What Capital Magazin does

Capital Magazin is a German-language business and economics magazine published by Gruner + Jahr Deutschland GmbH, a Bertelsmann/RTL Group publishing house headquartered in Hamburg, with editorial operations run from Berlin by RTL News GmbH. Founded in 1972, Capital publishes a monthly print magazine covering economics, financial markets, real estate, corporate management, careers, politics, and lifestyle, and serves German-speaking decision-makers and individual investors primarily across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein).

The publication operates a multi-platform media portfolio built on a digital publishing stack that includes the capital.de website, the Capital Magazin App for iOS and Android, a device-independent ePaper, and email-delivered newsletters. Notable product components include the Capital+ premium digital subscription, the Capital PUR-Abo ad-free tier, the weekly Capital Depesche stock market newsletter, the interactive Immobilien-Kompass residential property map, a Wohnmarktanalyse property valuation tool, a 14-tool Finanzrechner suite, and a Robo Advisor Vergleich comparison tool. Distribution and subscription fulfillment are handled by DPV Deutscher Pressevertrieb (a Gruner + Jahr subsidiary), advertising sales are managed by Ad Alliance GmbH, and digital product operations sit with RTL interactive GmbH.

Capital generates revenue primarily through consumer subscriptions (print, print+digital, ePaper, Capital+, PUR-Abo, Capital Depesche) sold directly via shop.capital.de and a mobile-first self-serve funnel, supplemented by display and native advertising on capital.de and in print, plus single-issue sales. Pricing is tiered across annual, monthly, multi-year, trial (1€ for 4 weeks), and discounted student offers, and the magazine pursues a multi-channel acquisition strategy spanning content marketing, email, podcasts (with n-tv and RTL), organic social, events, and a reader referral program. Capital is privately held and does not publicly disclose revenue.

Name

Capital Magazin

Legal name

Gruner + Jahr Deutschland GmbH

Website

https://capital.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Capital Magazin is a German-language monthly business and finance magazine (founded 1972) owned by Gruner + Jahr / RTL Group, serving DACH investors and decision-makers via print, digital subscriptions, apps, newsletters, podcasts, and interactive financial tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business and Financial News Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

Keywords

• Business news magazine
• Financial journalism
• Investment analysis
• Economic reporting
• Stock market newsletter

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Monthly and annual subscription fees from print magazine, digital ePaper, and Capital+ premium digital subscriptions. Multiple tiers including trial, standard, student, and gift subscriptions.
2. Advertising Revenue: Display advertising on capital.de website and in print magazine, managed through Ad Alliance GmbH. Includes banner ads, sponsored content, and native advertising.
3. Single Copy Sales: One-time purchase revenue from individual magazine issues and special editions sold through the online shop and potentially newsstands
4. Premium Content (Capital+): Capital+ subscription providing exclusive access to premium articles, analysis, and the digital magazine edition with ad-free experience
5. Capital Depesche Börsenbrief: Weekly stock market newsletter subscription providing financial market analysis and investment recommendations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Capital Magazin is a German-language business and economics magazine published monthly in print and digital formats. The publication delivers in-depth journalism on economics, companies, financial markets, real estate, careers, and lifestyle, monetized primarily through subscription products (Capital+, Capital Depesche weekly stock market newsletter, ePaper, and print editions) and advertising. It targets German-speaking investors, executives, and business professionals seeking economic analysis, investment guidance, and practical financial tools.

