Start with the decisionStart with the precise German entity, its registered name and the period you need reviewed. An English trading name can obscure the underlying business. Ask the provider to explain the difference between corporate records, online allegations, technical findings and any conclusions about who controls a company.
For an overview of the work you can commission, see our OSINT services. This guide compares provider options; it does not claim that every firm has the same methods, local presence or delivery terms.
Provider profiles and what to confirm
01
corma
Germany-based corporate investigations firmcorma publishes corporate investigation and OSINT services in Germany. Its company-research offering includes ownership and relationship analysis, making it relevant to briefs that start with a German company or connected individual.
Our assessment of fit. Consider this option when the brief calls for corporate osint and relationship mapping. Confirm the subject countries and languages before treating the proposed team as a match.
Ask before instructing. Specify the entities and ownership date you need checked. Ask whether a proposed relationship map distinguishes legal ownership from inferred influence.
Evidence: Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Official source 3. Published service descriptions reviewed 19 October 2026; availability and engagement terms require confirmation.
02
Nemexis
Berlin-based forensic investigations firmNemexis lists OSINT within its forensic investigation offering and publishes a Berlin address. Consider it where online research is one part of a wider corporate or forensic matter.
Our assessment of fit. Consider this option when the brief calls for forensic investigations with an osint component. Confirm the subject countries and languages before treating the proposed team as a match.
Ask before instructing. Ask which elements are desk research, digital forensics or other investigative work. Agree the required records and reporting language before comparing fees.
Evidence: Official source 1. Published service descriptions reviewed 19 October 2026; availability and engagement terms require confirmation.
03
LanCologne
German IT forensics and investigations providerLanCologne describes OSINT work in corporate crises and legal or forensic matters. Its published approach connects the research question to documentation and the wider technical investigation.
Our assessment of fit. Consider this option when the brief calls for osint linked to digital evidence and incidents. Confirm the subject countries and languages before treating the proposed team as a match.
Ask before instructing. Explain whether you need external online research, examination of authorised devices and data, or both. Ask how each evidence stream will be documented.
Evidence: Official source 1. Published service descriptions reviewed 19 October 2026; availability and engagement terms require confirmation.
04
Kroll
Multidisciplinary investigations and advisory firmKroll combines investigations with forensic accounting, financial analysis and dispute support. Its published asset-tracing practice is relevant when online research must connect to a wider recovery or litigation strategy.
Our assessment of fit. Consider this option when the brief calls for financial investigations and asset recovery support. Confirm the subject countries and languages before treating the proposed team as a match.
Ask before instructing. Clarify whether the budget covers an initial asset scan, detailed ownership verification, forensic accounting and support to counsel, or only one of these stages.
Evidence: Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Official source 3 · Official source 4. Published service descriptions reviewed 19 October 2026; availability and engagement terms require confirmation.
05
Control Risks
Integrated risk and investigations consultancyControl Risks publishes corporate investigation, due diligence, dispute and strategic intelligence services. It is a broader advisory comparator where a research question intersects with operational, political or security exposure.
Our assessment of fit. Consider this option when the brief calls for investigations connected to security and country risk. Confirm the subject countries and languages before treating the proposed team as a match.
Ask before instructing. Name the investigation lead and separate research deliverables from ongoing monitoring, security advice and other advisory work in the proposal.
Evidence: Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Official source 3 · Official source 4. Published service descriptions reviewed 19 October 2026; availability and engagement terms require confirmation.
06
S-RM
Corporate intelligence and cyber consultancyS-RM offers due diligence and litigation-support investigations. Its published dispute examples include asset research across several countries, making it a relevant comparator for research that extends beyond a screening result.
Our assessment of fit. Consider this option when the brief calls for enhanced diligence and disputes research. Confirm the subject countries and languages before treating the proposed team as a match.
Ask before instructing. Distinguish an automated or scalable review from an enhanced investigation. Confirm the extent of original research, analyst review and source enquiries.
Evidence: Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Official source 3 · Official source 4. Published service descriptions reviewed 19 October 2026; availability and engagement terms require confirmation.
How to compare proposals and control the budget
Send the same factual brief to the firms you shortlist. Ask each to return a research plan with the subjects, languages and countries covered; the named lead; expected deliverables; exclusions; fee basis; and a process for approving extra work.
| Proposal item | What to compare |
|---|
| Base scope | Named entities and individuals, relevant dates and specific unanswered questions. |
| Deliverables | Findings with sources, identity checks, a chronology or relationship map where useful, and visible limitations. |
| Timing and cost | Initial update, final delivery, included review time and separately priced extensions. No third-party price is assumed here. |
| Quality control | Who reviews material conclusions, how contradictory evidence is handled, and how the client can query a finding. |
Use the company investigations service guide to define the work itself. An investigation report, ongoing monitoring and a software licence are different purchases; compare like-for-like proposals before choosing on price.
Selection method and limitations
We selected organisations with public descriptions relevant to this brief. The linked company pages support the factual descriptions; the fit assessments and buying questions are editorial judgement. We did not commission a test investigation, independently audit delivery, or verify client satisfaction.
Broader investigation firms are included where their published work overlaps the requirement; this does not mean their work is exclusively OSINT. Country guides identify local specialists where supported and label international candidates separately. Confirm current personnel, local delivery, conflicts, fees and availability directly.
There are no invented ratings, client reviews or guaranteed outcomes. A provider’s inclusion is a starting point for a scoped conversation, not an endorsement for every case. Research coverage and official descriptions can change after the review date.