What NetKnights does

NetKnights GmbH is a privately held German IT-security company headquartered in Kassel that specializes in multi-factor authentication, encryption, and PKI. The firm is the principal developer and commercial steward of privacyIDEA, an open-source, Python-based MFA platform supporting a broad range of token types including OTP (HOTP/TOTP), Push tokens, U2F/FIDO2/WebAuthn, smartcards, SMS, email, and hardware tokens such as YubiKey and Nitrokey. The product is designed for flexible, modular deployment into existing IT infrastructures via REST API, SAML, LDAP, and RADIUS, with native plugins for simpleSAMLphp, Keycloak, ADFS, Gluu, Shibboleth, ownCloud, Nextcloud, Univention Corporate Server, and Windows Credential Provider.

The company's business model operates on a freemium/open-core basis: privacyIDEA is distributed free under an open-source license, while NetKnights monetizes through PrivacyIDEA Enterprise Edition subscriptions (annual), professional services such as consulting and integration, support contracts, and paid workshops. Workshops are priced at 90 EUR plus VAT per participant, with free attendance granted to Enterprise Edition support customers. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales with a partner channel that includes technology partners (Univention, ownCloud, Nitrokey, Axiad IDS), implementation partners (BNC AG, IT-Schmid, Siedl Networks, m.a.x. it), and marketplace presence through the Univention App Center.

NetKnights primarily serves European mid-market and enterprise customers across healthcare, manufacturing, education, and research sectors, with selected US engagements and a notable deployment at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The company is led by Managing Director Cornelius Kölbel, maintains 11-50 employees, and operates as a founder-controlled GmbH without disclosed venture funding. Strategic emphasis is on vendor-independent authentication without vendor lock-in, no vendor-determined end-of-life, and continuous platform modernization, evidenced by the privacyIDEA 3.13 release in April 2026 that introduced enhanced passkey functionality, offline authentication, and a modernized WebUI.

Name

NetKnights

Legal name

NetKnights GmbH

Website

https://netknights.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NetKnights GmbH is a German IT-security firm in Kassel that develops and commercializes privacyIDEA, an open-source multi-factor authentication platform serving European and US enterprises across healthcare, education, manufacturing, and research sectors via subscriptions, support, and professional services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Factor Authentication Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Authentication (MFA/Passwordless/Biometrics) Platforms (BPAMAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) & Passwordless Authentication (HDAEAJAC)

Keywords

• Multi-factor authentication
• Two-factor authentication software
• Identity and access management
• Open-source authentication
• Enterprise IT security

Headquarters

HQ city

Kassel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PrivacyIDEA Enterprise Edition Subscriptions: The company offers Enterprise Edition subscriptions for organizations requiring reliable update processes, professional support, and additional features. Available for Ubuntu LTS, CentOS/RHEL, and Univention Corporate Server with optional appliance for rapid deployment including master-master replication.
2. Professional Services: NetKnights provides consulting services including integration, development, and one-time services. The company also offers workshop training programs, with workshops priced at 90 EUR plus VAT per participant (free for Enterprise Edition support customers).
3. Support Services: Ongoing support services for privacyIDEA installations, including remote support capabilities. Support is available as part of Enterprise Edition subscriptions or as standalone services.
4. Open Source Community Model: privacyIDEA is available as open-source software with no vendor-determined end-of-life, allowing unlimited use. Enterprise Edition provides additional support tiers and reliable update processes for mission-critical deployments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NetKnights GmbH develops, maintains and commercializes privacyIDEA, an open-source multi-factor authentication (MFA) system written in Python that supports a broad range of token types (HOTP/TOTP, Push, U2F, WebAuthn, TiQR, SMS, Email, Smartcards, Yubikey). The company offers a free open-source community edition alongside a commercially supported Enterprise Edition subscription, plus consulting, integration and training services for organizations deploying the software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• privacyIDEA: Open-source multi-factor authentication (MFA) software solution that provides flexible and scalable authentication with support for various token types including push tokens, OTP, U2F, smartcards, and passkeys.
• privacyIDEA Authenticator App

