VR Smart Guide

What VR Smart Guide does

VR Smart Guide GmbH is a German SaaS company that provides cloud-based accounting and financial management software for self-employed professionals, freelancers, and small businesses with 0–10 employees. The core platform combines professional invoice creation (including XRechnung-compliant e-invoices for German B2G transactions), document lifecycle management (quotes, order confirmations, delivery notes), digital cash book recording, document digitization, and preparatory bookkeeping with DATEV export to tax advisors. A native multibanking feature aggregates accounts from Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, Sparkassen, ING, Commerzbank, DKB, N26, PayPal, American Express and others via Open Banking. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VR Smart Finanz within the Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, headquartered in Eschborn near Frankfurt am Main, with 11–50 employees.

The company's primary technical differentiator is FinCheck, an AI-powered financial assistant available as a free mobile app (iOS/Android), which delivers daily-updated liquidity forecasting, predictive analytics on financial status, anomaly detection on transaction streams, and a recommendation engine that surfaces tailored financial products (loans, object financing, insurance, debt collection). A dedicated 'FinCheck für Banken' version is deployed into the partner-bank network to identify SME financing opportunities in real time. The platform runs on Google Cloud infrastructure in German data centers, is GDPR-compliant, and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified.

The business model combines a tiered SaaS subscription (€10/month for Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken primary account holders, €18/month otherwise, with a 14-day free trial) with transaction-fee revenue from credit mediation. When customers originate business loans (€5,000–€100,000) or object financing (up to €250,000) via the embedded credit platform, VR Smart Guide earns commissions from parent VR Smart Finanz. Distribution is a hybrid model: direct self-serve digital acquisition through web and mobile, complemented by embedded referrals from over 700 cooperative bank branches in Germany.

Name

VR Smart Guide

Legal name

VR Smart Guide GmbH

Website

https://vr-smart-guide.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VR Smart Guide is a German SaaS company offering AI-powered cloud accounting, multibanking, and embedded financing for self-employed professionals, freelancers, and SMBs with 0–10 employees. It operates as a subsidiary of VR Smart Finanz within the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken cooperative banking network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud-based SMB Accounting & Financial Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Sales Financing (52222)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Expense Tracking & Financial Dashboards (FSAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Budgeting & Cash-Flow Management (FSAGADAA)

Keywords

• Cloud accounting software
• Small business bookkeeping
• Multibanking integration
• AI financial forecasting
• DATEV export compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Eschborn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue - With VR Konto: Monthly subscription fee of 10.00 EUR (net) for users who maintain a Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken account as their primary bank account within VR Smart Guide. This discounted tier incentivizes customers to consolidate their banking with the cooperative banking group.
2. Subscription Revenue - Without VR Konto: Monthly subscription fee of 18.00 EUR (net) for users without a Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken primary account. Standard pricing tier for customers using other banking institutions.
3. Credit Mediation Commission: VR Smart Guide earns commissions when successfully mediating credit products from partner VR Smart Finanz to small business customers. The platform facilitates business loans (5,000-100,000 EUR) and object financing (up to 250,000 EUR) through the digital credit platform.
4. FinCheck App (Free Tier): The FinCheck AI financial assistant is offered free of charge, serving as a customer acquisition and engagement tool. It identifies financial needs and recommends appropriate products and services within the VR Smart Guide ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

VR Smart Guide provides a cloud-based SaaS accounting and financial management platform for German self-employed professionals, freelancers, and small businesses (0-10 employees). The platform covers the full business workflow from quote creation, invoicing (including XRechnung), bookkeeping, document digitization, multibanking aggregation, and DATEV export to tax advisors. It also embeds the FinCheck AI-powered financial assistant for real-time liquidity forecasting and personalized financial product recommendations, plus integrated credit access (5,000-250,000 EUR) through its parent VR Smart Finanz.

Product overview

VR Smart Guide is a unified AI-powered financial and accounting platform for German self-employed professionals, freelancers, and small businesses (0-10 employees). The core platform (VR Smart Guide) provides end-to-end business workflow management including quotes (Angebot), order confirmations (Auftragsbestätigung), invoicing with XRechnung support, delivery notes (Lieferschein), bookkeeping, receipt digitization, a digital cash book, multibanking aggregation, and DATEV export for tax advisors. This core is complemented by FinCheck — the company's AI-based financial assistant available as a mobile app (iOS/Android) — which provides real-time liquidity forecasting, financial predictions, and personalized financial product recommendations. The platform also embeds financing products (Unternehmerkredit and Objektfinanzierung) in partnership with VR Smart Finanz for seamless credit access. A dedicated FinCheck für Banken module enables partner banks to identify financing opportunities with their SME customers. Pricing is tiered at €10/month (net) for VR Bank customers and €18/month (net) otherwise, with a 14-day free trial including full Premium features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FinCheck: AI-based financial assistant app that identifies financial needs in real-time and provides access to recommended financial products
• VR Smart flexibel
• VR Smart express

