What HORBACH does

HORBACH Wirtschaftsberatung GmbH is a German financial advisory and financial-planning company founded in 1983 and headquartered in Hannover, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss Life Deutschland Holding GmbH within the Swiss Life Group. The company builds and operates a multi-channel financial advisory distribution platform that delivers personalized financial planning to private customers, corporate customers, and expatriates, with documented vertical specialization in academic and public-sector professions — physicians (Ärzte/Medizinberufe), teachers (Lehrkräfte), civil servants (Beamte), and healthcare professionals. Its core product surface comprises retirement planning (Altersvorsorge), construction financing (Baufinanzierung), income protection (Einkommensabsicherung), investment advisory (Investment / Kapitalanlage Immobilien), wealth protection (Vermögensschutz), and inflation-hedging consultations, mediated through four German Trade Regulation licenses (§34c, §34d, §34f, §34i GewO).

The underlying technology stack is a digital-first advisory platform layered on top of a 39-center physical distribution network across 28 German cities. The platform includes browser-based Videoberatung (video consultation) that requires no client-side installation, an online Kundenportal (customer portal) for self-service, online calculation tools (Mietkostenrechner for rent costs and Zinsrechner for interest), and an online Schadenmeldung (damage/claims) workflow. The advisor side is supported by the 3,800 m² HORBACH Karriere-Campus training facility and the Swiss Life Karriere-Campus in Hannover, which together anchor the self-employed financial consultant (Finanzberater) workforce development.

HORBACH's business model is commission-based intermediation: HORBACH mediates financial products from over 250 named product partners — insurers, banks, investment companies, and building societies (Bausparkassen) — and receives transaction commissions for successful mediations. Customer acquisition is sales-led, executed through self-employed financial consultants in direct field sales, inside sales via phone (24/7 hotline 0511-9020-7700) and video consultation, supported by digital content marketing across a financial blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and the "Let's schnack!" podcast. Customer-facing pricing is anchored on a free first consultation, with no publicly disclosed fee schedule; revenue is derived from product-partner commissions rather than explicit customer fees.

Name

HORBACH

Legal name

Horbach Wirtschaftsberatung GmbH

Website

https://horbach.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HORBACH Wirtschaftsberatung GmbH, founded in 1983 in Hannover and a Swiss Life subsidiary, is a German financial advisory firm providing retirement, investment, financing, and insurance planning to private customers, corporate clients, and expats, with specialization in academics and public-sector professionals, delivered via 39 centers in 28 cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory (FSAEABAH)

Keywords

• Financial advisory services
• Independent financial planning
• Insurance brokerage
• Wealth management advisory
• Corporate financial consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Product Commission: HORBACH receives commissions from product partners (insurance companies, banks, investment companies, building societies) for the mediation of financial products. The company mediates insurance contracts, building savings contracts, financial and investment products, and related services. The mediation is conducted in personal appointments and HORBACH receives a commission from the product partners for the mediation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HORBACH provides independent financial advisory and planning services covering insurance, investment, financing, and pension products to private and corporate customers. Advice is delivered via a nationwide network of 39 advisory centers in 28 cities, supported by digital channels including video consultation, a customer portal, and online planning tools, with revenue earned primarily through commissions from more than 250 product partners.

