petaFuel GmbH
petaFuel GmbH is a German certified payment processor and card issuer offering credit card processing, 3-D Secure authentication, and the VIMpay mobile payment app to banks, financial institutions, and enterprises across the DACH region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersFreising, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What petaFuel GmbH does
petaFuel GmbH is a German certified Payment Service Provider and credit card processor headquartered in Freising, Bavaria, founded in 2004. The company operates two flagship products: VIMpay, a consumer mobile payment and multibanking application with over 1 million downloads supporting Apple Pay, Google Pay, and wearable payment integrations (Garmin Pay, Swatch Pay, Fidesmo, DIGISEQ); and Styx XS2A, an open-source PSD2 XS2A client implementing the Berlin Group NextGenPSD2 specification for third-party providers. Complementing these products, petaFuel delivers fully certified credit card processing across all major card schemes (Mastercard, Visa, JCB, American Express, Girocard), BIN Sponsoring and card issuing services in partnership with PayCenter E-Geld-Institut, and an EMVCo-certified 3-D Secure Access Control Server.
The underlying technology stack includes a proprietary high-availability in-house authorization platform with rule-based processing, parameterized limits, and geo-blocking; native iOS and Android mobile applications; and a Java-based backend. petaFuel holds ISO27001 (TÜV SÜD), PCI-DSS, and EMVCo 3DS 2.0/1.0 certifications with Mastercard Identity Check accreditation, creating a regulatory moat that constrains new market entrants. The company has deployed AI and GenAI-based fraud detection in partnership with Elastic for real-time risk management.
petaFuel serves three primary customer segments: banks and financial institutions requiring certified processing infrastructure (Sparda-Banken, Augsburger Aktienbank/netbank, C24 Bank, Fidor Bank, FinXP), enterprises needing white-label payment and employee card solutions (Infineon Campeon Card), and end consumers using the VIMpay app through bank co-branding models. Revenue is generated through transaction-based processing fees, recurring card-issuing and BIN Sponsoring fees, 3-D Secure service subscriptions, and professional services for custom mobile app development. The company operates as a privately held German GmbH with founder-led management (CEO Dr. Peter Schönweitz, CTO/COO Ludwig Adam) and no disclosed external venture or private equity investors beyond a 2015 EISMEA grant of approximately $1.37M.
petaFuel GmbH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- petaFuel GmbH
- Legal name
- petaFuel GmbH
- Website
- https://petafuel.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- petaFuel GmbH is a German certified payment processor and card issuer offering credit card processing, 3-D Secure authentication, and the VIMpay mobile payment app to banks, financial institutions, and enterprises across the DACH region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
petaFuel GmbH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing Software and Services
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Prepaid Card Program Managers & Issuers (BIN Sponsors) (FSAMANAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Card Issuing & Program Management Platforms (BPAMAFAH), Mobile Wallets (NFC Tap-to-Pay / HCE) (FSAMAEAB), Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA)
Keywords
Where petaFuel GmbH is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Freising
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
petaFuel GmbH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Payment Processing Fees: Transaction-based fees from processing credit card and debit card payments across all card schemes (Mastercard, Visa, JCB, American Express, Girocard). Handles millions of authorizations annually.
- Card Issuing Services: BIN Sponsoring and card issuing services for Prepaid, Debit, Credit, Business, and Gift cards through PayCenter partnership. Revenue from card issuance and management fees.
- PSD2/XS2A Services: Styx XS2A client is free open-source; revenue derived from related consulting, implementation support, and enterprise services.
- Mobile App Development Services: Custom mobile app development services for payment and banking applications, including iOS/Android native development, testing, and go-live support.
- 3-D Secure Services: Certified 3-D Secure issuer service for e-commerce authentication, supporting all major card schemes and PSD2 compliance.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
petaFuel GmbH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
petaFuel GmbH is a certified Payment Service Provider and credit card processor operating its own in-house authorization platform. The company processes billions of transactions annually across Mastercard, Visa, JCB, American Express, and Girocard, and provides BIN Sponsoring and card issuing for Prepaid, Debit, Credit, Business, and Gift cards in partnership with PayCenter. Its product portfolio includes the VIMpay mobile payment and multibanking app (1M+ downloads), the open-source Styx PSD2 XS2A client, a certified 3-D Secure ACS service, and custom native mobile app development for iOS and Android.
