ITAB
ITAB GmbH is a Munich-based, privately held e-commerce retailer founded in 1998 that sells third-party compatible printer cartridges and ink refill sets for ten major printer brands directly to consumers and small offices across the EU and Switzerland, offering 80-90% cost savings versus OEM cartridges.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ITAB does
ITAB GmbH (legal name ITAB International Trading & Broking GmbH) is a privately held Munich-based e-commerce retailer founded in 1998 that sells third-party compatible printer cartridges and ink refill consumables. Its product portfolio covers ten printer brands (Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Kodak, Lexmark, Olivetti, Dell, Samsung, Xerox) and consists of compatible multi-pack cartridges (Sparpacks), ink refill sets with syringes and illustrated instructions, Quickfill refillable empty cartridges with Auto-Reset-Chip technology, chip resetter devices for Canon and Epson, and a nozzle cleaning solution. The Auto-Reset-Chip and Quickfill design are the only proprietary technical elements; otherwise the offering is a private-label third-party consumables catalog.
The business operates on a direct-to-consumer, pay-as-you-go e-commerce model through its own storefront at itab-druckertinte.de, with no marketplace presence, no subscription component, and no B2B channel. All orders ship free within the EU and Switzerland via Deutsche Post and local postal services, with payment collected by invoice after delivery. Pricing is unit-based and includes 19% German VAT; example SKUs are priced from €5.95 (nozzle cleaner) and €14.90 (black-only refill set) up to €298.80 (Brother LC1280 sparpack). The stated value proposition is 80-90% cost savings versus original manufacturer cartridges, supported by 20+ years of Trusted Shops certification and a 2002 Stiftung Warentest citation displayed on the storefront. The company is a micro-operator (1-10 employees) led by managing director Dipl.-Kfm. Patrick Müller-Nordhorn, with no disclosed outside funding, parent company, or M&A activity.
ITAB firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ITAB
- Legal name
- ITAB International Trading & Broking GmbH
- Website
- https://itab-druckertinte.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ITAB GmbH is a Munich-based, privately held e-commerce retailer founded in 1998 that sells third-party compatible printer cartridges and ink refill sets for ten major printer brands directly to consumers and small offices across the EU and Switzerland, offering 80-90% cost savings versus OEM cartridges.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ITAB industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Printer Consumables
- SIC
- Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Inkjet Printers (HDACAEAA)
Keywords
Where ITAB is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ITAB business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Compatible Printer Cartridges: Sale of third-party compatible printer cartridges (sparpacks of 4 or 5 cartridges) compatible with major printer brands. Products are sold as one-time purchases with no subscription component.
- Ink Refill Sets: Sale of ink refill sets (4-color, 3-color, or black-only) containing original-quality ink in various volumes along with refilling accessories and illustrated instructions. Enables customers to refill original or compatible cartridges multiple times.
- Quickfill Empty Cartridges: Sale of refillable empty cartridges with permanent chips or auto-reset chips for various printer models, sold as packs of 4-5 units.
- Chip Resetters: Sale of chip reset devices that reset ink level indicators on Canon and Epson cartridges to full, allowing continued use after refilling.
- Nozzle Cleaners: Sale of nozzle cleaning solution (50ml) with application instructions for cleaning clogged print heads and nozzle plates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Compatible Brother cartridge sparpacks (4 cartridges) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ink refill sets (4-color, 3-color, black-only) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Quickfill refill cartridges with Auto-Reset-Chip |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chip resetters for Canon and Epson |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Nozzle cleaner |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
ITAB product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ITAB sells third-party compatible printer cartridges, ink refill sets, Quickfill refillable cartridges with Auto-Reset-Chips, chip resetters, and nozzle cleaning solutions for inkjet printers from Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Kodak, Lexmark, Olivetti, Dell, Samsung, and Xerox. Products are sold exclusively through its own e-commerce shop at www.itab-druckertinte.de and shipped free of charge across the EU and Switzerland against invoice payment. The ink refill model and Sparpacks offer customers 80-90% cost savings versus original manufacturer cartridges.
Product overview
ITAB GmbH is a Munich-based e-commerce company specializing in the sale of compatible printer cartridges and ink refill solutions. The product portfolio consists of three main categories: (1) Compatible printer cartridges for major printer brands including Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Kodak, Lexmark, Olivetti, and Dell, sold as Sparpacks (multi-packs) with 80-90% cost savings; (2) Ink refill sets containing original-quality ink, syringes, needles, and illustrated instructions for refilling cartridges; and (3) Quickfill refill cartridges with permanent or auto-reset chips that allow multiple refills. Supporting products include chip resetters for Canon and Epson cartridges and nozzle cleaning solutions. The company operates exclusively online, delivering products shipping-free within the EU and Switzerland on invoice.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Compatible Printer Cartridges (Druckerpatronen) Third-party compatible printer cartridges sold as Sparpacks (multi-packs, typically 4 or 5 cartridges) for major printer brands (Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Kodak, Lexmark, Olivetti, Dell), offering 80-90% cost savings compared to original manufacturer cartridges. Intended for inkjet printer owners seeking affordable replacements.