Product overview

HORBACH Wirtschaftsberatung is a German financial advisory company offering comprehensive financial planning and advisory services through multiple channels including in-person consultations, video advice, and online tools. The company operates with a platform-plus-partner model, providing financial consulting services for private customers (Privatkunden), corporate clients (Firmenkunden), and expatriates, with specialized offerings for teachers (Lehrer) and physicians (Ärzte). The core offering includes retirement planning (Altersvorsorge), investment advice, construction financing (Baufinanzierung), income protection, and insurance brokerage, supported by a network of over 250 product partners. HORBACH also provides complementary services such as damage/claims management, a career development program with a dedicated Karriere-Campus training facility, and online calculators for rental costs and interest calculations. The company differentiates through its Best-Select advisory methodology and maintains a presence across 39 centers in 28 German cities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Customer Financial Advisory Comprehensive financial planning and advisory for individuals, covering insurance, investment, financing, and pension products. Targeted at retail customers seeking independent, partner-neutral advice.
• Corporate Customer Financial Advisory Financial advisory services for companies, including corporate insurance, employee benefits, and business financing solutions. Targeted at SME and mid-market firms.
• Expat Financial Advisory Specialized financial planning for expatriates and international professionals in Germany, addressing cross-border tax, insurance, and pension considerations.
• Physician Financial Advisory Financial planning tailored for physicians, including practice financing, professional liability, income protection, and private pension structuring.
• Teacher Financial Advisory Financial planning for teachers and educators, addressing civil-servant pension options, supplemental insurance, and salary-partner benefits.
• Civil Servant Financial Advisory Financial planning tailored for civil servants, including pension supplementation, public-sector insurance, and bespoke financing products aligned with civil-servant benefits.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Product Partners (Versicherungen, Banken, Investmentgesellschaften, Bausparkassen)coreOthersHORBACH mediates products from over 250 product partners including insurance companies, banks, investment companies, and building societies. HORBACH receives commissions from these partners for successful mediations.
• Swiss Life Stiftung für Chancenreichtum und ZukunftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHORBACH supports the Swiss Life Foundation for Opportunity and Future, which is committed to ensuring that people in Germany can stay curious, acquire knowledge, and lead self-determined lives regardless of their social background.
• KinderHeldenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKinderHelden is a mentoring initiative that helps children with difficult starting conditions achieve better educational opportunities and social participation. HORBACH employees and financial consultants can volunteer as mentors.
• EnactusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHORBACH supports the Enactus initiative, an international non-profit organization that brings together students, academic leaders, and entrepreneurs to develop community outreach projects that transform lives and shape a more sustainable world.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• OVB Holding AG: OVV is a publicly listed European financial advisory group operating cross-border broker networks across Germany, Austria, Italy, and CEE. While its model (self-employed advisors mediating multi-carrier products) is comparable, OVB's broader European footprint makes it a regional rather than direct German-only peer to HORBACH.

Direct peers

• A.S.I. Wirtschaftsberatung: A.S.I. is a German financial advisory firm specializing in academic and public-sector clients (engineers, civil servants, teachers). It mirrors HORBACH's vertical specialization model and competes directly in the same niche professions across Germany.
• tecis Finanzdienstleistungen: tecis is a German financial advisory network owned by Zurich Insurance Group, mediating insurance, investment, and real estate products through self-employed agents. Its product-broker model, advisor-driven distribution, and target clientele overlap closely with HORBACH.
• Bonnfinanz GmbH: Bonnfinanz is a German financial advisory and insurance brokerage firm operating a network of self-employed advisors offering insurance, investment, and real estate financing products. It is a comparable mid-sized field-sales competitor in the German retail financial advisory market.
• MLP SE: MLP is a German financial advisory and banking group with a long-standing focus on academics, physicians, and professionals. Like HORBACH, it operates a field-sales model of self-employed consultants, mediates insurance and investment products from multiple partners, and competes head-to-head in the same academic niche.
• Jung, DMS & Cie. AG: Jung, DMS & Cie. operates one of Germany's largest pools of independent financial advisors under the 'Top Ten' and 'Pro tec' brands, mediating insurance and investment products. Its multi-partner distribution model and advisor-pool structure are directly comparable to HORBACH's network.
• Deutsche Vermögensberatung (DVAG): DVAG is Germany's largest independent financial advisory organization, with a nationwide structure of self-employed agents mediating insurance, investment, and real estate financing products. It directly overlaps HORBACH in retail financial planning, product mediation model, and field-sales distribution.

Others

• Check24 Vergleichsportal: Check24 is Germany's leading price-comparison portal for insurance, banking, and financial products. It is a thematic competitor/alternative channel that disrupts HORBACH's intermediation model by enabling customers to compare and self-purchase the same product categories HORBACH mediates.

Broad incumbents

• Swiss Life Select: Swiss Life Select is the sister financial advisory network of HORBACH within the Swiss Life Group, offering multi-partner financial planning across insurance, investment, and real estate financing. It is the closest internal sibling brand and competes for the same pool of self-employed financial advisors in Germany.

Emerging players

• Allvest GmbH: Allvest is a digital, direct-to-consumer investment and insurance platform owned by Allianz. It represents the emerging digital-distribution alternative that competes with HORBACH's traditional advisor model, particularly for younger, lower-AUM prospects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HORBACHvideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/HORBACH-447111955402216
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/horbach
• Instagraminstagram.com/horbach_de
• TikToktiktok.com/@horbach_de

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 HORBACH