What Cobotec does

Cobotec GmbH is a German managed IT services provider (IT-Systemhaus) headquartered in Bielefeld, founded in 2003 by Olaf Malinowski and Mario Techel, who continue to co-lead the company. The firm operates as an outsourced IT department for small and medium-sized enterprises that lack sufficient in-house IT capacity, offering a portfolio built around three core engagement models: full-service IT outsourcing (Externe IT-Abteilung), co-managed IT support that augments existing internal teams, and a dedicated Modern Workplace / IT infrastructure modernization line. The technology foundation is a multi-vendor stack rather than a proprietary platform, pairing Sophos for IT security (Cobotec is a 2025 Sophos Platinum Partner and Partner of the Year), Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure, Microsoft 365 and Azure, TERRA cloud infrastructure (Wortmann AG), and Lenovo / HP endpoint hardware. Adjacent services include 24/7 Incident Response for active cyberattacks, on-site regional IT support, and a verticalized IT offering for nursing/care providers.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring managed-services contracts (monthly or annual retainers) with German SMEs, supplemented by project-based infrastructure work and team augmentation engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; sales are handled directly by the founders and a dedicated Head of IT assigned per client, with a free 30-minute discovery consultation as the primary lead-conversion mechanism. The go-to-market is sales-led and regionally concentrated in Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Osnabrücker Land, and Münsterland, supported by local SEO, Google Ads, LinkedIn/Facebook/XING presence, and customer referrals. Cobotec serves 150+ SME customers, reports a 95% customer retention rate, holds a 4.8/5 Google rating, and is ISO 27001 certified. The company is privately held, founder-owned, with no disclosed funding, M&A, or external investors.

Name

Cobotec

Legal name

Cobotec GmbH

Website

https://cobotec.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cobotec is a Bielefeld-based German managed IT services provider, founded in 2003, offering outsourced IT departments, co-managed IT support, modern workplace modernization, cybersecurity, and incident response to SMEs across Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Osnabrück, and Münsterland. It serves 150+ SME customers via a founder-led, direct-sales motion anchored on a Sophos Platinum partnership and ISO 27001 certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Managed IT Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Offshore Development Center (ODC) / Dedicated Team Services (BPAEAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

End-User Computing Outsourcing (EUC / Desktop Services) (BPAEAMAE), Workplace Automation & Self-Service (RPA for IT, Chatbots, Virtual Agents) (BPAEAIAI)

Keywords

• Managed IT services
• IT security solutions
• Co-managed IT support
• Modern workplace solutions
• Incident response services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed IT Services / IT Outsourcing: Recurring managed services contracts where Cobotec acts as the external IT department for SMEs, covering infrastructure, security, support, and strategy on a continuous basis. Revenue is generated through monthly or annual retainer fees.
2. Project-Based IT Services: One-time project engagements such as IT infrastructure setup, network migrations, cloud transitions, and Modern Workplace implementations. Revenue recognized upon project completion.
3. Co-Managed IT / Team Augmentation: Flexible support arrangements where Cobotec supplements in-house IT teams either permanently in specific domains or on a project basis. Billed recurring or per engagement.
4. Incident Response / Emergency IT Services: Reactive cyberattack response services including rapid assessment, containment, and recovery. Emergency hotline available 24/7.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cobotec is a regional managed IT services provider (IT-Systemhaus) that acts as an outsourced or augmented IT department for small and medium-sized enterprises in the OWL/Osnabrück/Münsterland region of Germany. Its core services are full-service IT outsourcing, co-managed IT support, Modern Workplace modernization, IT infrastructure planning and build-out, IT security (delivered as a Sophos Platinum Partner), and 24/7 Incident Response for cyberattacks. Engagements are delivered by a team of 16-20 certified experts, with each customer assigned a dedicated personal Head of IT.

