What pro optik does

pro optik Augenoptik Fachgeschäft GmbH is a German optical and hearing-aid retail chain founded in 1987 and headquartered in Wendlingen am Neckar, operating more than 195 stores across Germany through a hybrid company-owned and franchise model. The group is one of the three largest optician chains in Germany, a position it has held since 2006, with a 1,600+ workforce and total group revenue of approximately 150 million EUR. The company sells prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and progressive lenses through a portfolio that includes a ten-line proprietary house-brand range (proMarken: proHim, proHer, proHer classic, proMove, proNature, proTitan, proJunior, proEssentials, proTeens, proSun) plus licensed designer brands (BOSS, Tommy Hilfiger, Carrera, Marc Jacobs).

The business model combines transactional revenue from frame, lens, and contact lens sales with subscription mechanics through the MediFree contact lens program, recurring franchise fees from 170+ partner stores, and statutory-health-insurance-billed professional services including free eye examinations and hearing-aid fitting. Distribution is overwhelmingly physical-store led, complemented by a prooptik.de e-commerce and appointment-booking front end that integrates third-party SaaS (FITTINGBOX virtual try-on, excentos lens advisor, LiveAgent video chat, Calendly and AMPAREX scheduling, CleverReach newsletters). Marketing is multi-channel, with Google Ads and Facebook/Instagram Pixel-driven paid acquisition supported by local SEO across location pages and Google Maps.

Customer segments span general adult consumers needing vision correction, children and adolescents (free complete eyewear under age 18), hearing-impaired patients (Hörakustik services), working professionals and B2B employers seeking occupational and computer eyewear, and fashion-oriented buyers of prescription sunglasses. A dedicated growth team (Lukas Hahne, Director Growth & Product; Markus Kollmann, Head of Sales & Expansion) and Managing Director Dietmar Mauschitz direct franchise and store expansion, while sister company pro eyewear GmbH handles eyewear sourcing and product development. The company is privately held with no external PE, VC, or parent-company ownership disclosed, and has historically grown organically.

Name

pro optik

Legal name

pro optik Augenoptik Fachgeschäft GmbH

Website

https://prooptik.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

pro optik is a German optical and hearing-aid retail chain operating more than 195 stores nationwide via a franchise and company-owned model, selling prescription eyewear, contact lenses, hearing aids, and in-store professional services to general consumers, children, employers, and hearing-impaired patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Optical Goods Retailers (456130)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB), Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical) (CRAAAKAA)

Keywords

• Optical retail services
• Prescription eyewear
• Contact lens fitting
• Hearing aid services
• Franchise optical stores

Headquarters

HQ city

Öhringen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail eyewear sales: Sale of prescription glasses, sunglasses, and frames through company-owned and franchise stores. Revenue generated from sale of frames, lenses, and finishing.
2. Contact lens sales: Sale of contact lenses including daily, monthly, multifocal lenses and care products through retail stores.
3. Eye examinations: Professional eye testing services provided by trained opticians in stores. Free basic eye tests for customers.
4. Hearing aids sales and services: Sale of hearing systems and related services including free hearing tests, fitting, and aftercare. Services billed through health insurance.
5. Franchise fees: Franchise partner network generates revenue through franchise fees and support services to partner stores.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

pro optik sells prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, prescription lenses (progressive, single-vision, branded), and hearing aids through a network of more than 195 franchise optical stores across Germany, supplemented by an e-commerce shop and in-store optician services such as eye examinations and contact lens fitting. The retailer also offers workplace/safety glasses and audiology services billed partly through German health insurance.

Product overview

pro optik is a German eyewear and hearing aid retail chain operating over 195 stores across Germany. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on eyeglasses (Brillen) and contact lenses (Kontaktlinsen) for vision correction, complemented by prescription lenses (Brillengläser) including progressive (Gleitsichtgläser) and single-vision options, and a growing hearing aids division (Hörakustik). The product ecosystem includes own private label sub-brands (prohim, proher, promove, pronature, protitan, proher classic, projunior, proessentials, proteens, prosun) spanning men's, women's, children's, and sports eyewear. Services include eye tests (Sehtest), the MediFree-System contact lens subscription, the protect glasses protection program, and a mobile app. pro optik functions as both an operator of company-owned stores and a franchise provider, with the group generating approximately 150 million EUR in total revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• prohim: House brand for men's eyewear
• proher
• promove
• pronature
• protitan
• proher classic
• projunior
• proessentials
• proteens
• prosun

