What ProLicense does

ProLicense is an independent Oracle software license consulting firm founded in 2009 and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The firm provides specialized advisory services across the Oracle license lifecycle — including audit defense and friendly audits, license purchase reduction and avoidance, contract negotiation, compliance verification, support cost reduction, and Unlimited License Agreement (ULA) closure, management, and certification — alongside M&A software license due diligence. Its core technology is its people: a small team (1–10 employees) of former Oracle managers, lawyers, and licensing professionals with a combined 100+ years of Oracle experience, all holding the Oracle Licensing Professional certificate. The firm explicitly does not develop or resell software, is not an Oracle partner, and accepts no commissions, positioning its independence as a primary differentiator.

The company generates revenue exclusively through fee-for-service professional consulting engagements with enterprise and institutional clients — primarily DAX- and MDAX-listed corporations, German banks, telecommunications companies, public sector entities, and regional data centers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Scandinavia. Go-to-market is referral-driven, relying on professional reputation, content marketing (whitepapers, case studies, blog), DOAG conference presence, and confidential reference calls with existing customers. The portfolio has expanded beyond Oracle into ProLicense Legal (audit support for Microsoft, SAP, IBM, Adobe, Veritas, Micro Focus, Autodesk), Autodesk audit consulting, Oracle pre-owned software trading via ProLicense International Ltd. (up to 80% discount), and Oracle third-party support enablement.

ProLicense is privately held by its two Managing Directors (Christian Grave and Sören Reimers, both former Oracle employees) and Partner Markus Oberg. The company has no external institutional investors, no subsidiaries, no acquisitions, and no disclosed funding rounds. An internal ProLicense tool supports compliance scanning but is not a commercial product. No AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or software applications are part of the offering.

Name

ProLicense

Legal name

ProLicense Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH)

Website

https://prolicense.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ProLicense is an independent Hamburg-based consulting firm specializing in Oracle software license audit defense, license negotiation, support cost reduction, ULA management, and M&A license due diligence for DAX, MDAX, and public-sector clients across DACH and Scandinavia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Software License Consulting

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Application License Advisory, Vendor Management & Optimization (BPAEAGAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Software License Resale & Optimization (Perpetual/Subscription) (BPAEAOAC), IT Asset Lifecycle Services (Procure-to-Retire) (BPAEAOAF)

Keywords

• Oracle license consulting
• Software license audit
• License compliance advisory
• Oracle ULA management
• Software due diligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Oracle License Consulting Services: ProLicense generates revenue through professional consulting services related to Oracle software licensing. Services include audit defense, license negotiation, support cost reduction, ULA management, and compliance consulting. They operate on a fee-for-service model based on consulting engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ProLicense is an independent consulting firm that advises enterprises on Oracle software license management across the full license lifecycle. Services include Oracle audit defense, license purchase optimization/avoidance/negotiation, ongoing license compliance (Health Check, Compliance Service), support cost reduction, and end-to-end ULA closure, management, and certification. The firm also provides software license due diligence for M&A transactions, multi-vendor audit defense through ProLicense Legal, and operates ProLicense International, a Europe-wide platform for trading pre-owned Oracle software with up to 80% discount.

