What Altenburg does

Altenburg Unternehmensberatung GmbH is a Düsseldorf-based, family-owned management consultancy founded in 1994 that delivers specialized advisory services to operators of catering operations, hotels and hospitality venues, public and private bathing facilities, and sports/leisure infrastructure in Germany and Europe. The firm has completed over 1,800 consulting projects since inception, running roughly 30–40 engagements per year in the bathing-facility segment alone, with named reference customers including adidas, Lufthansa, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Accor Hotels, Maritim Hotels, Center Parcs, Tropical Islands, Legoland Deutschland, Berliner Bäderbetriebe, Bäder Stuttgart, Stadt Köln and AOK. Its service offering comprises feasibility studies, tendering support, project management and supervision, mystery checks, operator searches, executive search, and kitchen/gastronomy planning.

The practice operates as a single integrated consultancy rather than a modular platform, with all work delivered by permanently employed staff led by members of the management team. Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) management consulting billed on a day-rate (Tagewerke) basis with project-scoped proposals, (2) executive placement services that draw on an in-house database of more than 1,500 industry-experienced executives and follow market-standard compensation models, and (3) published industry reports (AltenburgReport Betriebsgastronomie at €95, Altenburg BäderReport 2024 at €185, AltenburgReport Dotierung und Qualifikation at €95) sold direct-to-customer via the company website. Industry reports also function as a marketing asset, reinforcing the firm's positioning as an authority in its four defined verticals.

Leadership is structured around a cross-generational family team. Founder Dietmar Altenburg remains active as Managing Director with over 35 years of consulting experience; Marco Steinert-Lieschied has served as Managing Director since 1997; David Joel Altenburg (ex-Boston Consulting Group, WHU) joined as Managing Director in 2022; and Maxine Julie Altenburg (ex-McKinsey, WHU and HEC Paris) joined as senior consultant in 2024. The firm has no external investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed technology or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Altenburg

Legal name

Altenburg Unternehmensberatung GmbH

Website

https://altenburg-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Altenburg is a Düsseldorf-based, family-owned management consultancy founded in 1994 that provides specialized advisory, executive search, and published industry reports for catering, hospitality, bathing facilities, and sports and leisure operators in Germany and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Management Consulting: The majority of consulting services are billed on a time-and-materials basis, specifically by day rates (Tagewerke). Based on their extensive project experience, they provide a concrete project scope in proposals, offering clients a reliable cost calculation basis.
2. Executive Search / Leadership Placement: Executive placement services for leadership positions within their consulting segments. Compensation follows market-standard models, distinct from the time-based consulting fee structure.
3. Planning Services: Planning services (e.g., kitchen and guest area planning for bathing facility gastronomy) follow market-standard compensation models, separate from the day-rate consulting model.
4. Industry Reports (AltenburgReports): Published industry reports sold directly to customers at fixed per-copy prices. Includes the Betriebsgastronomie report (€95), the BäderReport 2024 (€185), and the Remuneration & Qualification report (€95), all including VAT plus shipping costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Altenburg is a family-owned management consulting firm that provides specialized consulting services to enterprises, municipalities, and social institutions across four verticals: Gastronomy & Catering, Hospitality, Bathing Facilities, and Sports & Leisure. Its services include feasibility studies, tendering support, project management, mystery checks, and executive search, alongside published industry benchmark reports such as the Altenburg BäderReport 2024 and the AltenburgReport Betriebsgastronomie.

