CBO GmbH
CBO GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer and e-commerce distributor of optical transceivers, DAC/AOC cables, and fiber connectivity products (BlueOptics and BlueLAN brands) serving data centers, enterprises, industrial, HPC, and access network buyers across Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersMülheim An Der Ruhr, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CBO GmbH does
CBO GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer and distributor of optical and copper-based networking components, headquartered in Mülheim an der Ruhr and operating under the BlueOptics and BlueLAN brands. The company's core product portfolio spans optical transceivers from 100Mbit to 800G (QSFP-DD, OSFP, QSFP28, SFP28, SFP+, XFP, and CFP form factors), direct attach copper (DAC) and active optical (AOC) cables, MPO/MTP trunk and breakout cabling, fiber optic patch cables, media converters, PLC splitters, optical multiplexers, SAS cables, and Converged Network Adapter cards. A dedicated industrial sub-line offers ruggedized variants rated for extended temperature and harsh-environment deployments. Pricing is published in EUR with bulk tiers beginning at 1,000 units (e.g., €118.98 for a 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28, €59.48 for a 25GBASE-SR SFP28), and revenue is generated through hardware sales via both direct e-commerce and a reseller partner program.
The company serves five primary end markets: hyperscale and colocation data centers, enterprise networks, industrial environments, high-performance computing, and access/FTTx networks. Go-to-market combines a bilingual (German/English) direct e-commerce storefront at blueoptics.de with same-day warehouse shipping for orders placed before 16:00, a 14-day product loaner program, an RMA process, and country-specific phone support for Germany, the UK, France, and Spain. Distribution is supplemented by a 'Partner werden' reseller program targeting mid-market channels. CBO is differentiated primarily on breadth (a single catalog from 100Mbit legacy optics through 800G next-generation modules), warehouse-backed delivery speed, and a stated quality positioning around component selection and product lifetime. No external funding, no parent company, no M&A activity, and no executive team details are disclosed in the available data; the company has operated since 2004 with a headcount in the 11–50 band.
CBO GmbH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CBO GmbH
- Legal name
- CBO GmbH
- Website
- https://cbo-it.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CBO GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer and e-commerce distributor of optical transceivers, DAC/AOC cables, and fiber connectivity products (BlueOptics and BlueLAN brands) serving data centers, enterprises, industrial, HPC, and access network buyers across Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CBO GmbH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Optical Networking Hardware
- NAICS
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing (3342), Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Electronic Connectors (3678)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optical Transceivers (SFP/SFP+/SFP28/QSFP/QSFP-DD/OSFP) (HDAFAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Active Optical Cables (AOC) & Optical Interconnects (HDAFAEAG)
Keywords
Where CBO GmbH is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mülheim An Der Ruhr
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CBO GmbH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales (Transceivers & Cables): Revenue generated from the sale of optical transceivers, direct attach cables, active optical cables, fiber optic patch cables, and networking equipment through their e-commerce platform and partner network.
- Custom/OEM Solutions: Customized special solutions (maßgeschneiderte Speziallösungen) for specific customer requirements, including consultation and manufacturing services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual product pricing with bulk discounts available |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
CBO GmbH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CBO GmbH manufactures and sells optical networking components, including optical transceivers (SFP, SFP+, XFP, QSFP, QSFP28, QSFP-DD, OSFP up to 800G), DAC and AOC cables, fiber optic patch and MPO/MTP cables, BlueLAN network interface cards, media converters, multiplexers, PLC splitters, and fiber patch panels. Products are sold under the BlueOptics and BlueLAN brands primarily for data center, enterprise network, industrial, HPC, and access network deployments, with multi-vendor OEM compatibility and custom OEM solutions available.
Product overview
CBO GmbH offers a comprehensive portfolio of active and passive network solutions under the BlueOptics brand for data centers, access networks, enterprise networks, industrial environments, and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. The product line centers on optical transceivers (100Mbit to 800G in QSFP-DD, QSFP28, SFP28, SFP+ formats) and DAC/AOC cables as the core connectivity components. These are complemented by fiber optic patch cables (LWL Patchkabel) in LC, SC, ST, and MPO configurations supporting OM3/OM4/OM5 multimode and OS2 singlemode grades, plus MPO/MTP trunk and breakout cables for high-density deployments. The BlueLAN sub-brand provides CNA (Converged Network Adapter) cards and DAC cables. Additional offerings include SAS cables, media converters, multiplexers, PLC splitters, fiber patch panels, measurement instruments, and accessories. The portfolio provides complete data center connectivity solutions from 10G to 800G for next-generation networks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BlueOptics: Brand for active and passive network solutions including optical transceivers, DAC/AOC cables, fiber optic patch cables, MPO/MTP cables, SAS cables, media converters, PLC splitters, and NIC cards.
