What Datenschutzexperte does

Proliance GmbH, operating under the consumer-facing brand Datenschutzexperte, is a Munich-based legal tech and compliance company founded in 2017. The firm provides integrated data protection (GDPR/DSGVO), information security (NIS2, ISO 27001, TISAX), and AI governance (EU AI Act) solutions to the German Mittelstand, serving over 2,500 companies with a team of 60+ TÜV- and DEKRA-certified experts. Its customer base spans SMBs through enterprise, with named accounts including Volkswagen Group, alongside healthcare, manufacturing, IT/software, and professional services clients.

The core technology asset is the Proliance 360 platform, an integrated compliance management suite combining an ISMS module, data protection officer software (VVT, TOMs, data breach management, DSFA, AV-Verträge), whistleblower system software, and IT/software asset management. Layered on top of the platform is a substantial professional services arm covering external data protection officer mandates, NIS2 executive training, ISO 27001 gap analysis, AI compliance consulting, and employee training. AI features are positioned as workflow automation and recommendation engines rather than core analytical capability, with an upcoming "Proliance AI" / Policy Center release signaled.

Revenue is generated through three streams: subscription-based platform licensing, professional services for compliance consulting, and training programs. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed, contracts are multi-year, and the entire GTM motion is consultative (free NIS2 check, consultation, strategy session, custom offer). Distribution is exclusively direct sales targeting the DACH market, with no self-serve channel. No external funding, ownership changes, or investor disclosures appear in the available source material, suggesting a bootstrapped, founder/management-owned GmbH.

Name

Datenschutzexperte

Legal name

PROLIANCE GmbH

Website

https://datenschutzexperte.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Proliance GmbH (Datenschutzexperte) is a Munich-based legal tech company providing GDPR, NIS2, ISO 27001, and EU AI Act compliance software and consulting to over 2,500 German Mittelstand companies via its Proliance 360 platform and 60+ certified experts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

München

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. Compliance Consulting Services: Consulting services for data protection (external DPO), information security (NIS2, ISO 27001, ISMS implementation), and AI governance. Includes gap analysis, audits, and compliance assessments.
2. Software Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to Proliance 360 platform modules including ISMS software, data protection software, and compliance management tools with automated features and action recommendations.
3. Training Services: Employee training programs for data protection, information security awareness, whistleblower protection, and AI competency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Datenschutzexperte (PROLIANCE GmbH) provides data protection, information security, and AI governance compliance solutions for German companies through the Proliance 360 platform and consulting services. Its core products are the Proliance 360 ISMS, Datenschutz-Software, and Hinweisgebersystem-Software, complemented by services such as external data protection officer, NIS2/ISO 27001 consulting, gap analysis, AI compliance consulting, employee training, and EU GDPR representative service.

Product overview

Proliance offers a platform-plus-modules architecture combining the Proliance 360 compliance platform with specialized software modules and consulting services. The core offerings include the Proliance 360 ISMS platform for information security management and Datenschutz-Software for data protection officers, supplemented by specialized modules for record-keeping (VVT), TOM documentation, data breach management, DSFA, and service provider agreements. Consulting services include external DPO, NIS2 training, ISO 27001 gap analysis, AI governance consulting, and employee training programs. The platform is designed for German Mittelstand companies with optimization for NIS2 and GDPR compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Proliance 360: Compliance platform for data protection, information security, and AI governance specifically designed for German SMEs.
• Proliance 360 ISMS

