What Kufer Software does

Kufer Software GmbH, headquartered in Mühldorf am Inn, Germany, develops course and seminar administration software for the German adult education sector. Founded in 1984 and owned since August 2021 by FORUM Family Office through FORUM Software Mittelstandsholding SE, the company serves approximately 1,900 customers running roughly 15,000 workstations, including an estimated 75% of all German Volkshochschulen and BAMF-authorized integration course providers.

The product suite comprises KuferSQL (the core seminar management ERP built on Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle, covering course planning, participant and instructor management, billing, and regulatory reporting), KuferWEB (a responsive website and online booking portal built on TYPO3 CMS), and KuferTools (web-based intranet and collaboration services for staff, instructors, and participants). Recent additions include KuferMEDIA video platform, native AI chatbot and text-assistant capabilities, Zoom and XRechnung integrations, multi-tenant capability, and a Widerrufsbutton compliance module. The software is delivered either as on-premises installations or via the Kufer-Cloud managed hosting service, which includes Microsoft licensing and runs on renewable-energy-powered German data centers. Official BAMF certification for federal integration course billing is a recurring regulatory requirement that Kufer maintains annually.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring KuferSQL software licenses, quarterly update subscriptions, Kufer-Cloud managed hosting fees, professional services (online seminars, training), and ancillary module fees. Distribution is direct-to-customer through account management, user meetings (Anwendertreffen), online seminars, and a self-service customer portal. Customer segments are organized vertically — Volkshochschulen (primary), BAMF integration course providers (primary), church training institutions, and private education providers (future growth target). The company holds a SySS penetration test certification for web applications and is GDPR-compliant with a dedicated data protection officer.

Name

Kufer Software

Legal name

Kufer Software GmbH

Website

https://kufer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kufer Software GmbH develops course administration ERP, booking portals, and intranet tools for German adult education institutions, serving approximately 1,900 customers including an estimated 75% of Volkshochschulen and BAMF-authorized integration course providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Administration Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Software Development (Programming, Frameworks, Dev Tools) (EDABAFAA)

Keywords

• Course management software
• Adult education software
• Seminar administration
• BAMF integration courses
• Volkshochschule software

Headquarters

HQ city

Mühldorf Am Inn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses (KuferSQL): Licensing of the KuferSQL seminar management software. Software is installed on customer premises or hosted in Kufer-Cloud. Includes regular updates and maintenance.
2. Kufer-Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting service for KuferSQL providing central workplace with shared file management, remote access from Mac/Linux/tablets, automatic backups, and managed updates. Includes Microsoft licensing.
3. Update Service: Quarterly update service including installation of program updates, DLL replacements, bank directory updates, and room display program updates.
4. Online Seminars and Training: Fee-based online seminars and training sessions for product usage education and user meetings.
5. Widerrufsbutton Implementation: One-time setup fee for revocation button implementation for customers without Kufer hosting: 100 EUR.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kufer Software develops and sells a three-product suite (KuferSQL, KuferWEB, KuferTools) for seminar and course administration in adult education institutions. The software covers course planning, participant and instructor management, billing, online registration, regulatory reporting (including BAMF integration course billing), and online presence. It is sold via licenses with optional cloud hosting (Kufer-Cloud) and serves approximately 1,900 customers, primarily German Volkshochschulen.

Product overview

Kufer Software develops a three-product suite for seminar and course administration in adult education: KuferSQL (core seminar management ERP), KuferWEB (responsive website and online booking portal built on TYPO3), and KuferTools (web-based intranet and collaboration tools for staff, instructors, and participants). The products are offered as standalone solutions or together as an integrated platform, with cloud hosting via Kufer-Cloud. Additional modules include the KuferMEDIA video platform, Zoom video conferencing integration, XRechnung electronic invoicing, multi-tenant capability, and document integration with Microsoft Office/LibreOffice. The company serves approximately 1,900 customers (primarily German Volkshochschulen, or public adult education centers) with about 75% market penetration among German Volkshochschulen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KuferSQL: Core seminar/course management software (ERP system) for adult education institutions. Supports course administration, participant management, instructor management, billing, and BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) integration for migration and integration courses.
• KuferWEB
• KuferTools
• KuferMEDIA

Products and services

• KuferSQL Intuitive seminar and course administration ERP system for adult education institutions. Manages course planning, participant registration, instructor management, billing, accounting, BAMF integration course administration, and government statistical reporting. Runs on Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle databases; deployed at approximately 1,900 customers across ~15,000 workstations.
• KuferWEB Responsive website builder and online booking portal displaying course data from KuferSQL. Enables online course registration, course information display, and online payment processing for adult education institutions and their course participants.
• KuferTools Web-based intranet and collaboration add-on providing flexible information access and document sharing for instructors, course participants, employees, and facility managers in adult education institutions.
• Kufer-Cloud Managed cloud hosting of KuferSQL providing a central workstation, shared file management, remote access from Mac/Linux/tablets, automatic backups, and managed updates. Includes Microsoft licensing in Corporate or Education/Charity models.
• KuferMEDIA Video platform providing modern training videos, tutorial content, and webinar recordings related to the Kufer software suite for customers and end users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 75% of German Volkshochschulen use Kufer software
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• OpenOLAT: Open-source learning management platform developed by the University of Innsbruck, used in European higher education and continuing education for course delivery, testing, and collaboration; overlaps with parts of the KuferTools/KuferWEB feature surface.

Direct peers

• Moodle Pty Ltd: Open-source learning management system widely adopted across global education and training institutions, including adult education; competes with KuferWEB/Tools for course delivery and participant engagement workflows in similar customer segments.
• Instructure (Canvas): Provider of the Canvas learning management system used by educational institutions worldwide; offers course administration, registration, and online learning tools that overlap with KuferWEB's booking portal and KuferSQL's participant management.
• Docebo: Cloud-native AI-powered learning platform serving enterprise and education customers with course administration, compliance training, and learner management functionality that overlaps with Kufer's course planning and participant management use cases.
• Kubus Software GmbH: Sister company acquired in the same 2021 FORUM Family Office deal as Kufer Software; both target German adult education institutions and operate from Mühldorf am Inn, making Kubus the closest direct comparable in product, customer, and ownership terms.

Regional players

• itslearning (Sanoma): European learning management platform owned by Sanoma, focused on K-12 and adult education in Northern Europe; competes with Kufer's web-based course administration in adjacent geographies rather than directly in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Cornerstone OnDemand: Broad talent management and learning platform serving enterprise, public sector, and education with course administration, compliance training, and credentialing; overlaps with Kufer's training-administration capabilities as part of a much larger portfolio.
• AKDB (Anstalt für Kommunale Datenverarbeitung in Bayern): Bavarian municipal IT provider serving German public-sector organizations including educational institutions with administrative software; competes for the same German public-sector IT wallet as Kufer at a broader administrative level.
• SAP SuccessFactors: Enterprise HCM suite from SAP including learning management functionality; competes for large German public-sector and corporate training budgets adjacent to Kufer's installed base of educational institutions.

Others

• Ceyoniq Technology: German provider of enterprise content management and document management software with public-sector customers; adjacent rather than directly competitive to Kufer, but shares the German enterprise-software, public-sector GTM motion and regulatory-compliance positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kubus-software-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 Kufer Software