What X-ways Software Technology does

X-Ways Software Technology AG is a privately held German stock corporation (AG), headquartered in Bünde, Germany (HRB 7475, district court of Bad Oeynhausen), that develops and licenses computer forensics, data recovery, and IT security software. The company is led by CEO Stefan Fleischmann, with a supervisory board chaired by Dr. Marlies Horstmeyer; the Fleischmann family maintains significant involvement in governance, and the firm has no disclosed external funding or parent entity. Its product portfolio is built on the WinHex hex/disk/RAM editor, which serves as the technological foundation for the flagship X-Ways Forensics integrated computer forensics environment, along with the simplified X-Ways Investigator (for non-specialist users such as police investigators, lawyers, and auditors), the X-Ways Imager for disk imaging and virtual RAID reconstruction, and a set of add-on modules including the AI-powered Excire photo analysis tool, F-Response for remote network/RAM/cloud acquisition, and the Exponent bundle for mailbox, smartphone, and SQLite forensics. The platform supports a broad range of file systems (FAT12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, APFS, Btrfs, XFS, HFS/HFS+/HFSJ/HFSX, ReiserFS, Reiser4, QNX, UDFS, CDFS), and ships its own proprietary forensic file systems (XWFS/XWFS2) and evidence/case formats (.e01, .xfc, .xhd).

X-Ways derives revenue primarily from software licensing (perpetual and non-perpetual tiers across Personal, Professional, Specialist, Lab, and Forensic editions) plus recurring license upgrades/renewals, with additional revenue from X-Ways Forensics training courses (X-Ways Forensics I, X-Ways Forensics II, File Systems Revealed) delivered publicly, online, or on-site, and the X-PERT (X-Ways Professional in Evidence Recovery Techniques) certification program. Pricing is quote-based and undisclosed publicly; loyalty rewards tied to Silver (20+ points) and Gold (50+ points) status generate substantial discounts (15%+ for Silver) and free temporary licenses for major government and corporate customers. Distribution is conducted through direct online sales via the company's website, through online reseller Cleverbridge AG, and through regional international resellers and certified training partners (H-11 in the USA, F111th Consulting in Canada). The company serves law enforcement and government agencies (including U.S. federal law enforcement, the German Aerospace Center, the Australian Department of Defence, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory), enterprises in technology, financial services, defense, and industrial sectors (Microsoft, HP, Toshiba Europe, Novell, KPMG, EY, Siemens, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Ericsson, Visa, Commerzbank), legal professionals, universities, and individual forensic and IT-security specialists across 35,000+ registered users with a geographic mix of approximately USA 34%, Germany 33%, UK 6%, France 5%, Australia 3%, China/HK 3%, Austria 2%, Switzerland 2%, and the rest of the world 12.5%.

Name

X-ways Software Technology

Legal name

X-Ways Software Technology AG

Website

https://x-ways.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

X-Ways Software Technology AG, a privately held German stock corporation headquartered in Bünde, develops computer forensics software — X-Ways Forensics, X-Ways Investigator, WinHex, and X-Ways Imager — for law enforcement, government agencies, enterprises, legal professionals, and forensic practitioners across 35,000+ registered users worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Computer Forensics Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Extended Detection & Response (XDR) (HDADAEAB)

Keywords

• Computer forensics software
• Digital forensics tools
• Disk imaging software
• Data recovery software
• IT security software

Headquarters

HQ city

Bunde

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: X-Ways generates revenue primarily from software licenses including perpetual and non-perpetual (subscription) licenses for WinHex, X-Ways Forensics, X-Ways Investigator, and X-Ways Imager. They offer multiple license types (Personal, Professional, Specialist, Lab Edition, Forensic) with varying feature sets and pricing.
2. License Upgrades and Renewals: Revenue from upgrading existing licenses to higher tiers and renewing non-perpetual licenses. Training attendees and license holders earn loyalty points toward Silver and Gold status which provides discounts and additional benefits.
3. Training and Certification: Revenue from computer forensics training courses (X-Ways Forensics I, X-Ways Forensics II) and X-PERT certification program. Training is delivered publicly, online, or on-site.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

