AfB non-profit GmbH

Name

AfB non-profit GmbH

Legal name

AfB gemeinnützige GmbH

Website

https://afb-group.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Asset Disposition and Refurbishment Services

NAICS

Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (811210), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)

SIC

Electronic Computers (3571), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Hardware Recycling (Servers, Storage, Networking) (BPALAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data Destruction Services (On-site/Off-site, Media Sanitization) (BPALAIAC), ITAD, Electronics Recycling & Parts Harvesting Retail (CRACAJAF), Certified Compliance & Reporting Services (R2/e-Stewards, Audit, ESG) (BPALAIAL)

Keywords

• IT refurbishment services
• Circular IT hardware
• IT asset disposition
• Data destruction services
• Refurbished business hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Düren

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refurbished Hardware Sales: Sale of professionally refurbished business IT hardware (notebooks, PCs, smartphones, tablets) to consumers, businesses, and educational institutions. Devices are sourced from corporate partners, refurbished, and sold with minimum 12-month warranty. Products graded by quality (AA, A, B, fair, F, NT, R).
2. Short-term Device Rental: Temporary rental of refurbished IT equipment for events and projects (e.g., Special Olympics, Kirchentag). Includes delivery, setup, data erasure, and pickup.
3. Leasing / Device-as-a-Service: Partnership with leasing providers to offer hardware procurement with lifecycle services. AfB purchases devices back from leasing partners after use for refurbishment.
4. IT Take-back Services: Collection and certified data destruction of end-of-life IT equipment from corporate partners. Revenue from device acquisition value and processing services.
5. Impact Documentation Services: Wirkungsurkunde (impact certificate) documenting environmental and social KPIs for partners' ESG reporting. Provides value for partner retention and differentiation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AfB non-profit GmbH operates a 10-step circular IT process that collects used business hardware from corporate partners, performs certified data destruction (Blancco), professionally refurbishes and grades devices (AA to R), redeploys Windows, and resells the refurbished notebooks, PCs, smartphones, and tablets through dedicated B2B and B2C channels across Europe. The company also offers certified data destruction, IT pickup logistics, short-term device rentals, leasing/Device-as-a-Service via partners, an impact certificate (Wirkungsurkunde) for ESG reporting, and digital education solutions for schools.

Product overview

afB non-profit GmbH operates as a premium IT refurbisher offering a circular economy model for business hardware. The core offering consists of IT-Refurbishment services for buying and selling refurbished business IT, complemented by the afB B2B-Shop for online procurement. The portfolio includes afb digital education (formerly 'mobiles lernen') providing IT solutions for schools, leasing options through partner providers, and the Wirkungsurkunde impact certificate for ESG reporting. Supporting services include certified data destruction, IT pickup logistics, and the Gerätereservierung program allowing employees to purchase their work devices. Products span notebooks (HP EliteBook, Lenovo ThinkPad), PCs, smartphones, and tablets—all refurbished with transparent grading and minimum 12-month warranty. The company positions itself as Europas largest non-profit IT company combining economic, social (inclusion), and ecological value.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• afb digital education: IT solutions for schools, educational institutions, teachers, and parents, including classroom IT packages, school IT infrastructure, training, and digital education consulting. Formerly known as 'Mobiles Lernen' before the December 2025 rebranding.

