What Anton Gerl does

Anton Gerl GmbH (operating as GERL.) is a third-generation family-owned dental depot headquartered in Cologne, Germany, founded in 1911. The company supplies dental practices (Zahnarztpraxen) and dental laboratories (Dentallabore) across Germany and Austria with a catalog of more than 100,000 products spanning treatment units, X-ray equipment, 3D printers, intraoral scanners, handpieces, prophylaxis devices, instruments, and consumables. Distribution combines a B2B e-commerce storefront (de.shop.gerl-dental.com), 24 physical branch locations, and a national field sales force. A growing share of the portfolio is sold under GERL.'s own brand — including the GERL.G1 treatment unit, the GERL.ioSCAN intraoral scanner line, and the GERL.RED handpiece — manufactured by third parties (Ultradent, Shining 3D, W&H) and distributed under private label.

Revenue is generated through unit sales of equipment and consumables, technical service contracts (Technik), continuing education and seminars (Akademie), business consulting for practice founding and succession (Consult), architecture and interior planning for practices (Bauart), an in-house IT system house (Digital), CAD/CAM and 3D-printing solutions (Hightech), and an in-house marketing agency. Pricing is net of VAT with a €75 minimum order value and prepayment required above €5,000 net. Customer engagement is supported by the Mein GERL customer portal (meingerl.de), which provides document, order, device, and ticket management, alongside two newer adjacent platforms: team.dental (industry job exchange) and immo.dental (real estate exchange).

The company is privately held under owner Prof. Dr. Richter, holds ISO 13485:2021 (medical devices) and ISO 14001:2015 (environmental) certifications at its Cologne headquarters, and has approximately 900 employees across Germany and Austria. Recent strategic emphasis has been on expanding the proprietary product portfolio, extending operations into Austria, and broadening the ecosystem of services and platforms that bind customers across the full lifecycle of a dental practice.

Name

Anton Gerl

Legal name

Anton Gerl GmbH

Website

https://gerl-dental.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Anton Gerl (GERL.) is a Cologne-based, third-generation family-owned dental depot founded in 1911, supplying dental practices and laboratories across Germany and Austria with 100,000+ products, proprietary CAD/CAM hardware, and bundled services spanning training, IT, consulting, and architecture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (339114), Dental Laboratories (339116), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Dental Equipment & Supplies (3843)

akta.pro primary industry

CAD/CAM Digital Design & Milling Centers (HLABAJAE)

Keywords

• Dental equipment distribution
• Dental depot services
• CAD/CAM dental solutions
• Dental practice consulting
• Dental continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dental Equipment and Supplies Sales: GERL generates revenue primarily through the sale of dental equipment, instruments, consumables, and supplies. They offer over 100,000 products across categories including treatment units, X-ray equipment, 3D printers, hand pieces, and prophylaxis materials. Products are sold through both online shop and field sales.
2. Service and Technical Support: Technical service and maintenance support for dental equipment, including installation, repair, and technical support services provided by their Technik department.
3. Education and Training Services: The Akademie department provides seminars, workshops, webinars, and training courses for dental professionals. Also offers educational travel programs combining continuing education with cultural experiences.
4. Consulting Services: Consult department provides business consulting for dental practice establishment, succession planning, and practice transfers (Gründung & Abgabe).
5. Architecture and Design Services: Bauart department provides architectural planning and design services for dental practices and laboratories.
6. IT and Digital Services: Digital department operates as an IT system house providing technology solutions, website hosting, and digital marketing services for dental practices.
7. Marketing Agency Services: In-house marketing agency providing branding, corporate design, website creation, print materials, and dental marketing services to dental practices and labs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GERL. (Anton Gerl GmbH) is a dental depot distributing over 100,000 dental products — including treatment units, X-ray equipment, 3D printers, handpieces, and consumables — through an e-commerce platform, field sales force, and 24 nationwide branch locations. In addition to product distribution, the company delivers a layered set of in-house services: CAD/CAM solutions (Hightech), IT system-house services (Digital), continuing education and training (Akademie), architectural planning (Bauart), business consulting (Consult), technical service (Technik), and in-house marketing services, plus proprietary own-brand products such as the GERL.ioSCAN scanner line.

