haufe-gruppe
Haufe Group is a German family-owned B2B provider of integrated business software, professional publishing content, and corporate training, serving over one million customers across the DACH region from self-employed individuals to DAX 40 corporations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1951
- HeadquartersFreiburg, Germany
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What haufe-gruppe does
Haufe Group is a German family-owned B2B provider of integrated business and workplace solutions headquartered in Freiburg, Germany, founded in 1951. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio spanning three pillars: content (professional publishing through Haufe Publishing and Schäffer-Poeschel), software (cloud-based business administration, tax, HR, and compliance tools under the Haufe, Lexware, and smartsteuer brands), and continuing education (Haufe Akademie and the Semigator training management platform). It serves more than one million customers across the DACH region, ranging from solo self-employed and small businesses using Lexware and smartsteuer to all DAX 40 corporations using the flagship Haufe enterprise platform, with a workforce of approximately 2,500 employees from roughly 50 nations.
The technology stack centers on cloud-based B2B software for business administration, tax, HR, and compliance workflows, augmented by a proprietary e-invoicing infrastructure compliant with European standard EN 16931 (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD) and connected to PEPPOL and Traffiqx networks. The portfolio includes the Haufe Compliance College integrated digital training solution and AI-driven product capabilities described as a central driver of portfolio development, supported by engineering and product hubs in Timișoara (Romania) and Barcelona (Spain). The company operates ten locations in total, nine in Germany plus two international engineering sites.
The business model relies primarily on subscription-based recurring revenue from software licensing, content publishing, and professional training services. Go-to-market is sales-led with direct enterprise account management for DAX 40 clients, an inside-sales service center for Haufe and Lexware inquiries, online self-service channels for Lexware and smartsteuer, and dedicated training sales for Haufe Akademie. Revenue reached over EUR 600 million in FY 2025/26 (7% growth), up from EUR 562 million in FY 2024/25 and EUR 537 million in FY 2023/24, reflecting consistent mid- to high-single-digit growth despite a weak DACH economy.
haufe-gruppe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- haufe-gruppe
- Legal name
- Haufe Group SE
- Website
- https://haufe-lexware.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1951
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Haufe Group is a German family-owned B2B provider of integrated business software, professional publishing content, and corporate training, serving over one million customers across the DACH region from self-employed individuals to DAX 40 corporations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
haufe-gruppe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Software Publishers (51321), Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Management & HR Reference (Operations, Strategy, HR, Leadership) (EDAGAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Document Creation & Office Suites (BPAMAMAD), Legal & Governance Professional Development (EDAGANAK)
Keywords
Where haufe-gruppe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Freiburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices10 records
Markets served
haufe-gruppe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Subscriptions: Subscription-based software solutions including Haufe, Lexware, and smartsteuer products for tax, HR, accounting, and real estate management
- Content Publishing: Professional business content, publications, and Fachmedien for tax, law, and business topics through Haufe Publishing and Schäffer-Poeschel
- Professional Training: Continuing education and training services through Haufe Akademie including seminars, inhouse training, digital learning programs, and Compliance College
- Corporate Venture Capital: Investment returns from Haufe Group Ventures portfolio companies including DYNO and other early-stage B2B worktech startups
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise software licensing |
| Subscription | Annual | SMB/self-employed software |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
haufe-gruppe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Haufe Group develops and sells cloud-based business software (Haufe, Lexware, smartsteuer), publishes professional content on tax, legal and business topics (Haufe Publishing, Schäffer-Poeschel), and delivers corporate training and continuing education programs (Haufe Akademie, Semigator, Haufe Compliance College). The portfolio integrates content, software and training into workplace and organizational transformation offerings for businesses, the self-employed and individual professionals across the DACH region.
Product overview
Haufe Group is a B2B provider of integrated business and workplace solutions, operating a multi-brand portfolio organized around three core areas: Content (publishing and professional information), Software (business management solutions), and Continuing Education (professional development). The portfolio includes the flagship Haufe platform (HR, tax, legal, and compliance management), Lexware (SMB accounting and business software), Haufe Akademie (corporate training and learning), smartsteuer (online tax filing), and Semigator (training management platform). The group serves over one million customers from solo self-employed to DAX companies across the DACH region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Haufe: Core brand offering business software, tax solutions, and professional content
- Lexware
- Haufe Akademie
- smartsteuer
- Schäffer-Poeschel
- Semigator
- Haufe Group Ventures
Products and services
- Haufe
- Lexware Business management software for small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed professionals offering accounting, payroll, tax preparation and business administration tools.
- Haufe Akademie
- smartsteuer Online tax filing solution for German consumers, self-employed individuals and small businesses offering intuitive tax preparation and submission.
- Semigator Training management platform that helps companies and employees find and book corporate and continuing education programs.
- Schäffer-Poeschel Publishing brand offering professional content and books on business and tax topics, acquired by Haufe Group and operating from Stuttgart.
- Haufe Compliance College Integrated digital compliance training solution from Haufe Akademie for organizations building and maintaining regulatory compliance capabilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Revenue growth of 7% to over 600 million euros in FY 2025/26
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use haufe-gruppe
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
haufe-gruppe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
haufe-gruppe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ZMF (Zelt-Musik-Festival)coreHaufe Group became main sponsor of Zelt-Musik-Festival and gives the legendary circus tent its name. Strong partnership for Freiburg culture.
