NearBees
NearBees GmbH is a Freising, Germany-based online marketplace that connects local beekeepers with regional honey buyers and sells tiered corporate bee-sponsorship subscriptions (€195–€380/month) as a CSR engagement product for German enterprises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersFreising, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What NearBees does
NearBees GmbH, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Freising, Germany, operates a two-sided online marketplace connecting German beekeepers (Imker) with consumers seeking regional honey. Customers locate nearby beekeepers by entering their address on nearbees.de, communicate with sellers through the platform, and either pick up honey locally or have it shipped; complementary products include the Honigabo monthly honey subscription, an "Adopt a Bee" individual sponsorship program, bee-friendly Saatgut (seed packets), and the Honigbeutel — a flat 400g honey pouch that enables cost-effective €1.60 letter-mail delivery in place of parcel shipping.
The company's higher-margin layer is a B2B corporate bee sponsorship (Bienenpatenschaft) sold through consultative enterprise sales with three tiered subscriptions: Karma at €195/month, Digital at €245/month, and Erlebnis at €380/month, each covering three colonies over multi-year terms. NearBees handles site assessment, legal compliance, insurance, beekeeper matching, digital colony profiles for sponsors, and CSR communication support; named customers include Riem Arcaden, cosnova Beauty, and Meininger Hotel.
Monetization rests on three streams: recurring B2B sponsorship subscriptions, a commission on honey transactions that is being phased out under a pivot to a classified-ads model, and unit sales of €1 packaging sets plus direct honey sales through selected partner beekeepers. The platform integrates standard German payment methods (PayPal, SOFORT, credit card, SEPA) and ships exclusively within Germany, with limited beekeeper profile registration allowed from Austria and Switzerland. The company has 1-10 employees, no disclosed external funding beyond a 2017 BONVENTURE event, and no AI, app, or public API capabilities.
NearBees firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NearBees
- Legal name
- nearBees GmbH
- Website
- https://nearbees.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NearBees GmbH is a Freising, Germany-based online marketplace that connects local beekeepers with regional honey buyers and sells tiered corporate bee-sponsorship subscriptions (€195–€380/month) as a CSR engagement product for German enterprises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NearBees industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Local Honey Marketplace & Corporate Bee Sponsorship Platform
- NAICS
- Apiculture (11291), Apiculture (112910)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Apiary Management Services (Contract Beekeeping, Hive Maintenance) (AFAEAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Hives, Frames, Tools, PPE) (AFAEAHAI), Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services (AFAEAHAO)
Keywords
Where NearBees is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Freising
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
NearBees business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Honey Sales Commission: NearBees charges beekeepers a commission fee on honey sold through the platform. The platform was redesigned to a classifieds model (Kleinanzeigenlösung) with future elimination of sales commission.
- Corporate Bee Sponsorships (Bienenpatenschaft): Monthly subscription fees from corporate customers for bee colony sponsorships. Three tiers available: Karma (€195/month), Digital (€245/month), and Erlebnis (€380/month) for 3 bee colonies over 3-year terms.
- Honey Packaging Sales: NearBees sells packaging sets (€1.00 each) to beekeepers containing honey pouch, shipping envelope, seed flyer, and custom labels for honey packaging and shipping.
- Honey Direct Sales: Direct honey sales from selected partner beekeepers through nearBees, where the company handles transaction and shipping, sending honey in optimized pouches directly to customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Karma tier - Basic bee sponsorship supporting beekeepers in Germany |
| Subscription | Monthly | Digital tier - Sponsorship with digital access to bee colony updates |
| Subscription | Monthly | Erlebnis tier - Premium sponsorship with on-site visits and honey guarantee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Honey Packaging Set |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
NearBees product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NearBees operates an online two-sided marketplace that connects local German beekeepers with consumers and corporations seeking regional honey and bee-related services. The platform includes a location-based honey search, a monthly honey subscription (Honigabo), corporate bee sponsorship packages (Bienenpatenschaft) with three tiers (Karma, Digital, Erlebnis), an individual Adopt-a-Bee program, and supporting products such as bee-friendly seed packets and a proprietary flat Honigbeutel honey pouch for cost-effective letter-mail delivery.
Product overview
NearBees operates a dual-mode e-commerce and sponsorship platform centered on bee conservation and local honey. The core offering is an online marketplace (nearBees Honig-Marktplatz) connecting beekeepers with honey buyers, complemented by a subscription service (Honigabo) for recurring regional honey delivery. The platform extends into B2B through corporate bee sponsorships (Bienenpatenschaft) with three service tiers (Karma, Digital, Erlebnis) that combine CSR engagement, on-site or digital bee monitoring, guaranteed honey harvest, and team events. For individual consumers, the Adopt a Bee program provides a low-commitment entry point with digital adoption certificates. Supporting products include bee-friendly seed packets (Saatgut) and the proprietary nearBees Honigbeutel flat-packaging format enabling economical letterbox delivery of honey.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Honigbeutel: Innovative flat honey packaging designed for cost-effective and resource-saving shipping via mailbox delivery
- Honigabo
Products and services
- nearBees Honig-Marktplatz Online marketplace connecting local beekeepers with honey buyers; beekeepers list honey with delivery or pickup options and customers search for honey by location and contact sellers directly via the platform.