X-Ways Software Technology AG develops and sells computer forensics, data recovery, and IT security software built on a shared WinHex code base. The flagship offering is X-Ways Forensics, an integrated forensics environment for disk imaging, evidence collection, and analysis, complemented by X-Ways Investigator (simplified version for non-specialists), X-Ways Imager (disk imaging and virtual RAID reconstruction), and add-on modules including F-Response (remote acquisition), Excire Forensics (AI photo analysis), and Exponent (third-party add-on bundle). The company also delivers professional computer forensics training and the X-PERT certification program.

Product overview

X-ways Software Technology AG, based in Germany, is a leading developer of computer forensics software. The product portfolio centers on the X-Ways Forensics integrated computer forensics environment (the flagship product), with X-Ways Investigator as a simplified version for non-specialist users, and WinHex as the underlying hex editor technology. Supporting tools include X-Ways Imager for disk imaging, F-Response for remote acquisition, Excire Forensics for AI-powered photo analysis, and the Viewer Component for document viewing. Add-on bundles include Exponent and the X-Tensions third-party extension ecosystem. Discontinued products include X-Ways Capture (live acquisition), Davory (data recovery), X-Ways Trace (browser forensics), X-Ways Security (data erasure), and X-Ways Replica (DOS cloning). The company also offers professional training courses and X-PERT certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• X-Ways Forensics: Integrated computer forensics environment - flagship product based on WinHex
• X-Ways Investigator
• WinHex
• X-Ways Imager
• Exponent
• F-Response
• Excire Forensics
• Davory
• X-Ways Trace
• X-Ways Security
• X-Ways Capture
• X-Ways Replica

Products and services

• X-Ways Forensics Integrated computer forensics environment and flagship product of X-Ways. Provides comprehensive forensic analysis capabilities including disk imaging, data recovery, evidence analysis, search, and reporting with strict write protection to prevent evidence alteration. Designed for law enforcement, government agencies, corporate investigators, and forensic professionals.
• X-Ways Investigator Reduced, simplified version of X-Ways Forensics designed for police investigators, lawyers, auditors, and other non-specialist users. Offers essential forensic features in a more accessible interface for legal and investigation use.
• WinHex Universal hexadecimal editor, disk editor, and RAM editor serving as the technical foundation for all X-Ways products. Provides low-level data processing, data recovery, and IT security capabilities with multiple license tiers available (Personal, Professional, Specialist, Lab Edition, Forensic).
• X-Ways Imager Disk imaging and cloning tool providing best speed and intelligent compression for forensic disk acquisition. Capable of virtual RAID reconstruction and supports multiple imaging formats including raw/dd and E01.
• F-Response Remote acquisition capability enabling remote network drive analysis, remote RAM access, and cloud storage access for distributed forensic investigations. Adds remote forensic capabilities to X-Ways Forensics without requiring physical access to the target system.
• Excire Forensics AI-powered photo analysis add-on integrated into X-Ways Forensics. Uses artificial intelligence for enhanced photo examination, AI-generated picture detection through micropatterns, picture content analysis, and device detection.
• Exponent Bundle of third-party add-ons extending X-Ways Forensics capabilities to access mailboxes, acquired smartphone data, SQLite databases, and other specialized forensic data formats. Provided by API Forensics as a separate product.
• Computer Forensics Training Professional computer forensics training courses delivered by X-Ways or certified training partners (H-11 in USA, F111th Consulting in Canada). Training covers X-Ways Forensics I, X-Ways Forensics II, and specialized courses like File Systems Revealed.
• X-PERT Certification Professional certification program for X-Ways Forensics users. X-PERT (X-Ways Professional in Evidence Recovery Techniques) certification validates proficiency in computer forensics and X-Ways Forensics, providing certified users with special recognition and training discounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Can analyze partitions with 25 million objects (files and directories) using 32-bit edition with 64-bit Windows
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability7 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cleverbridge AGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary online reseller for X-Ways software products. Handles order processing, quotes, and electronic delivery of software licenses globally. Customers can place orders directly with X-Ways AG or cleverbridge AG.
• H-11minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerH-11 provides certified X-Ways Forensics training in the USA (locations including Davie, FL, Salt Lake City, UT) as a delivery partner.
• F111th ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerF111th Consulting offers X-Ways Forensics training courses in Canada (e.g., Guelph, ON) as a certified training delivery partner.
• X-PERT Certification ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerX-PERT (X-Ways Professional in Evidence Recovery Techniques) is the company's proprietary certification program that validates proficiency in computer forensics and X-Ways Forensics. After passing the exam, certified users enjoy special recognition and training discounts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Magnet Forensics: Magnet Forensics develops Magnet AXIOM and related products for digital evidence acquisition and analysis spanning computers, mobile devices, and cloud sources. It targets the same law-enforcement and enterprise forensic-investigation buyer as X-Ways, with particularly strong mobile-device coverage that complements X-Ways' disk-centric strengths.
• Belkasoft: Belkasoft offers Belkasoft Evidence Center X, a digital forensics product for computer, mobile, and cloud data extraction and analysis. It targets a similar investigator/auditor buyer profile as X-Ways Investigator and competes on cost and ease of use.
• Exterro (FTK): Exterro's Forensic Toolkit (FTK), originally from AccessData, is a direct competitor to X-Ways Forensics for disk imaging, file carving, email analysis, and integrated forensic case management. It competes head-to-head in the same customer base of law enforcement, corporate security, and government agencies.