- Ink Refill Sets (Tinten-Nachfüllsets) Sets containing original-quality ink in bottles, syringes, needles, and illustrated refill instructions for refilling original or compatible cartridges multiple times. Available in 4-color, 3-color, and black-only variants, with ink lasting 5-12 refills depending on cartridge type and providing up to 7 refills from a 100ml black ink bottle.
- Quickfill Refill Cartridges (Nachfüllpatronen) Empty, easily refillable printer cartridges with permanent or auto-reset chips, transparent design for visual ink-level monitoring, closure stoppers, and filling instructions. Compatible with various printer models and sold in packs of 4-5 units.
- Chip Resetters (Chip-Resetter) Devices for resetting ink level chips on Canon and Epson printer cartridges after refilling. Pins are pressed onto the chip for 3-4 seconds to reset the ink level to full, enabling continued use of refilled cartridges.
- Nozzle Cleaner (Düsenreiniger) High-quality 50ml nozzle cleaning solution with detailed instructions for removing color clogs in print heads and nozzle plates of all printer cartridges.
Quantifiable outcome
- Customers save 80-90% on printing ink costs compared to original manufacturer cartridges
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ITAB
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ITAB technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
ITAB partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ITAB competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 123ink (123inkt): 123inkt is a leading Dutch-based online retailer of printer cartridges, ink refills, and toner products, operating across Benelux, Germany, and other European markets. It is one of ITAB's most direct competitors in the compatible/refill inkjet consumables category in the EU.
- 4Inkjets: 4Inkjets is a US-based online retailer of compatible and remanufactured printer cartridges and refill kits. Directly comparable to ITAB in product category (third-party cartridges and refill sets) and direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, though primarily serving the US market.
- Peach: Peach is a Swiss-based manufacturer and retailer of compatible printer cartridges and refill products, distributing across Switzerland and Germany. Highly comparable to ITAB given similar product focus (refill ink, compatible cartridges) and overlapping DACH geographic reach.
- Clickinks: Clickinks is a UK-based online retailer of compatible printer ink cartridges and toner products. Comparable to ITAB as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce pure-play in the third-party ink/toner retail category.
- Cartridge World: Cartridge World is a global franchise-based retailer specializing in printer cartridge refilling and compatible cartridges. Highly comparable to ITAB in product offering (refill services and third-party cartridges), though operating via physical franchise stores rather than purely online.
Broad incumbents
- Lyreco: Lyreco is a major European distributor of office supplies and consumables, including printer cartridges. Comparable to ITAB as a broad office-supplies incumbent overlapping in printer consumables, but serving a much wider product portfolio and B2B customer base.
- Staples (now part of Sycamore Partners / Staples US): Staples is a large office supplies retailer carrying printer cartridges and toners. Comparable to ITAB only as a broad incumbent in the same end-category; operates a much larger catalog and global multi-channel presence.
- HP (Hewlett-Packard): HP is one of the largest OEMs of inkjet printers and original cartridges, and is a key competitor to ITAB's compatible/refill offerings. As a broad incumbent, HP competes indirectly through its Instant Ink subscription program and firmware-based cartridge authentication.
- Office Depot (now The ODP Corporation): Office Depot is a large office supplies retailer offering printer cartridges and consumables. Comparable to ITAB in the printer consumables category, but operates across a much broader office supplies catalog and a multi-channel retail/online model.
Regional players
- Octopus Office: Octopus Office is a German multi-channel office supplies retailer offering printer cartridges and toners. Comparable to ITAB in the German market and printer consumables category, though serving a broader office supplies portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ITAB social profiles
Digital presenceITAB compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
ITAB financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ITAB leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ITAB funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ITAB 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 ITAB
What does ITAB do?
ITAB sells third-party compatible printer cartridges, ink refill sets, Quickfill refillable cartridges with Auto-Reset-Chips, chip resetters, and nozzle cleaning solutions for inkjet printers from Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Kodak, Lexmark, Olivetti, Dell, Samsung, and Xerox. Products are sold exclusively through its own e-commerce shop at www.itab-druckertinte.de and shipped free of charge across the EU and Switzerland against invoice payment. The ink refill model and Sparpacks offer customers 80-90% cost savings versus original manufacturer cartridges.
Is ITAB a public or private company?
ITAB is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ITAB founded?
ITAB was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ITAB based?
ITAB is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does ITAB make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Compatible Printer Cartridges are the primary driver. The others are ink Refill Sets, quickfill Empty Cartridges, chip Resetters and nozzle Cleaners.
Who are ITAB's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 123ink (123inkt), 4Inkjets, Peach, Clickinks and Cartridge World. Broad incumbents are Lyreco, Staples (now part of Sycamore Partners / Staples US), HP (Hewlett-Packard) and Office Depot (now The ODP Corporation). Octopus Office is listed as a regional player.
Does ITAB have an API?
No public API is recorded for ITAB.
What industry is ITAB in?
ITAB's product category is Printer Consumables. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACAEAA, Inkjet Printers. Its SIC code is 5065.