What First Debit does

First Debit GmbH is a family-owned German B2B debt collection and credit risk management firm headquartered in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, founded under its current structure in October 2011 when Reinhard and Tobias Domnowski reacquired the business from an investor and rebranded from Domnowski Inkasso GmbH. The company serves more than 10,000 B2B clients ranging from individual tradespeople to insurance groups, regional energy utilities, e-commerce operators, and subscription businesses, organized into five vertical go-to-market tracks: insurance, energy utilities, fitness studios, trades, and e-commerce, with a cooperative-banking channel added in 2023 via the genoBI GmbH joint venture. Core products are Inkasso (success-based debt collection) and Bonität (credit checking), delivered through the Mandantenportal client dashboard and a 9-language Schuldnerportal debtor self-service portal that accepts PayPal, SEPA, and SOFORT payments.

The underlying platform is digital-first and built around a proprietary stack that includes a multi-tenant EVU-Portal for energy utilities, white-label portals for insurance partners such as LVM and Advocard, the KombiCheck product that aggregates four competing credit bureaus (SCHUFA, Experian, CRIF, Boniversum) in a single query, a Fraunhofer FIT and TU Dortmund co-developed Big Data scoring algorithm for per-case recovery probability, the Inka AI chatbot launched in 2022 with Future of Voice, and an in-house IVR phonebot. API/file-exchange integration is available for enterprise clients to embed credit checks and case submission into ERP, CRM, and e-commerce systems. Adjacent offerings include Forderungskauf (debt purchase via the 2012 subsidiary First Debit Invest GmbH), Adressermittlung, Regress-Service for insurance cost recovery, Langzeitüberwachung (long-term judgment monitoring), and bespoke vertical software such as the subscription management system built for optician chain Neusehland.

First Debit operates on a blended revenue model: success-based commissions on collected debt (no upfront cost to clients), per-query fees on credit bureau reports (KombiCheck and individual bureau access), transaction economics on debt purchase portfolios, recurring revenue from long-term title monitoring, project and support fees for custom software, and channel margin from white-label partner deployments. The firm is independent, RDG-registered (Aktenzeichen 3712-8.390), BDIU-member, GDPR/CCPA-compliant, and led by co-Managing Directors Tobias Domnowski (sales, IT) and Hendrik Voß (finance, personnel, organization), supported by approximately 60 employees, having grown from roughly 40 in late 2021.

Name

First Debit

Legal name

First Debit GmbH

Website

https://firstdebit.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Debit GmbH is a family-owned German B2B debt collection and credit risk management firm serving 10,000+ businesses across insurance, energy utilities, e-commerce, fitness, and trades, delivering success-based collection, multi-bureau credit checks, AI chatbot debtor engagement, and white-label partner portals from its Hamm headquarters with ~60 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Debt Collection and Credit Risk Management Services

NAICS

Collection Agencies (561440), Credit Bureaus (56145), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

First-Party (In-House) Collections Outsourcing (BPAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Invoicing, Billing & Accounts Receivable Automation (FSAGAJAC)

Keywords

• Debt collection services
• Credit risk management
• Receivables management
• Credit bureau checks
• B2B debt recovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Inkasso / Debt Collection Fees: Collection of outstanding receivables on behalf of business clients (creditors). Fees are primarily structured as success-based commissions — First Debit earns a percentage only when debts are successfully recovered. Some standard fee schedules apply per legal categories under German RDG/GKG regulations (post-October 2021 reduced fee structure).
2. Bonitätsauskünfte (Credit Bureau Reports): Access to credit reports from all major German and international credit bureaus (SCHUFA, Experian, CRIF, Boniversum, Postadress) via the portal or API. Revenue generated per query. The KombiCheck product bundles multiple bureaus in a single request.
3. Forderungskauf (Debt Purchase): First Debit purchases portfolios of defaulted receivables (from clients or as part of the First Debit Invest GmbH subsidiary) and recovers them independently, retaining the full recovered amount as revenue.
4. Custom Software Development: Development and ongoing maintenance of bespoke web applications for clients (e.g., Neusehland subscription management system). Typically project-based with ongoing support fees.
5. Long-Term Case Monitoring: Ongoing monitoring of judgments (Titelüberwachung) and dormant accounts for energy utilities and insurance companies, generating recurring revenue from long-duration client relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

First Debit provides B2B debt collection (Inkasso) and credit risk management (Bonität) services, recovering unpaid receivables on behalf of business clients and supplying credit information from major bureaus. Its digital platform combines a client-facing Mandantenportal, a 9-language debtor Schuldnerportal, an AI chatbot (Inka), and Big Data scoring, with verticalized solutions for insurance, energy utilities, e-commerce, fitness studios, and trades. Revenue is driven primarily by success-based collection commissions, per-query credit checks, debt purchase, and bespoke custom software work.

