Nordlite
Nordlite is a Hamburg-based event technology company founded in 1991 providing equipment rental (Dry Hire) and full-service event production across lighting, sound, video, LED, and stage technology, serving corporate clients, agencies, and professional technicians across Germany and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Nordlite does
Nordlite is a Hamburg-based, privately held event technology company founded in 1991 that provides both equipment rental (Dry Hire) and full-service event production across lighting, sound, video, LED, and stage technology. The company operates from a single 3,200 sqm warehouse facility at Lederstraße 15b, Hamburg, holding a substantial equipment inventory (400+ moving lights, 780 halogen spotlights, 490 LED spotlights, 430 speakers including 150 Meyer Sound units, 4.5 km trusses, 30 km cable, 250 motors, 25 video projectors) and an own logistics fleet for delivery. It serves three primary customer segments: corporate/enterprise clients (Porsche, Audi, TUI, HHLA, STIHL, Commerzbank), event and advertising agencies, and professional event technicians purchasing dry-hire equipment directly through the online portal.
The business is structured around two legal entities — NORDLITE GmbH (Verwaltungsgesellschaft) and Nordlite Event Solutions GmbH (Art Department) — and three sub-brands: NORDLITE Dry Hire (self-service equipment rental via dryhire.nordlite.de), Art Department (creative event design, set construction, exhibition building, decoration, and digital printing at artdepartment.nordlite.de), and NORDLITE Location Services (a 600 sqm hybrid streaming studio at Hagenbeck's Tierpark launched in 2020). GTM runs through a direct-sales model for full-service enterprise projects with a single contact person per engagement, alongside a self-service e-commerce channel for dry-hire. Pricing is usage-based (per item per day) for dry hire and custom-quoted for full-service productions, with no publicly disclosed revenue or external funding. The company is founder-management-controlled (managing directors Johannes Gruber, Oliver Sperling, Christian Kostiuk) and reports 28 permanent employees, with job postings referencing future growth to approximately 70 staff. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, awards, or M&A activity are disclosed.
Nordlite firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nordlite
- Legal name
- NORDLITE Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH
- Website
- https://nordlite.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Nordlite is a Hamburg-based event technology company founded in 1991 providing equipment rental (Dry Hire) and full-service event production across lighting, sound, video, LED, and stage technology, serving corporate clients, agencies, and professional technicians across Germany and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nordlite industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Technology Services
- NAICS
- Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Interior Design Services (541410), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Partitions, Shelvg, Lockers, & Office & Store Fixtures (2540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venue Decor Setup, On-Site Styling & Breakdown (HSACAOAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations (HSACAOAG), Drywall, Partitions & Suspended Ceilings (IMAFANAG), Pipe & Drape, Backdrop & Room-Divider Rentals (HSACAFAJ), Pavilion & Country/Group Exhibit Build-Outs (THAHAHAD)
Keywords
Where Nordlite is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nordlite business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Dry Hire / Equipment Rental: Rental of event technology equipment (lights, sound, video, stages) without personnel. Customers can rent individual items or complete packages. Pricing is per item per day, targeting professional users and commercial operators.
- Full-Service Event Production: Complete event production including technical conception, setup, execution, and on-site technical support. Combines equipment rental with professional services, personnel, logistics, and project management for events of all sizes.
- Art Department Services: Creative event agency services including 3D visualizations, design, decoration, special constructions, exhibition construction, digital printing, stage design, and event architecture.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Dry Hire Equipment Rental (per item, per day) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Full-Service Event Production |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Nordlite product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nordlite provides full-service event technology and equipment rental for events, congresses, galas, and corporate functions. The core offering spans five technical disciplines (lighting, sound, video, LED, and stage technology) delivered either as Dry Hire (self-service equipment rental) or as Full-Service Event Production with personnel, setup, and on-site technical support. The Art Department sub-brand provides creative event design, set construction, decoration, and 3D visualization.
Product overview
Nordlite offers a comprehensive event technology portfolio built around a core equipment rental and full-service event technology business. The main offering comprises five interconnected technical disciplines: Lichttechnik (lighting), Tontechnik (audio), Videotechnik (video), LED-Technik (LED), and Bühnentechnik (stage/staging). These are supported by Dry Hire/Verleih (self-service equipment rental) and complemented by an Art Department sub-brand for creative design services including exhibition construction, set design, decoration, and custom builds. A proprietary Streaming-Studio Hamburg enables virtual and hybrid events. Customers can access equipment through the NORDLITE Dry Hire Portal, which includes a Merkliste (watchlist) feature for building rental requests. The company also provides free 3D visualization to help clients preview event setups. Key differentiators include an own fleet of 3,200 sqm warehouse, proprietary fleet of vehicles, and in-house specialists across all technical domains.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Art Department: Creative event design division offering set construction, exhibition building, stage design, 3D brand experiences, digital printing, event architecture, decoration concepts, illustration, and visualization services.
