What BERGFÜRST does

BERGFÜRST AG is a Berlin-based, BaFin-supervised and ESMA-registered (ECSP License No. 127820) digital investment platform founded in 2011 that connects self-directed private investors (Privatanleger) directly with real-asset opportunities, bypassing funds, certificates, and other intermediary structures. The company operates two core product lines on a unified web and mobile (iOS/Android) platform accessible from a €10 entry point: (1) Projekte — project-based co-financing of real estate and development projects offering fixed interest rates of 6.50%-9.00% p.a. and defined maturities, and (2) Gold — physical gold stored by C.HAFNER in Germany under LBMA standards as segregated assets (Sondervermögen) with full insurance and no storage or administrative fees, complemented by a recurring Gold-Plan savings product.

The platform is a marketplace model: investors self-register, browse discrete projects with defined terms, and commit capital, while the company earns transaction fees and spreads on intermediated project financing and gold transactions. Distribution is entirely digital and self-serve, supplemented by a referral program ('Freunde einladen'), a formal Partnerprogramm, and an extensive German-language educational content library (Ratgeber) covering investing fundamentals, real estate, retirement, and FinTech topics. Geographically the company operates across the DACH region (Germany, Austria) and Southern Europe (Spain), with completed projects in Graz and Mallorca alongside active German deals in Düsseldorf and Berlin-Charlottenburg.

BERGFÜRST's commercial stack is anchored by strategic partnerships that provide credibility and infrastructure rather than proprietary technology differentiation: C.HAFNER for gold custody, Commerzreal for real estate deal flow, Berliner Volksbank for banking infrastructure (and as the lead investor in its 2013 ~$10.55M funding round), plus industry affiliations with ECSP, Bundesverband Crowdinvesting, TÜV Saarland, and LBMA. The company is led by CEO Dr. Guido Sandler with Steffen Schmalz as Director of Corporate Finance and Andrea Kummermehr handling Investor Relations. Revenue, AUM, and recent funding data are not publicly disclosed.

Name

BERGFÜRST

Legal name

BERGFÜRST AG

Website

https://de.bergfuerst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BERGFÜRST AG is a BaFin-supervised, ESMA-registered (ECSP License No. 127820) digital investment platform based in Berlin that enables self-directed private investors to co-finance real estate and development projects with fixed interest rates and to purchase LBMA-certified physical gold stored in Germany, starting from €10 via web and mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project Financing Interest: BERGFÜRST facilitates project financing where investors earn fixed interest rates on their capital. The platform earns revenue through transaction fees and interest spreads from facilitating these financing arrangements between investors and project operators.
2. Gold Transaction Facilitation: Revenue generated from facilitating physical gold purchases and sales, including spreads on gold transactions and potentially fees for delivery/physical withdrawal services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BERGFÜRST operates a regulated digital marketplace where individual investors can directly finance concrete real estate and development projects with fixed interest rates and defined maturities, or purchase physical gold stored by C.HAFNER in Germany as segregated, fully insured assets. Both asset classes are accessible through a single self-serve web platform and mobile app starting at a €10 minimum investment.

Product overview

BERGFÜRST is a European-licensed digital investment platform offering two core product lines: project-based financing (Projekte) for real estate and other tangible projects with fixed interest rates and defined maturities, and physical gold investment (Gold/Gold-Plan) stored at C.HAFNER in Germany. Both product lines are accessible through a unified platform with a mobile app for portfolio management, starting at €10 per investment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Financing (Projekte) Marketplace product enabling retail investors to directly co-finance concrete real estate and development projects with fixed interest rates, defined maturities, and a stated purpose — without funds or certificates as intermediaries. Minimum investment starts at €10, and the platform intermediates the entire investor-to-project flow under BaFin/ESMA regulation.
• Physical Gold Investment (Gold) Physical gold purchase and custody product for retail investors: gold is acquired as direct property of the investor, held as segregated assets (Sondervermögen) by C.HAFNER under the highest security standards, fully insured, and LBMA-certified. Investors may sell or request physical delivery at any time without storage, administrative, or recurring management fees.
• Project Financing (Finanzieren) for Project Operators Supply-side offering for project operators and real-asset sponsors (Sachwert-Anbieter) to raise capital from the BERGFÜRST investor base via the regulated marketplace, enabling them to access retail funding under the platform's ESMA/BaFin framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero storage or administrative fees for physical gold ownership
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• C.HAFNERcoreTechnology or IntegrationC.HAFNER provides physical gold storage in Germany under highest security standards. Gold is stored as segregated assets for investors, fully insured, and maintained as special assets (Sondervermögen). Investors can sell or request physical delivery at any time without storage or administrative fees.
• CommerzrealcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner in the Licenses, Partners, Certifications section. Commerzreal is a real estate asset manager providing commercial real estate expertise and potential project pipeline for the platform.
• Berliner VolksbankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner bank providing banking infrastructure and potentially customer access for the platform's investment offerings.
• ECSP (European Crowdfunding Service Providers)coreOthersEuropean industry association for crowdfunding service providers. BERGFÜRST operates under ECSP regulatory framework with ESMA registration (License No. 127820).
• Bundesverband CrowdinvestingcoreOthersGerman Federal Association for Crowdfunding. Membership demonstrates commitment to transparency standards and industry self-regulation in the German market.
• LBMA (London Bullion Market Association)coreOthersLBMA certification ensures physical gold meets international quality standards. As an LBMA member, C.HAFNER's gold meets globally recognized purity and quality specifications.
• TÜV SaarlandminorOthersTÜV certification body providing quality assurance and security verification for the platform's operations and processes.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GoldRepublic: European physical gold and silver investment platform with segregated, allocated storage. Directly comparable on the gold investment product, particularly the no-fee savings-style model.
• Companisto: German equity-based crowdfunding platform for startups and growth companies under BaFin supervision. Comparable regulated platform serving self-directed German retail investors seeking alternative investments.
• WIWIN: German crowdfunding platform focused on sustainable real estate and green energy projects. Comparable regulated offering and investor base, with thematic overlap on tangible asset financing.
• EstateGuru: European short-term real estate financing marketplace operating across multiple EU countries. Comparable model of project-based real estate lending with fixed returns, though at higher ticket sizes than BERGFÜRST.
• Zinsland: German real estate crowdfunding platform connecting private investors with property developers. Closely comparable product, customer segment, and regulatory framework as BERGFÜRST.
• Exporo: German real estate crowdfunding platform offering fixed-interest project financing to retail investors under BaFin supervision. Directly competes with BERGFÜRST on real estate project financing and target investor base in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Trade Republic: German retail brokerage and savings platform offering stocks, ETFs, and interest-bearing products. Comparable mobile-first PLG distribution model serving self-directed German retail investors, though broader asset coverage.
• Bitpanda: European retail investment platform offering stocks, ETFs, crypto, and precious metals. Overlap with BERGFÜRST on physical gold trading and self-directed retail investor segment, though much broader asset coverage.

Emerging players

• Funding Circle: European small-business and real estate lending marketplace. Comparable platform-based fixed-yield lending model, though primarily serving SMB lending rather than real asset project financing.

Regional players

• crowdhouse: Swiss real estate crowdfunding platform offering direct property investments to retail investors. Comparable product offering but primarily serving Switzerland rather than competing directly in DACH.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bergfuerst
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bergfuerst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bergfuerst

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 BERGFÜRST