Product overview

Capital Magazin operates a multi-platform media portfolio centered on its core CAPITAL business magazine, which is published in print (monthly) and digital formats. The primary digital subscription service is CAPITAL+, which provides ad-free access to all website content, the monthly digital magazine issue, and premium tools like the Immobilien-Kompass. Related products include CAPITAL DEPESCHE (weekly stock market newsletter) and CAPITAL ePaper (device-independent digital magazine). The ad-free subscription tier is CAPITAL PUR-Abo. Mobile access is via the CAPITAL Magazin-App for iOS and Android. The platform also offers a suite of financial calculators (Finanzrechner) including savings, loan, and investment tools, plus the interactive Immobilien-Kompass real estate mapping tool and Wohnmarktanalyse property valuation tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAPITAL Magazin (Print Subscription) Monthly German-language business and finance print magazine covering economics, companies, financial markets, real estate, careers, and lifestyle topics for German-speaking decision-makers.
• CAPITAL+ Digital Subscription Premium digital subscription providing access to all Capital.de content, the Immobilien-Kompass, monthly digital magazine issues, articles, videos, and podcasts, with weekly or annual billing and a 4-week trial offer.
• CAPITAL DEPESCHE Weekly Stock Market Newsletter Weekly German-language stock market newsletter providing analysis and critical assessments of current capital market events for investors, delivered as PDF via email on Fridays.
• CAPITAL ePaper Subscription Digital version of the monthly Capital magazine available as a device-independent PDF or via the Capital Magazin App, sold as an annual subscription.
• CAPITAL Magazin Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets providing access to digital Capital magazine issues and reader account features with offline reading capabilities.
• CAPITAL PUR Ad-Free Subscription Premium subscription tier offering website reading without banner and video advertising and without advertising tracking, providing faster page load times and no third-party data sharing for advertising purposes.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gruner + Jahr (G+J) Deutschland GmbHcoreOthersGruner + Jahr is the parent publishing house and owner of Capital magazine. Headquartered in Hamburg, it is Europe's largest premium magazine publisher with brands including GALA, BRIGITTE, STERN, GEO, and SCHÖNER WOHNEN. Capital is operated under this publishing group.
• DPV Deutscher Pressevertrieb GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDPV is a 100% subsidiary of Gruner + Jahr and serves as Germany's leading full-service distributor for magazines and digital products. Handles all subscription fulfillment and delivery services for Capital.
• Ad Alliance GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAd Alliance GmbH handles advertising sales and marketing for Capital.de website and Capital print magazine. Located at Picassoplatz 1, 50679 Köln.
• RTL News GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRTL News GmbH provides editorial services for Capital magazine from their Berlin office at Behrenstr. 19, 10117 Berlin.
• RTL interactive GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationRTL interactive GmbH manages digital products and technology for Capital including the Capital+ platform and website operations. Located at Picassoplatz 1, 50679 Köln.
• RTL News GmbH (n-tv)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCapital partners with n-tv for the 'Der Wirtschaftspodcast' (The Economy Podcast), combining Capital's editorial expertise with n-tv's broadcast reach.
• RTLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCapital partners with RTL for the 'Aktien fürs Leben' (Stocks for Life) wealth podcast, leveraging RTL's podcast platform distribution.
• Apple App StoreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution platform for Capital Magazin App on iOS devices.
• Google Play StoreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution platform for Capital Magazin App on Android devices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Handelsblatt: Germany's leading business daily, covering economics, finance, and companies for the same DACH professional audience. Directly competes with Capital for premium business-news subscribers and advertisers.
• Manager Magazin: Monthly German business magazine from Spiegel Group targeting executives and managers with deep company coverage, market analysis, and lifestyle content — directly overlapping Capital's editorial scope and subscriber base.
• Wirtschaftswoche: Weekly German business magazine from Handelsblatt Group covering economics, finance, careers, and management — competes directly with Capital's print+digital subscription model and DACH business reader audience.
• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ): Major German broadsheet with strong business and economics coverage, digital subscription model, and DACH reach. Competes with Capital on premium business-news subscription value proposition.
• Welt (WeltN24 / Axel Springer): Major German news brand with a strong business section (Wirtschaft) and Welt Premium digital subscription. Competes with Capital+ for paying German business-news subscribers.
• Forbes Germany: German-language edition of Forbes covering business, investing, entrepreneurship, and wealth. Targets the same affluent DACH reader base with similar magazine + digital subscription structure.

Emerging players

• Business Insider Germany: Digital-native business and finance publication (Insider Inc.) covering German markets, careers, and personal finance. Competes for digital audience attention and a slice of Capital+'s subscription value proposition.
• Finanztip: German non-profit consumer-finance advisory site covering banking, insurance, investing, and real estate. Competes with Capital's calculator and comparison tools for high-intent personal-finance search traffic.

Broad incumbents

• Stern: Sister brand under Gruner + Jahr, one of Germany's highest-circulation newsweeklies with strong economics coverage. Shares parent-company infrastructure (DPV, Ad Alliance) and competes for the same German news-adjacent reader attention.
• Der Spiegel: Germany's leading investigative news magazine with a substantial economics and business section (Spiegel Wirtschaft). Broader in scope than Capital but competes for the same paying business-news reader and ad budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/capitalmagazin
• Facebookfacebook.com/capital
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/capital-magazin
• Instagraminstagram.com/capitalmagazin/?hl=de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Capital Magazin