What CO Improve does

CO Improve is a German management consulting boutique founded in 2012 and headquartered in Eschborn, near Frankfurt. The firm is organized as CO-Improve GmbH & Co. KG, led by founding Managing Shareholder Dirk Meißner alongside Managing Director Andreas Grohmann. It specializes in improving product development performance for medium-sized companies (Mittelstand) and corporate units that design and build complex mechatronic products. Its offering portfolio is structured around eight service lines — Strategy, Processes, Organization, Agility (notably Agile@Hardware), Systems Engineering, Generative AI, Modular Product Kits, and the Smart Development Booster — plus a Transformation & Change practice, supported by knowledge products including whitepapers, webinars, a monthly newsletter, and the business novel 'Reifegrad 3'.

The firm's underlying intellectual property centers on a proprietary interdisciplinary maturity model for product development (Interdisziplinäres Reifegradmodell), the Smart Development Performance Booster assessment across five dimensions, and a multi-agent generative AI workflow with specialized Market Analysis, Standards, and Risk Review agents. Methodologically, CO Improve blends classical consulting (Lean, Agile, Systems Engineering) with applied generative AI for market intelligence and product development acceleration. Its named client base spans more than a dozen enterprise and mid-market manufacturers in automotive, medical technology, HVAC, agricultural and construction machinery, material handling, pumps, household appliances, and aerospace/defense.

Revenue is generated through customized, project-based professional services engagements, typically multi-year, sold through a direct enterprise sales motion targeting Mittelstand decision-makers. The company is privately held, owner-operated, with no disclosed external funding, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no public listing. Distribution is exclusively direct sales supplemented by content marketing (whitepapers, webinars, newsletter), LinkedIn, YouTube, and earned media via the TOP Consultant award (compamedia) held since 2016.

Name

CO Improve

Legal name

CO-Improve GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://co-improve.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CO Improve is a German management consulting boutique founded in 2012 that helps Mittelstand manufacturers and corporate units improve product development performance through agile transformation, systems engineering, and proprietary maturity-based methodologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB), Change Management for Operations Transformations (EDABAKAM)

Keywords

• Product development consulting
• Agile transformation
• Change management consulting
• Systems engineering services
• Mechatronic product development

Headquarters

HQ city

Eschborn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Management Consulting Services: Professional consulting engagements involving strategy development, process optimization, organizational development, agile transformation, and systems engineering for manufacturing companies developing complex mechatronic products. Projects are tailored to client needs with five-phase approach including specialist and change management work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CO Improve is a German management consulting boutique that delivers product development performance improvement, agile transformation, and change management services to medium-sized companies and corporate units developing complex mechatronic products. The firm applies methodologies such as Lean, Agile, Systems Engineering, and Generative AI across consulting engagements organized around strategy, processes, organization, agility, systems engineering, modular product kits, and a maturity assessment (Smart Development Booster).

