MSP

What MSP does

MSP AG is a Hamburg-based IT services and marketing technology company founded in 2004, operating with 51-100 employees across DACH markets (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The firm is a certified implementation partner for censhare and builds proprietary extensions on top of the platform, including its heartpiece product data hub (combining PIM, DAM, CMS, CSDDD and DPP), the MSP Mediabox download portal, the Retail Module (Handelsmodul), the Workfront Connector for Adobe Workfront, and the recently launched MSP ai-connector for translation, image cropping and marketing text generation. The core technical architecture is a content and product data hub positioned around EU Digital Product Passport compliance and CIRPASS orientation, integrated into enterprise marketing operations.

The business model blends recurring software revenue — from censhare licensing and heartpiece subscriptions — with professional services for implementation and customization, and ongoing managed IT services including managed firewall, endpoint management via Filewave, Linux administration, Qumulo-scale file storage, and Bareos-based backup. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise software and IT infrastructure, with hourly billing for IT service work and net-7 payment terms; revenue is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is sales-led direct to enterprise accounts, supplemented by the censhare partner ecosystem for marketing software and website inquiries for mid-market prospects.

Primary customer segments are enterprise marketing departments, manufacturers, and retailers requiring integrated marketing and product data workflows with regulatory compliance; secondary segments include organizations outsourcing IT operations. The leadership team consists of CEO Michael Ehlers, board member Max Pusch and supervisory board chair Frank Schumacher; ownership appears founder/management-led with no disclosed external private equity backing.

Name

MSP

Legal name

MSP AG

Website

https://mspag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MSP AG is a Hamburg-based IT services and marketing technology firm implementing the censhare platform and proprietary modules — including the heartpiece product data hub — for DACH enterprise marketing departments, manufacturers and retailers, with complementary managed IT services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Technology Implementation Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Facilities Management Services (541513), Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Application Data Migration & Master Data Management Services (BPAEAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Endpoint & Device Management (UEM/MDM) Services (BPAEABAF), Backup & DR Software Implementation & Managed Platforms (BPAEALAI)

Keywords

• Marketing automation software
• Managed IT services
• Product information management
• Digital asset management
• Enterprise IT infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IT Services: Full-service IT guidance, support and assistance including managed services, infrastructure management, and technical consulting
2. Professional Services: Implementation and consulting services for censhare platform and custom solutions, including project management, software projects, and support
3. Software Licensing: Sale and implementation of censhare marketing platform and related software products
4. heartpiece Product: Centralized product data management solution for manufacturers and retailers with sustainability data and CIRPASS orientation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MSP AG implements and extends the censhare marketing software platform for enterprise customers, covering Product Information Management (PIM), Digital Asset Management (DAM), Content Management (CMS), Cross-Selling and DTP, and Digital Product Passports (DPP). In parallel, the company delivers managed IT services including firewall, endpoint management, file storage, and backup. Its proprietary heartpiece product data hub consolidates product information from disparate enterprise systems into a single, harmonized source for downstream marketing and commerce use.

Product overview

MSP AG offers integrated marketing software solutions and IT services, structured around the censhare marketing platform as the core product. The censhare platform provides all-in-one content hub functionality combining PIM, DAM, CMS, CSDDD, and DPP capabilities. MSP extends censhare with specialized modules including ai-connector for AI integration, heartpiece as a dedicated product data hub, MSP Mediabox for download portals, the Retail Module for advertising material planning, and the Workfront Connector for Adobe Workfront integration. The company also provides IT services including Qumulo file storage, Bareos backup solutions, and Filewave endpoint management. The product portfolio is designed for marketing efficiency and operational digitization across B2B and B2C channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• heartpiece: Product data hub solution combining PIM + DAM + CMS + CSDDD + DPP with sustainability data support and CIRPASS orientation for EU-compliant product information.
• censhare
• Mediabox
• AI Connector