Product overview

First Debit operates a modular digital debt collection and credit management platform. Core offerings include Inkasso (debt collection) and Bonität (credit checking) as primary services, supported by client-facing Mandantenportal and multilingual Schuldnerportal. Specialized solutions include DebiFit for fitness studios and EVU-Portal for energy utilities. The KombiCheck sub-product aggregates multiple credit bureau data sources. Additional capabilities include Forderungskauf (debt purchasing), Adressermittlung (address lookup), Regress-Service, and Langzeitüberwachung (long-term monitoring). AI-powered Chatbot Inka and IVR phonebot provide autonomous customer service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DebiFit: Collection services for fitness studios including debt collection and receivables management for gym memberships.
• KombiCheck

Products and services

• Inkasso (Debt Collection) Digital debt collection service combining automated digital dunning and human-driven collection steps to recover outstanding receivables on behalf of business clients such as insurance companies, energy utilities, e-commerce operators, fitness studios, and tradespeople.
• Bonität (Credit Checking) Credit risk assessment service providing B2B clients with access to credit information from leading bureaus (SCHUFA, Experian, CRIF, Boniversum, Postadress) via live portal, monitoring, and combination queries to inform credit decisions.
• KombiCheck Single-query combination credit check aggregating SCHUFA, Experian/Arvato, CRIFBÜRGEL, and Boniversum data into one traffic-light scored result, with an Austrian variant combining CRIF and credify.at for cross-border trade.
• Mandantenportal (Client Portal) Client-facing web portal that lets business clients self-submit debt collection cases, access all leading credit bureaus, track case status in real time, run automated credit reports, and view reporting and analytics.
• Schuldnerportal (Debtor Portal) Multi-language (9-language) online self-service portal for debtors to view their case details, agree to installment plans, and pay outstanding claims via PayPal, SEPA direct debit, or SOFORT, raising repayment rates and satisfaction.
• DebiFit Specialized debt collection solution for fitness studios combining member management, contract management, address verification, installment plans, online payment, and debt purchase capabilities for unpaid memberships.
• EVU-Portal (Energy Utility Portal) Specialized multi-tenant portal for energy utilities (Stadtwerke, regional utilities) that manages multiple subsidiary entities under a single login with individual permissions and real-time case views for collection of gas, electricity, and water receivables.
• Forderungskauf (Debt Purchase) Purchase of outstanding claim portfolios from creditors for immediate liquidity, with First Debit assuming collection and retaining the full recovered amount.
• Adressermittlung (Address Investigation) Address investigation service, including queries to resident registration offices and integration with Postadress, used to locate debtors and improve data accuracy for collection and credit processes.
• Regress-Service (Insurance Subrogation/Recovery) Cost-recovery service for insurance companies to recover legal expenses, court fees, and subrogation claims, with long-term monitoring of dormant judgments.
• Langzeitüberwachung (Long-Term Title Monitoring) Ongoing monitoring of judgments and dormant claim portfolios that triggers action as soon as a debtor's financial circumstances change, generating recurring revenue from long-duration client relationships.
• Custom Software Development (Subscription/Payment Management) Bespoke web-based subscription and payment management systems tailored to client workflows, including SEPA direct debit processing, automated dunning, installment agreement management, and multi-location configuration (e.g., the Neusehland optician chain system).
• White-Label Bonität & Inkasso Portal Modular white-label portal platform branded for distribution partners (insurance companies such as LVM) that resell First Debit's credit and collection services to their commercial policyholders under the partner's brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 B2B clients served — from sole proprietors to insurance groups
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability5 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• genoBI GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023First joint venture with one of the largest cooperative banks (genossenschaftliche Banken) in Germany, established in 2023. The JV develops and distributes credit and collection solutions through the cooperative banking network.
• Future of VoicecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022International Conversational AI agency (part of MUUUH! Group, based in Berlin) that developed the AI chatbot 'Inka' with First Debit. Provided NLU technology, backend architecture, and security implementation for the 24/7 chatbot.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2015Collaborative development of Big Data Analytics scoring algorithm. Fraunhofer FIT helped develop the first algorithm that accurately assesses collection success probability and optimizes cost deployment per case. Reprised in 2019 for cost control optimization.
• TU DortmundcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2015Co-developed the first proprietary score algorithm (2015) that predicts collection outcomes and optimizes cost deployment, using multiple data points and academic rigor.
• SCHUFAcoreTechnology or IntegrationContract partner and credit data provider. First Debit is a SCHUFA Vertragspartner with direct access to SCHUFA data for credit checks on individuals and businesses. SCHUFA logo displayed as partner on company website.
• Experian (formerly Arvato Infoscore / CRIF)coreTechnology or IntegrationCredit data provider integrated into the KombiCheck. As of 2020, Arvato Infoscore became majority-owned by Experian (60%), combining Experian's technology with Arvato Financial Solutions' (Bertelsmann subsidiary) 40% stake. First Debit accesses Experian data through this partnership.
• CRIF / CRIFBÜRGELcoreTechnology or IntegrationCredit bureau partner providing consumer and business credit data. CRIFBÜRGEL is integrated into the KombiCheck product and is also the source for Austrian credit data (via CRIF Austria). CRIF logo displayed on company website.
• Boniversum (Creditreform)coreTechnology or IntegrationCredit bureau partner integrated into the KombiCheck. Boniversum is a subsidiary of Creditreform, one of Germany's largest credit reporting agencies. Contributes exclusive negative credit data to the combined query.
• Bundesverband Deutscher Inkasso-Unternehmen e.V. (BDIU)coreOthersGerman industry association for collection agencies. First Debit is a member and complies with the BDIU Code of Conduct. The association provides regulatory guidance, industry representation, and annual congress events that First Debit actively participates in.
• Die Familienunternehmer (Family Entrepreneurs Association)minorOthersIndustry association for German family-owned businesses. First Debit's logo appears on their partner/association listings.
• Roland Rechtsschutz (Insurance Partner)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLegal expense insurance company that works with First Debit for cost recovery services. Logo displayed on First Debit's insurance industry solutions page.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Pair Finance: Berlin-based digital-first debt collection platform using AI and behavioral analytics to optimize recovery. Targets similar SMB and enterprise clients but with a more ML-driven approach; competes particularly for digitally-native and consumer-facing accounts where First Debit also deploys AI chatbot Inka.

