Holding Graz

What Holding Graz does

Holding Graz - Kommunale Dienstleistungen GmbH is the municipal services holding company of the City of Graz, Austria, founded in 1960 as Grazer Stadtwerke AG and rebranded to its present form in October 2010 after conversion from a stock corporation to a GmbH. The City of Graz holds 99.84% of shares (GBG holds 0.16%), making Holding Graz the second-largest municipal services provider in Austria and the principal delivery vehicle for urban infrastructure across roughly 291,000 residents and surrounding municipalities. The holding consolidates operating subsidiaries covering public transport (Graz Linien: 85 trams and 170+ buses), drinking water supply and wastewater (Graz Wasserwirtschaft, sourcing from the Hochschwab via ZWHS), waste management (Graz Abfall, Ressourcenpark, and the servus Abfall JV with Saubermacher), urban space management (Stadtraum), leisure (Freizeit Graz with 7+ baths, Schloßbergbahn funicular, Schöckl cable car), energy (Energie Graz: electricity, gas, district heating, plus the Murkraftwerk run-of-river plant), telecommunications (Citycom — second-largest municipal fiber optic network in Austria plus freeGRAZwifi), the Flughafen Graz airport, outdoor advertising (Ankündiger), funeral services (Bestattung Graz), and a municipal workshop (Kommunalwerkstätte).

The company operates a multi-channel digital infrastructure built around citizen-facing apps (GrazMobil for ticketing, Graz Abfall, Graz Wasser, Schau auf Graz for cleanliness reporting, tim for multimodal mobility) and an online drinking-water customer portal (trinkwasser.holding-graz.at) supporting annual meter reading, SEPA direct debit, and consumption statistics. Operational technology includes sensor-equipped Smart Underground Containers (Unterflurcontainer) that feed waste fill-level data for route optimization, the 'move2zero' bus fleet electrification program, the Energiewerk Graz decarbonization initiative, and the Murkraftwerk hydro plant supplying ~20,000 households with CO2-free electricity. Citywide infrastructure also includes more than 70 maintained playgrounds and 100+ public drinking fountains.

Holding Graz earns revenue across roughly ten streams: recurring subscription/usage fees for public transport (including KlimaTicket Steiermark), water supply and sewerage, and waste collection; transaction fees from leisure facilities and the airport; subscription broadband via Citycom; advertising revenue from Ankündiger; commissions on the GrazGutschein city gift voucher (valid 30 years, 1,000+ partner merchants); energy supply via Energie Graz; and commercial waste management via the servus Abfall JV. Distribution is delivered through physical service centers (Jakoministraße 1, Rondeau Jakominiplatz), self-service digital channels (online shop, apps, vending machines in all buses since July 2023), the central Ressourcenpark facility, and field operations. The company employs 1,001–5,000 people, has been recognized as ÖKOPROFIT-Premium Partner for sustainability, and is currently executing multi-year capex programs in fleet renewal, district heating expansion, and waste infrastructure modernization.

Name

Holding Graz

Legal name

Holding Graz - Kommunale Dienstleistungen GmbH

Website

https://holding-graz.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Holding Graz is the second-largest municipal services provider in Austria, wholly owned by the City of Graz, delivering integrated public transport, water, waste, energy, telecom, airport, advertising, and leisure services to Graz's 291,000 residents and surrounding municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Graz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Transport Revenue: Revenue from public transport tickets, passes, and KlimaTicket Steiermark subscriptions. Graz Linien operates 85 trams and 170+ buses generating farebox revenue through physical ticket counters, online shop, mobile app (GrazMobil), and ticket vending machines in buses.
2. Water Supply and Sewerage Fees: Annual drinking water supply and wastewater disposal fees charged to residents and businesses based on meter readings. Revenue managed through the Kund:innenportal with digital invoicing.
3. Waste Collection and Disposal: Fees for residual waste, recycling, bulky waste collection, and resource park disposal services. Charged per container size and collection frequency.
4. Leisure Facilities (Baths, Cable Cars, Funicular): Entry fees and season passes for public baths (Auster, Stukitzbad, Bad Straßgang, Margaretenbad, Augartenbad, Bad/Spa zur Sonne, Ragnitzbad), Schloßbergbahn, and Schöckl cable car. Revenue from online shop and on-site sales.
5. GrazGutschein Commission: Sale of GrazGutschein gift vouchers redeemable at over 1,000 partner businesses across Graz. Commission or margin earned on voucher sales. Vouchers valid for 30 years.
6. Telecommunications Infrastructure (Citycom): Citycom manages the second-largest municipal fiber optic network and operates free wifi network (freeGRAZwifi), generating revenue from broadband services.
7. Energy Supply (Energie Graz): Energy Graz (a subsidiary) supplies electricity, natural gas, district heating, and energy services. Note: GrazGutschein can be used to pay Energy Graz electricity bills.
8. Airport Graz: Flughafen Graz generates revenue from passenger fees, aircraft operations, retail concessions, and advertising at the airport.
9. servus Abfall Commercial Waste Services: Waste disposal services for commercial customers (approximately 3,000 business customers at launch), operated as a joint venture with Saubermacher (Holding Graz 51%, Saubermacher 49%).
10. Advertising (Ankünder): Der Ankünder, the largest outdoor advertising company in southern Austria, operates billboard and street furniture advertising across Graz and international markets (Croatia, Slovenia).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Holding Graz is the municipal services company of the City of Graz, providing public transport (85 trams and 170+ buses via Graz Linien), drinking water supply and wastewater management (Graz Wasser), waste collection and recycling (Graz Abfall, including the Ressourcenpark Graz), leisure facilities such as public baths, the Schöckl cable car and Schloßbergbahn funicular (Freizeit Graz), urban space management (Stadtraum), a municipal vehicle workshop (Kommunalwerkstätte), and the city-wide GrazGutschein gift voucher accepted at 1,000+ partner businesses.

