TechProtect

What TechProtect does

TechProtect GmbH is a German managed-services provider of circular-economy and product-lifecycle solutions, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Holzgerlingen, Baden-Württemberg. The company serves electronics and electrical-equipment manufacturers, with named customers including HP and Logitech, and operates across more than 35 European countries for logistics and 50 countries with 20 currencies for end-customer payouts. It packages two interrelated service lines for OEMs and brand owners: (1) end-of-life circular-economy services, including EPR/WEEE-compliant take-back, reverse logistics, refurbishment, recycling and disposal; and (2) sales-driving promotional programmes such as cashback, trade-in, demo, money-back guarantee, gift-with-purchase and competitions. These are delivered through a dedicated sales motion, supported by a multilingual Customer Care Centre operating in up to 15 languages with a 13-nationality team, and reinforced by regulatory advisory from sister company 1cc GmbH and group-level reach via the 4SquareReturn Group (with offices in Shanghai, Paris, Dallas and Corfu).

Name

TechProtect

Legal name

TechProtect GmbH

Website

https://techprotect.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

TechProtect GmbH is a German managed-services provider of circular-economy and product-lifecycle solutions for electronics OEMs, delivering take-back programmes, reverse logistics, recycling, and sales-driving promotional campaigns such as cashback, trade-in, and money-back guarantee across 35+ countries in EMEA and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circular Economy Services

NAICS

Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (8112)

SIC

Computer Peripheral Equipment, Nec (3577)

akta.pro primary industry

Electronics Refurbishment, Repair & Reuse (Remarketing/Resale) (BPALAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recycling, E-Waste & End-of-Life Takeback Programs (TLAAALAN), Product Take-Back & Reverse Logistics Programs (EUAIANAA)

Keywords

• Circular economy services
• Reverse logistics solutions
• EPR compliance management
• Product take-back programs
• Consumer marketing campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Holzgerlingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed take-back & reverse-logistics services: End-to-end managed services covering registration, reverse logistics, refurbishment, resale, recycling and disposal for manufacturers' end-of-life products. Charged as a professional/managed service engagement rather than a SaaS subscription.
2. Promotion / marketing programme execution (cashback, trade-in, money-back guarantee, demo, gift-with-purchase, competitions): Operates the full promotional campaign (branded website, registration, eligibility verification, payout, returns handling) on behalf of brand owners and retailers; engagement-based professional services revenue tied to each individual promotion.
3. EMEA-wide payout / refund processing: Handles end-customer payouts and refunds via its 50-country banking network in 20 currencies, generating transaction-based revenue on the payment volume processed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TechProtect GmbH is a German full-service provider for the circular economy, offering end-to-end take-back and recycling solutions for end-of-life products combined with marketing programs (cashback, trade-in, demo, gift-with-purchase, money-back guarantee, competitions) that support new product introductions. The company serves globally leading brands including HP and Logitech, with a pan-European logistics network spanning 35+ countries and an international banking/payout network covering 50 countries in 20 currencies.

Product overview

TechProtect GmbH offers a modular services portfolio aimed at the product lifecycle for consumer electronics and electrical/electronic OEMs, organized around two pillars: (1) marketing/promotion programs to drive sales of new products, including Cashback, Trade-in, Demo programmes, Gift-with-Purchase, Competitions (Gewinnspiele), and Money-back guarantee, and (2) end-of-life circular-economy services, including Take-back solutions, Recycling solutions, and a Worldwide logistics network. These are underpinned by enabling services — Multilingual customer support and Worldwide payouts — which together form a full-service provider model rather than a single SaaS product. Complementary AI/data work in battery analytics is delivered through the KIBAD research project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cashback Programs (Cashback Aktionen)
• Trade-In Programs (Alt-gegen-Neu)
• Demo Programs (Demo Aktionen)
• Gift-with-Purchase (Produktzugabe)
• Money-Back Guarantee (Geld-zurück-Garantie)
• Consumer Competitions (Gewinnspiele)
• Take-Back & Recycling Solutions (Rücknahme & Verwertung)

Quantifiable outcome

• Pan-European logistics network across 35+ countries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core, core and minor.