Product overview

Altenburg Unternehmensberatung GmbH is a specialized management consulting firm offering industry-specific consulting services across four main sectors: Gastronomie & Catering (foodservice & catering), Hospitality, Bäderbetriebe (bathing facilities), and Sport & Freizeit (sports & leisure). The company operates as a single integrated consulting practice rather than a platform with modules. Its primary products include three published industry reports—the AltenburgReport Betriebsgastronomie, Altenburg BäderReport 2024, and AltenburgReport Dotierung und Qualifikation in der Bäderbranche—alongside consulting services such as executive search, feasibility studies, mystery checks, tendering support, and project management. The company has completed over 1,800 consulting projects since its founding in 1994 and maintains an in-house database of more than 1,500 industry-experienced executives for placement services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Altenburg BäderReport 2024 Comprehensive industry report for the aquatics sector covering bathing facilities and sauna operations in Germany, providing statistical benchmark data from 1,000 bathing facilities and 400 sauna facilities. Sold as a one-time perpetual license at €185 per copy including VAT plus shipping.
• AltenburgReport Betriebsgastronomie Industry report for corporate catering, targeting executives such as board members, managing directors, HR, or facility management, covering management models, tendering, and industry benchmarks. Sold as a one-time perpetual license at €95 per copy including VAT plus shipping.
• AltenburgReport Dotierung und Qualifikation in der Bäderbranche Reference work on career paths and earning potential for executives in the aquatic facilities sector, covering remuneration levels differentiated by qualification and collective bargaining agreements. Sold as a one-time perpetual license at €95 per copy including VAT plus shipping.
• Management Consulting Services Specialized management consulting for Gastronomy & Catering, Hospitality, Bathing Facilities, and Sports & Leisure sectors, including feasibility studies, project support, tendering processes, mystery checks, and operator searches. Billed on a time-and-materials basis by day rates (Tagewerke), with concrete project scope provided in proposals.
• Executive Search / Führungskräftevermittlung Executive placement service placing leaders exclusively in industries where the company provides consulting services, maintaining an in-house database of over 1,500 industry-experienced executives. Compensation follows market-standard models distinct from the day-rate consulting fee structure.
• Feasibility Studies (Machbarkeitsstudien) Feasibility studies for conversions, renovations, and new construction projects including site analysis, needs assessment, competitive analysis, concept development, and profitability calculations, delivered as a standalone consulting engagement.
• Tendering Support (Ausschreibungen) Support services for tendering processes including clarification of framework data, preparation of tender documents, evaluation of incoming offers, and contract management during the contract period, delivered as a standalone consulting engagement.
• Project Support (Projektbegleitung) Comprehensive project support from personnel planning to marketing, including organizational support, marketing management, project management, and procurement support, delivered as a standalone consulting engagement.
• Mystery Checks Anonymous, unannounced quality standards verification service to control service and product quality as well as safety in day-to-day operations, delivered as a standalone consulting engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,800 successful consulting projects completed since 1994 across Germany and Europe
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers33 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MRP Hotels: Hotel-focused advisory firm offering feasibility studies, operator search, and asset management consulting for European hospitality — comparable scope and buyer profile.
• Treugast Solutions: German-based hospitality consulting firm specializing in hotel and gastronomy advisory, feasibility studies, and operator search — directly overlapping Altenburg's hospitality and catering verticals with a similar boutique delivery model.
• PKF hotelexperts: International hospitality consultancy offering hotel consulting, feasibility studies, and operator search across Europe — competing for the same hotel and resort advisory engagements Altenburg serves.
• Kohl & Partner: Austrian hospitality and tourism consultancy providing strategy, feasibility, and operator search services to hotels and leisure facilities — directly comparable in service mix and DACH regional focus.
• HOTOUR Hotel Consulting: German hotel consultancy specialized in operator search, feasibility, and market studies for the hospitality sector — competing head-to-head in Altenburg's hotelier vertical.

Broad incumbents

• Roland Berger: Large global strategy consultancy with strong German roots and practices in hospitality, travel, and leisure — competes for the enterprise end of Altenburg's market but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Simon-Kucher & Partners: Global consulting firm with deep German presence covering pricing, strategy, and growth advisory for hospitality and consumer clients — a broader incumbent in adjacent advisory categories.
• Horváth & Partners: German management consultancy focused on performance and transformation advisory — comparable boutique-to-mid-tier positioning with overlap in operational consulting for industrial and service clients.

Emerging players

• h&z Strategy Consulting: Munich-based management consultancy with practice areas touching procurement and operations in service industries — adjacent competitor for operational improvement engagements in Altenburg's verticals.
• Mews Systems: Hospitality technology platform providing hotel management software and data — not a direct consulting peer, but a digital-native entrant reshaping how hospitality operators access benchmarking and operational analytics, potentially disrupting traditional advisory.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altenburg-unternehmensberatung-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Altenburg