CANDIS
Berlin-based SaaS provider of an AI-powered invoice management and accounts payable automation platform for German mid-market SMEs. Cloud offering combines OCR-based data extraction, approval workflows, GoBD-certified archiving, and native integrations with DATEV, SAP Business One, and Microsoft Business Central.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CANDIS does
Candis GmbH is a Berlin-based SaaS company founded in 2015 that provides an AI-powered invoice management and accounts payable automation platform for German mid-market SMEs (the Mittelstand). The cloud platform combines OCR/ICR and NLP-based document recognition, customizable multi-step approval workflows with delegation and absence rules, GoBD-certified digital archiving under a Qualified Electronic Signature, real-time bank-account synchronization, and automated Skonto (early-payment discount) capture. Modular add-ons extend the offering into purchase requisitions, document management, contract lifecycle management, travel-expense reimbursement, expense handling, and — as of 2022 — Candis Firmenkreditkarten corporate credit cards. Candis integrates natively with the dominant German back-office stack including DATEV, SAP Business One, Microsoft Business Central, Sage 100, and Sesamsoft, and exposes a public API (Candis Schnittstelle) plus product partnerships with Addison OneClick and Agenda. The platform is operated on cloud servers in Germany and is listed on the DATEV Marktplatz and the Cloud Services Made in Germany initiative.
The business model is subscription-based, sold in module bundles with monthly or annual billing and €1.50 per-document overage charges above contracted volume; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is a hybrid product-led and sales-assisted motion: a self-serve web app and native iOS/Android apps serve SMB intake and approval workflows, while free consulting/demo CTAs, a certified partner referral program, the DATEV Marktplatz listing, and the free Candis Akademie e-learning platform support land-and-expand into larger mid-market accounts. The company has raised more than €29.9 million in cumulative disclosed funding across six rounds from 2016 through 2022, including a €15.9 million round in September 2022 co-led by Viola FinTech and Lightspeed Venture Partners; it employs 51–100 people and reports more than 10,000 business customers.
The leadership team comprises co-CEOs Christian Ritosek and (per the funding-source record) Christopher Becker, COO Linnar Schwarz, and CTO Aleksander Heimrath. Geographic focus is the DACH region; Candis AI is positioned as the differentiating engine of the platform, delivering what the company describes as up to 65% higher invoice data extraction accuracy than conventional OCR and learning from corrections across its installed base.
CANDIS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CANDIS
- Legal name
- Candis GmbH
- Website
- https://candis.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Berlin-based SaaS provider of an AI-powered invoice management and accounts payable automation platform for German mid-market SMEs. Cloud offering combines OCR-based data extraction, approval workflows, GoBD-certified archiving, and native integrations with DATEV, SAP Business One, and Microsoft Business Central.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CANDIS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CANDIS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Subscription (SaaS): Candis charges subscription fees for access to its cloud-based invoice management and financial workflow platform. Subscriptions are sold as module bundles (e.g., invoice management, approval workflows, document management, contract management, travel expenses, credit cards). Pricing follows monthly or annual cycles, with package volume limits. Documents processed beyond the contracted volume are billed at 1.50 EUR per document. The model supports land-and-expand as customers add modules over time.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Module-based SaaS subscription packages |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription with discounted billing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
CANDIS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CANDIS sells a cloud-based SaaS platform that automates accounts payable for German SMEs. It captures incoming invoices and receipts, extracts and classifies data with proprietary AI/OCR, routes documents through customizable multi-step approval workflows, synchronizes with bank accounts and company credit cards, and stores all artifacts in GoBD-certified digital archives that export natively to leading German ERPs (DATEV, SAP Business One, Microsoft Business Central, Sage 100, Sesamsoft). Adjacent modules cover purchase requisitions, contract lifecycle management, travel expense and expense reimbursement processing.
Product overview
Candis is a cloud-based invoice management and financial process automation platform designed for German SMEs (Mittelstand). The offering is structured as a unified platform (Candis) with modular add-on components. The core platform handles invoice management (Rechnungsmanagement) including invoice receipt, OCR/AI data extraction, approval workflows, and GoBD-compliant archiving. Supporting modules include Rechnungseingang (invoice receipt), Rechnungsfreigabe (invoice approval workflows with delegation and absence rules), Dokumentenmanagement (document management), Vertragsverwaltung (contract management with renewal reminders), Auslagenerstattung (expense reimbursement), and Reisekosten (travel expense management). A notable add-on is Firmenkreditkarten (company credit cards), which extends the platform for real-time transaction synchronization. Candis integrates with major German ERP and accounting systems including DATEV, SAP Business One, Microsoft Business Central, Sage 100, and Sesamsoft, and exposes a public API for partner integrations. The platform is GoBD-certified and operates on cloud servers in Germany.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Candis Rechnungsmanagement (Invoice Management Platform) Cloud-based SaaS platform that centralizes incoming invoices, receipts, travel expenses, and contracts; uses Candis AI to auto-extract and classify invoice data; routes documents through customizable multi-step approval workflows; exports to DATEV, SAP Business One, Microsoft Business Central, Sage 100, and Sesamsoft; and archives documents in a GoBD-certified digital archive. Sold on monthly or annual subscription to German SME finance teams.
