Athera

What Athera does

Athera is a German outpatient rehabilitation platform operating a network of 31+ brick-and-mortar physiotherapy, occupational therapy (Ergotherapie), and speech therapy (Logopädie) practices across Germany, headquartered in Essen and held under the legal entity PhysioCo Holding GmbH (HRB 34356, Amtsgericht Essen). Founded in 2020, the company employs 150+ state-recognized therapists across locations spanning Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bremen, Dortmund, Ulm, Würzburg, and other major German cities, delivering core Krankengymnastik alongside specialty modalities including Manual Therapy (MT), Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD), Device-Supported Physiotherapy (KGG), Bobath therapy for neurological patients, and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF). Differentiated supplements at select locations include Heilpraktiker services, pelvic floor therapy, fascia therapy, CMD treatment, Spiraldynamik, and a salt grotto.

The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary and clinically conventional: medical training equipment (Gerätetraining), electrotherapy, ultrasound therapy, and natural moor treatments are used in standardized treatment rooms across the network. There is no proprietary software product, no patient-facing mobile app, no SDK or API surface, and no digital distribution channel — patients access care exclusively by booking through phone, email, or per-location web contact forms, with physician referrals serving as a key demand source.

Revenue is generated primarily through reimbursement from German statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) and private insurance (private Krankenversicherung), supplemented by patient co-payments of 10% of treatment cost plus a €10 fee per prescription (with exemptions for under-18s and chronic patients who exceed the 2% gross income threshold). A secondary B2B stream — Betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung — sells corporate ergonomics consulting, prevention courses, back school programs, and on-site individual therapy to enterprise buyers, and a self-pay (Selbstzahler) channel serves patients without prescription. The stated volume is 1M+ treatments annually, with reported patient satisfaction of 4.7/5 across 1,249+ Google reviews; specific revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Athera

Legal name

PhysioCo Holding GmbH

Website

https://athera.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Physiotherapy Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Occupational Health & Employer Clinic Services (HLAEAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Related Therapy Services (Speech, Occupational, Physical, Feeding) (EDAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Physiotherapy services
• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Manual lymphatic drainage
• Corporate health management

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices32 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Physiotherapy Treatment Services: Revenue is generated from physiotherapy, ergotherapy, and logopädie treatments covered by public health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) with patient co-payments. Patients with private insurance (private Krankenversicherung) are also served with direct billing.
2. Corporate Health Services: B2B services offering ergonomics consulting, prevention courses, back school programs, and individual therapy programs for companies.
3. Private Pay Services: Self-paying patients who do not require insurance coverage or prefer direct payment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ATHERA is a network of 31+ physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy practices across Germany delivering evidence-based treatments including Krankengymnastik, Manual Therapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Gerätegestützte Krankengymnastik (KGG), Bobath Therapy, and PNF Therapy. Services are delivered by 150+ state-recognized therapists with treatment fees covered by statutory and private German health insurance supplemented by patient co-payments. The company also offers B2B corporate health management programs including ergonomics consulting, prevention courses, and back school programs for businesses.

Product overview

Athera is a unified healthcare platform operating a network of 31 physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy practices across Germany. The core offering consists of physiotherapy services (Krankengymnastik) complemented by specialized treatments including Manual Therapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Device-Supported Physiotherapy (KGG), Bobath Therapy, and PNF Therapy. The platform also offers occupational therapy (Ergotherapie) at select locations and speech therapy (Logopädie) at the Mühldorf FTZ location. Some locations provide specialized services such as Pelvic Floor Therapy, Alternative Medicine Practitioner services (Heilpraktiker), Fascia Therapy, and Temporomandibular Joint Treatment (CMD). Additionally, Athera offers corporate health management services (Betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung) targeting employers with ergonomics consulting and prevention programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Krankengymnastik (Physiotherapy/Exercise Therapy) Foundation physiotherapeutic treatment using active and passive exercises to improve mobility, strength, and coordination, addressing back pain, disc problems, neck/shoulder complaints, and knee/hip arthrosis for individual patients with statutory or private health insurance prescriptions.
• Manuelle Therapie (Manual Therapy) Targeted manual techniques for treating functional disorders of joints, muscles, and nerves to improve mobility for individual physiotherapy patients across the Athera network.
• Manuelle Lymphdrainage (Manual Lymphatic Drainage) Gentle rhythmic massage techniques for decongestion in cases of lymphedema, after operations, and for swelling, available at 30 locations for individual patients.
• Gerätegestützte Krankengymnastik (KGG) — Device-Supported Physiotherapy Targeted training on medical devices for strength, endurance, and coordination, ideal after surgery and for chronic conditions, offered at 23 Athera locations.
• Bobath-Therapie (Bobath Therapy) Neurophysiological concept for restoring normal movement patterns after stroke, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson's disease, available at 7 Athera locations for individual patients with neurological conditions.
• PNF-Therapie (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) Natural movement patterns and targeted stimuli to improve disturbed movement sequences in neurological and orthopedic conditions, available at 12 Athera locations.
• Ergotherapie (Occupational Therapy) Regaining daily competencies for motor, cognitive, and psychological limitations to achieve more independence in everyday life, available at 6 Athera locations for individual patients across age groups.
• Logopädie (Speech Therapy) Treatment of language, speech, voice, and swallowing disorders in children and adults, offered at the Athera Mühldorf FTZ comprehensive therapy center.
• Betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung (Corporate Health Management) Tailored health programs for companies including ergonomics consulting, prevention courses, back school, and individual therapy programs for employees, offered as a B2B service to German employers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.7 out of 5 stars average patient satisfaction rating
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ZAR Zentren für ambulante Rehabilitation: Germany's largest outpatient rehabilitation network with 50+ locations offering physiotherapy, ergotherapy, and speech therapy on a multi-site, insurance-reimbursed basis. Closest direct peer — same therapy mix, same payer model, and broader geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• MEDIAN Kliniken: Germany's largest private rehabilitation operator with a broad portfolio spanning inpatient rehab and outpatient therapy. Larger and more diversified than Athera but overlaps directly on outpatient PT/OT/speech service lines and insurance contracts.
• Sana Kliniken: Major German private hospital group that operates outpatient therapy and rehabilitation services alongside inpatient care. Broader scope than Athera but directly competes for the same therapist pool and corporate health contracts.
• Asklepios Kliniken: One of Germany's largest private hospital operators, with growing outpatient therapy and ambulatory rehabilitation offerings. Overlaps with Athera on PT/OT service delivery and German statutory/private insurance reimbursement dynamics.
• Helios Kliniken (Fresenius): Subsidiary of Fresenius and one of Europe's largest hospital operators; its Helios Ambulant division provides outpatient PT, OT, and rehabilitation services. Direct competitive overlap on outpatient therapy delivery in German urban markets.
• Schoen Klinik: German private hospital group specializing in orthopedic, neurological, and psychosomatic care, with adjacent outpatient therapy programs. Comparable on specialized therapy offerings (Bobath, PNF, manual therapy) and German insurance model.
• BG Kliniken (Berufsgenossenschaftliche Kliniken): German statutory accident insurance hospital network providing trauma and rehabilitation services including PT and OT. Comparable on therapy mix and German payer landscape, though concentrated on workplace injury cases.
• Kliniken Schmieder: Leading German neurological rehabilitation hospital group with strong outpatient therapy follow-on services. Direct overlap on neurological therapy (Bobath, PNF) that Athera emphasizes as a specialty.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/athera.gruppe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/athera-therapie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Athera