What Biehn & Professionals does

Biehn & Professionals GmbH is a privately held German professional services firm founded in 2005, headquartered at Freiberger Str. 14, 59558 Lippstadt, with a secondary operational office in Rietberg-Mastholte. The firm provides data protection and IT security consulting to German businesses, with particular depth in church institutions (KDG and DSG-EKD compliance), healthcare providers, and regulated mid-market enterprises such as pharma manufacturers and foundations. Its service portfolio comprises external data protection officer (DPO) mandates, GDPR/KDG/DSG-EKD compliance advisory, IT security and NIS-2 consulting, and employee training.

The firm operates two proprietary digital products that productize portions of its consulting practice: safe!hints, a compliant whistleblower reporting system addressing the Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz, and iUniversity, an eLearning platform for data protection training and employee sensitization. Technology infrastructure is deliberately conservative and privacy-centric — including self-hosted Big Blue Button for video conferencing on-premise rather than SaaS tooling — reflecting its own privacy-by-design posture. The consulting team blends qualified jurists (Volljuristin, Wirtschaftsjuristen LL.B.), specialized data protection consultants, and business economists (Betriebswirte) under Managing Director Thomas Biehn, pairing legal expertise with technical and commercial competency.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring external DPO engagements (annual retainers acting like subscription revenue), project-based IT security and compliance advisory, the safe!hints whistleblower system (recurring), and fee-for-service training delivered via iUniversity and seminars. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, anchored by the Business Frühstück seminar series (16 events since inception, most recently in December 2024), supported by website content marketing, Xing/LinkedIn presence, and direct outreach. The firm is independently owned with no external funding rounds, parent company, M&A activity, or public listing disclosed.

Name

Biehn & Professionals

Legal name

Biehn & Professionals GmbH

Website

https://biehn-und-professionals.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Biehn & Professionals GmbH is a German data protection and IT security consulting firm serving SMBs through enterprises — including church institutions, healthcare providers, and regulated mid-market companies — via external DPO services, NIS-2 advisory, the safe!hints whistleblower system, and iUniversity eLearning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rietberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. External Data Protection Officer Services: Provision of external data protection officers (externer Datenschutzbeauftragter) to companies requiring GDPR compliance. Services include ongoing consulting, compliance audits, and representation as required DPO.
2. IT Security Consulting: Technical data protection through IT security advisory services, including risk assessments, security audits, and NIS-2 compliance consulting.
3. Whistleblower System (safe!hints): Technical and content implementation of compliant whistleblower reporting systems for companies subject to whistleblower protection laws.
4. Training Services: Employee training and sensitization programs on data protection topics, delivered through the iUniversity eLearning platform and in-person sessions.
5. Data Protection Advisory: Consulting services for internal data protection officers and general GDPR compliance advisory.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Biehn & Professionals provides external data protection officer (Datenschutzbeauftragter) services and data protection consulting for GDPR (DSGVO), KDG, and DSG-EKD compliance. The firm also delivers IT security consulting covering NIS-2 implementation and cybersecurity, employee training via the proprietary iUniversity eLearning platform, and the safe!hints whistleblower reporting system for Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz compliance. Services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of data protection consultants, jurists, and business economists.

Product overview

Biehn & Professionals is a data protection and IT security consulting company offering a portfolio of advisory services and software products. The core offerings include external data protection officer services, GDPR/KDG/DSG-EKD compliance consulting, IT security consulting (with NIS-2 focus), and employee training programs delivered via the iUniversity eLearning platform. The company also provides the safe!hints whistleblower system as a technically and legally compliant reporting solution. The product ecosystem is organized around advisory services supplemented by proprietary digital tools for compliance management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• safe!hints: Whistleblower system (Hinweisgebersystem) offered by the company for compliance with whistleblower protection laws.
• iUniversity

