Plusforta
Plusforta is a Düsseldorf-based digital platform that intermediates rental deposit guarantees and rent default insurance in Germany, serving tenants, landlords, and housing associations via multiple brands backed by R+V, AXA, and Aareal Bank, and distributed through 2,000+ partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersDüsseldorf, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Plusforta does
plusForta GmbH is a Düsseldorf-based digital platform that intermediates rental deposit guarantees (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) and rent default insurance for the German rental market. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio covering tenants, landlords, and the institutional housing industry: kautionsfrei.de (backed by R+V Versicherung), heysafe.de (backed by AXA), Aareal Aval (white-label solution co-developed with Aareal Bank for the Wohnungswirtschaft), vermietsicher.de (rent default insurance for landlords), heykaution.de (free landlord deposit account management), and heyexpat.de (relocation support for Indian immigrants in Germany). The underlying technology is a fully digital application and approval workflow that replaces traditional cash deposits with insurance-backed guarantees, eliminating the need for tenants to post three months of rent upfront while giving landlords protection against non-payment and property damage.
The company generates revenue primarily through insurance commissions from its carrier partners (R+V, AXA, Aareal Bank) and platform/transaction fees for managing digital rental deposit accounts. Pricing is usage-based, with premium rates typically ranging from 3-5% of annual deposit amount, billed annually. Distribution is partner-centric: more than 2,000 partners across real estate, finance, and insurance, plus aggregator distribution through Check24 and Deutsche Bank channels, supplemented by direct-to-consumer digital acquisition via SEO, content, social, and affiliate marketing. Since February 2019, plusForta has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aareal Bank Gruppe, which provides banking infrastructure and access to the institutional housing industry segment through the Aareal Aval brand. The company holds an insurance broker permit pursuant to § 34d Abs. 1 GewO, is GDPR-compliant under DSGVO, and operates with a headcount of 11-50 employees. Itself-described as the market leader in digital rental deposit guarantees in Germany, plusForta reports having saved customers over 300 million euros in rental deposits since founding in 2008.
Plusforta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Plusforta
- Legal name
- plusForta GmbH
- Website
- https://plusforta.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Plusforta is a Düsseldorf-based digital platform that intermediates rental deposit guarantees and rent default insurance in Germany, serving tenants, landlords, and housing associations via multiple brands backed by R+V, AXA, and Aareal Bank, and distributed through 2,000+ partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Plusforta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rental Deposit Insurance
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524)
- SIC
- Surety Insurance (6351), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms (FSAGAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Billing, Payments & Premium Finance Platforms (FSAGAGAI)
Keywords
Where Plusforta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Düsseldorf
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Plusforta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Insurance Commission: Revenue generated through commissions from insurance partners (R+V, AXA, Aareal Bank) for placing rental guarantee products
- Digital Platform Services: Platform fees from managing digital rental deposit accounts and processing transactions
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Annual | Rental deposit guarantees are priced as percentage premiums of annual rent |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Plusforta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
plusForta GmbH provides digital rental deposit guarantees (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) and rental default insurance (Mietausfallversicherung) to tenants and landlords in Germany. Its products replace traditional cash deposits with insurance-backed guarantees, enabling tenants to move in without tying up three months of rent while protecting landlords from payment defaults and damage. The company distributes these offerings through multiple brands (kautionsfrei.de, heysafe, Aareal Aval, vermietsicher.de, heykaution) backed by insurance partners R+V, AXA, and Aareal Bank.
Product overview
plusForta GmbH operates as a platform offering multiple digital rental deposit and insurance products across different brands. The portfolio includes kautionsfrei.de (rental deposit guarantees with R+V Versicherung), heysafe.de (digital guarantees with AXA), Aareal Aval (housing industry solutions with Aareal Bank), vermietsicher.de (rent default insurance), and heykaution.de (free deposit account management). The company positions itself as a digital-first provider, transforming traditional rental security processes into innovative online solutions along the entire customer journey.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- kautionsfrei.de: The leading provider of rental deposit guarantees in Germany, offering secure rental deposit solutions in partnership with R+V Versicherung.
- vermietsicher.de
- heysafe
- Aareal Aval
- heyexpat
- heykaution
Products and services
- kautionsfrei.de Leading rental deposit guarantee (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) provider in Germany, offering a secure alternative to traditional cash deposits. Product is developed in partnership with R+V Versicherung and targets tenants who want to avoid tying up three months of rent as a cash deposit.
- heysafe Fully digital rental deposit guarantee developed in partnership with AXA, offering the product at a competitive price. Leverages plusForta's platform experience in digital rental deposit solutions and targets tenants seeking a fully digital onboarding experience.
