately $5.3M from HW Capital in April 2022 and reference to additional investors in 2024 AssCompact coverage. Recent strategic emphasis has been on geographic expansion, ISO/IEC 27001 recertification, the BSFZ-Siegel innovation award, and brand modernization through a May 2026 logo relaunch.

Name

DFKP

Legal name

DFKP GmbH

Website

https://dfkp.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DFKP GmbH is a Berlin-based, bank-independent financing broker and digital lending platform that connects German small and medium enterprises with a network of over 200 banks and specialized financiers, earning transaction-based commissions on loans, leasing, factoring, and guarantees since its 2019 founding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commission on Financing Contracts: DFKP earns a commission based on a percentage of the financing volume when a financing contract is successfully concluded. The commission basis varies by product type: for loans, it's the agreed loan amount; for purchasing financing and factoring, it's the agreed credit line; for leasing, it's the financing volume; and for surety/guarantee credit, it's the total agreed limit.
2. Partner Commissions: DFKP may also earn commission or other fees from financial service providers based on contracts with them, in addition to commissions from customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

DFKP is a bank-independent financing broker that connects German SMEs with over 200 banks and specialized financiers via its proprietary digital lending platform. It intermediates business loans, leasing, factoring, guarantees, purchase financing, revenue-based financing, and KfW promotional loans through a hybrid of digital application tools and personal advisory from a nationwide network of financing consultants.