Product overview

GERL. is a dental depot and distributor operating a platform-plus-services model with over 100,000 products. The core portfolio includes own-brand products (GERL.G1 treatment units, GERL.ioSCAN scanners, GERL.RED handpieces) alongside distributed dental equipment from manufacturers like Woodpecker (ABC MACHINE, PROPHYcool, Prophy+), Dentsply Sirona, KaVo, Dürr Dental, SprintRay, Medit, and W&H. Services include CAD/CAM solutions (Hightech), IT services (Digital), training (Akademie), architecture (Bauart), business consulting (Consult), and technical service (Technik). The Mein GERL. customer portal provides document management, order tracking, device info, and ticket support. Additional platforms include easyScan (scanning), team.dental (job exchange), and immo.dental (real estate exchange).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GERL.G1 Treatment Unit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 110 years of continuous operation since 1911
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Wilderness InternationalminorOthersEnvironmental partnership for CO2 compensation. GERL maintains CO2-neutral operations through this partnership, offsetting environmental impact.
• HansefitminorOthersCorporate fitness partner offering employee health and fitness benefits through the Hansefit network of fitness studios.
• Urban Sports ClubminorOthersCorporate fitness partner providing employees access to Urban Sports Club's network of sports facilities and classes.
• WellpassminorOthersCorporate fitness partner offering employee wellness benefits through Wellpass network of fitness providers.
• JobradminorOthersBike leasing partner enabling employees to lease bicycles and e-bikes through salary sacrifice arrangements for sustainable commuting.
• FOM Hochschule (Fachhochschule FOM für Ökonomie & Management)minorOthersEducational partnership supporting employees pursuing part-time bachelor's and master's degrees. GERL sponsors tuition costs for relevant study programs.
• Allianz VersicherungminorOthersGroup insurance contract partner for company pension scheme (betriebliche Altersvorsorge). Provides discounted group rates for employee retirement planning.
• WürthminorOthersIT leasing partner providing employees access to modern computer hardware through flexible leasing arrangements for private use.
• Corporate BenefitsminorOthersEmployee discount platform providing access to offers, discounts, and voucher codes from over 800 partner companies across various life categories.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pluradent: Pluradent is one of Germany's largest dental depots, distributing equipment, consumables, and CAD/CAM solutions to practices and laboratories across Germany. It directly competes with GERL in the same B2B dental supply category, with overlapping service offerings (training, technical service, consulting).
• van der Ven: Van der Ven is a German dental depot with a long history of distributing dental equipment and supplies to practices and labs. It competes directly with GERL in the German dental supply market with a comparable product catalog and service model.
• NWD (Nordwest Dental): NWD is a leading German dental depot cooperative serving practices and laboratories nationwide, with a comparable product catalog, field sales force, and full-service model. It is one of GERL's closest German competitors in B2B dental distribution.
• Basiq Dental: Basiq Dental is a German dental depot serving practices and laboratories with equipment, consumables, and digital solutions. It operates in the same B2B distribution space as GERL with overlapping product categories and customer segments in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Henry Schein: Henry Schein is the world's largest dental distributor with global operations, broad equipment and consumable catalogs, and growing practice-management software and services. It competes with GERL in Germany/DACH and dwarfs regional depots in scale and digital infrastructure.
• Patterson Companies: Patterson is a major US-headquartered dental and animal health distributor offering equipment, supplies, and practice services. While primarily North American, its scale, broad portfolio, and software offerings make it a strategic reference point for GERL's competitive positioning.
• Dentsply Sirona: Dentsply Sirona is the world's largest dental equipment and consumables manufacturer, with whom GERL partners in distribution. While primarily a manufacturer, its direct-to-practice sales motion and digital workflow solutions overlap with portions of GERL's offering.
• Envista (KaVo Kerr, Nobel Biocare): Envista is a global dental products company spanning equipment, implants, and consumables across multiple brands. As a broader dental industry incumbent with overlapping product categories, it serves as a strategic benchmark for GERL's portfolio breadth and pricing power.

Others

• Dental-Union: Dental-Union operates a digital platform integrated with GERL's easyScan service. It functions as an adjacent software/services player in the German dental market, enabling intraoral scanning workflows for practices that purchase scanners from GERL.
• KaVo (Planmeca Group / BWT Group): KaVo is a leading German-headquartered dental equipment manufacturer (treatment units, handpieces, imaging). While not a direct depot competitor, it is both a key supplier for GERL and a strategic comparable in the German dental equipment ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCV-6Y8N02LKR9396X_3p2uw
• Facebookfacebook.com/GerlDental
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/anton-gerl-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/gerl.dental/?hl=de
• Xx.com/gerldental

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Anton Gerl