ECO Group

What ECO Group does

ECO Group (legal entity: Eco Friends GmbH) is a Germany-based holding company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Bad Homburg that consolidates purpose-driven eco-friendly consumer goods brands under a single platform. The group operates and owns majority stakes in seven brands across personal hygiene (HYDROPHIL, NAIKED, DAILY GOOD), natural cosmetics (BEN&ANNA), oral care (Dental Delight, TIO), and household cleaning (Kuno), with products certified vegan, plastic-free, and biodegradable where applicable. The stated mission is to make sustainable products the consumer goods "new normal" by leveraging shared infrastructure and brand synergies across the portfolio.

The platform generates revenue through three primary channels: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at shop.group.eco selling the full brand portfolio, a B2B wholesale portal (b2b.group.eco and b2b.wasserneutral-gmbh.de) targeted at retail partners, and exclusive third-party distribution agreements — notably for TIO climate-friendly dental care. The company pursues a roll-up strategy, demonstrated by the January 2023 acquisition of Kuno and the July 2023 majority acquisition of BEN&ANNA. Leadership consists of Founders and Managing Directors Christoph Schwerdtle and Thomas Nehfischer.

In July 2023 ECO Group closed a €7.5 million Series A funding round led by Acton Capital with participation from Fair Capital Partners, explicitly earmarked for platform expansion and further acquisitions. The company positions itself as a hub that builds scale by leveraging individual brand strengths in different business areas while pursuing a common sustainability agenda. Geographic distribution is anchored in Germany with stated global ambitions through its e-commerce and TIO distribution channels.

Name

ECO Group

Legal name

Eco Friends GmbH

Website

https://group.eco

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECO Group is a Bad Homburg, Germany-based holding company that owns and distributes a portfolio of seven eco-friendly consumer goods brands across personal care, oral hygiene, cosmetics, and household cleaning, selling via DTC e-commerce and B2B wholesale channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Personal Care and Household Consumer Goods

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing (325611)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Purpose Eco Cleaners (CRAJAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Eco-Friendly Laundry Care (Detergents, Boosters, Stain Removers) (CRAJAOAC)

Keywords

• Eco-friendly consumer goods
• Natural personal care
• Sustainable oral care
• Plastic-free hygiene products
• Vegan cosmetics brands

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Homburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

ECO Group is a holding company that unites multiple sustainability-focused consumer goods brands — Ben & Anna, HYDROPHIL, NAIKED, Daily Good, Dental Delight, Kuno, and TIO — under a single platform. It sells natural cosmetics, personal hygiene, oral care, and household cleaning products through its own D2C e-commerce shop and a B2B partner portal serving retailers and wholesalers.

Product overview

ECO Group operates as a holding company platform that unites multiple eco-friendly consumer goods brands under one roof. The portfolio includes acquired brands like Ben & Anna (natural cosmetics) and internally developed sub-brands (HYDROPHIL, NAIKED, Daily Good, Dental Delight, Kuno, TIO) spanning personal care, oral hygiene, and household cleaning categories. The platform strategy enables synergies and shared distribution across brands while maintaining distinct product identities focused on sustainability and plastic reduction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BEN&ANNA: Natural cosmetics brand focused on mindfulness, natural forces, and sustainable resource conservation. Produces 100% certified, vegan and modern natural cosmetics with minimal plastic packaging.
• HYDROPHIL
• NAIKED
• DAILY GOOD
• DENTAL DELIGHT
• Kuno
• TIO

Products and services

• Ben & Anna Natural cosmetics brand offering vegan, natural-ingredient deodorants, skin and body care products for eco-conscious consumers.
• HYDROPHIL Personal hygiene brand focused on water-neutral, plastic-free hygiene products such as bamboo toothbrushes and oral care accessories.
• NAIKED Minimalist personal care brand offering pared-back, natural-ingredient essentials for everyday use.
• Daily Good Value-tier sustainable consumer goods brand offering affordable everyday eco-friendly essentials across personal care and household categories.
• Dental Delight Vegan dental care brand offering plant-based toothpaste and oral care products.
• Kuno Sustainable laundry brand offering biodegradable detergent sheets as a plastic-free alternative to traditional liquid or powder detergents.
• TIO Climate-friendly dental care brand offering sustainable toothbrushes and oral care products, distributed exclusively by ECO Group in Germany and Europe.
• ECO Group D2C Online Shop (shop.group.eco) Direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront where end consumers can purchase products from all ECO Group brands (Ben & Anna, HYDROPHIL, NAIKED, Daily Good, Dental Delight, Kuno, TIO).
• ECO Group B2B Partner Portal (b2b.group.eco) B2B wholesale partner portal enabling retailers and wholesalers to access and order the full multi-brand ECO Group assortment in one place.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sonett: German manufacturer of certified ecological laundry detergents, dishwashing, and household cleaners sold across Europe. Directly comparable to ECO Group's Kuno laundry detergent sheets in eco-certified household cleaning category and German/DACH market focus.
• Dr. Bronner's: Family-owned organic and fair-trade personal care company selling soaps, toothpastes, and lotions with strong sustainability credentials. Closely comparable to ECO Group's HYDROPHIL and NAIKED brands in ethos, organic certification, and global DTC-plus-wholesale model.
• Lush: UK-based ethical beauty retailer and manufacturer known for natural ingredients, plastic-free packaging, and cruelty-free positioning. Comparable to ECO Group in ethical/sustainable personal care category with multi-brand identity and direct-to-consumer plus retail distribution.
• Weleda: Swiss-German natural cosmetics and personal care platform selling certified natural, vegan, and sustainably packaged products across multiple categories. Directly comparable to ECO Group's BEN&ANNA and HYDROPHIL brands in positioning, certification standards, and European retail footprint.

Broad incumbents

• The Body Shop: Global ethical beauty retailer and brand owned by Natura &Co, focused on natural ingredients, cruelty-free products, and refillable packaging. Comparable to ECO Group in ethical-beauty positioning, multi-category eco product range, and global retail distribution.
• Henkel: German multinational in laundry & home care and beauty care with established eco initiatives (e.g., Persil, Schauma). Comparable to ECO Group as a broad German consumer-goods platform spanning laundry, personal care, and oral hygiene, though at much larger scale and without a pure-eco brand identity.
• Beiersdorf: German multinational personal care company behind NIVEA, Eucerin, and Labello with growing sustainable product lines. Comparable to ECO Group in German-headquartered personal care focus, OTC-adjacent categories, and retail distribution, though operating at incumbent scale.

Emerging players

• Sodasan: German manufacturer of certified organic and vegan cleaning products including laundry detergents and household cleaners. Comparable to ECO Group's Kuno and DAILY GOOD in eco-friendly household cleaning category, with overlapping DACH retail distribution.
• i+m Naturkosmetik: Berlin-based natural cosmetics company producing certified organic, vegan skincare and personal care products. Comparable to ECO Group's BEN&ANNA and HYDROPHIL in natural cosmetics category, German market focus, and sustainability-led brand positioning.
• Lavera (Laverana): German natural cosmetics brand producing certified organic skincare, hair care, and body care products. Comparable to ECO Group's BEN&ANNA in natural cosmetics category, German DACH market focus, and certified-organic positioning, though operates as a single brand rather than a platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ECO Group