What Joonko does

Joonko AG was a Berlin-based digital financial comparison platform founded in 2019 as a portfolio company of finleap, Europe's fintech ecosystem builder. The platform enabled German consumers to compare and apply for car insurance (Kfz-Versicherung) and consumer loans (Kredit) through a fully digital, self-service web flow, supplemented by a mobile sub-product called CLOE that used smartphone-based computer vision to help users decide whether to file a vehicle damage claim or pay for repairs out of pocket. Joonko held Versicherungsmakler (insurance broker) authorization under § 34d GewO and operated on an affiliate commission model, earning revenue from insurance carriers and partner banks on successful transactions; the company maintained a transparent ranking algorithm that excluded paid positioning, supported by a Transparency Advisory Board that included former Federal Minister Brigitte Zypries and former Postbank board member Dr. Ralph Müller.

The platform's technical architecture combined a comparison frontend with backend integrations to FinTec Systems GmbH for account information services (powering a "Digital Account View" feature that enabled guaranteed-interest-rate loan offers based on real transaction data) and TecAlliance GmbH for vehicle identification and repair-cost data underpinning the CLOE app. Pre-launch funding came from finleap, Ping An Global Voyager Fund, and Raisin, intended to support technology build-out and team scaling to 51-100 employees. Joonko earned coverage in major German outlets including FAZ, Tagesschau, Focus, and Handelsblatt.

Joonko's primary customer segment was German consumers seeking simplicity and transparency in financial product selection, with a secondary focus on expatriates navigating the German car insurance and registration system. Distribution was product-led through the free consumer-facing platform, supplemented by an affiliate partner program operating on a CPO basis and SEO-driven content marketing. The company ceased all business operations on October 30, 2020, less than 14 months after its October 2019 launch, and redirected inbound car insurance traffic to Verivox.

Name

Joonko

Legal name

Joonko AG

Website

https://joonko.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Joonko AG was a Berlin-based digital comparison platform (2019-2020) that let German consumers compare car insurance and consumer loans via a transparent self-service interface, monetizing through affiliate commissions from partner insurers and banks, before ceasing operations on October 30, 2020.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance and Lending Comparison

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Distribution & Comparison Platforms (Aggregators/Marketplaces) (FSAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Car insurance comparison
• Consumer loan comparison
• Financial product marketplace
• Insurance aggregator platform
• Credit comparison portal

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commission: Joonko receives a commission from insurance partners when a customer completes a car insurance purchase through the platform. The commission has no influence on product ranking.
2. Loan Commission: Commission received from partner banks (Consors Finanz, Deutsche Finanz Sozietät, SWK Bank) when a consumer loan is successfully completed through the platform.
3. Affiliate Program: Revenue generated through the Joonko affiliate partner program where external partners earn commissions (CPO basis) for driving sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Joonko operated a free digital comparison portal for German consumers to compare and apply for car insurance (Kfz-Versicherung, including Haftpflicht, Teilkasko, and Vollkasko) and consumer loans (Kredit) from partner providers. The platform aggregated insurance offerings from over 20 providers (AXA, Barmenia, CosmosDirekt, Zurich, etc.) and loan offerings from partner banks (Consors Finanz/BNP Paribas, solarisBank, SWK Bank), earning affiliate commissions on completed sales. A sub-brand CLOE smartphone app helped users decide whether to file vehicle damage claims or pay out of pocket, using computer vision and TecDoc repair cost data.

Product overview

Joonko was a German digital financial portal operated by Joonko AG, offering comparison platforms for car insurance (Kfz-Versicherung) and consumer loans (Kredit). The core offering was a comparison platform that allowed users to find and purchase financial products through a fully digital process. The subsidiary product CLOE (Claim It Or Eat It) was a smartphone app helping users decide whether to file vehicle damage insurance claims or pay for repairs themselves. The platform also featured transparency advisory board oversight and disclosed partner rankings and commissions. Joonko ceased operations on October 30, 2020.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CLOE: A smartphone application (claim it or eat it) that helps users determine the most economically efficient way to handle vehicle damage - whether to claim through insurance or pay for repairs out of pocket.

