NicLen
NicLen is a Dortmund-headquartered dry hire rental company providing professional lighting, video, audio, and rigging equipment to event production companies and creative professionals across five European countries (Germany, UK, Netherlands, France, Switzerland) via wholly-owned subsidiaries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersDortmund, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NicLen does
NicLen GmbH is a Dortmund-headquartered dry hire (equipment-only rental) company serving professional event production customers across Europe. Founded in 1992, the company rents professional lighting, video, audio, and rigging equipment to event production companies, rental firms, lighting designers, and creative professionals on a short-term, project basis. It operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, and Switzerland, and is held under NicLen Holding GmbH. The management team consists of Managing Directors Jörg Stöppler and Jens Wetterkamp, with Felix Kording leading the account management function.
The company's core offering spans four equipment categories: professional lighting (moving lights, LED fixtures, creative lighting, and atmospheric effects from manufacturers including Robe, Astera, GLP, Clay Paky, Vari-Lite, Martin, Portman, Cameo, ROXX, and Magic FX); video (Absen LED displays, Analog Way processors, publitec workstations, and camera kits, supplied in part through the Publitec subsidiary); rigging (Chainmaster hoists, Pegasus rig tools, and StageSmarts power distribution); and the proprietary PRIME Logistics service that bundles tailored transport with equipment rental. The Creator's Corner program curates specialty creative lighting for designers. The fleet is actively refreshed with recent additions such as the GLP JDC Burst 1, Astera PixelBrick, ROXX NEO fx, and Robe iESPRITE LTL WB.
NicLen runs a sales-led B2B model in which professional customers contact dedicated account managers assigned by postal code region. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per project based on equipment selection, rental duration, and logistics requirements, with no publicly disclosed rate card. Marketing is conducted through the company website, news blog, email newsletter, active social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok), and the Creator's Corner community platform. The company received investment from Invision Private Equity AG in 2018 and describes itself as one of the largest dry hire operations in Europe.
NicLen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NicLen
- Legal name
- NicLen Gesellschaft für Elektronik, Handel und Vermietung mbH
- Website
- https://niclen.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NicLen is a Dortmund-headquartered dry hire rental company providing professional lighting, video, audio, and rigging equipment to event production companies and creative professionals across five European countries (Germany, UK, Netherlands, France, Switzerland) via wholly-owned subsidiaries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NicLen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Equipment Rental Services
- NAICS
- Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324), Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53249)
- SIC
- Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN)
Keywords
Where NicLen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dortmund
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
NicLen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Dry Hire Equipment Rental: Revenue generated through renting professional lighting, video, audio, and rigging equipment to event production companies and creative professionals on a short-term or project basis. Equipment is provided in carefully checked condition with tailored transport solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom quote-based rental pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
NicLen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NicLen provides professional dry hire (equipment rental) services for event production companies and creative professionals across Europe. The rental catalog spans professional lighting, video, audio, and rigging equipment sourced from leading manufacturers, with PRIME Logistics providing customized transport solutions tailored to each production. Equipment is delivered in carefully checked condition, and the company operates across five European countries via dedicated subsidiaries.
Product overview
NicLen is a professional dry hire (equipment rental) company providing comprehensive event technology solutions. The company offers four core product categories: (1) Professional lighting equipment including moving lights, LED fixtures, and creative lighting from manufacturers like Robe, Astera, GLP, Clay Paky, Vari-Lite, Martin, Portman, Cameo, ROXX, and Magic FX; (2) Video equipment featuring Absen LED displays, Analog Way processors, publitec workstations, and camera kits; (3) Rigging equipment including Chainmaster chain hoists, Pegasus rig tools, and StageSmarts power distribution; and (4) Logistics services under PRIME logistics brand. The Creator's Corner portfolio showcases specialty creative lighting products for innovative productions. NicLen operates internationally with locations in Germany (headquarters in Dortmund), UK, Netherlands, France, and Switzerland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PRIME Logistics Customized transport solutions bundled with equipment rental, providing tailored logistics services for event productions across European locations.
- Professional Lighting Equipment Rental Rental of professional lighting equipment — moving heads, LED fixtures, battery-powered creative lights, lasers, and confetti/effect launchers — sourced from leading manufacturers. Available across NicLen's five European locations for event productions.
- Professional Video Equipment Rental Rental of professional video equipment including Absen LED video wall panels (Aries AX1.5 Pro, Polaris PL2.5/2.9/4.8 series, JP8 Pro), Analog Way Aquilon video processors, publitec playback and control workstations, and camera kits for event capture and streaming.