Products and services

• Proliance 360 ISMS An automated, audit-ready software platform for information security management (ISMS), including control tracking and gap analysis capabilities, designed for German SMEs seeking ISO 27001 and NIS2 compliance.
• Datenschutz-Software (Data Protection Software) Software platform for data protection officers that delivers action recommendations and workflow automation for daily DSGVO compliance tasks, integrated within the Proliance 360 platform.
• Hinweisgebersystem-Software (Whistleblower System Software) Managed reporting channels for whistleblower protection compliance (Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz) with complete communication handling, designed for organizations that must operate compliant whistleblower channels.
• Externer Datenschutzbeauftragter (External Data Protection Officer) Outsourced data protection officer service in which certified experts assume and manage the organization's DSGVO data protection responsibilities in a structured, reliable, and legally compliant manner.
• NIS2-Geschäftsführerschulung (NIS2 Executive Training) Training program for managing directors and executives on NIS2 cybersecurity directive compliance obligations and personal liability responsibilities.
• ISMS-Beratung & -Implementierung (ISMS Consulting & Implementation) Consulting and implementation service that builds and operationalizes an Information Security Management System (ISMS) for organizations pursuing ISO 27001 or NIS2 compliance.
• ISO 27001 GAP-Analyse (ISO 27001 Gap Analysis) Gap analysis service that identifies weaknesses in current data protection and information security controls and delivers clear action recommendations for ISO 27001 certification preparation.
• KI-Kompetenz-Schulung (AI Competency Training) Training program that builds employee AI competency required for compliance with the EU AI Act across the workforce.
• KI-Compliance-Beratung (AI Compliance Consulting) Strategic consulting service that makes organizational use of AI legally compliant with the EU AI Act and related AI governance requirements.
• EU-Vertreter (EU Representative under GDPR) GDPR EU Representative service that officially represents non-EU companies before EU authorities according to GDPR Article 27 without requiring them to establish an EU presence.
• Mitarbeiterschulungen (Employee Training Programs) Structured employee training programs covering data protection, information security awareness, and whistleblower protection, available as Datenschutz-, Informationssicherheits- and Hinweisgeberschutzschulungen.
• Datenschutz-Audit (Data Protection Audit) Data protection audit service based on a structured questionnaire that prepares organizations for DSGVO certification by reviewing their data protection posture.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of customers achieve their compliance goals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Bitkom (Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, Telekommunikation und neue Medien e.V.)minorOthersProfessional association membership providing industry visibility and credibility in the German IT and digital economy sector.
• BITMi (Bundesverband IT-Mittelstand e.V.)minorOthersAssociation membership representing German IT Mittelstand companies with focus on software made in Germany.
• BvD (Berufsverband der Datenschutzbeauftragten)minorOthersProfessional association for data protection officers in Germany, providing industry networking and professional standards.
• GDD (Gesellschaft für Datenschutz und Datensicherheit)minorOthersSociety for data protection and data security in Germany, promoting best practices and compliance standards.
• Pack ma's digitalminorOthersRegional digital initiative membership supporting digital transformation in Bavaria.
• Bayerische M+E Arbeitgeber (bayme vbm)minorOthersBavarian employers' association for metalworking and electronics industries.
• bad e.V. (Bundesverband Ambulante Dienste und Stationäre Einrichtungen)minorOthersNational association for ambulatory services and stationary facilities, particularly in healthcare sector.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DataGuard: DataGuard is a Munich-based compliance and data protection platform serving German SMEs and enterprises with DSGVO, ISO 27001, and information security services — a direct, region-comparable rival to Proliance across both software and consulting offerings.
• OneTrust: OneTrust is a leading global privacy, security, and GRC software platform offering consent, DSAR/ROPA, and compliance automation. It targets the same enterprise and mid-market buyers Proliance serves, but with a broader international footprint.
• TrustArc: TrustArc provides privacy management and compliance automation software for GDPR, CCPA, and global privacy regulations. It competes with Proliance's data protection module and ISMS workflow on the same regulated buyer.
• Didomi: Didomi specializes in consent and preference management, helping companies operationalise GDPR and cookie compliance. It competes in the data-protection software category Proliance's Datenschutz-Software addresses for European customers.
• Cookiebot: Cookiebot (Cybot A/S) provides CMP and DSGVO website compliance tooling, a narrower adjacency to Proliance's platform but the same regulated buyer and same SMB-to-enterprise motion in DACH and beyond.
• Accountable HQ: Accountable is a US-based GDPR-as-a-service platform combining software with external DPO services, directly mirroring Proliance's bundled consulting-plus-platform model for SMB compliance officers.
• DPOrganizer: DPOrganizer (now operating as Kaneras OneDPO / Privacy Hub) provides data protection management software for DPOs covering ROPA, DSARs, and incident management. It is a direct competitor to Proliance's Datenschutz-Software modules.

Emerging players

• Collibra: Collibra is a data intelligence and governance platform addressing data catalog, lineage, and stewardship — an adjacent competitor whose buyers often overlap with Proliance's compliance officers around data privacy programmes.

Broad incumbents

• ServiceNow (GRC): ServiceNow's GRC and Integrated Risk Management modules offer enterprise-scale compliance and ISMS workflows. While broader than Proliance's Mittelstand focus, it competes for the same compliance budgets at the upper end of the market.
• SAP (GRC): SAP's GRC and audit management suite addresses enterprise compliance including access, process, and risk controls. It is a broad incumbent whose Mittelstand and large-enterprise customers overlap with Proliance's enterprise cohort (e.g., Volkswagen).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/proliance
• Xx.com/DS_Experte

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Datenschutzexperte