Maxenergy

What Maxenergy does

Maxenergy Austria Handels GmbH is a privately held Austrian energy retailer headquartered in Vienna that supplies residential customers with 100% green electricity and (optionally) natural gas on month-to-month terms with no contractual duration obligation. The product portfolio is sold under the MAX brand and includes MAX Basic, MAX Heroes (supports regional social organisations such as fire brigades, Caritas and the Austrian Red Cross), MAX Heimat (channels margin toward biodiversity projects and Austrian farmers via 'Meine Blumenwiese'), MAX Safety (24-month price guarantee), MAX Kombi (combined electricity + gas), MAX Klima (Vertis-certified CO2-neutral gas with monthly tree planting), and MAX Flow. Tariffs are distributed exclusively through digital, self-serve channels — a 24/7 website tariff calculator, a customer portal, and phone support — with the company acting as switching concierge (handling cancellation of the prior contract on the customer's behalf). Customer acquisition is supplemented by a 40 EUR referral program (Tellja) and PAYBACK Austria partnership; cross-sell extends to residential solar installations via Otovo and to a content hub, MAX Magazin.

The technology layer is a web-based energy retail platform whose distinguishing capability is an AI-assisted photo-based invoice scanner that accepts PDF/image bill uploads and auto-extracts customer number, consumption and meter-point data to generate personalised tariff comparisons and switching offers; switching typically completes in 2–3 weeks. Revenue is recurring subscription-based, derived from per-kWh working prices and a monthly base fee billed monthly with annual reconciliation; pricing is published transparently across multiple tiers (electricity working prices 14.28–19.08 ct/kWh gross; gas working prices 6.95–8.29 ct/kWh gross). The company lists over 120,000 customers (up from over 110,000 in 2024), operates with 11–50 employees, has no external funding, and claims over 15 years of operating history in Austria with mention of German supply activity. Customer concentration is diffuse across private households, with a smaller named segment serving Hausverwaltungen (property management firms) through a dedicated key-account function. Awards include ÖGVS 2024 first place for customer satisfaction (gas provider) and second place for customer service (Ökostromanbieter), Trustpilot 'Excellent' on 1,000+ reviews and 4+ stars on Google.

Name

Maxenergy

Legal name

MAXENERGY Austria Handels GmbH

Website

https://maxenergy.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maxenergy Austria Handels GmbH is a Vienna-based, privately held residential energy retailer supplying Austrian households with 100% green electricity and gas via no-contract, self-serve digital tariffs (MAX Basic, Heroes, Heimat, Safety, Kombi, Klima, Flow). It serves over 120,000 customers through an online tariff calculator with AI-powered invoice scanning, supported by PAYBACK and Otovo partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Energy Supply

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

akta.pro primary industry

Demand Response & Load Curtailment for Ancillary Services (Dispatchable Load) (EUAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Residential electricity supply
• Natural gas retail
• Green energy tariffs
• Energy provider switching
• Household energy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Osterreicher

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Electricity supply contracts: MAXENERGY generates revenue through recurring monthly electricity supply contracts with residential customers in Austria. Customers pay based on a variable working price (ct/kWh) plus a monthly base fee. The company offers multiple tariff tiers with varying price guarantee periods (12-24 months). Revenue is recurring as contracts auto-renew with 2-week cancellation notice, and customers stay due to no-contract-freedom positioning.
2. Gas supply contracts: Similar to electricity, MAXENERGY supplies natural gas to residential customers on a recurring monthly payment model. Gas tariffs include CO2 pricing pass-through and support biodiversity/nature conservation initiatives (MAX Heimat tariff). Revenue is consumption-based with a monthly base fee component.
3. Referral program fees: The Freunde werben Freunde (Friends referral) program pays 40 EUR per successful referral to existing customers who recommend new contracts. This acts as a customer acquisition channel with performance-based costs.
4. PAYBACK loyalty partnership: Partnership with PAYBACK loyalty program allows customers to earn up to 10,000 PAYBACK points as a bonus, potentially generating referral/acquisition value through the PAYBACK partnership network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Maxenergy (MAXENERGY Austria Handels GmbH) is an Austrian energy retailer that supplies 100% green electricity and natural gas to residential households under multiple branded tariffs (MAX Basic, MAX Heroes, MAX Heimat, MAX Safety, MAX Kombi, MAX Flow, MAX Klima, and the statutory Grundversorgungstarif). All tariffs are offered without contractual binding, with 12- or 24-month price guarantees, and the company handles the entire switch from the previous provider, including cancellation.