- Professional Rigging Equipment Rental Rental of professional rigging and power equipment including Chainmaster D8+ chain hoists and motors (standard and Ultra variants, 160kg to 2000kg capacities), Pegasus rig tools and frames for equipment mounting, and StageSmarts professional power distribution units for stage and event electrical systems.
- ROXX NEO fx Creative RGBL-Washlight with 24x 40W RGBL-LEDs featuring 188° motorised TILT, dual independent zoom stages (4.5°-70°), magnetic Smart Glass Filter for creative effects, IP65 outdoor rating, and multiple control options (DMX, RDM, Art-Net, sACN). Available for rental from NicLen.
- Astera PixelBrick Battery-powered creative LED light in cube form factor (approx. 10cm edge length, 1.1kg) with RGBMintAmber color palette, up to 20 hours battery life, and multiple wireless control options including AsteraApp. Available for rental from NicLen's Creator's Corner.
- Robe iESPRITE LTL WB High-power outdoor moving light with 750W white light LED (6,700 K), 57,000 lm output, 3°-57° zoom range, IP65 rating. Features patented technologies including MAPS for silent resets and ChromaTint for green adjustment. Available for rental from NicLen.
- GLP JDC Burst 1 Hybrid moving head fixture featuring integrated LED technology, designed for events and productions. Available for rental from NicLen.
Companies that use NicLen
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
NicLen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature2 records
NicLen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NicLen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NEP Group: Global outsourced technical production partner for broadcast and live events, offering video, audio, lighting, and rigging as part of a broader integrated services portfolio. Comparable to NicLen in equipment rental for live productions but operates as a broader incumbent across broadcast and sports.
Direct peers
- Neumann&Müller (now part of PRG): German event technology rental company (now integrated into PRG) that historically provided lighting, audio, and video rental for corporate and live events in Germany and Europe. Highly comparable to NicLen in product categories and B2B customer base prior to the PRG integration.
- Production Resource Group (PRG): The world's largest event-technology rental company, providing lighting, video, audio, and rigging for live productions globally. Directly comparable to NicLen in core product categories, customer segments (event production companies, lighting designers), and dry-hire business model.
- Lang AG: German specialist in LED video wall rental and event technology with strong European footprint. Directly comparable to NicLen in the video equipment sub-segment, and increasingly overlapping in full event technology dry hire for professional productions.
- Christie Lites: Global lighting equipment rental company serving concert, touring, and event production markets across North America, Europe, and beyond. Directly comparable to NicLen as a professional lighting-focused dry-hire specialist with multi-region operations.
- Habegger: Swiss-based event technology rental company offering lighting, video, audio, and rigging for events across Europe. Directly comparable to NicLen as a European dry-hire specialist serving professional event production customers with multi-country reach.
- AED Group: European AV equipment rental and distribution company headquartered in Belgium, serving event professionals with lighting, sound, and video gear. Directly comparable to NicLen in dry-hire model and B2B event-production customer base, with broader pan-European footprint.
- Solotech: Canadian-headquartered event technology and AV services provider with European operations, offering lighting, video, and audio rental for live productions. Comparable to NicLen in dry-hire equipment rental model and touring-production customer segment.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NicLen social profiles
Digital presenceNicLen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NicLen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
NicLen subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
NicLen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NicLen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NicLen
What does NicLen do?
NicLen provides professional dry hire (equipment rental) services for event production companies and creative professionals across Europe. The rental catalog spans professional lighting, video, audio, and rigging equipment sourced from leading manufacturers, with PRIME Logistics providing customized transport solutions tailored to each production. Equipment is delivered in carefully checked condition, and the company operates across five European countries via dedicated subsidiaries.
Is NicLen a public or private company?
NicLen is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was NicLen founded?
NicLen was founded in 1992. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NicLen based?
NicLen is headquartered in Dortmund, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does NicLen make money?
One revenue line is on record: dry Hire Equipment Rental.
Who are NicLen's main competitors?
NEP Group is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Neumann&Müller (now part of PRG), Production Resource Group (PRG), Lang AG, Christie Lites, Habegger, AED Group and Solotech.
Does NicLen have an API?
No public API is recorded for NicLen.
What industry is NicLen in?
NicLen's product category is Event Equipment Rental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAFAB, Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental, with a secondary code of IMAHAJAN, Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing. Its NAICS code is 5324 and its SIC code is 7359.