- NORDLITE Dry Hire
Products and services
- Veranstaltungstechnik (Event Technology) - Full-Service Event Production Full-service event technology production including technical conception, equipment, personnel setup, and on-site technical support for events, congresses, and galas. Combines lighting, sound, video, LED, and stage technology disciplines delivered as a complete managed solution for corporate and agency clients.
- Dry Hire / Verleih (Equipment Rental)
- Art Department (Creative Event Design) Creative event design and execution services including event architecture, set design, exhibition construction, stage design, decoration concepts, digital printing, illustration, visualization, custom constructions, and furniture rental. Operates as a sub-brand of Nordlite through a dedicated website at artdepartment.nordlite.de.
- Streaming Studio Hamburg (Hybrid Streaming Studio) Proprietary streaming studio facility located in Hagenbeck's Tierpark at the 'Alte Hagenbeck'sche Dressurhalle' in Hamburg, offering 600 sqm of space with three different-sized stages for web shows, concerts, conferences, congresses, and hybrid events combining in-person and online attendees.
- Virtual Events / Hybrid Concepts Hybrid event solutions combining in-person and online participation, live streaming capabilities, and interactive tools, powered by the proprietary streaming studio in Hagenbeck's Tierpark. Designed for corporate events, conferences, congresses, and product presentations needing to reach both physical and remote audiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free 3D visualization service helps customers see final result before execution
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Nordlite
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Nordlite technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Nordlite partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Nordlite competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gahrens + Battermann: German event technology and media systems provider offering equipment rental, video/lighting/audio, and live event production with multiple German offices. Closely comparable to Nordlite in service mix and target corporate customers, though somewhat larger and more diversified across media installation.
- POOLgroup: German full-service event production company providing lighting, sound, video, rigging, and event design with offices in Germany and international reach. Direct competitor to Nordlite in the corporate and trade-show segment.
- satis&fy (now part of PRG): German-headquartered event technology provider with deep equipment rental and full-service production capabilities across DACH. Closely comparable business model to Nordlite — Dry Hire, full-service production, and event design — but operating at multi-site national scale.
- Neumann&Müller (N&M): One of Germany's largest full-service event technology and production companies, offering lighting, sound, video, rigging, and event design from multiple German locations — directly comparable to Nordlite's full-service and Dry Hire model but at substantially greater national scale.
- Media Invest GmbH: German event technology and AV service provider offering equipment rental and event production for corporate clients. Comparable to Nordlite in size and service scope, focused on the German corporate events market.
Broad incumbents
- Production Resource Group (PRG): Global leader in event technology and production services, operating across lighting, video, audio, and rigging with extensive equipment inventory. PRG is a broad incumbent in the same space as Nordlite, offering overlapping capabilities as part of a global portfolio that dwarfs Nordlite's Hamburg-centric operation.
- Ambient Entertainment / NEP Group: Global broadcast and live event production services company with German operations offering lighting, audio, video, and stage technology for large-scale events. A broader incumbent relative to Nordlite, with infrastructure and scale well beyond a single Hamburg warehouse.
Regional players
- Habegger AG: Swiss-headquartered full-service event technology and infrastructure provider with German operations; comparable offering in lighting, sound, rigging, video, and stage construction. Operates in the same DACH market as Nordlite but with a primary Swiss/regional footprint rather than a Hamburg base.
- Winkler Veranstaltungstechnik: German event technology rental and full-service provider focused on Southern Germany, comparable offering in lighting, sound, and stage technology. Regional peer that overlaps with Nordlite's product mix but competes in a different German geography.
Emerging players
- Gravity Event Technologies: European event technology provider offering lighting, sound, video, and staging services with a growing footprint. Comparable service portfolio to Nordlite's, but generally smaller and with less inventory depth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nordlite social profiles
Digital presenceNordlite financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nordlite leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Nordlite subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Nordlite funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nordlite 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 Nordlite
What does Nordlite do?
Nordlite provides full-service event technology and equipment rental for events, congresses, galas, and corporate functions. The core offering spans five technical disciplines (lighting, sound, video, LED, and stage technology) delivered either as Dry Hire (self-service equipment rental) or as Full-Service Event Production with personnel, setup, and on-site technical support. The Art Department sub-brand provides creative event design, set construction, decoration, and 3D visualization.
Is Nordlite a public or private company?
Nordlite is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Nordlite founded?
Nordlite was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Nordlite based?
Nordlite is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Nordlite make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Dry Hire / Equipment Rental is the primary driver. The others are full-Service Event Production and art Department Services.
Who are Nordlite's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gahrens + Battermann, POOLgroup, satis&fy (now part of PRG), Neumann&Müller (N&M) and Media Invest GmbH. Broad incumbents are Production Resource Group (PRG) and Ambient Entertainment / NEP Group. Regional players are Habegger AG and Winkler Veranstaltungstechnik. Gravity Event Technologies is listed as an emerging player.
Does Nordlite have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nordlite.
What industry is Nordlite in?
Nordlite's product category is Event Technology Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACAOAO, Venue Decor Setup, On-Site Styling & Breakdown, with a secondary code of HSACAOAG, Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations. Its NAICS code is 541850 and its SIC code is 7350.