Products and services

• pro optik Brillen (Prescription eyeglasses) Prescription eyeglasses for adults needing vision correction, available across price tiers with professional in-store fitting, a 3-year warranty, 6-week exchange right, and lowest-price money-back guarantee.
• pro optik Kontaktlinsen (Contact lenses) Contact lenses and lens care products for adult consumers, fitted by trained opticians across the pro optik store network with daily, monthly, and multifocal options plus the MediFree-System subscription service.
• pro optik Brillengläser (Prescription lenses) Prescription lenses manufactured into customer frames, including progressive (Gleitsicht), single-vision (Einstärken), and established brand-name lens options for adult glasses wearers.
• pro optik Hörakustik (Hearing aids and audiology services) Hearing aid devices and professional audiology services (hearing tests, fitting, aftercare, hearing protection) for adults with hearing loss, with some devices available at zero co-payment on medical prescription and services billable through German health insurance.
• Sehtest (Eye examinations) Professional eye examinations, including driving license eye tests, performed by trained opticians in pro optik stores; basic eye tests are provided free of charge.
• MediFree-System (Contact lens subscription) Recurring subscription service for contact lens wearers supplying lenses, regular optician check-ups, and lens care products on an ongoing basis.
• Arbeitsbrillen (Workplace and safety eyeglasses) Computer/screen glasses and certified workplace safety/protective eyewear for employees and employers, including occupational lenses from Infield and UVEX.
• Markenfassungen (Designer brand frames) Branded designer eyeglass frames from BOSS, Tommy Hilfiger, Carrera, Marc Jacobs, BOSS Orange, and other international labels, fitted with prescription lenses in pro optik stores.
• protect Brillenschutz (Glasses protection program) Extended warranty/protection program for purchased eyewear that adds coverage on top of the standard 3-year warranty.
• pro optik App (Mobile application) Mobile app offering pro optik customers digital service access and engagement with the brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 million eyeglasses sold since 1987
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Facebook/Instagram)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook Pixel implementation for retargeting, custom audiences, and conversion tracking on social media advertising
• pro eyewear GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company and partner in the pro optik group providing eyewear products and support services

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fielmann AG: Germany's largest optical retail chain and pro optik's most direct competitor. Fielmann operates a comparable franchise-style store network selling prescription eyewear, sunglasses, and contact lenses with in-house optician services, and has recently absorbed Mister Spex to add an online channel. Most relevant peer given overlapping product, customer, and model.
• Apollo-Optik: German optical retail chain offering prescription glasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids through a similar multi-store franchise model. Directly competes with pro optik for German consumers and has overlapping product categories including audiology.
• eyes + more: German optical retail chain with several hundred stores selling prescription eyewear, sunglasses, and contact lenses under a value-for-money positioning. Direct competitor in the German mid-market optical segment.

Broad incumbents

• Amplifon: Global hearing-care retail chain with material German presence. Comparable to pro optik's Hörakustik division in product category, customer base, and health-insurance reimbursement model.
• Specsavers: International optical and audiology retail chain with a growing German store presence. Competes on similar optical-plus-hearing-aid value proposition and store-based service model, backed by global scale.

Regional players

• KIND Hörgeräte: Germany's largest specialized hearing-aid retailer with hundreds of stores. Direct competitor for pro optik's Hörakustik division, with deeper audiology specialization and longer-established health-insurance billing relationships.
• Neuroth: German-speaking (Germany/Austria/Switzerland) hearing-aid retail specialist. Competes with pro optik Hörakustik in the DACH region with a similar customer profile and store-based service model.

Emerging players

• Mister Spex SE: Berlin-based online optical retailer offering prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses. Now majority-owned by Fielmann but still operating as a distinct online-first brand competing in the same German eyewear market as pro optik, particularly for price-sensitive and digitally native consumers.
• Brillen.de: German online optical retailer offering prescription glasses and sunglasses at discount prices. Competes with pro optik primarily in the value tier and contact-lens replenishment segment.
• Ace & Tate: European direct-to-consumer eyewear brand offering stylish prescription glasses and sunglasses at accessible prices with growing DACH presence. Comparable to pro optik on the fashion-eyewear and own-brand value proposition, though operating a different digital-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/prooptik
• Facebookfacebook.com/Pro-Optik
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prooptik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 pro optik