Credion
Credion AG is a BaFin-regulated Hamburg-based alternative financier founded in 2017 that provides bespoke growth, transformation, and restructuring debt capital (EUR 500k-7M per deal) to German Mittelstand companies, funding itself through closed-end credit funds backed by entrepreneurs, family offices, and institutional investors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Credion does
Credion AG is a Hamburg-based, privately held German alternative financier founded in 2017 by Henrik Felbier and Tobias M. Weitzel. It provides debt capital to small and medium-sized German enterprises (the Mittelstand) through two main product lines: growth financing (Wachstumsfinanzierung) covering inventory, trade goods purchasing, order-based serial production, and an Optionskredit; and transformation financing (Transformationsfinanzierung) covering succession planning, company acquisitions, and corporate restructuring, including insolvency-related situations. Individual loan tickets typically range from 500,000 EUR up to 7 million EUR with terms up to 36 months, and pricing is determined through bespoke underwriting rather than standardized tiers.
The company operates a BaFin-regulated capital management company, CREDION Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (CREDION KVG), which pools capital from entrepreneurs, top managers, family offices, and institutional investors into closed-end credit funds including the Connect fund (structured in IC, RC, and UC tranches) and the GIIF impact fund (operated in cooperation with DEG/DEG Impact for developing and emerging markets). Revenue is generated through fund management fees, interest margins on loans, and a 5% recurring referral commission paid to intermediary partners. Distribution combines a direct senior consultant sales channel with a referral network of corporate finance advisors and factoring firms, supported by content marketing, industry event participation, and active LinkedIn/Xing presence. By mid-2022 the company reported assets under management trending toward approximately 500 million EUR, overseen by a supervisory board including Klaus Dirk Auerbach (Chairman) and Dr. h.c. Jürgen Gerdes (Deputy Chairman), and operating with 11-50 employees across its Hamburg headquarters at Neuer Wall 2-6.
Credion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Credion
- Legal name
- CREDION AG
- Website
- https://credion-ag.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Credion AG is a BaFin-regulated Hamburg-based alternative financier founded in 2017 that provides bespoke growth, transformation, and restructuring debt capital (EUR 500k-7M per deal) to German Mittelstand companies, funding itself through closed-end credit funds backed by entrepreneurs, family offices, and institutional investors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Credion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty / Alternative Lending
- NAICS
- Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate Private Credit (CRE Debt) (FSANADAG)
Keywords
Where Credion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Credion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Interest income from loans: Revenue generated from interest margins on loans provided to Mittelstand companies. Loans typically range from 500,000 to 7 million EUR with terms up to 36 months.
- Fund management fees: BaFin-regulated Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft (KVG) managing credit funds for semi-professional and institutional investors. Generates fees from fund administration and portfolio management services.
- Success-based referral compensation: Partners receive 5% of ongoing interest margins for successfully referred clients, creating recurring revenue sharing arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Individual financing solutions tailored to client needs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Credion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CREDION AG is a BaFin-regulated capital management company (Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft) that provides alternative financing solutions to German Mittelstand (SME) companies. It pools capital from entrepreneurs, top managers, and family offices into credit funds and deploys it as growth financing, transformation financing (succession, acquisition, restructuring), and portfolio financing (Smart Debt) for SMEs and PE/Family Office portfolios, with loan sizes typically ranging from EUR 500,000 to EUR 7 million.
Product overview
Credion AG operates as a BaFin-regulated capital management company (Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft) offering a comprehensive suite of financing solutions under two main categories: Growth Financing (Wachstumsfinanzierung) and Transformation Financing (Transformationsfinanzierung). The Growth Financing portfolio includes flexible financing for merchandise purchasing, order-based serial production, and inventory management, supplemented by the Optionskredit for maximum flexibility. The Transformation Financing suite covers succession planning, acquisitions, and corporate restructuring. Additionally, Credion offers Portfolio Financing (Smart Debt) for Private Equity funds and Family Offices, and manages closed-end investment funds including Connect and GIIF (Globaler Innovativer Investitionsfonds). The company positions itself as an opportunity financier, providing credit solutions when traditional banks decline, with financing volumes typically ranging from 500,000 to 7 million euros.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Connect: Fund with IC (Institutionelle Anleger/Container), RC (Regulierte Container), and UC (Unregulierte Container) tranches for semi-professional and institutional investors
- GIIF - Globaler Innovativer Investitionsfonds
- CREDION KVG
Products and services
- Wachstumsfinanzierung (Growth Financing) Flexible financing solutions for German Mittelstand companies seeking to capitalize on growth opportunities, including financing for merchandise purchasing, order-based serial production, and inventory financing. Loan sizes typically EUR 500,000 to EUR 7 million.