Products and services

• External Data Protection Officer Services Provision of certified external data protection officers (externer Datenschutzbeauftragter) who implement GDPR-compliant data protection measures on behalf of client companies. Covers ongoing consulting, compliance audits, and statutory representation as required DPO for companies of all sizes.
• Data Protection Consulting Advisory services for implementing legal requirements for data protection, including DSGVO (GDPR), KDG (Catholic church data protection law), and DSG-EKD (Protestant church data protection law) compliance frameworks, including support for internal data protection officers.
• IT Security Consulting Technical and organizational IT security consulting services, including NIS-2 implementation support, cybersecurity risk assessments, security audits, and proactive cybersecurity measures for client companies.
• safe!hints Whistleblower System A legally compliant whistleblower system (Hinweisgebersystem) designed to implement the requirements of the Whistleblower Protection Act (Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz), enabling companies to receive and process whistleblower reports. Provides both technical implementation and content-related implementation.
• iUniversity eLearning Platform A digital learning platform for data protection training and eLearning, providing comprehensive learning content for employees to fulfill data protection awareness requirements. Supports the firm's broader training and awareness programs.
• Training and Awareness Programs Educational programs and seminars for employee training and sensitization on data protection and IT security topics, delivered through in-person sessions and the iUniversity eLearning platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Companies receive compliant implementation of data protection requirements without needing to hire full-time internal DPO

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Artada GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationIT security partner specializing in cybersecurity. Artada provides technical IT security services and incident response. Their managing director Daniel Gade serves as guest speaker at Biehn & Professionals Business Frühstück events on Cybercrime topics. Artada conducted IT forensics for a cyberattack case study presented by Biehn & Professionals.
• SAFE-PORT Consulting GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation security and compliance solutions provider with over 25 years of experience. Managing director Thorsten Schröers serves as NIS-2 expert speaker at Biehn & Professionals Business Frühstück events. Companies receive discount on NIS-2 affectedness assessment when booked through this partnership.
• Lind HotelminorOthersEvent venue partner for the company's Business Frühstück seminar series. Located in Rietberg, the hotel hosts the company's regular educational events on data protection and IT security topics.
• Mönig Wirtschaftskanzlei (Anna von Laer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm partnership where attorney Anna von Laer, specialist in German and European IT and data protection law, serves as guest speaker at Business Frühstück events on Cloud Computing risks. She writes guest articles on data protection topics for Biehn & Professionals.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EQS Group: German-listed compliance SaaS provider with the EQS Integrity Line whistleblower system, directly competing with B&P's safe!hints. Also serves governance, risk, and compliance buyers across Europe.
• DataGuard: German data protection, IT security, and AI compliance SaaS+services firm serving mid-market companies. Direct competitor to B&P across external DPO, IT security, and compliance training offerings in the same German market.
• WhistleB / Business Keeper Monitoring: Whistleblower system provider serving German and European companies under the Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz. Direct competitor to safe!hints in the same regulatory-driven market.
• Datenschutz cert: German data protection certification and consultancy providing GDPR audits and advisory. Overlaps with B&P's compliance advisory and external DPO service lines within Germany.
• heyData: Berlin-based data protection compliance platform providing external DPO, GDPR documentation, and employee training to SMEs in Germany and Europe. Closely comparable in customer segment and core service mix to B&P.
• HvS-Consulting: Germany-based data protection and IT security consultancy providing external DPO and compliance advisory to mid-market enterprises. Operates in the same niche as B&P with overlapping customer base.

Broad incumbents

• TrustArc: Established privacy compliance SaaS platform with privacy program management, assessment, and DPO support tooling. Provides broader functionality but with less localized German/church-law specialization than B&P.
• OneTrust: Global privacy, security, and governance platform serving enterprises with broader, more scalable compliance tooling than B&P. Competes indirectly on privacy management, but operates at much larger scale and across geographies.
• DQS (Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung): German certification body offering ISO and data protection certifications and audits. Competes with B&P on compliance assessments and certifications within the German regulated market.

Emerging players

• Prighter: Emerging GDPR/privacy compliance SaaS targeting SMEs with self-service tooling for DPO-as-a-service and documentation. Partial overlap with B&P's external DPO and training offerings but with a more productized, lower-touch model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/biehn-und-professionals

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 Biehn & Professionals