• 1cc GmbH (1cc Consulting)flagship / coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepeatedly described as TechProtect's 'sister company'. 1cc is the primary point of contact for regulatory interpretation, EPR/PPWR logic, role clarification and gap analysis; TechProtect complements this as the implementation partner, operationalising the requirements into take-back, returns, logistics and documentation processes. Joint marketing and joint exhibition (e.g., Circular Valley Convention, E-Waste World Expo) across the TechProtect and 1cc content footprints.
• 4Square Return GmbH (4SR / 4SquareReturn Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechProtect sits within the 4SquareReturn Group, which has international locations in Shanghai, Paris, Dallas and Corfu. 4Square Return's 4SR Sport Club organises joint employee events (e.g., 'Miles for Smiles' fundraiser) shared between TechProtect and 1cc.
• Hochschule Konstanz für Technik, Wirtschaft und Gestaltung (Konstanz University of Applied Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerR&D partner in the KIBAD ('AI-based Battery Data Analysis') project, kicked off on 1 March 2026 and running until February 2028. The Hochschule contributes scientific leadership under Prof. Johannes Reuter and expertise in fuzzy algorithms and ML-based battery analytics. Armin Kienle is named as the TechProtect industry partner.
• VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerActs as project management agency (Projektträger) for the KIBAD project, overseeing the use of public funding and project governance.
• SphereminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDescribed as TechProtect's 'long-standing and trusted partner'. Sphere invited TechProtect to the World Economic Forum in Davos and engaged in open, valuable exchange around sustainability, regulation and circular economy.
• Right to PlayminorOthersCharity partner: TechProtect and sister company 1cc donate proceeds from the 'Miles for Smiles' team fundraiser (organised by the 4SR Sport Club) to Right to Play, which supports play-based education for children in 15 countries.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Veolia: Veolia is a global environmental services incumbent offering waste management, recycling, water and resource recovery. Comparable to TechProtect at the recycling and take-back capability layer, but operates as a broad utility-scale incumbent rather than a niche EPR/compliance specialist for electronics OEMs.
• Remondis: Remondis is one of the largest German waste management and recycling groups, with global operations spanning water, raw materials and environmental services. Overlaps with TechProtect in recycling and reverse logistics for electronics, but is far broader in scope and infrastructure ownership.
• Conduent: Conduent provides business process services and high-volume transaction processing for government and commercial clients. Comparable to TechProtect's EMEA-wide payout/refund processing (50 countries, 20 currencies) and broader back-office processing around EPR compliance and customer-facing transactions.
• Teleperformance: Teleperformance is a global leader in outsourced multilingual customer experience management, supporting dozens of languages across industries. Comparable to TechProtect's in-house multilingual Customer Care Centre function (up to 15 languages), though Teleperformance is a broad BPO incumbent across many verticals.

Direct peers

• Bell and Howell: Bell and Howell provides reverse logistics, asset management and product lifecycle services to retailers and manufacturers in North America. Directly comparable to TechProtect in take-back programme execution, refurbishment routing and WEEE-style returns handling.
• Reverse Logistics Group (RLG): Reverse Logistics Group is an independent service provider of reverse logistics and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance for electronics and battery manufacturers across Europe. Direct competitor to TechProtect in the same EPR/WEEE, take-back and returns management niche.
• Interzero: Interzero (formerly Interseroh) is a German environmental services company providing EPR compliance, packaging licensing and recycling services to manufacturers and retailers. Head-to-head competitor to TechProtect in the German and EU EPR compliance market, with overlapping customer segments in electronics and consumer goods.
• Inmar: Inmar is a US-headquartered provider of reverse logistics, asset recovery, returns management and supply chain services for retailers, manufacturers and healthcare organisations. Closely comparable to TechProtect's take-back, refurbishment routing, and end-customer refund processing offerings, although US-centric.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TechProtectGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/techprotect-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 TechProtect