Product overview

ProLicense is an independent Oracle software license consulting firm that does not sell software or hold vendor partnerships. Its offering is a portfolio of specialized consulting services organized around the Oracle license lifecycle, including Oracle Audit Consulting (ProLicense Audit Service, Friendly Audit Service) for navigating Oracle License Reviews; Oracle License Purchase services (Purchase Reduction, Purchase Avoidance, Purchase Negotiation) for optimizing new license acquisitions; Oracle License Management (Health Check, Compliance Service, Support Reduction Service) for ongoing compliance and cost control; Oracle ULA services (ULA Closure, ULA Management, ULA Certification) for Unlimited License Agreement clients; Oracle Negotiation and Conflict Coach for direct negotiations with Oracle; and Oracle Third-Party Support for cost reduction through alternative support providers. ProLicense also offers Oracle pre-owned/used software trading through ProLicense International (up to 80% discount), Autodesk Audit Consulting, and a Legal division (ProLicense Legal) providing IT contract law and software audit support for Microsoft, Autodesk, SAP, IBM, Micro Focus, Adobe, Veritas, and others. A Software Audit Workshop covers multi-vendor audit preparation. For M&A transactions, the company provides Software License Due Diligence. The company was founded in 2009, is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, and employs former Oracle managers and specialized lawyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ProLicense International Ltd. Part of Oracle pre-owned software services offering Europewide trade with quick quotation and up to 80% discount.

Products and services

• Oracle Audit Consulting Independent consulting service that guides enterprise clients through Oracle License Reviews (audits), including SAR team setup, data collection, strategy development, and negotiation with Oracle to avoid or minimize additional payments. Targeted at large enterprises facing or anticipating Oracle audits.
• Oracle License Purchase Reduction Service Consulting service that optimizes Oracle license purchase decisions by evaluating offers, assessing contract types, checking used software and third-party support alternatives, and negotiating the best prices with Oracle. For enterprises planning Oracle license acquisitions.
• Oracle Purchase Avoidance Service Service that helps clients avoid additional Oracle license purchases by determining current licensing rights, aligning contracts with needs, analyzing systems for cost-efficient licensing options, and checking for used software alternatives. For enterprises that believe they need new Oracle licenses.
• Oracle Purchase Negotiation Service Service that handles or supports negotiations with Oracle on license purchases, including strategy development, correspondence preparation, team coaching, and legal department coordination. For enterprises negotiating new Oracle contracts.
• Oracle Health Check Fast and cost-efficient initial analysis of systems and licenses using client-provided data to identify over-licensing and under-licensing, establish Oracle system/license records, and quantify financial risk or savings potential. Entry-level Oracle license assessment for enterprises.
• Oracle Compliance Service Detailed analysis service to achieve certified Oracle compliance, including data collection, interpretation, elimination of non-compliance, and application for compliance statements from Oracle. For enterprises seeking formal Oracle compliance certification.
• Oracle Support Reduction Service Service that analyzes Oracle support payments, determines measures to reduce ongoing support costs, and helps implement changes to achieve maximum savings without contractual obligations to Oracle. For enterprises seeking to lower recurring Oracle support spend.
• Oracle ULA Closure Service Service for companies considering or being offered an Oracle Unlimited License Agreement, covering licensing review, data collection, decision support, alternative licensing checks, offer evaluation, and Oracle negotiation. For enterprises evaluating or negotiating new ULAs.
• Oracle ULA Management Service Service for clients with existing Oracle ULAs to ensure optimal utilization throughout the contract term, including contract evaluation, data collection, strategy development and implementation, and preparation for the certification phase. For enterprises with active ULA contracts.
• Oracle ULA Certification Service Service that helps clients maintain control over the ULA certification process at contract termination, covering strategy development, strategy checking, decision support, certification phase support, and licensing alternative review. For enterprises approaching ULA contract termination.
• Oracle Negotiation Service Core negotiation service for all Oracle negotiations including audit timing/process, ULA certifications, support terms, license transfers, used software, and individual contract conditions, offered overtly or covertly on behalf of clients. For enterprises needing expert Oracle negotiation support.
• Oracle Conflict Coach Conflict resolution service for escalated Oracle disputes (particularly during audits or ULA certifications), analyzing manufacturer objectives, developing continuation strategies, resolving negotiation obstacles, and negotiating acceptable outcomes. For enterprises in escalated Oracle disputes.
• Friendly Audit Service Internal audit conducted under Oracle conditions, providing detailed analysis beyond the Health Check, insider audit knowledge, routine building, and training so clients know how to handle real audits. For enterprises preparing for an Oracle audit.
• ProLicense International (Oracle Pre-Owned Software) Europe-wide trading platform for Oracle used/pre-owned software, offering quick quotation and discounts of up to 80% on Oracle licenses. For enterprises seeking lower-cost Oracle license acquisition through secondary markets.
• Oracle Third-Party Support Service to reduce Oracle support costs by transitioning to third-party support providers, including readiness checks and support cost negotiation. For enterprises seeking to exit or reduce Oracle Premier Support.
• Autodesk Audit Consulting Specialized consulting for Autodesk audits covering audit defense, securing client rights, and cost avoidance. For enterprises facing or preparing for Autodesk license audits.
• ProLicense Legal Legal services division covering software audit support, IT contract law, software law, and audit defense for Microsoft, Autodesk, SAP, IBM, Micro Focus, Adobe, Veritas, and other vendors. For enterprises requiring legal support across multiple software vendors.
• Software License Due Diligence Advisory service for M&A transactions assessing software licensing risks prior to company acquisition to reduce purchase prices or optimize outcomes. For M&A advisors, PE firms, and corporate development teams.
• Software Audit Workshop Comprehensive workshop for organizations receiving software audit letters, covering audit triggers, SAR team formation, audit strategies, letter analysis, NDA development, tool resistance, and negotiation tactics for Oracle, Microsoft, Autodesk, SAP, Adobe, IBM, Micro Focus, Veritas, and other vendors. For enterprises needing to train teams for upcoming software audits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved customers over €50 million through support cost reduction services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Flexera: Software asset management tooling and advisory provider with strong Oracle and Microsoft license analytics capabilities. Adjacent rather than head-to-head: competes for the tooling layer of SAM while ProLicense focuses on advisory delivery, but increasingly bundles services.
• License Dashboard: UK-based SAM software and services provider specializing in Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP licensing. Comparable niche focus and European customer overlap; partial competitor for SAM tooling-driven license optimization mandates.
• USU Solutions: European-headquartered SAM and IT asset management software vendor with associated advisory services. Comparable in DACH presence and Oracle licensing expertise; overlaps where clients seek tooling plus consulting.