- Candis Firmenkreditkarten (Company Credit Cards) Add-on product offering company-branded Visa credit cards whose transactions synchronize in real time into the Candis platform, giving finance teams integrated visibility of corporate card spend within the same approval workflow as invoices. Targeted at German SMEs looking to consolidate payment visibility and spend control.
- Candis Schnittstelle (Candis API) Public-facing API product that enables third-party developers and partners to integrate with the Candis platform for data exchange and automation of financial processes. Documentation is published at the product page; available to integrators building partner connections.
- Candis Akademie (Candis Academy) Free online learning platform offering courses on DATEV basics, payment processing, dunning management, Candis onboarding, and company credit cards; serves both customer success and top-of-funnel awareness for finance professionals.
- Candis für DATEV (Expert Service for DATEV) Expert service package for connecting Candis to DATEV, Germany's leading accounting software, including guided setup, certified DATEV integration, and ongoing support for tax consultants and SME finance teams.
Companies that use CANDIS
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CANDIS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability6 records
Feature6 records
CANDIS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DATEVcoreDATEV is a core integration partner — Candis connects natively with DATEV accounting software, enabling certified data export for tax consultants and SMEs. Candis is listed on the DATEV Marktplatz as an approved solution.
- SAP Business OnecoreCandis offers a native integration with SAP Business One ERP system, allowing SMEs using SAP to seamlessly import invoice data and export approved documents into their accounting system.
- Microsoft Business CentralcoreCandis provides a native integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, enabling SMEs using Microsoft's ERP to automate invoice processing within their existing workflow.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CANDIS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- sevDesk: German SaaS accounting and invoicing platform targeting freelancers and small businesses. Directly comparable to Candis as it competes for the same German Mittelstand and SMB finance teams with cloud-based invoice management and bookkeeping.
- Moss: Berlin-based corporate card and spend management platform for SMEs, with real-time expense capture and accounting integrations. Comparable to Candis in targeting German SMB finance teams and offering a credit card product integrated with AP workflows.
- Yokoy: Swiss-based AI-driven expense management, invoice processing, and corporate card platform for European SMEs and mid-market. Comparable to Candis on AI-powered AP automation and European SMB focus.
- Pleo: European SMB corporate card and expense management platform headquartered in Denmark. Comparable as a direct competitor in the European SME corporate card + expense category, with similar land-and-expand motion and accounting integrations.
- lexoffice (Haufe Group): Cloud accounting software from Haufe Group targeting German SMEs and freelancers, offering invoicing, expense management, and DATEV integration. Closely comparable to Candis on customer profile, product scope, and GoBD-compliant positioning.
Emerging players
- Agicap: French SMB-focused cash flow and treasury management SaaS. Comparable as a European SMB finance automation player, though focused on cash/treasury rather than AP specifically; partial overlap in customer profile and workflow automation thesis.
Broad incumbents
- DATEV: Germany's dominant tax-consultant-facing accounting and ERP software cooperative, serving the majority of German tax advisors and SMEs. Comparable as the incumbent ERP/accounting layer that Candis integrates with and competes around for upstream automation workflows.
- SAP Concur: Enterprise expense, travel, and invoice management suite owned by SAP. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping AP/expense functionality with deep ERP integration, though primarily targeting larger enterprises than Candis's Mittelstand focus.
- AvidXchange: US-listed AP automation platform for mid-market. Comparable as a broader incumbent in invoice/AP automation with ERP integrations and AI data extraction, though focused on US mid-market rather than European SMB.
- Bill.com: US-listed SMB AP automation platform with corporate card and spend management offerings. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the SMB AP automation category with similar module-based SaaS and AI-extraction positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CANDIS social profiles
Digital presenceCANDIS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
CANDIS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CANDIS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
CANDIS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CANDIS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CANDIS
What does CANDIS do?
CANDIS sells a cloud-based SaaS platform that automates accounts payable for German SMEs. It captures incoming invoices and receipts, extracts and classifies data with proprietary AI/OCR, routes documents through customizable multi-step approval workflows, synchronizes with bank accounts and company credit cards, and stores all artifacts in GoBD-certified digital archives that export natively to leading German ERPs (DATEV, SAP Business One, Microsoft Business Central, Sage 100, Sesamsoft). Adjacent modules cover purchase requisitions, contract lifecycle management, travel expense and expense reimbursement processing.
Is CANDIS a public or private company?
CANDIS is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was CANDIS founded?
CANDIS was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CANDIS based?
CANDIS is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does CANDIS make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Subscription (SaaS).
Who are CANDIS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are sevDesk, Moss, Yokoy, Pleo and lexoffice (Haufe Group). Agicap is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are DATEV, SAP Concur, AvidXchange and Bill.com.
Does CANDIS have an API?
Yes. Candis offers a public-facing API (Candis Schnittstelle) that enables developers and partners to integrate with the Candis platform. The API allows third-party systems to connect to Candis for data exchange and automation of financial processes. Details on protocol type, authentication, rate limits, and versioning are not specified in the available source material. Developer documentation is at www.candis.io/candis-schnittstelle.