GENO Broker

What GENO Broker does

GENO Broker GmbH is a Frankfurt-based online brokerage founded in 2015 and operating as a 100% subsidiary of DZ BANK AG, the central institution of Germany's cooperative banking group (Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe). Its core function is to provide retail securities trading and savings plan execution to the customers of the group's 800+ cooperative partner banks (Genossenschaftsbanken), who collectively represent a captive funnel of over 30 million account holders. Customers must hold an existing cooperative bank account to open a GENO Broker depot, and trades settle against that same account, making the broker an embedded digital extension of the cooperative banking relationship rather than a standalone brokerage.

The product portfolio is organized around five depot models: GENObasis/GENOprofi for variable/frequent traders, GENOplan for long-term ETF and stock savings plans (over 2,000 products), meinDepot for customers up to age 30 with subsidized pricing, meinDepot für Kids targeting minors, and Gemeinschaftsdepot for joint accounts. The technology stack is delivered primarily through Atruvia AG, the cooperative financial group's shared IT provider, which builds and maintains the eBrokerage web platform, the GENO Broker mobile app on iOS and Android (TÜV Rheinland certified for data protection and security), and integrates authentication via the shared VR-NetKey and SecureGo Plus (push-TAN) infrastructure used across the cooperative banking network. Additional features include real-time market data, watchlists, price alerts, myTradingDesk for high-frequency traders, the Fit4Trading educational video and podcast series, and an AI-powered FAQ chatbot deployed on the website for customer self-service.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through per-order transaction fees, with rates varying by depot model and trading venue: 0.19% of order volume for active traders on GENObasis/GENOprofi (min €9.95, max €49.95) or 0.25% otherwise, a flat €4.95 per order via Tradegate/Quotrix for meinDepot customers, and €0.95 per savings plan execution on GENOplan. Depot custody is free across all models. Customer acquisition is non-traditional: there is no independent sales force; instead, the cooperative partner bank branch network drives awareness and referral, while ongoing trading and account management are fully self-service via web and mobile, supplemented by telephone brokerage and email support.

Name

GENO Broker

Legal name

GENO Broker GmbH

Website

https://genobroker.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GENO Broker is a Frankfurt-based online securities broker and wholly owned subsidiary of DZ BANK AG, providing trading and savings plan depots to retail customers of Germany's 800+ cooperative banks (over 30 million account holders) via web and mobile platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Retail Brokerage

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Options Brokerage (FSAEACAI)

Keywords

• Online brokerage services
• Securities trading platform
• ETF savings plans
• Retail investment accounts
• Cooperative banking broker

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Securities Trading Commissions: GENO Broker charges transaction-based fees per securities order executed. Fee rates vary by depot model: GENObasis/GENOprofi charges 0.19% of order volume (min €9.95, max €49.95) for active traders with at least one order per quarter, or 0.25% otherwise; meinDepot charges a flat €4.95 per order via Tradegate/Quotrix; GENOplan charges €0.95 per savings plan execution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

GENO Broker operates a self-serve online brokerage offering securities trading (stocks, ETFs, funds, certificates, warrants) and savings plans via a web platform and mobile app, directly linked to the customer's existing cooperative bank account. Customers choose among multiple depot models (active trader, long-term saver, under-30, joint, and kids) with tiered transaction-based pricing, while free depot management and access to over 2,000 savings plan products drive volume. Trading is supported by real-time market data, AI-powered customer service, and integration with DZ BANK research and the cooperative banking authentication ecosystem.

Product overview

GENO Broker is a pure online securities broker and 100% subsidiary of DZ BANK AG, founded in 2015 and based in Frankfurt am Main. It operates as part of the cooperative financial group (Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe), offering a multi-product portfolio organized around depot models and trading platforms. The core product suite comprises five depot models: GENObasis/GENOprofi (Online-Depot for variable traders), meinDepot (for customers up to age 30 with reduced fees), meinDepot für Kids (for children and young investors), GENOplan-Depot (for long-term savings plans), and Gemeinschaftsdepot (joint depot). Trading is executed via the Online Brokerage (eBrokerage) web platform and the GENO Broker mobile App (iOS/Android), with professional tools like meinTradingDesk available for high-frequency traders. Customer self-service is supported by an AI-powered FAQ-Bot, while education is provided through the Fit4Trading video series and podcast. The ecosystem includes complementary services like VR-SecureGo Plus (two-factor authentication), the 'Bulle & Bär' newsletter, DZ BANK Webkonferenz, Trader Daily, and Börsennewsletter, as well as promotional offerings such as Aktions-ETFs and DZ BANK-Derivate-Deals. Integration with partner platforms like VR-Profibroker, dzbank-wertpapiere.de, and genossenschaftliche Partnerbanken extends the functional scope.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GENObasis/GENOprofi: Online-Depot for variable trading with competitive costs, targeting active traders.
• GENOplan-Depot
• meinDepot
• meinDepot für Kids