Product overview

CO Improve is a consulting boutique specialized in product development performance improvement. The company offers a holistic, interdisciplinary portfolio of consulting services organized around eight core offerings: Strategy (Strategie), Processes (Prozesse), Organization (Organisation), Agility (Agilität), Systems Engineering, Generative AI (Gen AI), Modular Product Kits (Modulare Produktbaukästen), and Smart Development Booster. These services are complemented by Transformation & Change management consulting and a series of knowledge products including whitepapers, webinars, and a business novel titled 'Reifegrad 3'. CO Improve serves medium-sized companies and corporate units developing complex mechatronic products across industries including automotive, machinery, medical technology, aerospace, and heating/climate technology. The company emphasizes practical implementation over theoretical concepts, combining technical expertise with change management skills to achieve sustainable improvements in product development organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy Consulting (Strategie) Strategic consulting to align product development with market success, including corporate strategy, business field strategies, product strategies, market strategies, and functional strategies for manufacturing companies.
• Process Optimization (Prozesse) Process optimization for product development covering leadership processes, performance processes, and support processes including technology management, advance development, product creation, product maintenance, requirements management, project management, and change management.
• Organizational Development (Organisation) Organizational development services to build resilient organizations with strategic adaptability, agile structures, and balanced efficiency and flexibility for product development.
• Agility / Agile@Hardware (Agilität) Agile transformation consulting specifically tailored for hardware and physical product development, helping organizations implement agile principles (Scrum, Kanban) in complex mechatronic product environments.
• Systems Engineering Consulting Systems engineering services for managing complexity in mechatronic products, integrating mechanics, electronics, software, and digital services through structured approaches.
• Generative AI Consulting (Gen AI) Generative AI consulting services to integrate AI into product development processes, including agent-based workflows with specialized AI agents for market analysis, regulatory compliance, and risk assessment.
• Modular Product Kits Consulting Platform and modularization strategy consulting to make technical diversity manageable through reusable modules, variant management, and governance structures.
• Smart Development Booster Maturity assessment and performance improvement program for product development organizations, evaluating five dimensions (leadership, strategy, processes, organization, culture) and providing focused improvement recommendations.
• Transformation & Change Consulting Change management and transformation consulting combining strategic expertise, change management skills, and psychological intervention capabilities to sustainably anchor organizational change.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 successfully implemented consulting projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• q.sphereminorStrategic or Co-development Partnerq.sphere enables companies to meet rising software quality requirements in vehicles and beyond. With training, consulting and deep understanding of the new ASQMS standard, q.sphere supports the transformation to software-centric organizations - practically, audit-proof and future-proof.
• SpryfoxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpryfox helps companies transform their digital data and analytics. With more than a decade of experience in industrial data science, they advise customers from various industries - identifying the most promising use cases and implementing end-to-end solutions that open doors for new products and services.
• Xcella VistaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXcella Vista specializes in customized Metaverse and Extended Reality (XR) solutions for the industrial sector. Their decades of experience, based on academic research and practical applications, positions them at the forefront of innovation in industrial operations, training and customer engagement.
• KEGON AGcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAs SAFe First Mover in Europe, KEGON offers a comprehensive range of agile services, from training, coaching and consulting to strategy development, all aimed at leading companies into a successful future. KEGON is an Implementation Flow Network Partner.
• PEDCOcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPEDCO Applied SAFe is the only solution for companies wanting to implement the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) quickly and efficiently.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Porsche Consulting: Porsche Consulting is a large, established German management consultancy serving automotive and industrial clients on strategy, operations, and digital transformation. Overlaps with CO Improve's automotive product development and agile transformation offerings but operates at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• McKinsey & Company: McKinsey operates a global management consulting practice with deep industrial and automotive sector coverage including agile transformations and product development advisory. Comparable at the category level but vastly larger scale and broader portfolio than CO Improve.
• Horváth AG: Horváth is a major European management consulting firm specializing in performance, transformation, and controlling advisory. Comparable to CO Improve in transformation and performance management offerings, but significantly larger and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• ROI Management Consulting AG: ROI is a German production and operations management consultancy serving industrial Mittelstand clients. Highly comparable to CO Improve in vertical focus (manufacturing, automotive, machinery), boutique scale, and emphasis on production system optimization and agile transformation.
• UNITY Consulting AG: UNITY is a German transformation consulting firm focused on innovation, digitalization, and operational excellence for industrial clients. Comparable to CO Improve in target segment (industrial Mittelstand), services portfolio (agile transformation, product development, systems engineering), and boutique-to-mid-tier positioning.
• Staufen AG: Staufen is a German management consulting boutique focused on lean operations and operational excellence for Mittelstand manufacturers. Directly comparable to CO Improve in target customer (German industrial Mittelstand), methodology (lean/agile transformation), and product development optimization offerings.

Emerging players

• KEGON AG: KEGON is a Germany-based agile transformation consultancy and SAFe First Mover in Europe, providing training, coaching and consulting. Directly comparable to CO Improve's Agile@Hardware offering and listed as a core CO Improve partner, indicating close overlap in agile methodology delivery.
• itemis AG: itemis is a German consulting and technology firm focused on model-based systems engineering and digital product development for industrial clients. Overlaps with CO Improve's Systems Engineering and agile transformation offerings for mechatronic product developers.
• ASCon Systems GmbH: ASCon Systems is a German systems engineering consultancy and tool provider supporting mechatronic product development. Comparable to CO Improve's Systems Engineering service line and overlapping target customers in automotive and industrial sectors.

Regional players

• Crisp Research (part of Netlight): Crisp Research is a German digital transformation and innovation advisory firm serving industrial and technology clients. Overlaps with CO Improve on transformation topics for German Mittelstand and serves as an adjacent competitor in the agile/digital consulting segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@co-improvegmbhco.kg-manage3311
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18209944

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 CO Improve