Product overview

Maxenergy is an Austrian electricity and gas retailer offering a portfolio of tariffs under the MAX brand — MAX Basic, MAX Heroes, MAX Heimat, MAX Safety, MAX Kombi, and MAX Flow — covering both electricity (100% green/sustainable) and gas (including CO2-neutral options). All tariffs carry no contract binding and are offered alongside digital self-service tools (customer portal, photo-based switching) and value-added services (referral program, Otovo solar partnership, PAYBACK loyalty). The products share a core positioning of affordable, flexible, sustainable energy with tiered social and environmental benefits — MAX Heroes supports regional social organizations, MAX Heimat funds biodiversity projects, and MAX Safety offers long-term price certainty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAX Heroes: Eco-electricity tariff supporting local organizations and everyday heroes such as fire departments, rescue services, and social initiatives.
• MAX Heimat
• MAX Safety
• MAX Basic
• MAX Kombi
• MAX Flow
• MAX Klima

Products and services

• MAX Basic Strom Standard 100% green electricity tariff with a 12-month energy price guarantee and no contractual binding, designed for Austrian residential customers seeking a basic energy supply.
• MAX Basic Gas Standard natural gas supply tariff with a 12-month price guarantee and a 30% switching bonus on working and base price for consumption up to 69,999 kWh, targeted at Austrian households.
• MAX Heroes Strom 100% green electricity tariff that automatically donates 1 EUR per full delivery month to a regional social organization (fire brigades, rescue services, Caritas, Red Cross, or other charity) selected by the customer.
• MAX Heimat Strom & Gas 100% green electricity and gas tariff that supports biodiversity projects in Austria, including wildflower meadow planting, species protection in the Leiser Mountains, and support for Austrian farmers, through a partnership with 'Meine Blumenwiese'.
• MAX Safety Strom 100% green electricity tariff with a 24-month price guarantee and no contractual binding, designed for customers prioritizing maximum price planning security regardless of market movements.
• MAX Safety Gas Natural gas tariff with a 24-month price guarantee, offering maximum price planning security for residential gas customers.
• MAX Kombi Combined electricity and gas supply tariff with a single enrollment and a reduced base fee of 8.40 EUR/month gross, available only to new customers ordering both electricity and gas.
• MAX Flow Strom Additional Maxenergy electricity tariff variant available alongside the other MAX electricity tariff options.
• MAX Klima Gas CO2-neutral certified natural gas tariff (Vertis-certified) that includes monthly tree planting in the customer's name, targeting environmentally conscious residential gas customers.
• Grundversorgungstarif Strom & Gas Statutory default-supply electricity and gas tariff offered as a fallback option for customers who have not actively chosen a market tariff, as required by Austrian energy law.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000+ customers trust MAXENERGY in Austria
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Meine BlumenwiesecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 'Meine Blumenwiese' (My Flower Meadow) for the MAX Heimat tariff. For each full supply month, MAXENERGY contributes to biodiversity projects including planting and maintaining wildflower meadows, supporting Austrian farmers, and funding species protection initiatives in the Leiser Mountains near Vienna. Jenny Kraus is the founder of Meine Blumenwiese. This partnership enables MAXENERGY to offer environmentally-conscious customers a tangible local conservation impact.
• OtovominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Otovo, Europe's leading solar energy provider, allows MAXENERGY to offer customers photovoltaic (solar panel) solutions. Otovo provides instant rooftop potential analysis, personalized quotes, installation services through certified installers, and administrative support. This partnership extends MAXENERGY's offering beyond pure energy supply into energy generation.
• TelljacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTellja operates the Freunde werben Freunde (refer-a-friend) program for MAXENERGY. Existing customers use Tellja's platform to send referral links; referred new customers have 30 days to complete purchase. Tellja tracks referrals, manages payout processing (40 EUR per successful referral), and provides a portal for referrers to monitor status. Processing time for payouts is 6-8 weeks after referred customer is supplied.
• PAYBACKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPAYBACK is Austria's largest loyalty program with millions of members. MAXENERGY's partnership offers customers up to 10,000 PAYBACK points as a bonus for signing up. This provides MAXENERGY access to PAYBACK's member base for customer acquisition while offering existing PAYBACK users an incentive to switch.
• Österreichischer Bundesfeuerwehrverband (Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association, active since 1889, is one of the MAX Heroes charity beneficiaries. MAX Heroes customers select which organization their monthly support (1€ per month) goes to. The Association coordinates fire brigades across Austria, supporting training, safety, and modern equipment.
• Caritas ÖsterreichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Österreich is a MAX Heroes beneficiary. The charity has the mandate to see need and provide immediate help, supporting people in difficult situations regardless of origin, religion, or gender. MAXENERGY donated 10,000 EUR to Caritas Wien's 'Ein Funken Wärme' (A Spark of Warmth) program combating energy poverty.
• Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz (Austrian Red Cross)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Austrian Red Cross, part of the global Red Cross movement, is a MAX Heroes beneficiary. It provides emergency services, blood donations, and disaster relief with over 90,000 paid and volunteer members supporting health, social, and humanitarian values.
• ClimatePartnercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimatePartner certifies MAXENERGY's website as climate neutral. The partnership involves offsetting CO2 emissions from website operations through a hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This certification supports MAXENERGY's sustainability positioning.
• VertiscoreTechnology or IntegrationVertis certified the MAX Klima Gas tariff as carbon neutral. This certification allows MAXENERGY to market its gas product as CO2-neutral and claim environmental credentials for the sustainability-conscious customer segment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Shell Energy Retail: Major oil major's residential electricity and gas retail arm in Germany/Austria, competing directly with MAXENERGY for digitally-savvy residential switchers. Comparable in digital-first sales and short-term promotional tariff structures, but with massive brand and capital backing.