Product overview
petaFuel GmbH operates as a certified Payment Service Provider and credit card processor offering a portfolio of payment solutions centered around two core products: VIMpay (a mobile payment and banking app) and Styx XS2A (an open-source PSD2 XS2A Client). These are complemented by payment processing services (credit card processing, BIN sponsoring) and a 3-D Secure authentication service. The company also provides custom mobile app development services. petaFuel works closely with PayCenter (an e-money institute) to deliver end-to-end payment solutions including digital card issuance, multibanking via HBCI/XS2A, and mobile payment wallet integrations (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Garmin Pay, Swatch Pay, Fidesmo, DIGISEQ).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VIMpay: Mobile payment and multibanking app for contactless payments with smartphone and wearables, mobile multibanking, and digital payment card issuance
- Styx XS2A
Products and services
- VIMpay Mobile payment and multibanking application enabling contactless payments via smartphone, smartwatch, and wearables (Garmin, Swatch, Fidesmo, DIGISEQ), with Apple Pay and Google Pay support, multibanking via HBCI and XS2A, P2P transfers, and instant digital card issuing. Distributed to consumers via app stores and to end customers under co-branding by partner banks (e.g., Sparda-Banken, netbank).
- Styx XS2A Open-source PSD2 XS2A client implementing the Berlin Group NextGenPSD2 specification, allowing third-party providers (TPPs) to access account information services and payment initiation services of banks across Germany and Europe. Distributed as open-source software on GitHub.
- Payment Processing Fully certified credit card processing service for all major card schemes (Prepaid, Debit, Credit, Business, and Gift) across Mastercard, Visa, JCB, American Express, and Girocard, backed by petaFuel's in-house authorization platform with rule-based processing, parameterized BIN/PAN/Card-level limits, geo-blocking, and BIN Sponsoring through PayCenter. Designed for banks and E-Geld-Institutes.
- 3-D Secure Service Certified 3-D Secure Service Provider offering an in-house Access Control Server (ACS) compliant with PSD2 and supporting EMVCo 3DS 2.0 and 1.0 for Mastercard Identity Check, Verified by Visa, American Express SafeKey, and JCB J/Secure, with modern authentication methods (OTP, OOB, Risk-Based Authentication). Delivered to issuers and merchants.
- Mobile App Development Custom native mobile application development service for iOS and Android covering UI/UX design, agile development, testing, and go-live support, with focus on financial and payment applications for banks and enterprise clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1 million VIMpay app downloads
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use petaFuel GmbH
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
petaFuel GmbH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
AI capability1 record
Feature5 records
petaFuel GmbH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- PayCentercoreLong-standing strategic partnership with PayCenter, an E-Geld-Institut specializing in prepaid card business. Together they offer innovative products for the payment market, providing BIN Sponsoring and card issuing services. petaFuel and PayCenter work together daily and belong together, enabling a broad product portfolio for the financial market.
- MastercardcoreMastercard is the primary card scheme partner for processing and issuing. petaFuel operates as a certified processor for all Mastercard card types including Prepaid, Debit, Credit, Business, and Gift cards.
- VisacoreVisa is a primary card scheme partner. petaFuel processes Visa transactions and supports Visa payment technologies including 3-D Secure (Verified by Visa).
- ApplecoreVIMpay integrates with Apple Pay for contactless mobile payment via iPhone and Apple Watch. petaFuel connected through Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES).
- GooglecoreVIMpay integrates with Google Pay for contactless mobile payment via Android devices. Connected through Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES).
- EMVCocoreEMVCo is the standards body for payment specifications. petaFuel's 3-D Secure solution is certified by EMVCo for 3DS 2.0 and 1.0 protocols.
- Sparda-BankencoreSelected Sparda banks offer their customers VIMpay Sparda for mobile payment through a co-branding model. Customers can access mobile payment with benefits specific to their partner bank.
- Augsburger Aktienbank / netbankcoreAugsburger Aktienbank uses the Instant Issuing integration model, allowing their customers to receive a Mastercard directly within the VIMpay app. The digital card is immediately available for mobile payment.
