GFU Cyrus

What GFU Cyrus does

GFU Cyrus AG is a privately held German IT training services provider headquartered in Cologne, operating since 1980 with 11–50 internal employees and a contracted network of more than 1,000 expert trainers. The company delivers instructor-led seminars across more than 4,750 distinct IT topics — spanning artificial intelligence, Microsoft 365, Azure, Kubernetes, Python, Linux, databases, SAP, SharePoint, and project management — to enterprise clients, individual professionals, and students/apprentices in the D-A-CH region.

The core product portfolio is structured around four delivery formats: open enrollment seminars (in-person at the owned Cologne-Deutz seminar center or online via Zoom), customized corporate (Firmen) training, on-site inhouse training across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and individual one-on-one sessions. The technology layer is operational rather than proprietary — training delivery, booking, and content management run on standard web and video-conferencing infrastructure (Zoom, SharePoint, Microsoft 365). Catalog breadth and trainer depth are the underlying assets rather than any software platform or AI model.

GFU generates revenue through per-participant seminar fees ranging from €350 for a one-day course to €3,250 for a five-day course, with corporate inhouse pricing set on inquiry. Named enterprise customers include Allianz, AXA, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Post, Lufthansa, Mercedes-Benz, Sony, and ZDF, alongside public sector and healthcare clients, supplemented by a free "remainder spot" initiative for students and apprentices. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with self-serve online booking, supported by SEO, content marketing, social channels, email newsletters, and a monthly free webinar event called Semicolon.

Name

GFU Cyrus

Legal name

GFU Cyrus AG

Website

https://gfu.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GFU Cyrus AG is a Cologne-based IT training services provider, founded in 1980, delivering instructor-led seminars across 4,750+ topics to enterprise clients, professionals, and students across the D-A-CH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Professional Training Services

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Computer Training (61142), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Computing & Infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP, Virtualization) (EDABAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tools & Platforms Training (Jira, Azure DevOps, MS Project, Smartsheet, etc.) (EDABAHAH), Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.) (BPAEANAA), Cloud & DevOps (EDAAAPAE)

Keywords

• IT training services
• Professional development
• Corporate training
• Certification preparation
• Cloud computing training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training and seminar fees: GFU generates revenue through course fees charged per participant per seminar. Courses range from 1 to 5 days, with prices varying by duration and topic (e.g., Excel Grundlagen at €690 for 2 days; Citrix Virtual Apps at €2,660 for 4 days; Windows Server Admin at €3,250 for 5 days). Additional revenue streams include firmenschulungen (corporate training) and individual training sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GFU Cyrus AG is a German IT and professional training services provider offering instructor-led seminars across 4,754 topics, including AI/machine learning, Microsoft 365, Azure, Kubernetes, Python, Linux, databases, and project management. Training is delivered through open enrollment courses (online or in-person at the Cologne seminar center), customized corporate programs, on-site inhouse sessions across the D-A-CH region, and individual one-on-one instruction, priced per seminar from €350 to €3,250 depending on duration.

Product overview

GFU Cyrus AG operates as an IT and professional training services provider offering over 4,754 seminar topics across diverse technology domains. The core offering consists of instructor-led training formats (Präsenz, Online, Firmenschulung, Inhouse, Individual) delivered at their Cologne seminar center or remotely. The product portfolio spans technical training categories including AI/Machine Learning (KI), Microsoft 365/Azure, Kubernetes/Containerization, Python/Data Science, Database Administration, Linux, and Project Management methodologies (Scrum, Agile). Training is available as open enrollment courses with scheduled dates or as customized corporate programs tailored to specific organizational needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KI / AI Seminare (Artificial Intelligence Training)

Quantifiable outcome

• 162,778 participants trained
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Linux Professional Institute (LPI)minorOthersGFU is a member of the Linux Professional Institute network. LPI is a global certification organization for Linux professionals. Membership indicates GFU's alignment with Linux training and certification standards.
• Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI)minorOthersGFU holds a membership with the Gesellschaft für Informatik (German Informatics Society), a major professional association for computer science in Germany. Membership signals GFU's commitment to the professional IT community.
• European Association for Training Organisations (EATO)minorOthersGFU is a member of EATO (European Association for Training Organisations), a pan-European network of training providers. Membership provides access to best practices and peer networks across European training organizations.
• Deutschlandstipendium (TH Köln)minorOthersGFU supports the Deutschland Stipendium program, a German national scholarship initiative, by making monthly donations to the TH Köln university. This is a social impact initiative supporting student talent in Germany.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Global online learning platform partnering with universities and tech companies to deliver IT, AI, and cloud courses to enterprise and consumer learners. Indirect substitute for GFU's open enrollment seminars, particularly for self-paced reskilling.
• Pluralsight: Global online IT and technology skills platform serving enterprise and individual learners with subscription-based self-paced courses. Competes with GFU for IT training budget but uses a different (on-demand) delivery model.
• Haufe Akademie: One of Germany's largest corporate training providers, offering business, leadership, and technology seminars to enterprise clients. Broader than GFU but overlaps on IT and management courses purchased by the same D-A-CH enterprise buyers.

Direct peers

• PROKODA GmbH: German IT training provider also headquartered in the Cologne area, offering open enrollment seminars and corporate inhouse training across similar technology stacks (Microsoft, cloud, programming, project management). Directly competes with GFU on the same regional buyer base and delivery formats.
• ORDIX AG: German IT services and training company delivering seminars across databases, development, and cloud topics, including open enrollment and inhouse corporate formats. Mirrors GFU's profile as a mid-size German IT training specialist.
• SoftEd Training GmbH: German IT training specialist offering open enrollment, corporate, and inhouse courses across software development, cloud, project management, and Agile. Targets the same German enterprise customer base as GFU.
• New Horizons Germany: German franchise of the global New Horizons training network, focused on IT and business skills training for enterprise and individuals. Overlaps with GFU in vendor-certified course delivery and corporate training in the D-A-CH region.
• GBS Schulungszentrum: Long-standing German IT training company with a multi-location seminar center model and broad technology catalog (Microsoft, SAP, Linux, programming). Closely comparable operating model to GFU on in-person open enrollment and corporate programs.
• Bechtle Training: IT training division of Bechtle AG, one of Europe's largest IT systems houses, offering vendor-authorized courses for Microsoft, Cisco, AWS, and more. Competes directly with GFU in the D-A-CH enterprise and inhouse segment.
• Fast Lane (Germany): Operates the Germany arm of the global Fast Lane IT training group, focused heavily on cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), Kubernetes, and vendor certifications. Matches GFU's enterprise catalog and D-A-CH delivery footprint as a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GFU.net
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gfu-cyrus-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/gfucyrusag
• Xx.com/schulungen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 GFU Cyrus