Direct peers

• Crayon: Norway-headquartered software asset management and cloud economics firm offering license optimization, SAM tooling, and advisory across Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, and other vendors. Closest European peer in scale and service mix; competes for DACH and Nordics enterprise clients and serves as a natural M&A or partnership candidate for ProLicense.
• Livingstone Partners: M&A advisory firm with a dedicated IT and software licensing due diligence practice. Direct competitor for ProLicense's Software License Due Diligence offering, especially in European mid-market transactions.
• Elire: Specialty consulting firm focused on Oracle software license optimization, audit defense, and SAM advisory. Closest niche specialist peer to ProLicense in business model and customer profile, though US-centric in historical footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte SAM / Oracle Practice: Big Four firm with established Oracle advisory and SAM practices serving large multinationals. Overlaps with ProLicense on Oracle audit defense and license optimization, and bundles these services into wider consulting relationships.
• SoftwareOne: Global software licensing and cloud services firm headquartered in Switzerland with deep Oracle and multi-vendor advisory practices. Most directly comparable large-scale player in software license advisory; competes with ProLicense for enterprise licensing engagements, but operates at vastly greater scale across many geographies.
• KPMG Software Asset Management: Big Four advisory practice offering Software Asset Management and Oracle licensing services as part of broader transformation mandates. Competes with ProLicense for procurement-driven enterprise RFPs, particularly among DAX and large public-sector accounts, leveraging global brand and delivery scale.

Others

• Snow License Manager (part of Flexera): SAM tool vendor (now part of Flexera) frequently named alongside ProLicense in license management workflows. Ecosystem adjacent rather than directly competitive; an enablement layer that ProLicense customers often use in parallel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prolicense-gmbh
• Xx.com/ProLicense

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 ProLicense