What Rausch does

Rausch is a fifth-generation, family-owned German chocolate manufacturer and retailer founded in Berlin in 1918, currently led by Robert Rausch and Jürgen Rausch. The company specializes in premium chocolates produced exclusively from fine flavor cocoa (Edelkakao), which constitutes only 8% of global cocoa production, sourced from 8 countries — Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Grenada, Madagascar, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, and Venezuela — and from its own Tres Equis plantation in Costa Rica under a 'Tree to Door' vertical-integration model. Its product catalog spans more than 200 items and up to 400 flavor variations across single-origin bars, sticks, minis, wafer-thin bars, pralines, truffles, filled bites, chocolate-coated nuts, drinking chocolates, liqueurs, nougat and marzipan, pastries, and spreads, plus a dedicated vegan line.

Rausch sells through three channels: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce at rausch.de, with free shipping within Germany from €49 and a tiered subscription program (Surprise €39.90, Variety €49.90, Praline €64.90, Individual from €49, and Classics variants €43.90–€52.10) priced at up to 26% below single-purchase levels; (2) two physical Chocolate House retail destinations — a 1,500 m² three-floor flagship at Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin (celebrating 25 years in November 2024) and a second location in Peine — combining chocolate retail, patisserie, and café; and (3) a dedicated B2B corporate-gifts division for employee gifts, client appreciation, and promotional giveaways with catalog ordering and individualization. Pricing is EUR-denominated with multiple payment methods including PayPal, credit card, Apple Pay, and Amazon Pay. Marketing relies on the 'Behind the Beans' blog, SEO-optimized product pages, email and WhatsApp newsletters, and on-site customer testimonials. The company is privately held with no external investors identified and operates primarily within Germany with DACH as its declared market.

Name

Rausch

Legal name

Rausch

Website

https://rausch.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rausch is a fifth-generation, family-owned German chocolate company founded in 1918 that produces and sells premium single-origin chocolates, pralines, truffles, and patisserie made exclusively from fine flavor cocoa sourced from 8 countries and its own Costa Rican plantation, distributed via DTC e-commerce, two Chocolate House retail locations in Berlin and Peine, and a B2B corporate-gift channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Chocolate Manufacturing

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Confectionery Manufacturing (Chocolate, Candy, Gum) (AFAKAAAD), Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD), Online Gift & Novelty Specialty Retail (DTC) (CRALAJAO), Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Premium chocolate manufacturing
• Single-origin cocoa products
• Handcrafted pralines and truffles
• Chocolate subscription deliveries
• Corporate chocolate gifts

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Online sales through rausch.de website featuring over 200 chocolate varieties including single-origin bars, pralines, truffles, drinking chocolates, and confections. Products shipped directly from fulfillment center to consumers in Germany with free shipping from €49.
2. Chocolate Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from five subscription tiers: Surprise (€39.90), Variety (€49.90), Praline (€64.90), Individual, and Classics subscriptions. Delivered every 2 months or at customer-defined intervals with up to 26% savings vs individual purchase.
3. B2B Corporate Gifts: Corporate client segment ordering employee gifts, business presents, and promotional giveaways. Offers catalog-based ordering with customization options for company branding and personalization.
4. Chocolate House Retail: Physical retail locations in Berlin and Peine offering in-store chocolate shopping, patisserie products, cakes, and café experiences. The Berlin location at Gendarmenmarkt spans 1,500 m² across three floors, celebrating 25 years in 2024.
5. Patisserie & Special Orders: Handmade patisserie products including custom cakes, petit fours, and seasonal specialties produced in the Berlin patisserie. Cake ordering service for special occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rausch manufactures and sells premium single-origin chocolates, pralines, truffles, filled bites, drinking chocolates, chocolate-coated nuts, and related confections made from fine flavor cocoa (Edelkakao) sourced via direct trade from 8 countries and its own plantation in Costa Rica. Products are sold directly to consumers through rausch.de e-commerce and two Chocolate House stores (Berlin and Peine), via recurring subscription deliveries, and through a dedicated B2B corporate-gifts division offering catalog selection, individualization, and bulk ordering for business clients.

Product overview

Rausch is a fifth-generation German chocolate company founded in 1918, specializing in premium single-origin chocolates and confections. The product portfolio centers on 100% single-origin cocoa chocolates offered across multiple formats (bars, sticks, minis, wafer-thin bars), complemented by pralines, truffles, filled bites, drinking chocolates, and chocolate-coated nuts. The company operates physical Chocolate Houses in Berlin and Peine, and offers subscription services for recurring deliveries. Additional offerings include chocolate liqueurs, nougat, marzipan, pastries, spreads, and B2B corporate gift solutions. Rausch sources cocoa directly from plantations in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Grenada, Madagascar, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, and Venezuela, with an own plantation in Costa Rica (Tres Equis), following a 'Tree to Door' approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rausch Plantagen: Single-origin chocolate line made from cocoa from the company's own Costa Rica plantation and partner farms
• Rausch Patisserie