Products and services

• afb IT-Refurbishment End-to-end service for corporate partners to sell used business IT and mobile devices, with certified data destruction, professional refurbishment, transparent grading, warranty, transport, and resale.
• afb B2B-Shop Online B2B e-commerce platform for businesses, municipalities, educational institutions, and NPOs to purchase certified refurbished business hardware with simplified ordering processes.
• afb digital education IT solutions for schools, educational institutions, teachers, and families, including classroom hardware packages (Klassensatz-IT), school IT infrastructure, training, and digital education consulting.
• afb Leasing / Device-as-a-Service IT leasing solution offered through third-party leasing providers with lifecycle services including support and device exchange; AfB buys back devices at end of lease for refurbishment.
• Wirkungsurkunde (Impact Certificate) Documented impact certificate providing transparent proof of ecological savings (CO2, water, raw materials) and social contribution to inclusion, based on studies with TU Berlin and myclimate; usable for ESG reporting.
• Zertifizierte Datenvernichtung (Certified Data Destruction) GDPR-compliant certified data destruction using Blancco Platinum Partner tooling, with auditable documentation of all storage media destruction for business customers.
• Refurbished IT Hardware (Notebooks, PCs, Smartphones, Tablets) Refurbished business IT hardware including notebooks (HP EliteBook, Lenovo ThinkPad), PCs, smartphones (iPhone), and tablets, available with minimum 12-month warranty and transparent grading (AA, A, B, fair, F, NT, R) at up to 40% below equivalent new prices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 114 kg CO₂ saved per refurbished notebook vs. new production
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutsche TelekomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019Five-year partnership (2019-2024) for IT refurbishment. Processed 106,000 devices (353 tons). 93% device reuse rate. Impact: 13,000 tons CO₂, 53M kWh energy, 89M liters water saved. Supports 26 jobs for people with disabilities. Preceded by T-Systems partnership since 2014.
• EY DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Long-standing partnership since 2013. 2025 project processing 13,700 notebooks. Impact: 1,427,730 kg CO₂ saved, 5,518,460 kWh energy saved. Secures 11 jobs for people with disabilities.
• GlobuscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partnership with Globus hypermarket chain. AfB operates store locations within Globus Markthallen (e.g., Waghäusel-Wiesental opened Dec 2024). Sells refurbished IT devices in-store.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Authorized Refurbisher since 2012. One of five authorized in Germany. Authorized to install genuine Windows operating systems on refurbished business devices.
• BlanccocoreTechnology or IntegrationFirst non-profit Blancco Platinum Partner. Uses Blancco data erasure software for certified, audit-ready data destruction on all devices.
• TÜV SüdcoreTechnology or IntegrationTÜV certification partner for ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment), and ISO 27001 (Information Security) standards.
• Leasing PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple leasing provider partners enabling Device-as-a-Service offerings for enterprise customers. AfB buys back devices at end of lease for refurbishment.
• Handwerkskammer DüsseldorfminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025: Handwerkskammer Düsseldorf donated 240 devices. 56% refurbished and reused. Impact: 26.28 tons CO₂, 209,275 liters water, 10.99 tons raw materials saved.
• SiemenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference customer and partner for IT refurbishment and remarketing services.
• Special OlympicscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-term technology sponsorship (since 2022). Provides IT equipment for Special Olympics Landesspiele events. Part of Saarland Förderkreis (promotional circle).
• 39. Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag HannoverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIT partnership for 2025 Kirchentag event (100,000 attendees). Provided 220 refurbished notebooks via short-term rental including setup and data erasure.
• TU Berlin / myclimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic and NGO partners for impact measurement methodology. Studies provide third-party validated sustainability metrics for Wirkungsurkunde (impact certificates).
• KSC TUT GUTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Karlsruher SC football club charity initiative for IT hardware collection campaigns (January-February 2025).

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ReCommerce Group: French non-profit IT refurbishment company with a similar social-inclusion model: refurbishing enterprise IT, employing people from disadvantaged groups, and reselling through retail and B2B channels. Closest direct comparable in mission and operations.
• asgoodasnew: German retailer of refurbished consumer electronics with online and physical-store presence. Comparable in refurbished-device retail model and DACH focus; overlaps on consumer-grade refurbished notebooks, smartphones, and tablets.
• Rebuy: German online retailer specializing in refurbished consumer electronics (smartphones, laptops, tablets). Direct comparable in the B2C refurbished channel and German market, though focused on consumer rather than enterprise ITAD.
• Foxway: Swedish ITAD and circular IT company providing device take-back, refurbishment, and remarketing to enterprises across the Nordics and Europe. Comparable in core enterprise ITAD services, scale, and European geographic footprint.
• Reverse Logistics Group: German reverse-logistics and ITAD services provider supporting manufacturers and retailers with end-of-life electronics take-back, refurbishment, and recycling. Comparable in B2B reverse-logistics operations and European footprint.

Emerging players

• Everphone: German Device-as-a-Service company providing business smartphones and tablets on subscription. Comparable in the DaaS and corporate-device lifecycle space where AfB also partners with leasing providers; smaller and more focused on mobile devices.

Broad incumbents

• Back Market: Global refurbished electronics marketplace headquartered in France, operating a multi-vendor platform across consumer devices. Much larger scale and broader geographic reach; competes indirectly for refurbished device demand and partner supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 AfB non-profit GmbH