What Aktivoptik does

Aktivoptik (legal entity: aktivoptik Vertriebs GmbH) is a privately held German retail chain that sells prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids through more than 70 physical locations across Germany, supplemented by franchise-operated stores and a structured franchise onboarding program. Founded in 1989 by master optician Rolf Schneider in Gensingen near Bad Kreuznach, the company added hearing aids (Hörgeräte) to its offering in 2008 and now operates the hearing-aid category in more than 40 locations, providing tone and speech audiometry, in-situ measurements, and free hearing tests alongside fittings by certified specialists.

Its product portfolio combines world-brand eyewear (Rodenstock and Hoya lenses, designer frames from brands such as Ray-Ban, Bogner, Esprit, Joop, Marc O'Polo, and Kapten & Son) with its own PROEYES contact-lens and care-products brand, Ray-Ban Meta AI-powered smart glasses, myopia management services for children, and a parallel hearing-aid accessories line (PROEYES branded care products and VARTA batteries). Revenue mechanics are primarily transactional consumer retail — one-off sales of glasses and hearing aids plus recurring contact-lens replenishment and aftercare services — with bundled pricing constructs such as a multi-year "Rund-um-Sorglos Paket" service warranty and 0% interest financing from €99 over 6–24 months. Operations are supported by a proprietary Amparex appointment-scheduling platform deployed across stores, web/email and social-media marketing (Klaviyo, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and franchisee support covering store design, IT, marketing, HR, and acoustic consulting.

Aktivoptik sits within LoQu Optical Group GmbH, the holding company established in 2018–2020 when founder Rolf Schneider executed a succession transaction with European investment firm Argos Wityu; leadership now includes CEO Markus Rech, CFO Christoph Wein, Chairman Tammo Bruns, and managing director Ruth-Anna Weißmann. The company serves general consumers and families (its "Brillen für die Familie" positioning), fashion-conscious buyers, hearing-impaired customers, and contact-lens wearers, and has been recognised as a German Top-Arbeitgeber in 2012, 2017, and 2020.

Name

Aktivoptik

Legal name

aktivoptik Vertriebs GmbH

Website

https://aktivoptik.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Aktivoptik is a German retail chain operating more than 70 stores selling prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids under its own PROEYES brand and world-brand partners such as Rodenstock, Hoya, and Ray-Ban Meta, serving families, fashion-conscious buyers, hearing-impaired customers, and contact-lens wearers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical and Hearing Aid Retail

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (456130), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB), Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE), Kids & Teen Eyewear (CRAAAKAE)

Keywords

• Optical retail services
• Hearing aid fittings
• Prescription eyewear
• Contact lens products
• Sunglasses retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Kreuznach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Eyewear Retail: Sale of prescription glasses, sunglasses, and branded eyewear frames. Revenue from both own brands and designer brand glasses with lenses from Rodenstock and Hoya.
2. Contact Lenses: Sale of daily and monthly contact lenses along with care products under the PROEYES brand
3. Hearing Aids: Sale and fitting of hearing aids including behind-the-ear (HdO), in-ear (IdO), and RITE models with accessories and batteries
4. Professional Services: Eye tests, hearing tests, fitting services, adjustments, repairs, and consultations provided by certified specialists

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aktivoptik operates a chain of more than 70 retail stores across Germany selling prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses (including Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses), contact lenses under its own PROEYES brand, and hearing aids. Stores provide in-person professional services including free eye tests, free hearing tests, hearing aid fittings, adjustments, and style consultations delivered by certified opticians and audiologists.

Product overview

Aktivoptik operates as a retail chain offering eyeglasses, sunglasses (including smart glasses), and hearing aids across more than 70 locations in Germany. The core product portfolio spans prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses for men, women, and children; Ray-Ban Meta AI-powered smart glasses; contact lenses under the PROEYES own brand (daily and monthly options); and hearing aids (HdO, IdO, and RITE types) with Bluetooth connectivity. Supporting products include PROEYES contact lens care solutions, hearing aid batteries (VARTA) and rechargeable options, hearing aid care accessories (dry boxes, cleaning products), and custom hearing protection. Services include free eye and hearing tests, myopia management for children, and same-day hearing aid fitting. The company also operates a franchise program providing store design, IT systems (Amparex software), and acoustic consulting to partner retailers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PROEYES: Contact lenses and care products brand including Standard, Komfort, Premium, and Woman product lines, as well as lens care solutions like Clean, Clean+, Hard+, All-In-One+, Peroxid, and Saline.
• Myopie Management
• Ray-Ban Meta