Products and services

• Single-Origin Chocolate Bars Premium single-origin chocolate bars made from 100% cocoa sourced from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Grenada, Madagascar, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, and Venezuela with cocoa content from 39% to 93%, targeted at chocolate connoisseurs and gift purchasers.
• Pralines Handcrafted chocolate pralines with fillings including ganache, nougat, marzipan, nuts, and liqueurs, sold in classic praline collections and seasonal offerings for individual consumers and gifting.
• Truffles Handmade spherical chocolate truffles with delicate, melting consistency and creamy ganache fillings, aimed at connoisseurs and premium gifting.
• Bites (Filled Chocolate Pieces) Small filled chocolate pieces combining single-origin chocolate with creamy, fruity, or nutty fillings in flavors including caramel-sea salt, coffee, eggnog, bitter orange, apricot, marzipan, and nougat.
• Drinking Chocolates Hot chocolate products including drinking chocolate powders, chocolate pearls, and flavored varieties (classic, cinnamon, orange, caramel, chai, chili, coffee) for at-home preparation.
• Nut-on-Nut Collection (Chocolate-Coated Nuts) Crunchy nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios) coated in single-origin milk or dark chocolate in light Grenada 39% or dark Peru 60% varieties.
• Wafer-Thin Bars (Hauchfein) Exceptionally thin chocolate bars for delicate portioning and quick flavor release, made from single-origin Edelkakao chocolate.
• Chocolate Subscriptions Recurring chocolate subscription deliveries including Surprise (€39.90), Variety (€49.90), Praline (€64.90), Individual (from €49), and Classics (Bestseller, Dark Classics, Bright Classics) tiers, delivered every 2 months or at customer-defined intervals.
• Patisserie Products & Cake Orders Handmade patisserie products from the Chocolate House Berlin patisserie, including patisserie pralines, petit fours, custom cakes, and cake ordering for special occasions.
• Chocolate Houses (Physical Retail) Physical Chocolate House destinations — Chocolate House Berlin at Gendarmenmarkt (1,500 m² across three floors, opened November 1999) and Chocolate House Peine — offering immersive chocolate shopping, patisserie, café experiences, and table reservations.
• B2B Corporate Gifts Service Dedicated B2B corporate-gifts service for companies, providing employee gifts, business presents, and promotional giveaways via catalog-based ordering with individualization and customization options for branding.
• Chocolate Liqueurs & Juices Chocolate-based liqueurs in dark chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, cocoa, Amarena cherry, and nougat varieties, plus Juicy Cacao fruit juice from the company's cocoa fruit.
• Gift Boxes & Collections Curated chocolate gift boxes including the Goldbox (various sizes), wooden boxes, heart gift tins, and themed collections for gifting occasions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ years of chocolate making tradition
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cocoa Board Representatives (Origin Regions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect relationships with representatives of Cocoa Boards in cocoa origin regions including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Grenada, Madagascar, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, and Venezuela. These partnerships enable direct Edelkakao (fine flavor cocoa) sourcing and ensure quality control from plantation to consumer.
• Cocoa Farmer CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect trade partnerships with cocoa cooperatives in growing regions. Personal contact and exchange with partner organizations, cooperative representatives, and Cocoa Board members from origin regions forms the core of Rausch's commitment to fair, respectful, and sustainable partnerships.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hachez: Bremen-based premium German chocolate maker since 1890 with cocoa sourcing from select origins. Most direct domestic peer to Rausch given shared single-origin cocoa philosophy, German premium positioning, and similar heritage brand profile.
• Ritter Sport: Family-owned German chocolate manufacturer founded 1912, headquartered in Stuttgart. Shares the German family-owned heritage, broad chocolate bar portfolio, and direct-to-consumer focus, though positioned more in the mass-premium segment than Rausch's ultra-premium tier.
• Leonidas: Belgian premium pralines and chocolate maker with global boutique retail network. Directly comparable praline/truffle product line and premium gift positioning, though with broader international footprint via franchise stores.
• Amedei: Italian premium single-origin chocolate maker with direct relationships at cocoa origins including Venezuela, Ecuador and Madagascar. Closely mirrors Rausch's single-origin, terroir-driven philosophy and premium positioning, though operating primarily from Tuscany with limited German presence.
• Felchlin: Swiss premium couvertures and single-origin chocolate maker focused on bean-to-bar craftsmanship. Directly comparable single-origin, direct-trade sourcing philosophy and premium B2B/B2C positioning, though significantly smaller in retail consumer presence.
• Neuhaus: Belgian premium praline and chocolate maker with strong gift assortment and DTC heritage. Comparable premium positioning, praline/truffle expertise, and gifting-led business model, though operating at smaller scale and primarily Belgian distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Lindt & Sprüngli: Swiss global premium chocolate manufacturer with broad single-origin and praline ranges. Directly comparable product portfolio and premium positioning, but materially larger scale, global distribution and marketing reach than Rausch.
• Godiva Chocolatier: Global premium Belgian chocolate brand owned by Yıldız Holding. Comparable premium pralines, truffles and gift box assortment at the high end of the category, but operates at vastly larger global scale with extensive retail and licensing footprint.
• Stollwerck: Historic German chocolate manufacturer (founded 1839) now owned by Barry Callebaut, producing mass-market and premium confectionery. Comparable German heritage and broad confectionery portfolio, though positioned in mainstream rather than ultra-premium tier and serving primarily as a contract manufacturer today.

Emerging players

• Original Beans: Amsterdam-based premium single-origin chocolate brand with direct trade sourcing and conservation-focused brand story. Comparable single-origin, ethical-sourcing narrative targeting premium gift and conscious-consumer segments, but with significantly smaller scale and less retail presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rauschberlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Rausch