Product overview

Holding Graz is a municipal services company operating as a multi-product platform offering urban infrastructure and public services. The core portfolio comprises Graz Linien (public transport with 85 trams and 170+ buses), Graz Abfall (waste management with the Ressourcenpark recycling center), Graz Wasser (drinking water supply and sewage), Freizeit Graz (recreation including pools, cable cars, and mountain railways), Stadtraum (urban space management), and Kommunalwerkstätte (municipal vehicle maintenance). Supporting digital services include the GrazMobil App for ticket sales, Graz Abfall App for waste schedules, Graz Wasser App for meter readings, and the Schau auf Graz citizen reporting app. The GrazGutschein gift voucher system links approximately 1,000 partner businesses, while the tim mobility service provides e-carsharing and e-taxi options. The company operates as a holding structure with multiple subsidiaries including Freizeit Graz, Energie Graz, Flughafen Graz, Citycom, and servus Abfall.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Graz Linien: Public transport division operating streetcars and buses in Graz
• Graz Wasserwirtschaft
• Graz Abfall
• Stadtraum
• GrazGutschein
• tim
• Freizeit Graz

Products and services

• Graz Linien Public Transport Scheduled tram and bus service across Graz with 85 trams and over 170 buses, supported by the GrazMobil mobile app, ticket vending machines on buses, online shop, and physical service centers. Serves residents and visitors of Graz and Styria.
• tim - Mobility of the Future Multimodal urban transportation service providing e-carsharing, e-taxi, and car rental at mobility hubs across Graz, including multimodal transportation options.
• flux Sammeltaxi On-demand shared taxi service for Graz and surrounding areas, providing flexible public transport connections for residents.
• Graz Wasser (Drinking Water Supply)

Quantifiable outcome

• Murkraftwerk supplies approximately 20,000 households with 100% CO2-free eco electricity.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SaubermachercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Joint venture 'servus Abfall' established in 2017, operated as a public-private partnership (PPP) in waste disposal. Holding Graz holds 51%, Saubermacher holds 49%. Servus Abfall is the regional near-disposal partner for organized waste management, serving both commercial and private customers. At launch, approximately 3,000 commercial customers were served.
• Gewista/JCDecauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDer Ankünder (the outdoor advertising subsidiary of Holding Graz) entered a mutual partnership with Gewista/JCDecaux in 2013, enabling international outdoor advertising operations in Croatia and Slovenia where Ankünder operates as market leader.
• STEWEAGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn 1999, a distribution partnership was established with STEWEAG for electricity sales under the brand 'select'. The partnership enabled retail electricity sales to Graz residents.
• City of GrazcoreOthersThe City of Graz is the 99.84% shareholder of Holding Graz. GBG (Gebäude und Baumanagement Graz GmbH) holds the remaining 0.16%. Holding Graz is the primary municipal services provider for the city.
• Energie GrazminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrazGutschein can be redeemed as payment toward Energy Graz electricity bills, creating a cross-promotional partnership between the gift voucher and energy supply businesses.
• e-mobility Graz GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2010 when Graz became an electromobility model region, e-mobility Graz GmbH conducts various e-mobility projects in support of Holding Graz's move2zero fleet decarbonization initiative.
• Gebäude und Baumanagement Graz GmbH (GBG)minorOthersGBG holds 0.16% of Holding Graz shares and manages the real estate portfolio and forests of the City of Graz.
• Moderne Urbane Mobilität MUM 2030+minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject company established in 2019 to advance urban mobility projects as part of the mobility offensive. Involved in planning the Innenstadtentlastung (city center relief) and Neutorlinie tramway.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/holdinggraz
• Facebookfacebook.com/grazholding
• LinkedInat.linkedin.com/company/holding-graz
• Instagraminstagram.com/holding_graz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries16 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 Holding Graz