Products and services

• Online Depot (GENObasis / GENOprofi) Variable-rate online securities depot for active traders at cooperative bank customers, with tiered pricing of 0.19% of order volume (min €9.95, max €49.95) for high-frequency traders and 0.25% otherwise; free depot maintenance with at least one exchange order per quarter.
• meinDepot Free online depot for customers up to and including age 30, with flat-rate trades from €4.95 via Quotrix or Tradegate and free savings plan execution from a minimum rate of €10.
• meinDepot für Kids Online depot for young investors aged 1 to 30 years (children and minors under parental custody), with free depot maintenance, free savings plan execution, and reduced trading fees for early-stage investors; online closable for children.
• GENOplan-Depot Savings plan depot for long-term investors using ETF or stock savings plans, offering free depot maintenance for pure savings plan depots, execution cost of €0.95 per savings plan, and access to over 2,000 products including zero-cost Action ETF plans until December 2026.
• Gemeinschaftsdepot

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Genossenschaftliche Partnerbanken (Cooperative Partner Banks)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor800+ Genossenschaftsbanken (cooperative banks) across Germany serve as the primary customer acquisition and referral channel. Customers must hold an existing account at a partner bank to open a GENO Broker depot. The partner bank branch remains the central point of contact for all banking queries, and securities trades are settled against the customer's cooperative bank account.
• Atruvia AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationAtruvia AG is the shared IT services provider for the cooperative banking group. It develops and maintains the GENO Broker App (iOS/Android) and the underlying eBrokerage technology platform on behalf of GENO Broker. Atruvia operates as a data processor in accordance with GDPR, working exclusively on behalf of the cooperative banks.
• Atruvia AG (VR Banking App / SecureGo Plus)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe GENO Broker platform integrates with the cooperative banking group's VR Banking App ecosystem, including SecureGo Plus for push-TAN authentication of trades and logins. This shared authentication infrastructure is used across the entire cooperative banking network.
• ETF Partners (Amundi ETF, Invesco, LGIM, WisdomTree, Vanguard, Xtrackers)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSix major ETF providers participate in GENO Broker's action ETF program (Aktions-ETFs), offering savings plan executions without execution costs until December 2026. This promotional partnership drives savings plan volume and positions GENO Broker as a cost-effective ETF platform.
• DZ BANK (Derivate-Deals)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDZ BANK Premium Partner derivatives (DZ BANK-Derivate-Deals) are offered for direct trading without exchange or order fees through GENO Broker, as a promotional campaign. This drives derivatives trading volume on the platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trade Republic: German commission-free online broker offering stocks, ETFs, savings plans, and derivatives trading via mobile app. Directly competes with GENO Broker for German retail brokerage customers, particularly younger and price-sensitive segments.
• Scalable Capital: Munich-based digital broker and wealth manager offering stocks, ETFs, funds, and crypto via the Scalable Broker and Scalable Wealth platforms. Competes head-to-head with GENO Broker in the German retail brokerage market.
• Smartbroker+: German online broker offering multi-exchange trading, savings plans, and a broad product range with flat-rate pricing. Targets the same active-trader and DIY investor segments as GENO Broker.
• DKB Broker: Online broker offered by DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank) providing securities trading, ETFs, and savings plans to German retail customers. Closely comparable online-only brokerage experience targeting similar DIY investor segments.
• flatexDEGIRO: Frankfurt-headquartered online broker operating flatex and DEGIRO brands across Europe with low-cost multi-asset trading. Competes directly with GENO Broker for German retail customers seeking low-cost execution.

Broad incumbents

• Baader Bank: Munich-based bank offering capital markets services, brokerage, and trading infrastructure for retail and institutional clients. Comparable multi-asset brokerage platform with a B2B/B2C hybrid model.
• Consorsbank (BNP Paribas): German online broker subsidiary of BNP Paribas offering multi-asset trading, savings plans, and full banking services. Direct retail brokerage competitor with broader banking footprint than GENO Broker.
• Comdirect (Commerzbank): Online brokerage subsidiary of Commerzbank offering securities trading, savings plans, and banking products to German retail customers. Larger incumbent with broader product portfolio, competing with GENO Broker for the same retail segment.
• ING-DiBa Broker: Brokerage offering from Germany's largest direct bank. Provides securities trading and savings plans to its large retail deposit base, competing with GENO Broker for similar German DIY investors.

Others

• Union Investment: Asset management arm of the cooperative banking group and sister company to GENO Broker. Comparable in that it serves the same cooperative customer base via sister products (mutual funds), and its funds are distributed and tradeable through GENO Broker.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCO7531un6o08BZkoHHsWY4Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/geno-broker-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/genobroker

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 GENO Broker