Product overview

Cobotec operates as a managed IT services provider (IT-Systemhaus) offering a portfolio of integrated service lines. The core offering comprises three primary engagement models: (1) Externe IT-Abteilung — a complete outsourced IT department for SMEs without in-house IT; (2) Co-managed IT Support — augmentation of existing internal IT teams; and (3) specialized service verticals including Modern Workplace modernization, IT infrastructure planning, IT security, Incident Response, on-site regional support, and IT services tailored for the healthcare/care sector. These services are delivered from Cobotec's Bielefeld headquarters covering Ostwestfalen-Lippe, the Osnabrück region, and Münsterland. No standalone software product or API is offered — the company provides managed services, professional services, and security services rather than a packaged software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Externe IT-Abteilung (External IT Department) Full-service managed IT outsourcing where Cobotec acts as the customer's complete internal IT department. Includes a dedicated personal Head of IT and a fixed team covering infrastructure, security, helpdesk, and strategic IT consulting for SMEs with limited or no in-house IT.
• Co-managed IT Support Supplemental IT support service where Cobotec strengthens an existing in-house IT team with specialist expertise (e.g., Microsoft, Nutanix, Sophos), available for specific projects or as ongoing augmentation in defined IT areas.
• Modern Workplace Modernization of legacy IT infrastructure to improve performance, unify tools, and strengthen IT security for end-user productivity in SMEs transitioning to modern, cloud-enabled work environments.
• IT-Planung & Aufbau (IT Planning and Setup) IT infrastructure planning and build-out services for SMEs, covering conception, setup, and maintenance of networks, servers, and cloud environments.
• IT-Sicherheit (IT Security) Comprehensive IT security services built on Sophos technology (firewall, endpoint protection, monitoring) tailored to small and medium-sized businesses, with 24/7 proactive security surveillance and continuous monitoring.
• Incident Response Certified 3-stage emergency response for active cyberattacks (ransomware, phishing, data breaches): 30-minute rapid assessment, containment, damage remediation, system recovery, root cause analysis, and ransomware negotiation support, available via a 24/7 emergency hotline.
• IT-Service vor Ort (On-site IT Service) Regional on-site IT support covering Gütersloh, Osnabrück, Paderborn, Münster, and Bielefeld, available as an addition to remote services for SMEs that need physical presence at customer sites.
• Pflege (IT Services for Care Providers) Specialized IT services tailored to nursing and care service providers, addressing their data protection, multi-site availability, and DSGVO compliance requirements (e.g., the 10-location Vida Leben GmbH deployment).

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% Stammkundenquote (customer retention rate)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SophoscoreTechnology or IntegrationSophos is Cobotec's primary security technology partner. Cobotec holds Sophos Platinum Partner status for 2025, is a member of the Sophos Partner Advisory Board, and has been certified ISO 27001. Cobotec was named Sophos Partner of the Year 2025. The partnership covers IT security solutions, firewall management, endpoint protection, and incident response services sold to Cobotec's SME customers.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft is a key technology partner providing the productivity and cloud platform foundation (Microsoft 365, Azure, Teams) for Cobotec's managed services and modern workplace offerings to SMEs.
• NutanixcoreTechnology or IntegrationNutanix is a cloud infrastructure (HCI – Hyperconverged Infrastructure) partner referenced in customer testimonials as a key area of Cobotec's technical competency, alongside Microsoft and Sophos Security.
• TERRA (Wortmann AG)coreTechnology or IntegrationTERRA, a brand of Wortmann AG, is listed as a cloud infrastructure partner providing hardware and cloud services integrated into Cobotec's IT solutions for SMEs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Allgeier SE: Allgeier is a German IT services group with significant managed services and staffing exposure. It competes with Cobotec in IT outsourcing for SMEs and in IT security services, and is a plausible strategic or PE-backed consolidator of regional MSPs.
• Cancom SE: Cancom is a major German and European managed services, cloud, and Modern Workplace provider. It is the closest large-cap analogue to Cobotec's External IT Department and Modern Workplace offerings, but operates across multiple countries with a much larger delivery team.
• Atos SE: Atos is a global IT services incumbent with a substantial German footprint. Although it serves mostly large enterprise and public-sector clients, its managed workplace, security, and infrastructure services compete for the same overall budget pool that Cobotec targets in the SME segment.
• Computacenter plc: Computacenter is a leading European IT infrastructure and managed services provider with strong German operations. It competes in the same end-user computing, workplace, and managed services categories as Cobotec, particularly with mid-market and enterprise customers.
• Bechtle AG: Bechtle is Germany's largest IT system house and managed services provider, with deep coverage of the SME Mittelstand. It competes with Cobotec on the full IT outsourcing, Modern Workplace, and security stack, but at a national/European scale and with a much broader product portfolio.

Direct peers

• Ratiodata GmbH: Ratiodata is a German IT services and system house provider with a strong SME and regional banking/financial services customer base. It is a direct peer to Cobotec in managed IT services, infrastructure, and Modern Workplace for mid-market German companies.
• q.beyond AG: q.beyond is a German managed IT services and cloud provider focused on mid-market German companies. Its managed services, cloud, and security portfolio overlaps directly with Cobotec's External IT Department, Modern Workplace, and IT security offerings.
• Sycor GmbH: Sycor is a mid-sized German IT services and consulting firm focused on Microsoft, SAP, and managed services for SMEs. Its customer profile and Microsoft-centric Modern Workplace offering are highly comparable to Cobotec's positioning in the Mittelstand.
• Controlware GmbH: Controlware is a German IT system house focused on data center, networking, and security. Like Cobotec, it serves mid-market customers with Sophos-aligned security services and managed infrastructure, and is a strong direct peer in the German Mittelstand market.
• SVA System Vertrieb Alexander GmbH: SVA is a German IT system house specializing in data center, cloud, and managed services for the Mittelstand. Its product and customer profile align closely with Cobotec's infrastructure, Modern Workplace, and security offerings, but it operates at a larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cobotec.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cobotec-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cobotec