Direct peers

• Lichtblick SE: Germany's largest independent green electricity and gas retailer, known for digital-first customer experience and 100% renewable supply. Closely comparable to MAXENERGY in green-only positioning and digital onboarding, though operating at a larger German scale.
• Oekostrom AG: Austrian green electricity retailer focused on 100% renewable supply to households and businesses. Closest pure-play green energy direct peer to MAXENERGY, with similar sustainability positioning and customer-segment focus on environmentally conscious Austrian consumers.

Broad incumbents

• Energie Steiermark: Styria's regional energy provider offering electricity, gas, and energy services to residential and B2B customers. Overlaps with MAXENERGY in residential Austrian energy retail with similar tariff structures, though larger in scale and geographically concentrated in Styria.
• Verbund AG: Austria's largest utility and a leading hydropower generator, supplying residential electricity and gas nationally. Comparable to MAXENERGY as a domestic Austrian energy retailer, but with a vastly larger scale, generation assets, and full retail product portfolio.
• Wien Energie: Vienna's municipal multi-utility providing electricity, gas, and heating to residential and business customers. Directly overlaps with MAXENERGY in Austrian residential gas/electricity supply, but at much larger scale with cross-product bundling.
• EVN AG: Lower-Austria-based energy utility supplying electricity, gas, and heat across Austria and CEE. Comparable as a multi-product Austrian retail energy provider, though significantly larger and more diversified.
• EnBW ODR / Vertrieb: German integrated utility with residential electricity and gas offerings including green tariffs. Comparable in residential energy retail with green product positioning, though at much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Vattenfall Wärme / Sales: European utility with German and Austrian residential electricity and gas supply, including green product lines. Comparable in green retail positioning and customer segments, though operating as a major multi-country incumbent.
• E.ON Energie Deutschland: One of Germany's largest retail energy suppliers, serving millions of residential customers with electricity and gas including green tariffs. Competitor of MAXENERGY in the broader DACH residential market with vastly larger scale and bundled offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/just.maxenergy
• Instagraminstagram.com/just_maxenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maxenergy-at

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Maxenergy