rt-solutions.de

What rt-solutions.de does

rt-solutions.de GmbH is a private, owner-managed German cybersecurity consulting firm founded in 2000 and headquartered in Köln with a second office in Lemgo on the campus of Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe (TH OWL). The firm provides holistic Information Security and Operational Technology (OT) Security consulting across the full Governance, Risk & Compliance spectrum — from strategy development through conception to process and technical implementation — serving enterprise clients in banking, insurance, logistics, retail, production/manufacturing, telecommunications, medical technology, electric mobility, and critical infrastructure (KRITIS) operations.

The firm offers three integrated service lines: Information Security Consulting, OT Security Consulting, and Research Services. Underlying technical capabilities are grounded in proprietary algorithms and methodologies developed through publicly funded research consortia (GraphWatch, CampusOS, SUSI, GLACIER, Sec4ICS), covering graph neural network-based OT anomaly detection, automated security risk assessment, and automated security evaluation within industrial reference architectures. Research outputs are validated at SmartFactory OWL, a co-located real-world industrial testbed, providing a distinct advantage for OT engagements.

The business model is professional services-based: tailored, manufacturer-independent consulting engagements sold directly to enterprise clients via consultative field sales, with offices in Köln (Information Security, Policies, Governance focus) and Lemgo (OT Security, Research focus) serving as engagement hubs. The firm is led by managing partners Prof. Dr. Ralf Schumann (Sales & Finance) and Dr.-Ing. Stefan Schemmer (Internal Management), supported by a team that includes several active university professors, and operates without external investors.

Name

rt-solutions.de

Legal name

rt-solutions.de GmbH

Website

https://rt-solutions.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

rt-solutions.de GmbH is a private German cybersecurity consulting firm founded in 2000, providing IT and OT security advisory services across GRC domains to enterprise clients in manufacturing, telecom, medical technology, banking, and critical infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAKAHAH

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory & Assessments

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics Services

SECONDARYBPAEAPAA

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Platforms

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) & Legal Tech

SECONDARYBPAEAPAF

Privacy, Consent & Data Protection Management

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) & Legal Tech

SECONDARYBPAEADAJ

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Managed Services

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/Cybersecurity Services (MSSP)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity consulting
• OT security consulting
• Information security advisory
• Industrial security
• Governance risk compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Provider of expert cybersecurity consulting services in IT Security and OT Security. Services span the entire Governance, Risk & Compliance spectrum from global strategy development through conception to process and technical implementation. Solutions are tailored, manufacturer-independent, and scientifically grounded.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

rt-solutions.de is a German consulting firm providing holistic cybersecurity advisory services in Information Security and Operational Technology (OT) Security for enterprises. Services span the entire Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) spectrum from global strategy development through conception to process and technical implementation, covering processes, policies, organization, and technology. Offerings are manufacturer-independent, scientifically grounded via academic research collaborations, and tailored to each client across sectors such as production, telecommunications, medical technology, electric mobility, banking, insurance, logistics, retail, and KRITIS operators.