- BlueLAN
Products and services
- BlueOptics Optical Transceivers
Companies that use CBO GmbH
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CBO GmbH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CBO GmbH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- BlueOptics Partner ProgramcoreCBO GmbH operates a partner program for resellers and distributors of BlueOptics products. Partners can join to resell optical transceivers, cables, and networking equipment. The program is promoted on their website with a dedicated 'Partner werden' (Become a Partner) page.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CBO GmbH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cisco: Cisco is the dominant OEM of networking switches and routers whose platforms CBO's BlueOptics transceivers target for compatibility. Cisco-branded optics are the primary alternative customers evaluate against CBO's third-party offerings.
- Arista Networks: Arista Networks is a leading data center switching OEM and a key platform whose optics CBO's BlueOptics transceivers are designed to be compatible with. Arista-branded optics represent the incumbent alternative in the same hyperscale/cloud customer base CBO addresses.
- Coherent: Coherent (formerly II-VI/Finisar) is a leading global manufacturer of optical components, transceivers, and networking subsystems. While not a direct third-party competitor, its branded transceiver portfolio and OEM relationships set the technology and pricing benchmarks CBO must compete against.
- Lumentum: Lumentum is a major US-based manufacturer of photonic and optical networking products including transceivers and ROADM components. It operates as an established incumbent in the optical communications space that CBO's customers ultimately procure from.
Direct peers
- FS.com: FS.com is the largest global third-party optical transceiver and cabling vendor, offering a comparable full-spectrum portfolio of 1G to 800G transceivers, DAC/AOC cables, MPO/MTP cabling, and media converters sold primarily through its own e-commerce platform — directly competing with BlueOptics in the same customer segments.
- Prolabs: Prolabs is a UK-based provider of compatible optical transceivers, DAC/AOC cables, and networking components serving data center and enterprise customers globally. Its product breadth and third-party optics positioning make it a near-direct competitor to CBO's BlueOptics line.
- AddOn Networks: AddOn Networks (now part of Ciena-affiliated entities) is a global third-party networking components vendor offering compatible transceivers, cabling, and media converters across similar data rates and form factors as BlueOptics.
- Cloud Light Technology: Cloud Light Technology is a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of optical transceivers and active optical cables for data center applications. It overlaps with CBO's portfolio in 100G/400G/800G transceiver and AOC product categories, serving similar hyperscale and enterprise customers.
- Flexoptix: Flexoptix is a Germany-based competitor offering third-party optical transceivers and the Flexbox coding device for OEM compatibility. It is highly comparable to CBO due to its European base, similar B2B optics product line, and focus on interoperability with major switch vendors.
- 10Gtek: 10Gtek is a Chinese third-party optics vendor offering compatible transceivers, DAC/AOC cables, and fiber cabling solutions across similar data rates. It directly competes with BlueOptics on price in the global third-party optics market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CBO GmbH social profiles
Digital presenceCBO GmbH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CBO GmbH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CBO GmbH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CBO GmbH M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CBO GmbH
What does CBO GmbH do?
CBO GmbH manufactures and sells optical networking components, including optical transceivers (SFP, SFP+, XFP, QSFP, QSFP28, QSFP-DD, OSFP up to 800G), DAC and AOC cables, fiber optic patch and MPO/MTP cables, BlueLAN network interface cards, media converters, multiplexers, PLC splitters, and fiber patch panels. Products are sold under the BlueOptics and BlueLAN brands primarily for data center, enterprise network, industrial, HPC, and access network deployments, with multi-vendor OEM compatibility and custom OEM solutions available.
Is CBO GmbH a public or private company?
CBO GmbH is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was CBO GmbH founded?
CBO GmbH was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CBO GmbH based?
CBO GmbH is headquartered in Mülheim An Der Ruhr, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does CBO GmbH make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales (Transceivers & Cables) is the primary driver. The others are custom/OEM Solutions.
Who are CBO GmbH's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cisco, Arista Networks, Coherent and Lumentum. Direct peers are FS.com, Prolabs, AddOn Networks, Cloud Light Technology, Flexoptix and 10Gtek.
Does CBO GmbH have an API?
No public API is recorded for CBO GmbH.
What industry is CBO GmbH in?
CBO GmbH's product category is Optical Networking Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAFAEAE, Optical Transceivers (SFP/SFP+/SFP28/QSFP/QSFP-DD/OSFP), with a secondary code of HDAFAEAG, Active Optical Cables (AOC) & Optical Interconnects. Its NAICS code is 3342 and its SIC code is 3576.