Tobit Laboratories

What Tobit Laboratories does

Tobit Laboratories AG (doing business as Tobit.Software) is a German software company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Ahaus, Germany. It builds chayns OS, an open cloud-based operating system for web applications that has been deployed at more than 100,000 companies and organizations, primarily in the DACH region. The platform supports a portfolio of products including the SideKick AI engine (a Unified Artificial Intelligence layer integrating 50+ LLMs such as ChatGPT-4o, Gemini 1.5, Claude 3.5, Llama 3.1, and Mistral), TeamDavid (team communication), SuperApp (city citizen engagement), SmartShop (e-commerce), and PageMaker (site builder), along with vertical modules for hospitality, ticketing, vouchers, and live quizzes.

The company monetizes through a mix of freemium (chayns OS is free for up to 50 connections), monthly/annual subscriptions (chayns PRO at €24.50/month plus €0.01/connection; SideKick PRO at €15/month with annual billing; TeamDavid with sitecare starting at €3.75/user/month after year one), usage-based credits for AI consumption, and one-time perpetual licenses for modules such as chayns Quiz (€485 for up to 30 shows). Distribution runs primarily through a 2,000+ authorized partner network in the German-speaking region, supplemented by direct enterprise sales, a self-service app store, and showcase operations including Digitalstadt Ahaus (a reference smart city). Recent commercial emphasis has shifted toward the public sector (52 municipalities via KAAW; NRW Ministry of Education AI pilot at 25 schools) and a newly formed Smart City Unit established in October 2024 under managing director Peter Sommer.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is privately held under German stock corporation law with no identified external parent or venture financing, operating with approximately 200 employees at its Ahaus headquarters. Recent strategic emphasis includes a SideKick reseller program, expansion of the Smart City Festival footprint, and broadening of AI offerings with GDPR-compliant on-premise deployment and a multi-avatar configuration system.

Name

Tobit Laboratories

Legal name

Tobit Laboratories AG

Website

https://tobit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tobit Laboratories AG (Tobit.Software) is a German software firm offering chayns OS, a cloud platform serving over 100,000 organizations across DACH with AI tools (SideKick), team communication (TeamDavid), city engagement apps (SuperApp), and smart-city municipal solutions distributed through a 2,000+ partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Digitalization Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Rules & Decision Management Platforms (BRMS/DMN) (HDAEAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

B2B SaaS & Enterprise Personalization (CRM, Sales, Support) (HDAAAGAJ), Customer Self-Service Portals & Digital Experience (Web/Mobile) (EUAJAHAK)

Keywords

• Digitalization software platform
• AI assistant platform
• Smart city technology
• Team communication software
• Cloud operating system

Headquarters

HQ city

Ahaus

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing (Subscription): Annual and monthly subscription fees for software products including TeamDavid with sitecare, chayns PRO, and SideKick PRO. Pricing includes base fees plus per-user or per-connection charges.
2. Usage-based Credits: AI model usage is calculated in credits - a cross-model unit that makes the costs of different models comparable and transparent. SideKick Pro offers unlimited usage for subscribers.
3. Freemium Model: chayns OS remains free for private and semi-professional use with up to 50 connections. Professional use requires chayns PRO subscription. SideKick AI models are free to use.
4. Application Licensing: chayns Quiz charged at 485.00 EUR flat for max 30 shows without participant limit. Additional applications and professional services available for purchase.
5. Professional Services: chayns PRO includes comprehensive professional services with direct connection to manufacturer and guaranteed availability. Additional features include Sidekick Audience for AI-supported data mining and exclusive applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tobit Laboratories AG (operating as Tobit.Software) develops and sells an open, cloud-based web operating system called chayns OS that serves as the foundation for a portfolio of digitalization products. Its commercial offerings include the SideKick unified AI engine (combining 50+ AI models), TeamDavid team communication platform, SuperApp for citizen/city engagement, PageMaker website builder, SmartShop e-commerce, and modules such as chayns selforder, chayns Pay (QR payment), and chayns Quiz. Customers are primarily businesses, municipalities, associations, and hospitality operators across the DACH region, served via a 2,000+ partner network and direct sales.

Product overview

Tobit.Software offers a unified platform architecture centered on chayns OS, an open cloud-based web operating system. Five core products form the portfolio: Sidekick (Unified AI engine with 50+ models), TeamDavid (all-in-one team communication), SuperApp (city connection platform), SmartShop (e-commerce), and PageMaker (website building). Additional modules extend functionality including chayns selforder (ordering systems), chayns Pay (QR payments), chayns Quiz (live quiz shows), Ticketing, and Stadtgutschein (city vouchers). Professional tiers include chayns PRO and Sidekick PRO for enhanced business features. All products are developed at the Ahaus headquarters with a network of 2,000+ authorized partners serving 100,000+ organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SideKick™: AI assistant featuring Unified Artificial Intelligence (UAI) engine combining multiple AI models including ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, Claude, and LLama
• TeamDavid®
• SuperApp™
• PageMaker™
• chayns®OS™
• chayns® selforder™
• sitecare™
• SmartShop™
• YouTaxi

