What Nimax does

NIMAX GmbH is a privately held German e-commerce company founded in 2001 by brothers Ben and Dominik Schwarz, headquartered in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. The company specializes in direct-to-consumer online retail of optical products across niche hobby and professional markets, including astronomy, microscopy, sport optics, hunting, and nature observation. It operates four dedicated online shops — Astroshop.de, Optik-Pro.de, Globen-und-Karten.de, and Micro-pro.de — each available in up to nine languages, complemented by physical showrooms in Germany (Landsberg am Lech and Munich), Spain (Málaga), Belgium (Genk), and Italy (Palermo). The company reports approximately 70 employees, approximately 38 million EUR in revenue, and a customer base spanning 140 countries.

NIMAX's product platform combines proprietary private-label brands with exclusive European distribution rights for premium third-party brands. Private-label brands include Omegon (the flagship brand for telescopes, binoculars, microscopes and accessories, manufactured in China, Taiwan, Germany, Portugal, and the USA), Universe2go (an AR star-viewing device launched in 2015), and entry-level Zoomion and Seben brands distributed primarily through Amazon. The company holds exclusive European distribution rights for Meade (across 17 countries including Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Benelux, the Baltics, and several Southern and Eastern European markets) and Coronado solar telescopes, plus exclusive regional rights for Leofoto tripods in Germany and Austria and OKLOP transport bags in the EU. The portfolio has expanded through both organic growth and acquisitions, including Astromarket.org in Belgium (2018), P. Oberhammer GmbH in Germany (2022), and Micro-Pro GmbH (2024).

The business model is primarily transactional hardware sales through proprietary e-commerce storefronts, supplemented by specialized services such as observatory construction (a segment established in 2011) and dealer distribution partnerships. Customer segments span hobbyist amateurs (amateur astronomers, astrophotographers, hunters, birdwatchers, sailors, hikers), professional users (forestry offices, detective agencies, medical practices, laboratories), and educational institutions. NIMAX remains founder-owned under a stated long-term oriented corporate strategy, with only a single minority investor brought in during 2006 to convert the company from Schwarz Internet Solutions GbR to nimax GmbH, and no external private equity or venture capital involvement disclosed. International operations are run through wholly-owned subsidiaries in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland, and NIMAX Portugal includes a dedicated manufacturing facility.

Name

Nimax

Legal name

NIMAX GmbH

Website

https://nimax.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NIMAX is a German e-commerce company specializing in niche optical products including astronomy, microscopy, sport optics, and hunting/nature observation. It operates four multilingual online shops, showrooms in four European countries, and serves hobbyists and professionals across 140 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Optical Products E-commerce

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Binoculars, Scopes & Sport Optics Retail (CRACAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Viewing & Optics (Binoculars, Spotting Scopes) Retail (CRAMAAAK), Lenses & Optical Accessories (Lenses, Filters, Adapters, Teleconverters) (CRACAPAF)

Keywords

• Optical equipment retail
• Hobby astronomy e-commerce
• Sport optics shop
• Microscopy products
• Niche market retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Landsberg Am Lech

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Online Retail of Optical Products: Operating 4 online shops (Astroshop.de, Optik-Pro.de, Globen-und-Karten.de, Micro-pro.de) selling telescopes, binoculars, microscopes, globes, maps, and accessories. Revenue is generated through product sales with own brands and exclusive distribution brands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NIMAX operates 4 multi-language e-commerce shops targeting niche markets in optical products, including astronomy (Astroshop.de), sport and leisure optics (Optik-Pro.de), globes and maps (Globen-und-Karten.de), and microscopy (Micro-pro.de). The offering combines private-label brands such as Omegon and Universe2go (an AR star viewer) with exclusive European distribution rights for premium brands like Meade and Coronado. Physical showrooms in 4 European countries support online sales with high-touch consultation.

Product overview

NIMAX operates a multi-brand e-commerce platform specializing in niche markets for optical products. The company runs 4 online shops (Astroshop.de, Optik-Pro.de, Globen-und-Karten.de, and Micro-pro.de) serving passionate customers in astronomy, microscopy, sports optics, hunting, and nature observation. The portfolio is complemented by strong own brands (Omegon telescopes/optics/accessories, Universe2go AR star viewer, Zoomion and Seben budget optics) and exclusive distribution rights for premium brands (Meade and Coronado telescopes, Leofoto tripods, OKLOP bags). The shops operate in up to 9 languages and are supported by showrooms in 4 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Omegon: Strongest own brand of NIMAX, available in its own shop Omegon.eu. Product portfolio spans from telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes to a variety of accessories. Focus areas include amateur astronomy, nature and bird watching, hunting, sailing, golf, and other applications from beginner to professional level.
• Universe2go
• Zoomion
• Seben

