AWB Consulting

What AWB Consulting does

AWB Consulting is a German professional services group specializing in customs law (Zoll), foreign trade law (Außenwirtschaftsrecht), export control, VAT (Umsatzsteuer), and excise duties. It operates through three affiliated limited liability companies — AWB Tax GmbH, AWB Law GmbH, and AWB Consulting GmbH — which together deliver combined legal and tax advisory from a single brand. The firm was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Münster, with additional offices in Munich and Hamburg, serving both national and international clients engaged in cross-border trade.

The group's core offerings span three integrated service lines: tax advisory (customs, rules of origin and preferences, VAT, excise taxes), legal advisory (export control, prohibitions and restrictions, Incoterms, CBAM, Lieferkettengesetz), and consulting (process consulting, IT consulting, and coaching). AWB Consulting also markets proprietary IT tools for automating foreign trade operations, which are positioned as a software-enabled layer over its advisory practice. The firm represents clients in administrative proceedings, objections, refund procedures, penalty and criminal defense matters, and litigation before German and European courts.

AWB generates revenue primarily through professional services engagements — billable hours and fixed-fee advisory work across tax, legal, and consulting — with an additional, smaller layer of licensing or subscription revenue from its IT-Tools automation software. It reaches clients through a sales-led go-to-market delivered via its three German offices, supported by corporate website content marketing, email newsletters, and earned media visibility through JUVE Handbook and F.A.Z. rankings. The firm employs 11-50 people, is privately held with no disclosed external funding, and serves use-case segments including international trade companies, export-oriented manufacturers, and supply chain operators navigating complex German and European regulatory regimes.

Name

AWB Consulting

Legal name

AWB Consulting GmbH

Website

https://awb-consulting.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Trade Compliance Advisory

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product Regulatory Compliance for Cross-Border Trade (e.g., FDA, USDA, CPSC, CE/REACH/RoHS) (TLACAGAH), Sanctions, Embargo & Export Controls (EAR/ITAR) Compliance Tools (TLAEAOAI)

Keywords

• Customs advisory services
• Export control consulting
• International trade compliance
• VAT advisory Germany
• Foreign trade law

Headquarters

HQ city

Münster

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax Advisory Services: Professional tax consulting services including customs, VAT, and excise duties advisory. Revenue generated through consulting engagements, likely billable hours or fixed-fee arrangements.
2. Legal Advisory Services: Legal consulting for export control, prohibitions and restrictions, and international commercial law matters including Incoterms, supply chain legislation, and CBAM compliance.
3. Process and IT Consulting: Process optimization consulting and IT consulting services, including coaching, to help clients optimize their customs and export control processes using AWB's IT tools.
4. IT Tool Licensing: Access to proprietary IT tools for foreign trade automation, potentially offered as software licensing or subscription to clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

AWB provides integrated legal and tax advisory services for international trade compliance, covering customs (Zoll), export control, prohibitions and restrictions, VAT, excise duties, Incoterms, the German Supply Chain Act (Lieferkettengesetz), and CBAM. Services are delivered through three affiliated entities—AWB Tax GmbH (tax advisory), AWB Law GmbH (legal advisory), and AWB Consulting GmbH (process and IT consulting, including coaching). AWB also licenses proprietary IT-Tools that automate customs and foreign trade workflows for faster processing of international trade transactions.

Product overview

AWB operates as a unified advisory group comprising three core legal entities: AWB Tax GmbH (tax advisory), AWB Law GmbH (legal advisory), and AWB Consulting GmbH (consulting). The three entities work together to provide integrated legal and tax expertise from a single source, covering customs, export control, VAT, and international trade law. AWB Consulting specifically offers IT tools for process automation in foreign trade. AWB serves clients nationally and internationally with offices in Münster, München, and Hamburg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AWB Tax (Tax Advisory Services) Tax advisory services delivered by AWB Tax GmbH covering customs (Zoll), rules of origin and preferences (Warenursprung und Präferenzen), VAT (Umsatzsteuer), and excise duties (Verbrauchsteuern). For businesses engaged in import/export operations requiring German and EU tax compliance.
• AWB Law (Legal Advisory Services) Legal advisory delivered by AWB Law GmbH covering export control (Exportkontrolle), prohibitions and restrictions (Verbote und Beschränkungen), and international commercial law including Incoterms, the German Supply Chain Act (Lieferkettengesetz), and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Includes representation in administrative objection, refund, and criminal proceedings and litigation before German and European courts.
• AWB Consulting (Process and IT Consulting) Consulting services delivered by AWB Consulting GmbH including process consulting (Prozessberatung), IT consulting (IT-Beratung), and coaching, focused on optimizing customs and export control processes and enabling the use of AWB's IT-Tools for automation of foreign trade operations.
• AWB IT-Tools Proprietary IT tools that automate customs and foreign trade workflows, enabling clients to process international trade transactions faster and more efficiently. Offered alongside AWB Consulting's process and IT consulting engagements.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AWB Tax GmbHcoreOthersAWB Consulting operates as part of a group structure alongside AWB Tax GmbH and AWB Law GmbH, providing integrated tax and legal services under the AWB brand.
• AWB Law GmbHcoreOthersAWB Law GmbH provides legal advisory services complementary to AWB Consulting's consulting offerings, forming an integrated service offering for customs, export control, and international trade matters.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AEB: Stuttgart-based global trade and customs compliance software vendor. Directly comparable to AWB's IT tools offering for foreign trade automation, serving overlapping German and international client base.
• Pohlmann & Company: German customs and international trade consulting firm specializing in customs law, export control, and trade compliance advisory. Closely comparable niche specialist competing in the same German market as AWB.
• Streck Mack Schwedhelm: German boutique tax and corporate law firm with cross-border tax and trade compliance capabilities. Comparable in size and specialization to AWB, serving similar German corporate clients.
• Rödl & Partner: German-headquartered international tax, legal, and advisory firm with significant customs, VAT, and international trade compliance practices. Directly comparable to AWB in serving German Mittelstand and international clients on trade and tax matters.
• MIC Customs Solutions: Austrian-headquartered customs and trade compliance software specialist serving global clients. Comparable to AWB's IT tools business and competes in adjacent German-speaking markets for trade automation software.
• Flick Gocke Schaumburg: Leading German boutique tax law firm with strong international tax and customs expertise. Competes with AWB for sophisticated German corporate clients requiring integrated tax and trade advisory.

Broad incumbents

• KPMG Germany: Big 4 firm with substantial indirect tax, customs, and trade compliance practice in Germany. Competes with AWB for large multinational engagements but offers broader service portfolio and global network.
• Deloitte Germany: Big 4 firm with German customs, trade, and indirect tax practice serving multinational clients. Competes with AWB at the enterprise end of the market while offering broader consulting capabilities.
• EY Germany: Big 4 firm with established German indirect tax, customs, and international trade advisory. Represents large-firm competition for AWB with global delivery capability and broader consulting services.
• PwC Germany: Big 4 firm with German customs, trade, and tax compliance practice. Competes with AWB for large compliance engagements while offering broader audit and advisory services to multinational clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awb-consulting-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 AWB Consulting