Bilderfest

What Bilderfest does

Bilderfest GmbH is a Munich-headquartered, owner-managed independent film and video production company founded in 2002, operating from two locations in Munich (Adi-Maislinger-Str. 9) and Cologne (Kleine Spitzengasse 2–4). The company specializes in science and knowledge-based factual content — high-end documentary series, digital-native science explainers, travel documentaries, and B2B corporate films — with a 60+ person in-house team that handles concept development, shooting, and post-production end-to-end, supported by 12 UHD camera systems and 12 cutting suites in-house.

Its product portfolio centers on flagship broadcast brands including Terra X (ZDF), ARD Wissen, plan b, planet e., Quarks, W wie Wissen, Xenius (ARTE, 980 episodes over 12 years), and presenter-led formats with Eckart von Hirschhausen, Harald Lesch, and Frank Seibert, alongside newer digital and social formats such as Terra X TikTok (450+ videos), Terra X plus YouTube, GeoGoat (funk), and the Wahl-O-Mat Podcast. The company also runs a B2B line producing corporate films, explainers, AR/VR experiences, and recruiting content for clients such as E.ON, the European Patent Office, Max Planck Institute, and TU München MIRMI.

The business model is professional-services/project-based: Bilderfest charges production fees to German public broadcasters (ZDF, the ARD network, ARTE, Sky Deutschland) and to B2B clients for individual commissions, with go-to-market executed through direct enterprise relationships rather than volume sales. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is independent and owner-managed under three Geschäftsführer (Dietmar Lyssy, Stefan Otter, Marcus Uhl), with no parent company, no external funding, and no acquisitions recorded in the available data.

Name

Bilderfest

Legal name

Bilderfest GmbH

Website

https://bilderfest.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bilderfest GmbH is an owner-managed Munich- and Cologne-based independent film production company that produces science and knowledge-based documentary series, digital content, and B2B films primarily for German public broadcasters (ZDF, ARD network, ARTE) and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• Science communication content
• Corporate video production
• TV content production
• Digital content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TV and B2B Production Services: Production fees charged to broadcasters and B2B clients for documentary, science, and educational content creation across TV, streaming, and digital platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bilderfest GmbH is an independent, owner-managed film production company that develops and produces science documentaries, knowledge-based TV series, and digital content for German public broadcasters (ZDF, ARD, WDR, SWR, BR), ARTE, Sky Deutschland, and digital platforms. The company provides end-to-end production services from concept development through shooting to final mastering, supported by 12 in-house UHD camera systems and 12 cutting suites, and additionally serves B2B corporate clients with corporate films, explainer videos, image films, product films, and recruiting content.

Product overview

Bilderfest GmbH is a German film production company specializing in science and knowledge-based documentaries, digital content, and educational media. The company operates as a full-service production house offering content creation from concept to final mastering. Their portfolio spans multiple product categories: high-end documentary series for major German broadcasters (Terra X, ARD Wissen, planet e., plan b, Quarks, W wie Wissen, Xenius, Leschs Kosmos), documentary series featuring celebrity presenters (Hirschhausen, Frank Seibert), travel documentary series (Traumziele), digital content for social platforms (Terra X TikTok, Terra X plus, Terra X History, GeoGoat), educational formats (kolleg24, In 100 Sekunden, Quarks-Doku), documentary series on the human body (Mein Körper series), web series exploring technology and society (Homo Digitalis, Helena – Die künstliche Intelligenz), and B2B content services including corporate films, explainers, and digital strategies. The company also produces the Wahl-O-Mat Podcast for funk/ARD. With over 60 employees and 2000+ projects annually, Bilderfest serves TV broadcasters, streaming platforms, media libraries, industrial clients, and startups, positioning itself as a leading factual entertainment production firm in the German market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Terra X

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Exponent 3 Film ProductioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership with Exponent 3 for European Inventor Award film series. Bilderfest and Exponent 3 collaborated on producing portrait films of scientists nominated for the award, working together on production from pre-production through to award ceremony coverage.
• ZDFcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary broadcast partner producing Terra X series, Leschs Kosmos, Terra Xplore, plan b, planet e., and various documentary formats for ZDF.
• ARD (WDR, SWR, BR, HR, NDR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor broadcast partner producing ARD Wissen, Hirschhausen documentary series, Mein Körper series, Frank Seibert formats, and various documentaries.
• ARTEcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean co-production partner for documentaries including Freundschaft - eine Superkraft, Traumziele series, and various other European productions.
• Sky DeutschlandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubscription TV partner for documentary productions including 1972 – Münchens schwarzer September.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UFA GmbH: Germany's largest TV production group (Bertelsmann-owned), producing entertainment, drama, and factual programming for all major German broadcasters. Comparable as a domestic incumbent with broadcaster relationships at greater scale than Bilderfest.
• Fremantle: Global content producer (RTL Group/Bertelsmann) with major factual, documentary, and entertainment operations across Europe. Comparable as a large incumbent with overlapping factual-documentary capabilities and similar broadcaster clients across DACH and Europe.
• BBC Studios: Global broadcaster-affiliated production and distribution group producing high-end documentary and factual content (including science and natural-history). Comparable as a broader incumbent in the international documentary market where Bilderfest also operates via ARTE and Sky.

Direct peers

• Autentic Distribution: German factual-content producer and distributor specializing in documentary, science, and knowledge formats for international broadcasters — directly comparable to Bilderfest's science/knowledge niche and international co-production model.
• Spiegel TV: Hamburg-based factual and documentary production house closely comparable to Bilderfest: produces high-volume documentary and magazine content for German broadcasters (ZDF, ARD, RTL) using in-house production infrastructure and similar commissioning-driven business model.
• Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion: Cologne-based independent German production company producing documentary, reportage, and knowledge programming for ARD, ZDF, and WDR — directly comparable in genre mix, broadcaster client base, and geography to Bilderfest's Cologne/Munich footprint.
• megaherz: Munich-based independent production company producing documentary, factual, and entertainment formats for German public broadcasters — directly overlapping with Bilderfest's broadcaster-led, science/knowledge-content focus.

Regional players

• Funk (ARD/ZDF): Joint online-video network of ARD and ZDF commissioning short-form digital content (including Terra X TikTok produced by Bilderfest). Comparable as the commissioning counterpart for the digital/social channel that Bilderfest supplies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bilderfest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Bilderfest