GFT eG - GROUP FOR ICT & BUILDING SOLUTION

What GFT eG - GROUP FOR ICT & BUILDING SOLUTION does

GFT eG is a registered cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft) founded in 1972, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, that operates as Europe's largest purchasing cooperative for medium-sized companies in information technology, telecommunications, security and building technology, media technology, passive network technology, and photovoltaic sectors. The cooperative serves approximately 200 member companies that collectively generate over 2.3 billion EUR in revenue, employ more than 27,500 people, and operate from 300+ locations across Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. GFT's core function is to aggregate the purchasing power of its members to negotiate collective terms with 100+ supplier partners, provide central invoicing and credit guarantee (Delkredere) services, and standardize procurement workflows via ZUGFeRD-format electronic invoicing.

The technology backbone includes a centralized purchasing and billing infrastructure with ERP integrations into major manufacturers and distributors, a data management system containing over 3 million articles and prices, and Asteria — a proprietary manufacturer-open Cloud PBX billing SaaS platform launched in 2023 and co-developed with VAF Bundesverband Telekommunikation. Asteria processes call detail records from multiple PBX and SIP providers, enabling automated billing without vendor lock-in. Supporting services include financial services (up to 90-day payment extensions), a multi-risk insurance policy via hagebau-Versicherungsdienst, and e-learning/training programs. GFT operates industry events (Spring and Autumn Tagungen) together with VAF as the largest ITK industry gatherings in Germany. Member representation is managed through cooperative governance (Vorstand and Aufsichtsrat), with no external shareholders, venture capital, or public listing. Revenue is generated through membership fees, central invoicing services, supplier commissions and bonus arrangements, and Asteria SaaS licensing; 2023 revenue was 132.4 million EUR, a decrease from 145.2 million EUR in 2022, with 2024 planned at 134.6 million EUR.

Name

GFT eG - GROUP FOR ICT & BUILDING SOLUTION

Legal name

GFT eG

Website

https://gft-eg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GFT eG is a Düsseldorf-based purchasing cooperative founded in 1972, serving approximately 200 mid-sized IT, telecommunications, security, and photovoltaic companies across Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands through collective procurement, central invoicing, and the Asteria cloud PBX billing platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Procurement Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)

akta.pro primary industry

Core ERP Suites (Financials, Procurement, Projects) (HDAEAEAA)

Keywords

• IT procurement cooperative
• Central invoicing services
• Cloud PBX billing
• Supplier contract negotiation
• Group purchasing organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees and Cooperate Contributions: GFT generates revenue through membership fees from its approximately 200 member companies. As a cooperative (Genossenschaft), GFT operates under a legal mandate to support its members, with profits flowing back to members through rebate systems (Rückvergütungssysteme).
2. Central Invoicing Services: Revenue from centralized invoicing services for members, including invoice processing, verification, and discrepancy handling. GFT serves as guarantor for member purchases towards suppliers.
3. Supplier Commissions and Bonus Arrangements: GFT negotiates collective purchasing terms and bonus agreements with over 100 national and international supplier partners. Revenue is generated through commissions and volume-based arrangements from these supplier relationships.
4. Asteria SaaS Platform Licensing: Asteria billing platform is provided against a monthly license fee plus a variable invoice-related portion. Allows companies to configure products, create customer profiles, upload company logos for personalized invoices, and perform automated billing for telecommunications services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GFT eG operates as a cooperative purchasing organization (Einkaufsverbund) that pools buying power for approximately 200 medium-sized member companies in IT, telecommunications, security technology, media technology, network technology, and photovoltaic sectors. The cooperative provides central invoicing with delcredere guarantees, supplier contract negotiations with over 100 partners, data management with access to over 3 million articles and prices, financial services including payment terms extension, and the Asteria manufacturer-open cloud PBX billing SaaS platform co-developed with VAF.

Product overview

GFT eG is a cooperative purchasing association (genossenschaftlicher Einkaufsverbund) serving approximately 200 member companies across IT/telecommunications, security technology, media technology, network technology, and photovoltaic sectors. The organization operates through multiple product lines: Asteria serves as the core cloud PBX billing SaaS platform; ITK and telecommunications services form the traditional core offering; security and building technology services address physical security needs; and supporting services include central invoicing, data management, e-learning, insurance, and financial services. The product architecture combines a manufacturer-open platform (Asteria) with a comprehensive services portfolio enabling members to purchase from over 100 supplier partners while benefiting from collective buying power, centralized billing, and professional development programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Asteria: Cloud PBX billing platform - the first manufacturer-open billing platform on the German telecommunications market, enabling companies to offer cloud PBX and telecommunications services without their own investment.

