What Opticon Handels does

Opticon Handels GmbH (OPTICON) is an Austria-based purchasing and marketing cooperative founded in 1989, headquartered in Wels, Upper Austria. The company serves independent optical retailers (Augenoptiker) and hearing aid acoustics businesses (Hörakustiker) across Austria through a membership-based model, providing four integrated service pillars: Einkauf (centralized procurement with exclusive supplier agreements), Zentralfaktura (consolidated monthly invoicing that reduces administrative overhead), Marketing Services (graphic design, customized Optikzeitung/Akustikzeitung magazines, digital and event marketing), and OPTICON Akademie (Ö-Cert and EBQ-certified adult education for optics and hearing acoustics, including master craftsman preparation).

The business model is subscription/recurring membership-based with no minimum contract term and a 3-month cancellation notice to year-end. Revenue derives from member fees, procurement rebates or service charges, per-attendee Akademie training fees (with group discounts: 5% for two participants, 10% for three or more), and private-label product sales. The technology footprint is light: a member intranet with supplier directory, exchange forum, and online shop, plus standard social/web channels. Private-label offerings include the Scharfsinn² Austrian-made eyewear collection and THERESIA all-in-one eyeglass cleaning solution, plus a Kontaktlinsen-Abo (contact lens subscription) service for end consumers.

OPTICON operates from a single Wels headquarters with approximately 11 team members led by co-Managing Directors Martin Decker MBA, MAS and KommR MMSt Joseph Gaertner. The company holds the Creditreform Bonitätszertifikat (2025) and is privately held by its management team with no external investors, parent company, or disclosed revenue. Geographic scope is exclusively Austria, with all members served domestically.

Name

Opticon Handels

Legal name

OPTICON Handels GmbH

Website

https://opticon.co.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Opticon Handels GmbH is an Austrian purchasing and marketing cooperative serving independent optical retailers and hearing aid acoustics businesses across Austria with centralized procurement, consolidated invoicing, marketing support, and certified training services under a membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail Cooperative Services

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346), Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Optical purchasing cooperative
• Hearing acoustics support
• Central invoicing services
• Retail marketing cooperative
• Optician education training

Headquarters

HQ city

Wels

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees and Purchasing Cooperative Services: OPTICON generates revenue as a cooperative organization by providing purchasing advantages, centralized invoicing (Zentralfaktura), marketing support, and training services to member businesses. Members benefit from collective purchasing power for better supplier conditions, and the organization charges for these aggregate services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Opticon Handels GmbH operates as a purchasing, marketing, and business-support cooperative for independent optical (Augenoptiker) and hearing aid acoustics (Hörakustiker) businesses in Austria. The company offers collective procurement with exclusive supplier contracts, a centralized invoicing system (Zentralfaktura), professional marketing services, an Ö-Cert and EBQ-certified training academy, and private-label products such as THERESIA cleaning solutions and Scharfsinn eyewear. Members retain full entrepreneurial independence while benefiting from the cooperative's collective buying power, marketing resources, and continuing education.

Product overview

OPTICON Handels GmbH operates as a purchasing and marketing cooperative for independent optical and hearing aid businesses in Austria, providing a unified platform of services rather than a single software product. The core offering consists of four integrated service pillars: (1) Einkauf (Purchasing) providing centralized procurement with exclusive supplier contracts and private-label products like THERESIA cleaning solutions and Scharfsinn eyewear; (2) Zentralfaktura (Central Invoicing) offering consolidated monthly billing across suppliers; (3) Marketing Services including graphic design, customized magazines (Optikzeitung/Akustikzeitung), event marketing, and the OPTICON Intranet platform; and (4) OPTICON Akademie providing Ö-Cert and EBQ-certified training. Additional services include a contact lens subscription (Kontaktlinsen-Abo) that automates delivery of lenses and care products to end customers. Members access all services through a centralized Intranet platform, enabling independent businesses to benefit from collective purchasing power while maintaining their entrepreneurial independence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Scharfsinn²: OPTICON's branded magazine/publication brand for optics and acoustics content distributed to partner businesses.