Broad incumbents

• Creditreform: Germany's largest credit bureau and collection services network; parent of Boniversum (which is both a competitor and a bureau partner of First Debit). Competes across credit reporting, debtor management, and collections with significantly broader scale and historical positioning than First Debit.
• CRIFBÜRGEL (CRIF): Major German credit bureau and collection agency; CRIF is also a bureau partner of First Debit via KombiCheck. Overlaps directly in credit reporting and B2B collection services across Germany with a similar integrated bureau-plus-collections positioning.
• Riverty (formerly Arvato Financial Solutions / CollectAI): Bertelsmann subsidiary offering end-to-end financial services including credit management, debt collection, and digital collections (CollectAI heritage). Combines traditional scale with AI-driven collections innovation; competes across multiple of First Debit's verticals including e-commerce and subscription.

Regional players

• Coface: French-headquartered global credit insurance and debt collection provider with German operations. Competes for large enterprise and cross-border receivables management contracts, particularly in industrial and B2B segments adjacent to First Debit's enterprise book.
• Atradius Collections: International B2B debt collection and credit management firm with German operations. Competes primarily for enterprise and cross-border receivables contracts — overlapping with First Debit's insurance and large enterprise verticals but with stronger international positioning.

Direct peers

• EOS Group: One of the largest debt collection service providers in Germany and Europe, with B2C and B2B collections across multiple countries. Direct competitor to First Debit in the German market with comparable vertical focus on utilities, insurance, and financial services, but at materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Paigo: German fintech specializing in receivables management and debt collection for e-commerce, subscription, and digital-business clients. Direct competitor in First Debit's e-commerce and subscription verticals (where Neusehland is a notable customer).
• Tesch Inkasso: Traditional German debt collection agency with similar SMB and mid-market focus. Direct competitor in the trades, retail, and SMB verticals where First Debit serves clients like ESD-Technik Sulk and individual tradespeople.
• Inkasso.de (INEXGY): Online German debt collection service targeting SMBs and freelancers via a self-serve digital portal. Direct competitor in the German SMB collection market with a comparable digital-first, no-upfront-cost positioning to First Debit's Mandantenportal offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=1N2kZiyTQ1I
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/FirstDebit
• Xx.com/FirstDebitGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-debit-gmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 First Debit