Emerging players

• Paraben Forensics: Paraben provides mobile, computer, and IoT forensic software (DS, E3). It serves the same enterprise, law-firm, and law-enforcement forensic-investigation customer base as X-Ways, with stronger mobile-first coverage.
• Cellebrite: Cellebrite is the leading mobile-device forensics vendor (UFED, Premium) and has expanded into computer and cloud forensics. While its core is mobile, it increasingly overlaps with X-Ways in the broader digital-investigation market for law enforcement and government.
• Oxygen Forensics: Oxygen Forensics focuses on mobile, cloud, and computer device forensics with strong mobile extraction (Oxygen Detective). It serves the same law-enforcement and corporate investigative customers as X-Ways but emphasizes mobile-first workflows that complement rather than directly overlap with X-Ways' disk dominance.
• MSAB (Micro Systemation): MSAB provides XRY mobile forensic extraction tools widely used by law enforcement. While primarily mobile-focused, MSAB competes with X-Ways in the broader digital-investigation tooling market for police and government agencies.
• ADF Solutions: ADF Solutions provides digital forensic triage tools (Digital Evidence Investigator) for rapid on-scene analysis. While X-Ways targets full forensic examination, ADF overlaps at the triage front-end of the same forensic investigation workflow used by field examiners.
• Autopsy (Basis Technology): Autopsy is an open-source digital forensics platform built on The Sleuth Kit, widely used by law enforcement as a free/low-cost alternative to commercial forensic suites. It competes with X-Ways Investigator and WinHex at the budget-conscious end of the same forensic-investigation market.

Broad incumbents

• OpenText (EnCase Forensic): OpenText acquired Guidance Software, maker of EnCase, the dominant global computer forensics platform used by law enforcement and enterprises. EnCase directly competes with X-Ways Forensics in disk imaging, evidence analysis, and courtroom-grade forensic workflows, but OpenText is a much larger enterprise information management vendor offering EnCase as part of a broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/xwayssoftware
• Facebookfacebook.com/xways
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/x-ways-ag

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 X-ways Software Technology