Products and services

• Einkauf (Purchasing Services) Procurement services providing attractive purchasing conditions, exclusive supplier contracts, and private-label products for independent optical and hearing aid businesses in Austria.
• Zentralfaktura (Central Invoicing) Centralized billing service providing monthly consolidated invoices from multiple suppliers, reducing administrative overhead for member businesses.
• Marketing Services Comprehensive marketing support including graphic design, print materials, event marketing, digital marketing assistance, and customized magazines for optical and hearing aid businesses.
• OPTICON Akademie Ö-Cert and EBQ-certified adult education institution offering practical training for optics, hearing acoustics, and business management, including second-chance education and master craftsman preparation courses.
• THERESIA Private Label Cleaning Solution Private-label all-in-one eyeglass cleaning solution available in 100ml bottles, exclusively for OPTICON partners.
• Scharfsinn Eyewear Collection Austrian-made eyewear collection featuring unique design and high-quality materials, positioned as a premium private label option for OPTICON partners.
• Kontaktlinsen-Abo (Contact Lens Subscription) Automated contact lens subscription service including cleaning solution and optional eye drops, delivered automatically to customers at the right time.
• Optikzeitung & Akustikzeitung (Quarterly Magazines) Quarterly customized publications covering optics and hearing acoustics trends, innovations, and product news, distributed to end customers in members' regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced administrative overhead through centralized monthly invoicing (Zentralfaktura)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Various Optical and Hearing Aid SupplierscoreOthersOPTICON maintains exclusive supplier agreements and special partnership arrangements with select suppliers in the optical and hearing aid industries. These partnerships enable members to access attractive purchasing conditions, exclusive product offerings, and competitive pricing through the cooperative's collective buying power.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SYNERGETIC GROUP: German purchasing and marketing cooperative for independent opticians. Highly comparable business model to OPTICON: collective bargaining, shared marketing, training for member opticians — i.e., the closest direct competitor OPTICON would face if cross-border expansion or member poaching occurred.
• MKB Augenkontor: German optical cooperative/buying group for independent opticians, providing purchasing, marketing, and services similar to OPTICON. Most direct comparable: same cooperative structure serving the same end customer type (independent opticians) in the adjacent DACH market.

Broad incumbents

• Fielmann AG: Europe's largest optical retail chain, headquartered in Germany with operations across Austria. Comparable because it is the dominant incumbent whose expansion directly pressures OPTICON's independent optical members, and the alternative channel that OPTICON helps independents compete against.
• Pearle (EssilorLuxottica): Optical retail brand of EssilorLuxottica operating chain stores across Austria and Europe. Comparable as a chain incumbent with a presence in the same Austrian retail footprint where OPTICON's independent members compete.
• Apollo-Optik Holding: Large German optical retail chain (major store footprint) and a competitive threat to OPTICON's independent retailer members. Comparable as one of the chain-format incumbents that OPTICON's value proposition is explicitly designed to help independents resist.

Regional players

• Brillen Rottler: Family-run independent optical and hearing aid chain based in Germany. Comparable as a multi-location independent operator in the same optical + hearing combination OPTICON's members serve, illustrating the type of operator that benefits from or competes with the cooperative model.

Emerging players

• Mister Spex SE: Leading European online optical retailer. Comparable as the digital/omnichannel disruptor whose growth structurally threatens both independent optical retailers and the cooperative model OPTICON is built to defend — a key existential reference point for OPTICON's strategy.
• eyes + more GmbH: Growing independent-format optical chain in Germany focused on urban retail with own-brand frames. Comparable as a chain-format competitor that competes for end customers in markets adjacent to OPTICON's member base and signals the direction independent optical retail is consolidating toward.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/augenaufoptiker/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/opticonwels
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opticongmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/opticon_at/?hl=de

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Opticon Handels