Products and services

• censhare Marketing Platform Implementation Implementation, customization, and operation of the censhare marketing platform for enterprises. Covers Product Information Management (PIM), Digital Asset Management (DAM), Content Management (CMS), Cross-Selling and Desktop Publishing (CSDDD), and Digital Product Passports (DPP). Targets enterprise marketing and product information teams that need an integrated system of record for marketing content and product data.
• heartpiece Proprietary product data hub that consolidates product information from heterogeneous enterprise source systems and harmonizes it into a single dataset for use with censhare and downstream marketing or commerce systems. Aimed at enterprises with fragmented PIM landscapes that need one consolidated source of product truth.
• MSP ai-connector AI-powered module that integrates generative AI services with the censhare platform to automate translation, image cropping, and marketing text generation within marketing workflows. Built for marketing teams that want to reduce manual content production effort and shorten time-to-market.
• Managed IT Services Recurring managed IT services for enterprise customers, including managed firewall, endpoint management, file storage, and backup. Operated from Germany under ISO 27001 information security certification, providing continuous monitoring and operations for mid-sized and enterprise customers.
• Qumulo File Storage Managed high-performance, scalable file storage service based on Qumulo technology. Delivered by MSP AG as part of its managed IT services portfolio for customers with large, growing unstructured data needs such as media, marketing, and engineering workloads.
• Bareos Backup Enterprise backup service built on the Bareos open-source backup platform, delivered by MSP AG as part of its managed IT services. Designed for customers that need reliable, auditable backup of business-critical data in conjunction with their managed IT operations.
• Filewave Endpoint Management Managed endpoint management service based on the Filewave platform, providing centralized administration of desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Targets enterprise IT teams that want a single pane of glass for endpoint configuration, software distribution, and compliance.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• viingx AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2021MSP AG strategically invested in viingx AG and took one of three board seats. Both companies benefit from expanded partner networks and technology sharing. MSP gains greater flexibility in projects and access to new markets through this partnership.
• EMMspherecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2019Joint venture 'Emmsphere Plus' combining core competencies of both MSP and EMMsphere for holistic censhare solutions and services. Created to address challenges faced by leading brands.
• censharecoreTechnology or IntegrationMSP is a certified censhare partner implementing and supporting the censhare marketing automation platform including All-in-One Content Hub, Retail Module, and Workfront Connector integrations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• censhare AG: censhare AG is the vendor of the All-in-One Marketing Platform that MSP implements and extends. MSP's core services, modules (Mediabox, Retail Module, Workfront Connector), and heartpiece product are all built on top of censhare, making it the most directly comparable counterparty in the stack.
• EMMsphere GmbH: EMMsphere is a censhare-focused consulting and implementation partner that MSP jointly operates Emmsphere Plus with. The two firms share target customers (leading brands on censhare) and overlapping service offerings, making them the closest peer in the censhare implementation ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Allgeier SE: Allgeier is a listed German IT services group offering enterprise software consulting, managed services, and digitalization across DACH. It overlaps with MSP in IT services and enterprise application implementation but at significantly larger scale.
• q.beyond AG: q.beyond is a German IT and cloud services provider for SMEs and mid-market, offering managed services, cloud, and SAP-related consulting. It competes with MSP on managed IT services and infrastructure mandates in the DACH mid-market.
• Arvato Systems GmbH: Arvato Systems (Bertelsmann subsidiary) is a major German IT services provider with a marketing technology and content management practice. It competes with MSP on larger enterprise implementations and brings broader platform coverage.
• T-Systems International GmbH: T-Systems is the enterprise IT services arm of Deutsche Telekom, delivering managed infrastructure, cloud, and digital transformation to large German and European clients. It is a broader incumbent against which MSP's IT services arm competes on enterprise infrastructure deals.
• valantic GmbH: valantic is a larger German digital transformation consultancy spanning ERP, CRM, and marketing technology implementation. It competes with MSP for mid-market enterprise marketing/IT mandates but operates at greater scale and across more platforms.

Emerging players

• Stibo Systems: Stibo Systems provides master data management (MDM) and Product Information Management (PIM) platforms used by manufacturers and retailers. It is a direct competitor to heartpiece in the PIM/MDM layer of MSP's stack.
• nexum AG: nexum is a German communications and marketing technology consultancy working with brands on content, commerce, and platform implementations. It overlaps with MSP on marketing platform delivery for DACH enterprise clients.
• WoodWing BV: WoodWing is a Dutch software vendor focused on digital asset management and content workflow tools used by publishers and brand marketers. It is a niche competitor to heartpiece on the DAM portion of the PIM/DAM/CMS stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msp-ag

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 MSP