iht

What iht does

iht (Industrie- und Handels-Treuhand GmbH) is a Germany-based, privately held financial services provider founded in 1985 and headquartered in Dreieich. Operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the MHK Group — a diversified purchasing and service cooperative with more than 3,800 shareholders and 600+ employees across 17 service companies — iht delivers payment management, hire purchase financing, process and data management, and digital solutions to European trade, craft, and industry businesses, with a primary focus on kitchen retailers and specialist trade partners.

The company's core offerings are Payment Management (ZR), which intermediates payments between retailers, service providers, and manufacturers while securing a 1A credit rating with listed suppliers; Hire Purchase (Mietkauf), a 12/24/36-month financing instrument for exhibition goods distributed through 18+ kitchen and appliance manufacturers; Process & Data Management, a cloud-based document digitization and archiving service with interfaces to SAP, DATEV, and Lexware; and Digital Solutions, anchored by the iht Services App and vertical-specific portals such as ECHT Portal and ECHT Backoffice for the restaurant industry. The underlying technology stack combines cloud archiving, electronic invoice formats (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD), and Data-as-a-Service feeds built on big-data analytics applied to header and position-level purchasing data.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring subscription-style fees for process and digital services and transaction-based fees tied to hire purchase intermediation and payment volume. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, executed through dedicated regional support managers across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, and Great Britain, and amplified through the MHK Group shareholder network. The company reports serving more than 4,000 business partners and processing 1.2 million documents in 2023, with Managing Director Carolin Kronenberg leading the firm.

Name

iht

Legal name

IHT Industrie- und Handels-Treuhand GmbH

Website

https://iht-zr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

iht (Industrie- und Handels-Treuhand GmbH) is a German financial services subsidiary of the MHK Group that provides payment management, hire purchase financing, document digitization, and digital workflow solutions to more than 4,000 European kitchen retailers, trade businesses, and industry suppliers across nine countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Financial Services

NAICS

Sales Financing (52222), Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAGAIAN

International / Cross-Border BNPL & Multi-Currency POS Financing

Financial & Insurance/Financial Technology (Fintech)/BNPL & Point-of-Sale Financing Platforms

SECONDARYFSAGAKAD

Merchant Cross-Border Collections (Pay-ins) & Local Payment Methods

Financial & Insurance/Financial Technology (Fintech)/Remittance & Cross-Border Money Movement

Keywords

• Payment management services
• Hire purchase financing
• Process and data management
• Trade financial services
• Document digitization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dreieich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Payment Management Services: Payment management and invoice processing services acting as intermediary between retailers, service providers, and manufacturers. Ensures 1A credit rating and smooth payment transactions.
2. Hire Purchase (Mietkauf): Hire purchase financing for exhibition goods (e.g., kitchen studios) with monthly installments over 12/24/36 months. Object becomes property at end of contract once liabilities paid off.
3. Process & Data Management: Digitization and processing of documents, cloud archiving, and data management services along the value chain.
4. Digital Solutions: Digital tools including iht Services App and document management solutions for electronic capture, storage, and sharing of receipts and documents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

iht provides integrated financial services for European trade and craft businesses, primarily kitchen retailers, specialist trade partners, and manufacturers. Its core offerings include Payment Management (ZR) acting as intermediary between retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers to ensure smooth transactions and creditworthiness, Hire Purchase (Mietkauf) financing for exhibition goods with monthly installments, Process & Data Management for document digitization and cloud archiving, and Digital Solutions including the iht Services App. The company supports over 4,000 business partners across 9 European countries and processed 1.2 million documents in 2023.

Product overview

iht (Industrie- und Handels-Treuhand GmbH) is a modern financial services provider offering a portfolio of integrated services for trade, craft, and industry. The core offerings include Payment Management (ZR) for seamless payment transactions and credit rating services, Hire Purchase (Mietkauf) for affordable equipment financing, Process & Data Management for document digitization and cloud archiving, and Digital Solutions including the iht Services App. The company operates as part of the MHK Group and serves over 4,000 business partners across 9 European countries. Process & data management integrates with SAP, DATEV, and Lexware for automated invoice processing. The Digital Solutions platform provides centralized access through the iht Services App and includes specialized portals like the ECHT Portal for restaurant industry partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iht Services-App: Central access point for digital services offered by iht, providing access to all activated services in one place