Products and services

• chayns OS Open, cloud-based web app operating system that serves as the foundational platform for all Tobit products and enables rapid development and deployment of web applications across devices for organizations of any size.
• SideKick (AI Engine) Unified AI engine connecting more than 50 AI models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Mistral, Llama, Wolfram Alpha and others) with DSGVO-compliant data anonymization, configurable AI avatars, and multimodal generation of text, images, video, and audio for professional and consumer users.
• TeamDavid All-in-one team communication platform combining email, chat, video, tasks, and document collaboration in one DSGVO-compliant interface developed in Germany for organizations and teams.
• SuperApp Mobile application platform that connects people in cities with personalized user experiences and municipal services, created on demand for each city and linking everything and everyone through one platform.
• PageMaker Website builder that enables users and organizations to create websites with extensive design possibilities in a short time on the chayns OS foundation.
• SmartShop E-commerce solution that enables fast digital selling of products and services, with Tobit handling the technical sales process so merchants can focus on offers and inventory.
• chayns selforder Self-ordering system for hospitality scenarios including table service, take-out, counter sales, canteens, and kiosks.
• chayns Pay QR-code based point-of-sale payment solution for chayns accounts that enables voucher redemption and direct cashless payment via SEPA, PayPal, iDEAL, and credit cards.
• chayns Quiz Live quiz application for cities and communities, with automated show management, AI-based moderators, local questions, and voucher-based prize distribution for audience engagement.
• Smart City Solutions Comprehensive smart city offerings including traffic management, energy efficiency, urban service optimization, citizen engagement apps, and AI-assisted administrative services, delivered through the dedicated Smart City Unit.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87.2% of vouchers redeemed within 3 days in quiz-based economic promotion programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Digitalstadt AhauscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTobit is the driving force behind Digitalstadt Ahaus, a reference smart city in Germany where the company showcases its technologies through nearly two dozen operational businesses including hotels, restaurants, retailers, and municipal services. Over 200 visitor groups annually tour the Digitalstadt to learn about smart city implementations.
• KAAW (Kommunen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between KAAW and Tobit.Software to bring AI solutions to 52 municipal offices, enabling bureaucracy bypass through AI-assisted administrative processes.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft (Microsoft 365 / Teams): Direct competitor to Tobit's TeamDavid team communication product and chayns OS collaboration features. Bundles email, chat, video, and Copilot AI as a default productivity layer for organizations globally, including in DACH.
• ServiceNow: Global enterprise workflow and digital platform vendor. Comparable to Tobit as a unified platform play that aggregates workflows, communications, and AI for organizations, though ServiceNow operates at much larger scale and enterprise tier.
• Salesforce: Dominant CRM and enterprise platform with AI assistants (Einstein). Comparable to Tobit's ambitions of a unified customer/municipal engagement platform with embedded AI, but operating at much greater scale and breadth.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure (Smart Cities): Industrial incumbent with smart city, mobility, and energy offerings for municipalities. Comparable to Tobit's Smart City Unit solutions for traffic, energy efficiency, and citizen engagement, but at infrastructure-scale rather than software-platform scale.
• Atos (Public Sector / Smart City): European IT services and systems integrator with smart city and public-sector digitalization offerings. Comparable to Tobit's municipal/smart city business in serving city governments with digital platforms, though primarily via services-led delivery rather than product SaaS.
• SAP (Business One / Business Technology Platform): German-headquartered enterprise software platform with a DACH-anchored mid-market business. Comparable to Tobit as a German enterprise software vendor targeting municipalities and organizations, though at vastly larger scale and with deeper ERP workflows.

Regional players

• T-Systems (Deutsche Telekom): German IT services provider serving public sector and municipalities with cloud, digitalization, and citizen-services platforms. Comparable to Tobit as a DACH IT vendor competing for municipal digitalization contracts, with deeper government heritage but less product-led platform DNA.

Emerging players

• Rocket.Chat: Open-source team communication and collaboration platform with on-premise deployment. Comparable to TeamDavid's positioning as a sovereign, self-hostable communication alternative to Slack/Teams for organizations with data-residency requirements.
• Aleph Alpha: German AI company focused on sovereign, compliant enterprise AI for European customers. Comparable to SideKick's positioning as a GDPR-compliant multi-model AI provider for European public-sector and regulated workloads, though Aleph Alpha emphasizes first-party models rather than aggregation.

Direct peers

• HubSpot: SaaS platform with a freemium-to-paid GTM motion targeting SMBs and mid-market. Comparable to Tobit's chayns OS business model combining free and paid tiers, multi-product platform, and partner-driven growth across DACH-equivalent SMB segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Tobit_Campus

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Tobit Laboratories