What Confera Consulting does

confera Consulting GmbH is a privately held, independent German broker and consulting firm for employee fringe benefits (Lohnnebenleistungen), headquartered in Erlangen, Bavaria. It serves German employers — both private-sector companies and public-sector bodies operating under TVöD VKA — that want to improve employer attractiveness and employee retention through tax-optimized benefit programs such as Sachbezug, meal allowances, occupational health insurance, and company pension schemes. The firm is managed by two Geschäftsführer, Claudia Lörtzer and Uwe Cornelsen, with a small named team of four and operates as an unbiased intermediary unbound to specific product providers.

The company's core technology is the 'benefit selection' online cafeteria platform, a web-based system that lets employees self-select from an employer-defined portfolio of benefits within a defined budget. Supporting modules include the confera Firmenkarte — a Mastercard prepaid corporate card for distributing up to €50/month in tax-free Sachbezug; the Mittagsverpflegung app for digital meal-expense receipt submission; and a Gesundheitsförderung module for occupational health and disability coverage. A specialized variant of the cafeteria system is configured for public sector clients. The platform generates payroll-compatible files for employer-side administration.

Commercially, confera runs a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market with direct consultation meetings, free demos of the benefit selection platform, and named account managers per client. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but follows an annual subscription cadence for the platform, supplemented by brokerage commissions on placed benefit products. Revenue is generated from a mix of subscription and recurring commission streams. Marketing relies on the corporate website, MailChimp email campaigns, YouTube product demonstrations, and HubSpot-scheduled consultations. The firm operates exclusively within Germany, with a concentration in Bavaria.

Name

Confera Consulting

Legal name

confera Consulting GmbH

Website

https://confera-consulting.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

confera Consulting GmbH is an independent German broker and software provider of employee fringe benefits, operating the 'benefit selection' online cafeteria platform alongside a Mastercard prepaid Firmenkarte and add-on modules for meal allowances, health benefits, and public-sector clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits Brokerage

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards Advisory (BPACAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC), Compensation, Benefits & Rewards Consulting (BPAHAGAF)

Keywords

• Employee benefits brokerage
• Cafeteria system platform
• Corporate benefits consulting
• Tax-free salary components
• Employer attractiveness advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlangen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Benefits Consulting and Brokerage: Confera acts as an independent intermediary/broker for employee benefits, earning revenue through commissions or fees from product providers. They are not bound to specific product providers, allowing them to offer unbiased advice to employers seeking to improve employee attractiveness. Revenue is generated by placing employers with suitable benefit products and systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Confera Consulting is an independent broker and consultant for employee fringe benefits (Lohnnebenleistungen) for German employers. The firm advises HR decision-makers on tax-optimized compensation components and operates the 'benefit selection' online cafeteria platform that lets employees self-select benefits from an employer-defined budget. Core offerings include the confera Firmenkarte (prepaid Mastercard for tax-free Sachbezug up to €50/month), lunch allowance programs, health promotion benefits, and a public-sector cafeteria variant.

Product overview

Confera Consulting offers a unified employee benefits brokerage platform anchored by the 'benefit selection' online cafeteria system. The core product enables employees to self-select from a portfolio of tax-optimized salary components. Supporting modules include the Firmenkarte prepaid Mastercard for Sachbezug (tax-free benefits up to €50/month), Mittagsverpflegung (lunch allowance via app or vouchers), and Gesundheitsförderung (occupational health insurance and disability coverage). A specialized variant serves public sector employers under TVöD VKA. All components integrate into benefit selection for centralized administration and payroll automation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• benefit selection: Online platform for employees to independently select and manage their employee benefits, including cafeteria system features.
• confera Firmenkarte

Products and services

• benefit selection Online cafeteria system enabling employees of German employers to self-select from a portfolio of tax-optimized employee benefits within an employer-defined budget. Provides intuitive interface, self-directed selection, automated payroll file generation, and serves all employee groups.
• Firmenkarte (Firmenkreditkarte) Prepaid Mastercard corporate card for distributing tax-free employee benefits (Sachbezug) up to €50 per month per employee. Accepted at all Mastercard acceptance points nationwide; cash withdrawal via magnetic stripe is blocked. Includes employer portal for card management and employee portal for usage.
• Mittagsverpflegung (Essenszuschuss) Lunch allowance benefit combining a mobile app for digital expense reimbursement (employees photograph receipts and submit for payroll-based reimbursement) with paper meal vouchers redeemable at restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets. Monthly files are provided to employers for payroll import.
• Gesundheitsförderung Health promotion benefits program including occupational health insurance (betriebliche Krankenversicherung) with group rates, no health questionnaire, and family coverage, plus employer-financed occupational disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung).
• Cafeteria System (Öffentlicher Dienst) Specialized cafeteria system variant for German public-sector employers implementing performance-based pay under §18 TVöD VKA collective bargaining agreements, enabling civil servants to select from a benefit portfolio within regulatory constraints.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of employees consider benefits when choosing a workplace
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MastercardcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Confera offers corporate prepaid Mastercard cards as a benefit distribution mechanism. The Mastercard is accepted at all acceptance points nationwide, allowing employees flexible use of their tax-free benefit allowance. Cash withdrawal is blocked via magnetic stripe.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lurse: German compensation, benefits, and HR-policy consulting firm. Comparable as a competing independent compensation & benefits advisory serving similar DACH employer clients.
• Pluxee (formerly Sodexo Benefits & Rewards): European employee-benefits and engagement platform offering prepaid cards, meal vouchers, and benefits platforms. Comparable to Confera's bundled benefits and SaaS approach.
• Up (formerly Up Deutschland / H&R): German provider of meal, fuel, and gift card benefits plus a digital benefits platform. Directly overlaps Confera's Firmenkarte, meal voucher, and cafeteria system offerings in the German mid-market.
• Edenred: Global leader in prepaid corporate meal and benefit vouchers (Ticket Restaurant, etc.). Directly competes with Confera's Firmenkarte and Mittagsverpflegung offerings in Germany through its Up Deutschland subsidiary.
• ValueNet: German-based provider of prepaid, gift, and benefit card solutions plus corporate incentive programs. Comparable to Confera's prepaid Mastercard benefit and consulting-led distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• SD Worx: European HR, payroll, and benefits administration provider serving mid-market and enterprise employers. Broad incumbent whose benefits modules overlap with Confera's cafeteria platform.
• Personio: Leading German/European HRIS platform embedding people management and increasingly benefits workflows. Competes for the same German mid-market employer wallet but as a broader HR system.
• Haufe Group: German provider of HR, tax, legal, and compensation consulting content and software. Broad incumbent whose compensation/benefits advisory and HR SaaS partially overlap with Confera's offering.
• ADP: Global payroll, HR, and benefits administration provider. Indirectly competes through embedded benefits modules targeting the same German employer segment Confera serves.

Emerging players

• Coverflex: European flexible-benefits platform for SMBs, offering digital benefit wallets and cafeteria-style selection. Adjacent comparable to Confera's "benefit selection" platform, though more focused on Southern Europe today.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/conferaGmbH

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Confera Consulting