- InfineoncoreInfineon uses the Campeon Card - a multifunctional employee ID card with contactless payment function based on balance, integrated access control, and additional features, all delivered through VIMpay Company Integration model.
- GirocardcoreGirocard is a German domestic payment card system. petaFuel supports Girocard processing and branding.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
petaFuel GmbH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Giesecke+Devrient (G+D): Germany-based global provider of payment, secure connectivity, and identity solutions. G+D directly competes with petaFuel in card issuing, processing, and mobile payment infrastructure for banks and corporates.
- Concardis (part of Worldline): German payment processor offering card acceptance, processing, and merchant services. Direct competitor to petaFuel in DACH bank-channel payment processing and BIN-related services.
- Netcetera: Swiss-German payment software company providing 3-D Secure ACS, digital payments, and mobile payment apps. Closely comparable to petaFuel's Styx XS2A, 3-D Secure, and VIMpay offerings for European banks.
- Marqeta: Card-issuing platform providing BIN sponsorship, processing, and modern APIs for fintech and corporate card programs. Directly comparable to petaFuel's card issuing and processing stack built around PayCenter BIN sponsorship.
- Solaris SE: Germany-based embedded finance / Banking-as-a-Service platform offering payment, card issuing, and digital banking infrastructure. Comparable to petaFuel as a regulated-stack enabler for non-bank and bank clients.
- Ratepay: German payment service provider offering white-label invoicing, instalment, and direct debit processing for merchants. Comparable DACH-region PSP competing for bank and enterprise payment relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Adyen: Global payments platform offering unified processing for cards and digital wallets. Larger incumbent with overlapping capabilities in card processing and tokenized mobile payments that petaFuel targets via Apple Pay / Google Pay integrations.
- Stripe (Stripe Payments Europe): Global payment processor and technology provider with growing presence in European bank and PSD2 infrastructure. Direct adjacency to petaFuel's processing and authorization services at a much broader scale.
Emerging players
- Tink (Visa-owned): European open-banking aggregation platform providing PSD2 XS2A connectivity - closely adjacent to petaFuel's open-source Styx XS2A client - and increasingly competing for third-party-provider connectivity contracts.
- Banked: European open-banking and PSD2 payment-rail provider enabling account-to-account payments and XS2A connectivity. Comparable to petaFuel's Styx XS2A positioning as a developer-friendly PSD2 layer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
petaFuel GmbH social profiles
Digital presencepetaFuel GmbH compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
petaFuel GmbH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
petaFuel GmbH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
petaFuel GmbH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
petaFuel GmbH 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 petaFuel GmbH
What does petaFuel GmbH do?
petaFuel GmbH is a certified Payment Service Provider and credit card processor operating its own in-house authorization platform. The company processes billions of transactions annually across Mastercard, Visa, JCB, American Express, and Girocard, and provides BIN Sponsoring and card issuing for Prepaid, Debit, Credit, Business, and Gift cards in partnership with PayCenter. Its product portfolio includes the VIMpay mobile payment and multibanking app (1M+ downloads), the open-source Styx PSD2 XS2A client, a certified 3-D Secure ACS service, and custom native mobile app development for iOS and Android.
Is petaFuel GmbH a public or private company?
petaFuel GmbH is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was petaFuel GmbH founded?
petaFuel GmbH was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is petaFuel GmbH based?
petaFuel GmbH is headquartered in Freising, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does petaFuel GmbH make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Payment Processing Fees are the primary driver. The others are card Issuing Services, PSD2/XS2A Services, mobile App Development Services and 3-D Secure Services.
Who are petaFuel GmbH's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Giesecke+Devrient (G+D), Concardis (part of Worldline), Netcetera, Marqeta, Solaris SE and Ratepay. Broad incumbents are Adyen and Stripe (Stripe Payments Europe). Emerging players are Tink (Visa-owned) and Banked.
Does petaFuel GmbH have an API?
No public API is recorded for petaFuel GmbH.
What industry is petaFuel GmbH in?
petaFuel GmbH's product category is Payment Processing Software and Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMANAK, Prepaid Card Program Managers & Issuers (BIN Sponsors), with a secondary code of BPAMAFAH, Card Issuing & Program Management Platforms. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 7372.