- Münsterbauverein FreiburgminorHaufe Group supports Münsterbauverein and funds new stonemason position for at least two years. Unique nationwide cooperation securing long-term preservation of Freiburg Minster.
- SC Freiburg / LexwarecoreLexware, a Haufe Group brand, became main and jersey sponsor of SC Freiburg starting season 2026/27. Two Freiburg success stories continue partnership that began in 1999. Clear commitment to hometown and over 4 million self-employed in Germany.
- AareonminorAareon acquired Haufe-Lexware Real Estate AG (HLRE), German provider specialized in software for real estate management. HLRE to be developed under Aareon for sustainable future.
- Abacus Research AGminorHaufe Group planned sale of Umantis Talent Management to Swiss software company Abacus Research AG. Talent management solution to be integrated into Abacus software architecture for SME market.
- Hacker SchoolminorNon-profit organization Hacker School held programming workshop for children and youth at Haufe Group campus Freiburg. Joint initiative for digital education.
- D21-Digital-IndexminorHaufe Group supports annual digital society status report providing insights into digital transformation.
- Projekt FUTURE (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg)minorHaufe Group cooperation partner supporting programming competition in Legal and Tech area at University of Freiburg.
- StartUp17minorHaufe Group as funding partner supports StartUp17 sustainability festival in Freiburg, promoting regional sustainability education and social entrepreneurship.
- A. Stein'sche MediengruppeminorHaufe Group sold Haufe Discovery to A. Stein'sche Mediengruppe for strategic focus in brand area.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
haufe-gruppe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cornelsen Verlag: German educational publisher and continuing education provider — directly comparable to Haufe Akademie in professional training and learning materials for the DACH market.
- Datev: German cooperative providing tax, accounting, and ERP software for SMBs, tax advisors, and enterprises — the closest direct competitor to Haufe/Lexware in the DACH tax and business administration software market.
- Buhl Software (WISO): Owner of WISO tax software and other consumer/SMB finance products in Germany — directly competes with smartsteuer and Lexware in the German tax preparation and SMB accounting market.
Broad incumbents
- Wolters Kluwer: Global provider of professional information, software, and compliance solutions in tax, legal, health, and HR — overlaps directly with Haufe's content and software offering but at much larger global scale.
- Sage Group: Global provider of accounting, HR, and payroll software for SMBs and mid-market — comparable business model and target customer base, though serving a much broader geographic footprint than Haufe.
- LexisNexis (RELX): Global legal and professional information publisher — overlaps with Haufe's professional publishing arm (Schäffer-Poeschel) and its legal/tax content subscriptions.
- ADP (Automatic Data Processing): Global leader in HR, payroll, and workforce management software — overlaps with Haufe's enterprise HR and compliance training offerings, though at vastly larger scale and global footprint.
Regional players
- Springer Nature: Major German-headquartered academic and professional publisher — comparable in professional/scholarly publishing content, though more focused on academic and scientific than tax/business reference.
Emerging players
- Taxfix: Berlin-based mobile-first tax filing app — emerging digital-first competitor targeting the same German self-employed and consumer tax market as smartsteuer with a modern UX and lower acquisition cost.
- Personio: Munich-based HR software platform for SMBs and mid-market — comparable target customer in DACH HR management, though more focused on SaaS-native HRIS than Haufe's compliance-and-content-led HR offering.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
haufe-gruppe social profiles
Digital presencehaufe-gruppe compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
haufe-gruppe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
haufe-gruppe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
haufe-gruppe subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
haufe-gruppe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
haufe-gruppe 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 haufe-gruppe
What does haufe-gruppe do?
Haufe Group develops and sells cloud-based business software (Haufe, Lexware, smartsteuer), publishes professional content on tax, legal and business topics (Haufe Publishing, Schäffer-Poeschel), and delivers corporate training and continuing education programs (Haufe Akademie, Semigator, Haufe Compliance College). The portfolio integrates content, software and training into workplace and organizational transformation offerings for businesses, the self-employed and individual professionals across the DACH region.
Is haufe-gruppe a public or private company?
haufe-gruppe is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was haufe-gruppe founded?
haufe-gruppe was founded in 1951.
Where is haufe-gruppe based?
haufe-gruppe is headquartered in Freiburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does haufe-gruppe make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are content Publishing, professional Training and corporate Venture Capital.
Who are haufe-gruppe's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cornelsen Verlag, Datev and Buhl Software (WISO). Broad incumbents are Wolters Kluwer, Sage Group, LexisNexis (RELX) and ADP (Automatic Data Processing). Springer Nature is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Taxfix and Personio.
Does haufe-gruppe have an API?
No public API is recorded for haufe-gruppe.
What industry is haufe-gruppe in?
haufe-gruppe's product category is Business Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAGAF, Business, Management & HR Reference (Operations, Strategy, HR, Leadership), with a secondary code of BPAMAMAD, Document Creation & Office Suites. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.