Products and services

• Prescription Eyeglasses (Brillen) Prescription eyeglasses for adults and children, featuring branded frames and proprietary own-brand options, with type consultation, lens advisory, and coatings from manufacturers including Rodenstock and Hoya.
• Sunglasses (Sonnenbrillen) Prescription and non-prescription sunglasses including polarized, mirrored, and tinted options from brands such as Ray-Ban, Kapten & Son, Bogner, Esprit, Marc O'Polo, and other designer labels.
• Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses AI-powered smart sunglasses and eyeglasses combining Meta AI assistant, 12MP ultra-wide camera, open-ear audio, and smartphone connectivity for calls, messaging, real-time translation, and information retrieval.
• Contact Lenses (Kontaktlinsen) Daily and monthly contact lenses including spherical, torical (for astigmatism), and multifocal types, sold under the PROEYES own brand.
• Hearing Aids (Hörgeräte) Hearing systems including behind-the-ear (HdO), in-the-ear (IdO), and receiver-in-canal (RITE) models with Bluetooth connectivity for smartphone pairing and audio streaming.
• Hearing Tests (Hörtest) Free hearing analysis including tone tests, speech tests, free-field measurements, in-situ measurements, and percentile analysis, plus an online hearing test option.
• Myopia Management (Myopie Management)

Quantifiable outcome

• 66% price advantage in first year, 33% in second year for replacement glasses under Rund-um-Sorglos Paket
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• LoQu Optical Group GmbHcoreOthersParent company of aktivoptik Vertriebs GmbH. aktivoptik operates as a legally independent subsidiary within the LoQu Optical Group.
• RodenstockmajorTechnology or IntegrationWorld-leading lens manufacturer providing high-quality spectacle lenses. Rodenstock glasses are offered at attractive purchasing conditions through the aktivoptik franchise network.
• HoyamajorTechnology or IntegrationWorld-leading lens manufacturer providing high-quality spectacle lenses. Hoya glasses are offered as part of the glasses portfolio with competitive pricing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pro Optik: Regional optical retail chain in Germany offering prescription eyewear and contact lenses with multiple stores. Comparable smaller optical chain competing in the same value-oriented German eyewear segment Aktivoptik targets.
• Mister Spex: Berlin-based online-first optical retailer offering prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses with home try-on. Direct competitor targeting the same German eyewear customers via a primarily digital channel that pressures Aktivoptik's physical-store economics.
• Specsavers: International optical and audiology retailer operating a large German store footprint under a franchise/JV model. Closely comparable through mixed company-owned/franchise optical and hearing aid retail at significant scale.
• eyes + more: German optical retail chain with 40+ stores offering prescription eyewear and contact lenses with subscription-like pricing. Closely comparable mid-sized chain competing for the same mid-market German eyewear customer.
• GEERS Hörgeräte: Major German hearing aid specialist chain owned by Sonova, operating audiology-focused stores nationwide. Comparable as a competitor in the hearing aid fitting and aftercare category that Aktivoptik operates across 40+ locations.
• Apollo-Optik: One of the largest optical retail chains in Germany with hundreds of stores across the country. Direct competitor offering prescription eyewear, sunglasses, and contact lenses with similar omnichannel model and pricing tiering.
• KIND Hörgeräte: Germany's leading hearing aid specialist chain with hundreds of locations nationwide. Comparable as a direct competitor specifically within Aktivoptik's Hörgeräteakustik services across the 40+ acoustic-equipped stores.
• Fielmann AG: Germany's largest optical retail chain with a national store network selling prescription eyewear, sunglasses, and contact lenses. Highly comparable direct competitor with similar product mix, customer base, and store-based GTM, but at materially greater scale.

Emerging players

• Lensway: Nordic-origin online optical retailer operating in Germany, focused on prescription eyewear and contact lens online ordering. Comparable as a digital challenger targeting price-sensitive German eyewear consumers.

Broad incumbents

• Pearle: European optical retail brand owned by EssilorLuxottica operating across multiple European markets. Adjacent incumbent with overlapping optical retail offerings but a broader pan-European footprint rather than Aktivoptik's German focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aktivoptik

Compliance2 records

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 Aktivoptik