- Aareal Aval Rental deposit guarantee specifically designed for the housing industry (Wohnungswirtschaft), developed collaboratively with Aareal Bank and the housing sector as a white-label / enterprise solution for housing associations.
- vermietsicher.de Rent default insurance providing landlords with a rent guarantee to protect against financial risks during the tenancy relationship. The guarantee is backed by insurance and offers protection against rent defaults and property damage.
- heykaution Free rental deposit account management service allowing landlords to manage rental deposits securely, digitally, and in compliance with legal requirements. The free account is set up online, meets all legal requirements, and ensures transparent asset separation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ million euros saved for customers in rental deposits
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Plusforta
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Plusforta technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Plusforta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Aareal Bank GruppeflagshipIn February 2019, Plusforta became part of the Aareal Bank Gruppe. Aareal Bank is a strategic partner providing banking infrastructure and distribution through the Aareal Aval brand for the housing industry segment.
- R+V VersicherungcoreInsurance partner backing the kautionsfrei.de brand for rental deposit guarantees. R+V provides the insurance backbone for the product.
- AXAcoreInsurance partner backing the heysafe brand for fully digital rental deposit guarantees at competitive pricing.
- Check24coreDistribution partnership through Check24 comparison platform for customer acquisition across insurance and rental products.
- Deutsche BankminorDistribution partnership for rental deposit and insurance products through Deutsche Bank channels.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Plusforta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CLARK: German insurance-tech platform aggregating and distributing insurance products, serving as a broader incumbent in digital insurance intermediation that conceptually overlaps with Plusforta's model.
- Assurant: US-listed specialty insurance provider with rental and rental-related products, representing a larger incumbent operating in adjacent insurance protection categories similar to Plusforta's guarantee products.
- Check24: Germany's leading comparison platform and Plusforta's distribution partner; relevant as a broader incumbent that could expand into rental guarantee distribution in its own right.
Direct peers
- Reposit: UK rental deposit replacement platform using guarantor-backed products, with a similar GTM targeting landlords and letting agents as Plusforta.
- Rhino: US provider of security deposit replacement and renters insurance products, structurally similar to Plusforta in replacing cash deposits with insurance-backed alternatives.
- flatfair: UK rental deposit replacement service enabling tenants to pay a small fee instead of a cash deposit, directly comparable to Plusforta's digital guarantee model.
- TheGuarantors: US insurtech offering rental guarantee products to tenants and landlords, with a comparable business model of insurance-backed deposit replacement scaled across multiple channels.
- Zero Deposit: UK rental deposit alternative provider offering zero-deposit solutions to tenants via landlord partnerships, closely analogous to Plusforta's deposit guarantee model in a different geography.
- Deutsche Kautionskasse: German provider of rental deposit guarantees (Mietkautionsbürgschaft), directly competing with Plusforta's kautionsfrei.de and heysafe brands in the same product category and customer base.
Emerging players
- Getsafe: German digital insurance broker offering various personal and property insurance products online, broadly comparable as a German insurtech distribution platform with overlapping digital-first distribution.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Plusforta social profiles
Digital presencePlusforta compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Plusforta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Plusforta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Plusforta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Plusforta 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 Plusforta
What does Plusforta do?
plusForta GmbH provides digital rental deposit guarantees (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) and rental default insurance (Mietausfallversicherung) to tenants and landlords in Germany. Its products replace traditional cash deposits with insurance-backed guarantees, enabling tenants to move in without tying up three months of rent while protecting landlords from payment defaults and damage. The company distributes these offerings through multiple brands (kautionsfrei.de, heysafe, Aareal Aval, vermietsicher.de, heykaution) backed by insurance partners R+V, AXA, and Aareal Bank.
Is Plusforta a public or private company?
Plusforta is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Plusforta founded?
Plusforta was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Plusforta based?
Plusforta is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Plusforta make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Insurance Commission is the primary driver. The others are digital Platform Services.
Who are Plusforta's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CLARK, Assurant and Check24. Direct peers are Reposit, Rhino, flatfair, TheGuarantors, Zero Deposit and Deutsche Kautionskasse. Getsafe is listed as an emerging player.
Does Plusforta have an API?
No public API is recorded for Plusforta.
What industry is Plusforta in?
Plusforta's product category is Rental Deposit Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAGAL, Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms, with a secondary code of FSAGAGAI, Billing, Payments & Premium Finance Platforms. Its NAICS code is 524210 and its SIC code is 6351.