Product overview

rt-solutions.de is a consulting firm offering three integrated service lines: Information Security Consulting, OT (Operational Technology) Security Consulting, and Research Services. The company provides holistic advisory services to help clients increase their security maturity levels, covering processes, policies, organization, and technology. Their consulting portfolio includes vulnerability discovery, control effectiveness demonstration, risk management, and compliance assurance. The firm operates manufacturer-independently and combines academic expertise with practical project experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Information Security Consulting Holistic consulting services for information security and data protection, covering governance, risk & compliance from global strategy development to technical implementation. Targeted at enterprises needing to secure IT environments, demonstrate control effectiveness, and meet regulatory obligations.
• OT Security Consulting Comprehensive consulting for component manufacturers, integrators, and plant operators covering the entire governance, risk & compliance spectrum for operational technology environments. Includes IT/OT convergence, security maturity assessments, vulnerability identification, risk management, and compliance with industrial security standards.
• Research Services Applied research participation through publicly funded projects (GraphWatch, CampusOS, SUSI, GLACIER), advancing the state of the art in industrial cybersecurity and translating findings into consulting engagements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research project budgets: GraphWatch €2.17M, CampusOS €30.1M, SUSI €1.33M, GLACIER €1.55M — demonstrating scale and industry trust in collaborative research engagements.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• GraphWatch ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024GraphWatch is a collaborative research project (Jan 2024 – Dec 2026, budget €2.17M) developing graph neural network-based semi-automated threat hunting for APT attack detection in OT environments. Core partners: rt-solutions.de GmbH, Hochschule Hannover, Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe. Associated partners: BASF Digital Solutions GmbH, CENTRUM INDUSTRIAL IT e.V., Deutsche Telekom Security GmbH, Netze BW GmbH, PHOENIX CONTACT GmbH & Co. KG, Siemens AG.
• SUSI ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023SUSI (Apr 2023 – Apr 2026, budget €1.33M) develops software-based support for security risk assessments in industrial production plants and components. Partners: Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Comma Soft, rt-solutions.de GmbH, Weidmüller. Supported by MWIKE NRW.
• CampusOS ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CampusOS (Jan 2022 – Mar 2025, budget €30.1M) aims to build an ecosystem for 5G campus networks based on open, modular radio technologies. Led by Fraunhofer HHI and FOKUS, with 25+ partners including Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, Rohde & Schwarz, TU Berlin, Bosch, and rt-solutions.de. Supported by BMWK.
• GLACIER ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019GLACIER (Apr 2019 – Sep 2021, budget €1.55M) developed advanced concepts for automatic aggregation and analysis of security-relevant network data with a proprietary anomaly detection algorithm. Partners: DECOIT GmbH, rt-solutions.de GmbH, Hochschule Hannover. Supported by BMBF.
• CENTRUM INDUSTRIAL IT (CIIT) e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerrt-solutions.de is an active member of the CENTRUM INDUSTRIAL IT (CIIT) at its Lemgo location. The CIIT is an industrial IT research and application center co-located with TH OWL and SmartFactory OWL on the campus, providing an ideal environment for OT Security collaboration and research.
• SmartFactory OWLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmartFactory OWL is a real-world industrial test environment on the TH OWL campus in Lemgo. rt-solutions.de leverages this facility for testing and validating research results alongside its own lab test environment, bridging the gap between academic research and industrial practice.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Cyber Risk Services: Global Big 4 cybersecurity practice covering IT and OT security strategy, GRC, and implementation for large enterprises. Competes with rt-solutions.de for large industrial and KRITIS client engagements, with materially greater scale and geographic footprint.
• Atos Cybersecurity: European IT services firm with a dedicated cybersecurity practice covering managed security, OT security, and consulting. Comparable in OT/industrial security focus with substantially larger scale and global delivery.
• TÜV Rheinland Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity division of TÜV Rheinland offering IT/OT security assessments, penetration testing, and compliance consulting. Overlaps with rt-solutions.de in industrial security assessments and KRITIS-related services, with broader geographic reach and parent-brand trust.
• TÜV SÜD Sec-IT: Security and certification arm of TÜV SÜD providing cybersecurity assessments, GRC advisory, and industrial security services. Comparable through its KRITIS and industrial cybersecurity focus, but operates as a much broader technical inspection and certification conglomerate.
• KPMG Cyber Security Services: Big 4 cybersecurity practice with strong European industrial and financial services client base. Competes for the same GRC and OT security consulting engagements in Germany and broader DACH region.
• PwC Cybersecurity & Privacy: Big 4 advisory practice providing cybersecurity, OT security, and regulatory compliance services. Comparable through enterprise GRC consulting across financial services, industrial, and critical infrastructure clients.
• FireEye / Mandiant Consulting: Global cybersecurity consulting firm specializing in incident response, threat intelligence, and industrial control systems security. Competes with rt-solutions.de on OT security advisory and threat hunting for industrial clients.

Others

• Fraunhofer IOSB-AST: Applied research institute specializing in industrial automation and OT security, often co-involved with rt-solutions.de in research consortia and ecosystem activities. Adjacent peer given shared research orientation and German industrial cybersecurity focus.

Direct peers

• secunet Security Networks AG: German-listed IT security provider offering consulting, products, and managed services across IT security and increasingly OT/industrial security. Direct competitor in the German cybersecurity consulting market with similar enterprise and government client base, though much larger scale.
• DECOIT GmbH: Boutique German IT security integrator and consulting firm participating alongside rt-solutions.de in research projects such as GLACIER. Comparable through small-scale German cybersecurity consulting with research consortia involvement.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rt-solutions.de-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 rt-solutions.de