eichels

What eichels does

eichels GmbH is a German event management and sports marketing agency founded in 1997 and headquartered in Hannover (Kleine Düwelstraße 21, HRB 59823). The company organizes large-scale running and triathlon events including the ADAC Marathon Hannover (29,000+ participants), Hannover Triathlon am Maschsee, Nachtlauf Hannover (SportScheck RUN, ~7,000 participants), Silvesterlauf Hannover (3,000 participants), Steinhuder Meer Triathlon, and fem.RUN, while also providing end-to-end event management services for external clients spanning concept development, participant management, marketing/PR, graphic services, safety and hygiene concepts, and logistics. Beyond sports events, the company offers emotional marketing, innovation marketing, and network strategy services. The business is co-managed by Geschäftsführende Gesellschafter Stefanie Eichel and Carsten Krebs, with Gilbert Aust as partner for sports and event marketing, and operates with approximately 15 employees.

The company's core technology asset is the invite-e platform (wholly-owned subsidiary, invite-e.com), a digital invitation and participant management solution that handles registration, payment processing, ticketing, and participant communication. Supporting infrastructure includes a PUMA-partnered e-commerce shop at shop.eichels-event.com (hosted by Hetzner, processed via PayPal, shipped via DHL), Google Analytics and YouTube integrations on the corporate site, and standard social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). The training business is anchored by Jan Raphael, a multiple Ironman winner and licensed triathlon coach who leads the High-Performance Training programs. No patents, formal certifications, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Revenue is generated across four streams: (1) per-event registration/transaction fees, (2) recurring monthly subscriptions for High-Performance Training (Running at 79 EUR/month, Triathlon at 139 EUR/month), (3) merchandise sales through the online shop (event shirts 15-35 EUR, caps from 14.95 EUR, gift vouchers 10-115 EUR), and (4) event sponsorship and brand partnerships, with ADAC as title sponsor of the flagship marathon, SportScheck for the Nachtlauf, and Puma as merchandise supplier. The company self-describes as one of Germany's leading sports and event agencies and characterizes the ADAC Marathon Hannover as the largest running spectacle in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen).

Name

eichels

Legal name

eichels GmbH

Website

https://eichels-event.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

eichels GmbH is a German event management and sports marketing agency based in Hannover that organizes large-scale running and triathlon events, operates the invite-e registration platform, offers subscription-based athletic training, and sells event merchandise through its own e-commerce shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Event Management

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Triathlon & Multisport Events (Triathlon, Duathlon, Aquathlon) (MPAKAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performance Running Specialty Retail (CRAMACAA), Outdoor & Active Lifestyle Apparel Retail (CRAAABAL)

Keywords

• Sports event management
• Event marketing services
• Running event organization
• Triathlon event management
• Event participant management

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from participant registration fees for running and triathlon events including ADAC Marathon Hannover, Hannover Triathlon am Maschsee, Silvesterlauf Hannover, and other sports events
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of event merchandise including performance shirts, accessories, and gift vouchers through the online shop
3. Training Services: Structured training programs including High-Performance Training for running and triathlon, fitness coaching, and personalized training plans for distances from 10km to marathon
4. Event Sponsorship: Partnership with sponsors such as ADAC, SportScheck, and Puma for event financing and brand partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

eichels GmbH is a German event management agency that organizes large-scale mass-participation sports events (ADAC Marathon Hannover, Hannover Triathlon am Maschsee, Silvesterlauf, Nachtlauf Hannover, Steinhuder Meer Triathlon, fem.RUN) end-to-end, including concept development, participant registration through its InVite-e platform, marketing/PR, and on-site execution. Beyond event operations, the company sells branded event merchandise (PUMA shirts, caps, gift vouchers) through its online shop and offers monthly subscription training programs for running and triathlon athletes.