Products and services

• Asteria Cloud PBX Billing Platform Manufacturer-open SaaS Cloud PBX billing platform that processes call data from multiple PBX providers and SIP providers, automates billing, and manages customer invoicing without vendor lock-in. Available via monthly license fee plus variable invoice-related portion.
• Zentralfakturierung und Delkredere Central invoicing service where GFT guarantees member purchases towards suppliers and handles invoice verification and reconciliation in standardized ZUGFeRD format, achieving 132.4 million euros in central invoicing volume in 2023.
• Daten-Management (Data Management) Data management service providing members access to over 3 million articles and prices, with interfaces directly into ERP systems of major manufacturers and distributors, and purchasing controlling reports and history in secured GFT extranet areas.
• Finanz- und Bank-Dienstleistungen Financial and banking services enabling high supplier credit limits, individualized payment terms, and payment term extensions of up to 90 days based on creditworthiness for member companies.
• Versicherungsservice Insurance service offering members a unique Multi-Risk insurance policy in cooperation with hagebau-Versicherungsdienst through the cooperative structure.
• Lieferanten-Programm (Supplier Partnership Program) Supplier partnership program with over 100 national and international partners offering negotiated framework terms, bonus arrangements, and prerequisite access to certain suppliers across ICT, security, media, network, and photovoltaic sectors.
• Weiterbildung und Networking Professional development and networking services including e-learning portals, seminars, trainings, webinars, the Spring and Autumn industry conferences (Tagungen) co-hosted with VAF, and Online Round Table meetings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Member companies represent combined revenue exceeding 2.3 billion euros
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• VAF Bundesverband TelekommunikationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFT and VAF jointly organize the largest German ITK industry meetings - Spring and Autumn conferences. They also co-developed the Asteria billing platform, the first manufacturer-open Cloud PBX billing platform in Europe. VAF represents telecommunications companies and serves as a key industry partner.
• hagebau-VersicherungsdienstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFT partners with hagebau-Versicherungsdienst to offer members a unique Multi-Risk insurance policy through their cooperative structure.
• Expert TechnikmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Expert Technik connecting 43 largest electrical companies in Germany, all of which operate in security technology. This partnership strengthens GFT's position in the security technology segment.
• ES2000 Errichter Software GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFT and ES2000 signed a cooperation agreement (Kooperationsvertrag) in March 2026 for joint collaboration.
• Genoverband e.V.minorOthersGFT's responsible cooperative audit association (Genossenschaftlicher Prüfungsverband) based in Frankfurt am Main, as required under the German Cooperative Act (GenG).

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TD SYNNEX: Global IT distributor formed from the merger of Tech Data and SYNNEX. Comparable to GFT as a large-scale IT/TK wholesaler serving resellers and system integrators across multiple geographies.
• Ingram Micro: Global IT distribution and supply-chain services giant. Comparable to GFT at the broadest level as a wholesale IT/TK distributor aggregating demand and supply for resellers worldwide.
• Bechtle AG: Largest German IT system house and reseller with broad product, services and procurement capabilities. Comparable to GFT as a major German mid-market IT purchasing and services channel, though operating as a public company rather than a member cooperative.
• RingCentral: Global UCaaS/CCaaS incumbent with an extensive partner program for resellers and system integrators. Comparable to Asteria as a competing cloud communications billing/partner platform, but at much larger scale and with direct enterprise sales motion.

Direct peers

• Starface GmbH: Karlsruhe-based PBX and UCC vendor serving German mid-market via system-house partners. Comparable to Asteria as a competing telephony platform with a similar channel model and DACH focus.
• Placetel: German cloud telephony platform (part of the NFON group) targeted at SMBs and sold through resellers. Closely comparable to Asteria as a competing cloud-PBX billing/onboarding proposition for the same mid-market customer profile.
• ALSO Group: Pan-European IT distributor aggregating purchasing for thousands of resellers and system houses across DACH and beyond. Most directly comparable to GFT's wholesale-distribution and supplier-aggregation function, though organized as a publicly-listed company rather than a cooperative.
• NFON AG: European cloud PBX/UCaaS provider headquartered in Munich. Directly comparable to Asteria as a competing vendor-neutral cloud telephony platform targeting mid-market resellers and system houses across DACH.

Regional players

• Alltron AG: Swiss IT distributor and part of the Competec group, aggregating purchasing for Swiss resellers. Comparable to GFT's cooperative-like function of bundling demand from mid-market channel partners, but focused on Switzerland rather than DACH.

Emerging players

• 3CX: Software-based PBX and UCaaS platform sold globally through a partner channel. Comparable to Asteria as a competing vendor-agnostic cloud telephony solution, though focused more on SMB-direct and partner-led sales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gfteg

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 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 GFT eG - GROUP FOR ICT & BUILDING SOLUTION