Product overview

DFKP operates as a bank-independent financing platform for small and medium enterprises (SME) in Germany. The core offering is a network-based financing intermediary connecting businesses with over 200 banks and specialized financiers. The product portfolio centers on the DFKP-Plattform, a proprietary platform featuring automated credit matching, document management, and API-based connections to financing partners. The product suite includes credit products (Betriebsmittelkredit, Firmenkredit, Expresskredit, Wachstumsfinanzierung, Kontokorrentkredit, Investitionsfinanzierung, KfW-Unternehmerkredite), alternative financing (Leasing & Mietkauf, Einkaufsfinanzierung, Umsatzfinanzierung, Factoring, Bürgschaften, Sale-and-Lease-Back), and support tools (DFKP-Konditionsrechner, Digitale Selbstauskunft, Bankenspiegel). The company also operates the DFKP-Akademie for internal consultant training. The platform combines digital processes with personal advisory services through consultants at multiple German locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Betriebsmittelkredit (Working Capital Loan) Short-term business credit for covering operating expenses, with quick disbursement, flexible use of funds, and free special repayment options — designed for German SMEs.
• Firmenkredit (Business Loan) Long-term business loan with extended terms, individual structuring, and attractive interest rates for major investments by German SMEs.
• DFKP-Expresskredit (Express Loan) Fast-track credit product enabling same-day feedback and rapid financing decisions for German SMEs.
• Wachstumsfinanzierung (Growth Financing) Growth financing solution designed for German companies in expansion phases requiring capital for scaling operations.
• Kontokorrentkredit (Current Account Credit Line) Current account credit line providing flexible access to liquidity with drawdown-on-demand capability for German SMEs.
• Investitionsfinanzierung (Investment Financing) Financing solution for capital expenditures including equipment, machinery, and infrastructure investments by German SMEs.
• KfW-Unternehmerkredite (KfW Entrepreneur Loans) Access to KfW development bank loans including promotional financing for small and medium enterprises in Germany.
• Leasing & Mietkauf (Leasing and Hire-Purchase) Equipment and vehicle leasing solutions with a broad object palette covering both new and used items, with same-day offers for German SMEs.
• Einkaufsfinanzierung (Purchase Financing) Purchase financing extending payment terms to 90-360 days, protecting credit lines and enabling capture of supplier discounts for German SMEs.
• Umsatzfinanzierung (Revenue-Based Financing) Revenue-based financing tied to business revenue for flexible capital access for German SMEs.
• Factoring Accounts-receivable financing converting open invoices into immediate liquidity, with multiple contract models available for German SMEs.
• Bürgschaften (Guarantees) Guarantee products providing access to Germany's top 10 guarantee insurers for contract fulfillment guarantees for SMEs.
• Sale-and-Lease-Back Sale-leaseback arrangement allowing companies to sell depreciated but functional assets at market value while leasing them back for continued use.
• Zwischenfinanzierung (Bridge Financing) Short-term bridge financing up to €500,000 with disbursement within 48 hours and free early repayment options, designed for German SMEs.
• DFKP-Plattform (Open Lending Platform for Banks) Proprietary digital lending platform combining automated credit databases, document management, account-data analysis, and API-based real-time partner communication — offered to banks and financiers for SME borrower origination and processing.
• DFKP Partnerportal (Partner Portal) Partner portal that lets tax advisors, business consultants, and financial brokers submit financing requests for their SME clients, providing access to 200+ financiers with minimal administrative burden and maximum returns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 satisfied customers served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Digital Lending Association (DLA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025DFKP joined the DLA as a member on June 1, 2025. The partnership underscores DFKP's goal to actively shape the future of SME financing in Europe and contribute to quality, transparency, and uniform standards in the digital credit market. DFKP brings experience from 200+ financing partners and thousands of annual SME financing cases.
• Salesforce (CRM System)coreTechnology or IntegrationDFKP uses Salesforce CRM system to process customer inquiries faster and more efficiently. Salesforce processes data only for technical processing of inquiries and does not share it with third parties.
• CreditreformcoreTechnology or IntegrationDFKP obtains creditworthiness reports from Creditreform (Verband der Vereine Creditreform e.V.) for customers as part of the financing process. Identifies customers based on provided data.
• Proliance GmbH (Data Protection)minorOthersExternal data protection officer provider. Proliance certifies DFKP's GDPR compliance and provides ongoing data protection supervision with over 2,500 DACH customers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• COMPEON: German digital SME financing platform connecting mid-market companies with a large panel of banks, leasing companies, and alternative lenders. Directly comparable to DFKP in business model (multi-financier intermediation), target customer (German SMEs), and product set (loans, leasing, factoring).
• Fincompare: Berlin-based SME financing marketplace offering comparison and intermediation across bank loans, leasing, factoring, and mezzanine capital for German SMEs. Closely mirrors DFKP's value proposition of independent, multi-lender advisory with a digital application flow.
• creditshelf: Frankfurt-listed online lending platform focused on working capital and growth financing for German SMEs. Comparable to DFKP on target segment, fintech-driven credit decisioning, and reliance on partner banks and institutional capital providers.
• iwoca: London-headquartered SME lender with significant German operations offering short-term loans and revolving credit to small businesses. Also listed as a DFKP financing partner, but operates its own balance-sheet product that overlaps with DFKP's loan intermediation offering.
• Qred: Swedish-origin SME-focused digital lender active in Germany, providing small business loans and credit lines. Like iwoca, listed as a DFKP financing partner but also a partial competitor in the German SME financing market DFKP targets.
• aifinyo: Berlin-based fintech providing financing solutions (factoring, leasing, working capital) to German SMEs and freelancers. Also a DFKP financing partner, but its product set competes head-on with DFKP's alternative-financing category.

Broad incumbents

• Funding Circle: UK-headquartered SMB lending marketplace with continental European operations. Comparable business model (multi-lender SME loan origination) and technology stack, but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic scope than DFKP.
• auxmoney: Germany's largest P2P / digital lending marketplace for consumer and SME credit. Overlaps with DFKP as both a financing partner and a competitor channel for SME borrowers searching for non-bank credit in Germany.
• Check24 Vergleichsportal: Germany's largest multi-category comparison portal, with a growing SME financing comparison offering. Comparable aggregator/intermediation model and heavy digital marketing spend, but Check24 is a much broader financial services marketplace spanning insurance, banking, telecom, and more.

Emerging players

• Smava: Berlin-based loan comparison platform primarily focused on consumer credit but increasingly extending into SME financing. Comparable in digital-first customer acquisition and lender aggregation, though its core business is consumer rather than SME.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/30676930

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 DFKP