- nearBees Honigabo Monthly honey subscription service delivering regional honey varieties on a recurring basis with a standard shipment on the 15th of each month.
- nearBees Bienenpatenschaft (B2B) Corporate bee sponsorship program enabling companies to fund beehive creation, colony support and environmental conservation as a CSR initiative. Three tiers (Karma, Digital, Erlebnis) covering beekeeper-managed colony placement, digital monitoring access, on-site visits, honey harvest guarantees and team events.
- Adopt a Bee Individual consumer bee adoption offering; sponsors receive a digital adoption certificate and a 35-day newsletter series about the adopted bee's colony.
- nearBees Saatgut Bee-friendly seed packets for garden, balcony and terrace planting, sold to support year-round pollen and nectar availability for bees.
- nearBees Honigbeutel Proprietary 400g flat-pack honey pouch enabling cost-effective letterbox delivery via Großbrief at €1.60 postage; sold in packaging sets (pouch, envelope, seed flyer, custom label) to beekeepers at €1.00 per set.
- nearBees Patenhonig (Firmenhonig) Company-branded honey produced by sponsored bee colonies, harvested and packaged with custom labels in the company's design for use as a sustainable corporate gift.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 60kg honey harvest per colony in good years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use NearBees
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NearBees technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
NearBees partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Partner Beekeepers (Imker Netzwerk)coreNetwork of beekeepers across Germany who manage bee colonies for corporate sponsorships and sell honey through the platform. Beekeepers are recruited through the platform, receive training on sponsorship management, and are supported with site selection and legal compliance.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
NearBees competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CrowdFarming: European direct producer-to-consumer food marketplace (Spain-based) that connects farmers with consumers for adoption/sponsorship of crops, livestock and hives. Closely comparable business model: ethical sourcing, sponsor relationship, recurring revenue from named producers.
- Ökokiste: Network of German organic food subscription boxes delivering regional produce on a recurring basis. Directly comparable subscription-based, regional-food delivery model analogous to NearBees' Honigabo recurring offering.
- Stadtbienen GmbH: German company (urbanbees.de) running a corporate bee sponsorship and urban beekeeping platform — the most direct head-to-head competitor to NearBees' B2B Bienenpatenschaft model, targeting the same German CSR market with the same hive-on-premises pitch.
- Marktschwärmer: German local-food marketplace that lets consumers order regional products directly from producers. Same two-sided marketplace mechanics as NearBees' Honig-Marktplatz, but applied to broader regional food rather than honey specifically.
Regional players
- Abel & Cole: UK organic food subscription box delivering regional and ethical produce to households. Operates a comparable subscription, regional-sourcing model but in the UK rather than Germany, so it does not directly compete but informs consumer LTV benchmarks.
- Farmstand: US farm-to-table online marketplace connecting consumers with local producers. A regional peer operating a comparable producer-to-consumer marketplace but in North America; useful as a model benchmark for the Honig-Marktplatz consumer side.
Others
- Betterbee: US-based beekeeping equipment and supplies retailer serving hobbyist and commercial beekeepers. An ecosystem enabler/supplier rather than direct competitor, but illustrates the broader beekeeping supply-side value chain NearBees' beekeeper network taps into.
Broad incumbents
- Mellifera e.V. Long-established German beekeeping association focused on ecological beekeeping, training and advocacy. A broad incumbent shaping the German apiculture conversation that NearBees operates within, though non-commercial in nature.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NearBees social profiles
Digital presenceNearBees financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NearBees leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
NearBees funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NearBees M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NearBees
What does NearBees do?
NearBees operates an online two-sided marketplace that connects local German beekeepers with consumers and corporations seeking regional honey and bee-related services. The platform includes a location-based honey search, a monthly honey subscription (Honigabo), corporate bee sponsorship packages (Bienenpatenschaft) with three tiers (Karma, Digital, Erlebnis), an individual Adopt-a-Bee program, and supporting products such as bee-friendly seed packets and a proprietary flat Honigbeutel honey pouch for cost-effective letter-mail delivery.
Is NearBees a public or private company?
NearBees is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was NearBees founded?
NearBees was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NearBees based?
NearBees is headquartered in Freising, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does NearBees make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Honey Sales Commission is the primary driver. The others are corporate Bee Sponsorships (Bienenpatenschaft), honey Packaging Sales and honey Direct Sales.
Who are NearBees's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CrowdFarming, Ökokiste, Stadtbienen GmbH and Marktschwärmer. Regional players are Abel & Cole and Farmstand. Betterbee is listed as an others. Mellifera e.V. is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does NearBees have an API?
No public API is recorded for NearBees.
What industry is NearBees in?
NearBees's product category is Online Local Honey Marketplace & Corporate Bee Sponsorship Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAHAJ, Apiary Management Services (Contract Beekeeping, Hive Maintenance), with a secondary code of AFAEAHAI, Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Hives, Frames, Tools, PPE). Its NAICS code is 11291.