Products and services

• Astroshop.de Leading European e-commerce platform for hobby astronomy, offering telescopes, accessories, astro binoculars, planetariums, books, software, and star charts for astronomy enthusiasts ranging from beginners to ambitious amateur astronomers.
• Optik-Pro.de One of Europe's largest online shops for sport and leisure optics, selling binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, night vision devices, rifle scopes, and rangefinders for hunters, sports shooters, bird and nature observers, sailors, hikers, and also serving professional users such as forestry offices, detective agencies, medical practices, and laboratories.
• Globen-und-Karten.de Online shop offering a wide selection of design globes and high-quality National Geographic world maps for curious-minded explorers, world travelers, geographic education, interior decoration, and travel planning.
• Micro-pro.de Specialized online shop for microscopy offering a large selection of high-quality microscopes and accessories, including eyepieces, objectives, and illuminations, for nature observation, biology, medicine, and quality control applications.
• Omegon (own brand) Strongest own brand of NIMAX, marketed via Omegon.eu, spanning telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, and accessories for amateur astronomy, nature and bird watching, hunting, sailing, golf, and other applications from beginner to professional level.
• Universe2go AR-powered star-viewing goggles that, when paired with a smartphone and the dedicated companion app, overlay constellation lines, celestial-object information, and photographic imagery onto the real night sky, turning the device into a pocket planetarium for amateur astronomers and educational use.
• Meade (exclusive distribution brand) Innovative astronomy and sports optics company known for Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes with ACF (Advanced Coma Free) technology, distributed exclusively by NIMAX across Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Croatia, Malta, Slovenia, Romania, Greece, and Portugal.
• Coronado (exclusive distribution brand) Solar observation telescopes founded by optics designer David Lunt, making solar observation affordable for hobby astronomers. NIMAX is the exclusive distributor.
• Leofoto (exclusive distribution brand) Carbon and aluminum tripods from Zhongshan Laitu Photographic Equipment Co. Ltd. in Guangdong, China. NIMAX is the exclusive distributor for Germany and Austria.
• OKLOP (exclusive distribution brand) Padded transport bags for telescopes, mounts, tripods, and microscopes manufactured by Stardast in Serbia, custom-made for selected optical instruments. NIMAX is the exclusive distributor in the European Union.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Meade InstrumentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019NIMAX is exclusive distributor of Meade Instruments products including Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes with ACF (Advanced Coma Free) technology. Distribution rights cover Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Croatia, Malta, Slovenia, Romania, Greece, and Portugal.
• CoronadocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNIMAX is exclusive distributor of Coronado solar observation telescopes, originally founded by David Lunt and now part of Meade Instruments. Coronado makes solar observation accessible for hobby astronomers.
• LeofotominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNIMAX is exclusive distributor for Germany and Austria for Leofoto carbon and aluminum tripods, manufactured by Zhongshan Laitu Photographic Equipment Co. Ltd. in Guangdong, China.
• OKLOPminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNIMAX is exclusive distributor in the European Union for OKLOP padded transport bags for telescopes, mounts, tripods and microscopes, manufactured by Stardast in Serbia.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OpticsPlanet: Large US online specialty retailer for binoculars, rifle scopes, microscopes, rangefinders and night vision. Closely comparable e-commerce model, product breadth, and sport-optics customer overlap with Optik-Pro.de.
• Celestron: Manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of telescopes, microscopes, and sport optics. Direct competitor in NIMAX's core astronomy, microscopy and sport-optics categories with overlapping product breadth and a similar dual brand-owner/distributor model.
• Orion Telescopes & Binoculars: US-based specialty retailer of telescopes, eyepieces and astronomy accessories, widely cited as a category-defining hobby-optics store. Acquired Meade Instruments in 2024, making Orion a direct competitor to Astroshop in the same product category and customer.
• Sky-Watcher: Global manufacturer and retailer of telescopes and astrophotography equipment. Comparable as a vertically integrated competitor with overlapping astronomy product lines sold through global distribution.
• Vixen Optics: Japanese manufacturer of telescopes, binoculars, and spotting scopes with global distribution. Directly comparable to NIMAX's Omegon private label as a specialty brand serving amateur astronomers and nature observers.

Broad incumbents

• Meade Instruments: Premium telescope and sport-optics brand (Schmidt-Cassegrain, ACF optics). NIMAX is its exclusive European distributor; Meade represents an adjacent strategic position that touches NIMAX's premium channels.
• B&H Photo Video: Massive US retailer of cameras, optics, and astronomy gear with a huge e-commerce storefront. Comparable as a multi-category e-commerce incumbent with overlapping sport-optics and telescope SKUs, though much broader in scope.
• Bushnell: Established US manufacturer and brand-owner of binoculars, rifle scopes, rangefinders, and night vision. Comparable product mix to Optik-Pro.de sport-optics SKUs; broader incumbent with overlapping end customers.
• Leica Camera: Premium optics brand spanning cameras, binoculars and spotting scopes. Comparable premium positioning across sport optics and astronomy-adjacent optics; serves the high-AOV customer NIMAX targets with Meade, Coronado, and Omegon Pro lines.
• Swarovski Optik: Premium Austrian manufacturer of binoculars, spotting scopes and rifle scopes. Adjacent specialty-optics incumbent with overlap on the high end of NIMAX's sport-optics customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nimax-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/nimax.gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Nimax