Products and services

• privacyIDEA Enterprise Edition Subscription-based commercial edition of the privacyIDEA MFA system with reliable update processes, professional support, and optional appliance for rapid deployment including master-master replication, targeted at organizations running mission-critical authentication infrastructure.
• privacyIDEA Open Source Free open-source community edition of privacyIDEA with full source code access, no vendor-determined end-of-life, available for any Linux distribution, intended for technical users, smaller organizations and the open-source community.
• privacyIDEA PAM Pluggable Authentication Module enabling privacyIDEA two-factor authentication for Linux system login, SSH and other PAM-aware services, integrated with Univention Corporate Server via the App Center.
• privacyIDEA SSO Plugin Plugin that integrates privacyIDEA as a second factor into SAML-based Single Sign-On with multiple Identity Providers (simpleSAMLphp, Keycloak, ADFS, Gluu, Shibboleth), allowing organizations to add 2FA to existing SSO deployments.
• privacyIDEA Credential Provider Windows Credential Provider that enables privacyIDEA two-factor authentication for Windows desktop login, supporting Smartdisplayer OTP cards and other supported token types.
• privacyIDEA ownCloud App Native app integration for ownCloud (versions 9.1+) that enables two-factor login at ownCloud by forwarding authentication to the privacyIDEA server, with support for group-based exemption from 2FA for guest users.
• privacyIDEA Nextcloud Plugin Native plugin for Nextcloud that adds privacyIDEA multi-factor authentication to Nextcloud user logins, securing access to file sync, share and collaboration services.
• privacyIDEA LDAP Proxy LDAP proxy that transparently inserts privacyIDEA multi-factor authentication into existing LDAP-based authentication flows, allowing legacy applications to gain 2FA without code changes.
• privacyIDEA Authenticator App Mobile application for smartphone-based authentication supporting Push tokens (with one-click confirmation), TOTP and other methods, available for Android and iOS via Firebase Cloud Messaging and Apple Push Notification service.
• NetKnights Support Services Ongoing professional support contracts for privacyIDEA installations, available bundled with Enterprise Edition subscriptions or as standalone services, including remote support and reliable update processes.
• NetKnights Consulting and Integration Services Professional services including integration consulting, custom development and one-time engineering engagements to help organizations design, deploy and integrate privacyIDEA into their IT environments.
• privacyIDEA Workshop One-day in-person training workshop at NetKnights headquarters covering Event Handlers, Periodic Tasks, Monitoring and Statistics, priced at 90 EUR + VAT per participant and free for Enterprise Edition support contract holders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations can use the same token for multiple systems (ownCloud, VPN, SSH, Windows login) reducing token proliferation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• m.a.x. itcoreTechnology or Integrationm.a.x. it specializes in managed services and offers heterogeneous and distributed firewall and VPN solutions. The company relies on privacyIDEA as a flexibly scalable solution offering users a wide range of possible authentication tokens. With policies and event handlers, any workflows can be mapped and automated.
• Nitrokey GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationNitrokey, located in Berlin, provides USB keys for authentication and encryption based on open source software, firmware, and open hardware. NetKnights and Nitrokey work together on integration of Nitrokeys into privacyIDEA, enabling the Nitrokey to serve as an open, transparent, and trustworthy authentication hardware managed with the open source authentication system.
• ownCloud GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationownCloud is an open platform for better productivity and security within digital collaboration. privacyIDEA is promoted as the sensible enhancement to ownCloud for protecting access to sensitive data with trustworthy Two-Factor-Authentication. Both companies continuously improve the integration and work together on the Authentication API of ownCloud.
• BNC AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBNC AG is a leading provider of innovative IT solutions and services based in Switzerland since 1998. With over 100 employees at locations in Urtenen-Schönbühl, Dübendorf, and Yverdon-les-Bains, BNC offers customized IT solutions including IT consulting, engineering, support, and IT infrastructure management.
• Univention GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationNetKnights offers a module for two-factor authentication on the UCS SAML Identity Provider for Univention Corporate Server. This can be quickly installed via the Univention App Center. Users can easily extend SSO by adding a second factor. Univention and NetKnights also work closely together on SAML and 2FA projects.
• Axiad IDS, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationAxiad IDS is a Trusted Identity solutions provider for enterprise, government, and financial organizations. Axiad IDS works closely with NetKnights and actively participates in the privacyIDEA open source project, which is a component of the Axiad ID Cloud - a hosted cloud service providing modular identity solutions including SmartCard, PKI, and OTP-based credential management.
• IT-Schmid GmbH & Co. KGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIT-Schmid is an IT service provider for Open Source from the Allgäu region. They support customers in developing individual solutions around and with Open Source. Successfully uses privacyIDEA together with the privacyIDEA SAML Plugin at an internationally operating research and space organization.
• OSB-AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetKnights is a member of OSB-Alliance and IT-Netzwerk Kassel, actively participating in the open source community and supporting different German open source events.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Keycloak: Open-source identity and access management platform offering SSO and MFA. Like NetKnights, it is open-source, supports SAML/OIDC, and is deployed by enterprises seeking vendor-independent IAM; it is listed as a privacyIDEA SSO integration partner, making it both a competitor and a complementary layer.
• Duo Security: Cloud-delivered MFA platform owned by Cisco, providing two-factor authentication for enterprises. Directly competes with privacyIDEA in the enterprise MFA category, with broader commercial scale and bundled Cisco security stack positioning.
• LinOTP: Open-source OTP authentication server originally developed by KeyIdentity (now part of Atos/Eviden). Provides comparable 2FA capabilities to privacyIDEA and competes for the same enterprise and government deployments in DACH.

Emerging players

• Authentik: Open-source identity provider with built-in MFA, SSO, and user management. Targets the same vendor-independent, self-hostable identity market as NetKnights but bundles more IAM functionality into a single platform.
• Yubico: Hardware authentication vendor (YubiKey) with cloud identity services. Partners with NetKnights via Nitrokey-style integrations but also offers a hosted MFA solution, putting it in partial competition on the authentication token layer.
• Nitrokey: Berlin-based open-source hardware security key vendor. While primarily a hardware partner of NetKnights, it also offers an open-source authentication ecosystem that overlaps with privacyIDEA in privacy-conscious and self-hosted deployments.

Broad incumbents

• Okta: Cloud identity platform with MFA, SSO, and adaptive authentication. Represents the scale incumbent in enterprise identity; competes with privacyIDEA for enterprise MFA spend, especially among customers standardizing on a single identity vendor.
• Microsoft Entra ID: Microsoft's cloud identity and access management service (formerly Azure AD), bundling MFA into Microsoft 365 enterprise agreements. Sets the default enterprise identity baseline against which standalone MFA vendors like NetKnights must differentiate.
• ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus: Identity and password management suite from Zoho/ManageEngine with MFA capabilities. Competes with privacyIDEA in mid-market and enterprise Windows-centric environments, particularly in DACH where ManageEngine has a strong reseller presence.
• Auth0: Customer identity platform with MFA, now owned by Okta. Competes with privacyIDEA for developers building authentication into applications, especially where API-first and cloud-delivered identity is preferred over self-hosted options.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/netknights
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 NetKnights