Products and services

• Kfz-Versicherung (Car Insurance Comparison) Digital comparison platform for German car insurance products including third-party liability (Haftpflicht), partial comprehensive (Teilkasko), and fully comprehensive (Vollkasko) insurance. Users answer questions and receive ranked offers from partner providers including AXA, Barmenia, Bavaria Direkt, CosmosDirekt, Zurich, and Gothaer. Joonko held broker authority (Versicherungsmakler, registration D-NYKM-BK4T3-61) for contract mediation. Free for consumers; revenue via partner commissions.
• Kredit (Consumer Loan Comparison) Digital consumer credit comparison platform enabling users to compare loan offers from partner banks including Consors Finanz (BNP Paribas), Deutsche Finanz Sozietät (via solarisBank AG), and SWK Bank. Featured guaranteed interest rates, digital account verification (Digitaler Kontoblick), and full-digital processing with video identification. Free for consumers; revenue via partner commissions.
• CLOE (Claim It Or Eat It) Mobile App Smartphone application under the Joonko CLOE sub-brand helping users determine whether it is more economical to file a vehicle damage claim with their insurance or pay for repairs out-of-pocket. Users photograph damage from multiple angles, enter insurance details, and receive comparison of expected repair costs (Eat It Betrag) versus premium increases from claiming (Claim It Betrag). Powered by TecAlliance TecDoc data for vehicle identification and repair cost estimation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Platform and operations shut down October 30, 2020

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Transparency Advisory Board (Transparenzbeirat)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2019Expert panel including Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun (consumer protection), Dr. Ralph Müller (former Postbank board), Brigitte Zypries (former Federal Minister), Dr. Christoph Samwer (FRIDAY CEO), Prof. Dr. Dominik H. Enste (business ethics), and Andreas Reinhold (SIGNAL IDUNA).
• Consors Finanz (BNP Paribas subsidiary)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner bank for consumer loans until October 30, 2020. Subsidiary of French banking giant BNP Paribas.
• Deutsche Finanz Sozietät / solarisBankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner bank offering loans through Joonko platform until shutdown. Partnership with solarisBank for banking infrastructure.
• SWK BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman direct bank based in Bingen am Rhein. Partner for consumer loan products until October 30, 2020.
• FinTec Systems GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationLicensed payment institution providing account information services (Kontoinformationsdienst) and payment initiation services (Zahlungsauslösedienst) under ZAG for the digital account view feature.
• TecAlliance GmbH (TecDoc)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides vehicle data and damage estimation technology for the CLOE app. Used for vehicle identification and repair cost estimation.
• VerivoxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfter Joonko's car insurance comparison shutdown on October 30, 2020, referrals were redirected to Verivox for continued service.
• Insurance Partners (Multiple)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners included: AXA, Barmenia, Bavaria Direkt, BGV, CONDOR, CosmosDirekt, Die Bayerische, FRI:DAY, Gothaer, Grün versichert, HDI, Janitos, KRAVAG, ONE, Pangaea Life, R+V24, R+V, Sparkassen Direktversicherung, VHV, WGV, Zurich. Excluded major providers HUK24 and Allianz Direct.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Check24: Germany's largest price-comparison platform, covering insurance, banking, telecom, travel, and energy. Competes head-to-head with Joonko in car insurance and consumer loans and represents the dominant incumbent Joonko was attempting to disrupt.
• Verivox: Germany's leading independent comparison portal for energy, insurance, telecom, and banking products. Most directly comparable to Joonko as a direct competitor in car insurance and loan comparison; Verivox is the partner that absorbed Joonko's car insurance traffic post-shutdown.
• Smava: Major German consumer loan comparison portal offering direct digital loan applications with multiple partner banks. Competes directly with Joonko's consumer credit product and similar partner-bank distribution model (e.g., SWK Bank, Consors Finanz overlap).
• Verivox Finanzvergleich (Smava/Verivox loan): Verivox's consumer loan comparison vertical. Directly comparable to Joonko's Kredit product with the same partner-bank commission structure and German consumer target.
• Toptarif: German comparison portal owned by Verivox (Burda), offering insurance, banking, and telecom comparisons. Directly comparable to Joonko across car insurance and consumer loans in the same domestic market.
• Finanzcheck: Leading German online comparison portal focused on consumer loans, mortgages, and insurance. Directly comparable to Joonko's Kredit (consumer loan) offering with a similar partner-bank commission model and digital-first application flow.

Broad incumbents

• FRIDAY (Friday Insurance): German digital-native auto insurer (subsidiary of Baloise Group) that was both an insurance partner on Joonko's panel and an emerging direct competitor. Comparable as a digitally distributed car insurance product targeting transparency-seeking consumers.

Emerging players

• Clark: German Insurtech aggregator/broker providing a single-app interface to manage and compare insurance products. Comparable in digital insurance intermediation and consumer transparency positioning, with overlapping regulatory broker model.
• Getsafe: German Insurtech offering digital, app-based insurance distribution across multiple lines. Comparable to Joonko in targeting German consumers with a digital-first, transparent proposition; partial overlap in car insurance distribution.

Others

• Solarisbank: Berlin-based Banking-as-a-Platform provider that powered Joonko's loan infrastructure via Deutsche Finanz Sozietät. Comparable as a fintech ecosystem enabler and indirect infrastructure partner; not a direct competitor but a relevant ecosystem peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Joonko_io
• Facebookfacebook.com/joonkoDE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joonko-io
• Instagraminstagram.com/joonko_io

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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 Joonko