Products and services

• Payment Management (ZR) Acts as a link between retailers, service providers, and manufacturers, providing seamless payment transactions, 1A credit rating with listed suppliers, and digitalized and automated payment workflows. Designed for kitchen retailers, specialist trade businesses, manufacturers, and suppliers across Europe.
• Hire Purchase (Mietkauf) Enables large investments in exhibition goods without burdening liquidity by incurring costs as easily plannable monthly installments over 12, 24, or 36 months. Unlike leasing, the object automatically becomes property of the buyer at the end of the contract once all liabilities are paid off. Includes a 25% final balloon payment option and tax benefits through immediate input tax posting as beneficial owner.
• Process and Data Management Digitizes and processes all documents along the value chain from suppliers to partners, taking on data management pressure so clients can focus on their core business. Includes legally compliant cloud archiving with individual folder structures for tax-relevant documents, support for common invoice formats including XRechnung and ZUGFeRD, and customized Data-as-a-Service solutions for purchasing optimization using big data.
• Digital Solutions Provides digital tools to efficiently simplify processes and solve problems within business activities. Includes the iht Services App as central access point to all activated digital services offered by iht, plus specialized portals like the ECHT Portal for the restaurant industry.
• iht Services App Centralized access point to the digital services offered by iht, with all activated services clearly arranged in one place for efficient service management.
• ECHT Portal Digital portal created for ECHT Gastro Partner where payment and data management is bundled in a digital, structured, and user-friendly format for restaurateurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.2 million documents processed in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• CRONBANK AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaborated on ECHT Gastro Partner project for restaurateurs. Provided smooth payment processing for affiliated companies through the ECHT portal.
• SAPcoreTechnology or IntegrationMarket leader in business software. SAP interfaces enable companies to improve processes, work profitably, and enable digital document and data exchange with iht's services.
• DATEVcoreTechnology or IntegrationOne of the largest software houses in Europe providing accounting and tax advisor collaboration solutions. DATEV interfaces enable optimized accounting and digital collaboration.
• Allianz TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of trade credit insurance and surety bonds. Offers tools to mitigate trade risks and strengthen confidence in the future for iht's business partners.
• MHK GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization with more than 3,800 shareholders and over 600 employees in 17 service companies. Strong partner for medium-sized retail and trade companies in Europe.
• SchüllerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• HäckerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• NobiliaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• LeichtminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• Sachsen KüchenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• NolteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• Impuls KüchenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• ArtegominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• BauformatminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• BurgerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• BallerinaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen furniture manufacturer participating in hire purchase program for exhibition goods.
• BlancominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen sink and tap manufacturer participating in hire purchase program.
• FrankeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen equipment manufacturer participating in hire purchase program.
• ElectroluxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen appliance manufacturer participating in hire purchase program.
• SchockminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKitchen sink manufacturer participating in hire purchase program.
• systemceramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCeramic kitchen product manufacturer participating in hire purchase program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Billie GmbH: Berlin-based B2B Buy Now Pay Later provider for European SMEs. Direct peer to iht's Mietkauf product, targeting the same mid-market trade and retail customers with deferred-payment financing.
• Deutsche Factoring Bank AG: German factoring bank offering working-capital solutions by purchasing trade receivables. Direct peer to iht's Payment Management (ZR), which plays a similar intermediary role ensuring supplier payments and credit risk absorption for trade counterparties.
• Grenke AG: German-listed B2B leasing and financing specialist for SME equipment, IT, and office assets. Direct peer to iht's Mietkauf/hire-purchase offering for kitchen studios, operating with a similar installment-based financing model across Europe.

Emerging players

• Candis GmbH: Berlin-based SaaS platform automating invoice processing, accounts payable, and approval workflows for German SMEs. Emerging player addressing the same process & data management pain point that iht serves via its Process & Data Management product.
• Riverty (formerly Arvato Financial Solutions): Bertelsmann-owned European financial services platform offering BNPL, payment, and identity solutions for merchants. Emerging player with overlapping BNPL and merchant payment offerings that increasingly target the same European SME base as iht.

Others

• DATEV eG: Largest German IT service provider for tax advisors, auditors, and accountants; a named iht partner. Ecosystem participant whose accounting software iht integrates with — adjacent rather than directly competitive, but a foundational dependency.

Broad incumbents

• Allianz Trade: World leader in trade credit insurance (formerly Euler Hermes) and a named iht partner. Broad incumbent providing trade credit insurance, surety bonds, and receivables management that complement — and partially substitute for — iht's payment management offering.
• Coface SA: Global trade credit insurer and B2B credit-risk management provider serving 100+ countries. Broad incumbent offering overlapping trade credit and receivables protection services that compete with iht's payment guarantee/credit intermediation value proposition, but at far greater scale.
• Sage Group plc: UK-listed global accounting, payroll, and ERP software provider focused on SMEs. Broad incumbent offering business software and workflow automation that competes in the same accounts payable/document management category as iht's digital solutions stack.
• SAP SE: Global enterprise software leader and named iht integration partner. Broad incumbent whose ERP platform iht's Payment Management and Process & Data services integrate with — both an enabler of iht's current offering and a potential competitor if SAP expands embedded payment/financing features.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/industrie-undhandels-treuhandgesellschaft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 iht