Products and services

• VR Smart Guide Core Platform Unified cloud-based accounting and financial management SaaS platform for German self-employed professionals, freelancers, and small businesses (0-10 employees). Covers the full business workflow from quotes and invoicing through bookkeeping, document digitization, cash management, multibanking, and DATEV export to tax advisors.
• FinCheck AI Financial Assistant AI-powered financial assistant (available as a free mobile app for iOS and Android) that identifies financial needs in real-time, provides daily-updated liquidity forecasting, delivers financial status predictions, and recommends tailored financial products. Includes a dedicated version for partner banks to identify financing opportunities with their SME customers.
• Unternehmerkredit VR Smart flexibel (Business Credit) Flexible unsecured business loan product providing additional liquidity of 5,000 EUR to 100,000 EUR with terms of 6 to 72 months. Features include digital application and approval, no collateral required, free early repayment, rate pauses, and additional liquidity options. Offered by VR Smart Finanz Bank.
• Objektfinanzierung VR Smart express (Object Financing) Object financing product for investments up to 250,000 EUR, comparable to a hire-purchase arrangement. Features include 100% digital application, no additional creditworthiness documentation required, flexible terms up to 96 months, and payout typically within 24 hours. Offered by VR Smart Finanz.
• Digitales Kassenbuch (Digital Cash Book) Digital cash book module for capturing and managing cash transactions in compliance with German cash register regulations (GoBD). Enables proper recording of cash receipts and payments with automatic integration into the overall accounting system.
• FinCheck für Banken (FinCheck for Banks) Dedicated version of the FinCheck AI assistant for partner banks (Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken). Enables bank relationship managers to identify financing needs among their SME customers at the right moment and offer tailored solutions, driving digital sales support.
• Multibanking Multi-bank aggregation feature connecting accounts from various German banks (Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, Sparkassen, DKB, N26, ING, Commerzbank, and others) and payment services (PayPal, American Express) into a single dashboard. Enables real-time transaction monitoring, automatic payment matching, and unified financial overview.
• FinCheck App (iOS/Android) Free mobile companion app for iOS and Android that provides the FinCheck AI financial assistant on the go. Enables receipt and invoice capture via photo, real-time liquidity monitoring, financial forecasts, and product recommendations. Functions as a complement to the web-based VR Smart Guide platform.
• FinCheck für Banken (FinCheck for Banks) Dedicated version of the FinCheck AI assistant for partner banks (Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken). Enables bank relationship managers to identify financing needs among their SME customers at the right moment and offer tailored solutions, driving digital sales support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Business credit decisions within minutes, disbursement typically within 24 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Volksbanken RaiffeisenbankencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVR Smart Guide is part of the Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken. The product is distributed through the cooperative banking network's branches, and the discounted pricing tier (10 EUR/month) applies when customers use a Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken account as their primary bank account. FinCheck enables partner banks to identify customer financial needs and offer appropriate products.
• VR Smart FinanzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVR Smart Guide GmbH is a subsidiary of VR Smart Finanz, which is the parent company providing financial products including business credit (VR Smart flexibel) and object financing (VR Smart express). VR Smart Guide serves as the digital distribution and customer acquisition platform for VR Smart Finanz products.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lexoffice: Lexoffice is the leading cloud-based accounting software for German freelancers, self-employed, and SMBs. It competes head-to-head with VR Smart Guide on invoicing, bookkeeping, DATEV export, and bank reconciliation for the same German SMB segment.
• SevDesk: SevDesk offers online accounting, invoicing, and financial management for German freelancers and SMBs, with DATEV export and bank integrations. It is one of the most direct competitors to VR Smart Guide in the German SMB accounting software market.
• Sage Business Cloud Accounting: Sage Business Cloud Accounting (formerly Sage One / Sage 50cloud) targets German SMBs with bookkeeping, invoicing, and tax compliance tools. It competes with VR Smart Guide for SMB accounting seats and offers DATEV-style integrations in Germany.
• BuchhaltungsButler: BuchhaltungsButler is a German SMB-focused bookkeeping and invoicing SaaS offering DATEV export and bank integrations. It targets the same freelancer/SMB customer profile as VR Smart Guide and competes on similar core workflows.
• FastBill: FastBill is a German cloud accounting and invoicing platform for SMBs and freelancers, with DATEV export and tax-advisor workflows. It overlaps with VR Smart Guide in features, pricing, and target customer.
• Collmex: Collmex is a German cloud accounting, ERP, and invoicing platform for SMBs with DATEV integration. It serves a similar freelancer/SMB segment to VR Smart Guide and competes on workflow automation and bookkeeping.

Emerging players

• Candis: Candis is a German fintech automating invoice processing, approval workflows, and accounting for SMBs and finance teams. It overlaps with VR Smart Guide on invoice capture, document digitization, and bookkeeping automation for the German market.
• iwoca: iwoca is a UK/German fintech providing short-term working-capital loans to SMBs via a digital, automated underwriting platform. As a listed partner on VR Smart Guide, iwoca represents the type of embedded SMB lender competing in the same credit products VR Smart Guide mediates.
• GetMyInvoices: GetMyInvoices is a German invoice collection and document management SaaS for SMBs and accountants. It competes with VR Smart Guide's document digitization, multibanking aggregation, and invoice-to-accounting automation features.

Broad incumbents

• DATEV: DATEV is the dominant German cooperative-IT provider for tax advisors, accountants, and SMBs, offering bookkeeping, payroll, and tax-compliance software. While VR Smart Guide exports into DATEV, DATEV itself (and its partner ecosystem) represents the broader incumbent ecosystem VR Smart Guide positions alongside.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiQ5VyORbx16tXxl-ZzbZ3w
• Facebookfacebook.com/VRSmartGuide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vr-smart-guide
• Instagraminstagram.com/vr_smart_guide

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 VR Smart Guide