Product overview

eichels GmbH is a German event management company offering a comprehensive portfolio of sports event services and related products. The core offering consists of event management services including concept development, participant management via the InVite-e digital platform, marketing and PR, and security/logistics. Training services are provided through structured programs for running and triathlon (High-Performance Training packages at 79-139 EUR/month). The company also operates an e-commerce shop selling official event merchandise including PUMA-branded shirts for ADAC Marathon Hannover, Hannover Triathlon am Maschsee, Steinhuder Meer Triathlon, and fem.RUN events, along with gift vouchers. The product architecture is structured around core services (event management and training) with supporting sub-products (InVite-e platform, merchandise lines, and volunteer program).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• invite-e: Digital invitation and participant management software platform used for event registration and guest management.

Products and services

• Event Management Services Full-service sports event management including concept development with expressive storytelling, location and catering selection, participant registration management, marketing/PR, and professional event execution for events of all sizes.
• InVite-e (invite-e) Digital Invitation and Participant Management Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• ADAC Marathon Hannover attracts 29,000+ participants with 2,000 volunteers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, moderate and core.

• Marketing-Club HannoverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional network for marketing professionals in Hannover region
• Unternehmerverbände Niedersachsen (UVN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness association representing entrepreneurs in Lower Saxony
• ProHannoverRegionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development and promotion organization for Hannover region
• World AthleticsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational athletics governing body supporting running events
• Deutscher Leichtathletik-Verband (DLV)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Athletics Association - national governing body for athletics events
• Deutsche Triathlon Union (DTU)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Triathlon Union - national governing body for triathlon
• PumacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSportswear brand supplying merchandise including running shirts, caps, and accessories for events. Products feature dryCELL technology, FOREVER BETTER label, and are made from recycled polyester in bluesign-certified facilities.
• ADACcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of ADAC Marathon Hannover - Germany's leading roadside assistance organization
• SportScheckcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of SportScheck RUN (Nachtlauf Hannover) - German sports retailer
• DHLminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping partner for physical merchandise delivery
• PayPalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayment processor for online transactions including credit card payments

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RACE RESULT: German provider of event timing, registration, and participant management software for endurance sports. Directly comparable to eichels' InVite-e platform and serves many of the same race organizer customers globally.
• Frankfurt Marathon: Organizer of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, one of Germany's headline road marathons. Directly comparable as a German mass-participation marathon operator with similar participant scale and event-driven GTM motion.
• Generali München Marathon: Operates the Generali München Marathon, another major German city marathon. Directly comparable as a German mass-participation running event organizer with a sponsored flagship and complementary shorter-distance formats.
• Haspa Marathon Hamburg: Organizes the Haspa Marathon Hamburg, one of Germany's largest city marathons. Directly comparable as a major German marathon event operator with title sponsorship, large participant base, and integrated event services.
• SCC Events (Berlin Marathon): SCC Events organizes the Berlin Marathon, the world's largest marathon. Directly comparable as a German mass-participation running event organizer with a flagship marathon, multi-event portfolio, and similar participant scale profile.

Others

• SportScheck: Major German multi-channel sports retailer and sponsor of eichels' Nachtlauf Hannover. Comparable as a German running/sports brand with overlapping customer base, though business model is retail rather than event organization.
• Runners Point: German specialty running retail chain. Comparable as a German running-focused consumer brand with overlapping customer base, though business model is retail rather than event organization.

Broad incumbents

• IRONMAN (World Triathlon Corporation): Global owner of the IRONMAN triathlon series. Comparable because eichels operates triathlon events (Hannover Triathlon am Maschsee, Steinhuder Meer Triathlon), but IRONMAN is a global incumbent at vastly larger scale rather than a direct regional competitor.
• Infront Sports & Media: International sports marketing and event management agency. Overlaps with eichels' event organization and sponsorship commercialization capabilities, but operates at much larger, multi-sport scale.
• Lagardère Sports: Global sports marketing agency with sponsorship and event management operations. Comparable as a broad sports-event-marketing incumbent, though Lagardère operates globally across many sports, not endurance events specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/eichelsEvent
• Facebookfacebook.com/eichelsEvent
• Instagraminstagram.com/eichels_event
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eichels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 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 eichels