- Transformationsfinanzierung (Transformation Financing) Financing solutions for business transformations including succession planning, company acquisitions, and corporate restructuring including insolvency situations, targeting German SMEs.
- Optionskredit (Options Credit)
Companies that use Credion
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Credion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Credion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- A.B.S. Global Factoring AGcoreFull-service factoring specialist based in Wiesbaden. CREDION and A.B.S. agreed to offer combined financing solutions for suitable cases. The partnership enables efficient addressing of financing needs by combining A.B.S.'s factoring services with CREDION's customized credit solutions. Particularly suitable for companies不愿 taking additional equity or seeking to finance large growth leaps.
- DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und EntwicklungsgesellschaftcoreCREDION works with DEG as fund manager to support companies worldwide with investments in developing and emerging countries. DEG Impact and CREDION held a two-day workshop in Hamburg to discuss joint impact investing activities. Focus on measurable impact of engagements in development and emerging markets.
- Wohllebens WaldakademieminorEnvironmental partnership supporting forest conservation. CREDION protects 1,000 square meters of 190-year-old beech forest in the Eifel region for 50 years. Project started November 11, 2022. Each CREDION employee also has additional forest area protected annually.
- Deutsche Firmenkredit Partner GmbHminorPartner testimonial provided: 'CREDION is a partner we and our customers can rely on 100%. Reliable, competent, fair and open.' - Benedikt Matzinger, Deutsche Firmenkredit Partner GmbH
- FinCompare GmbHminorPartner testimonial provided: 'CREDION is much more than a financier. Those looking for a partner for growth and value creation will find the right address at CREDION. A team that thinks very entrepreneurially, recognizes value enhancement potential and ensures this added value reaches the credit customer.' - Nicolay Ofner, FinCompare GmbH
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Credion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Creditshelf: Germany-focused online lender providing debt capital to Mittelstand SMEs. Directly comparable to CREDION in target segment (German SME) and product set (growth and bridge financing).
- Younited Credit: European consumer and SME credit platform with operations across multiple EU countries. Comparable in offering retail-style and SME credit products funded by institutional and retail investors.
- Lendico: German online lending platform originating SME and consumer loans. Comparable in serving German SME borrowers via a non-bank digital and partner-led distribution model.
- iwoca: UK-founded SME lender that has expanded into Germany, offering flexible working-capital and growth loans to small businesses. Comparable in target customer (European SMEs) and short-tenor, individual-underwriting debt product.
- VR Smart Finanz: DZ Bank subsidiary providing leasing, factoring, and credit financing to German SMEs. Comparable end market and product suite (SME growth, inventory, and equipment financing), with a much larger balance sheet and bank affiliation.
- TFG Capital Partners: Germany-based alternative financier focused on SME and mid-market borrowers. Comparable in customer segment (German Mittelstand) and in providing structured debt outside the traditional bank channel.
- Auxmoney: German credit marketplace historically focused on consumer and SME lending. Comparable as a non-bank credit provider in Germany using investor-funded capital rather than deposits.
Emerging players
- Companisto: Berlin-based digital investment and credit platform focused on German SMEs and startups. Comparable in serving German Mittelstand and growth-stage companies via non-bank capital, with a stronger equity-and-convertible tilt.
- Solaris SE: Berlin-based embedded finance and lending-as-a-service platform serving European SMEs and consumer credit use cases. Comparable as a Germany-headquartered, regulated non-bank credit provider serving European end customers through partner channels.
Broad incumbents
- Funding Circle: Global SME lending platform with a multi-country footprint, including the UK and Continental Europe. Comparable end market (SME financing) and asset class (private debt to small businesses), though at meaningfully larger scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Credion social profiles
Digital presenceCredion compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Credion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Credion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Credion subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Credion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Credion 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 Credion
What does Credion do?
CREDION AG is a BaFin-regulated capital management company (Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft) that provides alternative financing solutions to German Mittelstand (SME) companies. It pools capital from entrepreneurs, top managers, and family offices into credit funds and deploys it as growth financing, transformation financing (succession, acquisition, restructuring), and portfolio financing (Smart Debt) for SMEs and PE/Family Office portfolios, with loan sizes typically ranging from EUR 500,000 to EUR 7 million.
Is Credion a public or private company?
Credion is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Credion founded?
Credion was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Credion based?
Credion is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Credion make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Interest income from loans are the primary driver. The others are fund management fees and success-based referral compensation.
Who are Credion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Creditshelf, Younited Credit, Lendico, iwoca, VR Smart Finanz, TFG Capital Partners and Auxmoney. Emerging players are Companisto and Solaris SE. Funding Circle is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Credion have an API?
No public API is recorded for Credion.
What industry is Credion in?
Credion's product category is Specialty / Alternative Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANADAG, Real Estate Private Credit (CRE Debt). Its NAICS code is 5222 and its SIC code is 6159.