Veg

What Veg does

Bundesverband des Elektro-Großhandels (VEG) e.V. is the sole professional trade association (berufsständischer Verband) for electrical wholesale companies in Germany. Headquartered at Viktoriastraße 27 in Bonn, the registered association (e.V.) represents member companies ranging from multinational groups (Sonepar, Rexel, Würth) to mid-sized family-owned businesses (Emil Löffelhardt, Oskar Böttcher, Uni Elektro, EFG entities, H. Gautzsch, Friedrich Streb, DEHA) that operate nationwide networks distributing more than 300,000 electrical articles to the electrical trades, specialist retailers, facility managers, authorities, and industry. The association provides member services covering industry representation, regulatory advocacy, standardized data exchange, vocational training, and trade publications, and it is registered in the Lobbyregister des Deutschen Bundestages under R001648.

VEG's core digital platforms are ELGATE, an electronic business data exchange system that enables real-time price and availability queries between wholesaler and manufacturer ERP systems via standardized web services (jointly developed with ZVEI and operated with technology partner CURAMUS GmbH); EDILEKTRO, the sector's EDI message standard covering INVOIC, ORDRSP, DESADV, REMADV, ORDERS and INVRPT (published as EDILEKTRO 2007); xLearning, an online learning management platform built on ILIAS with electrotechnical training content developed by BFE Oldenburg; and Open Datacheck, a product-data-quality service jointly operated with DG Haustechnik since October 2019 covering more than 2.7 million products from over 200 manufacturers. The association also publishes the official trade journal ElektroWirtschaft, runs regional Landesgruppen, the Young Leaders program, and convenes sector events including the EUEW Business Convention.

VEG operates as a non-profit funded by recurring membership dues with no external ownership, parent company, or subsidiaries. xLearning and Open Datacheck are provided free of charge to member companies; membership-fee pricing is not publicly disclosed. The association has approximately seven staff members at its Bonn headquarters and is led by an elected board chaired by Rainer Rommel (Managing Director of Emil Löffelhardt GmbH & Co. KG) since November 3, 2025. Distribution is direct to member companies only, with no commercial product sales channels.

Name

Veg

Legal name

Bundesverband des Elektro-Großhandels (VEG) e.V.

Website

https://veg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Bundesverband des Elektro-Großhandels (VEG) e.V. is the sole professional trade association for Germany's electrical wholesale companies, providing industry representation, sector-specific data exchange standards (ELGATE, EDILEKTRO), vocational training (xLearning), and product data quality (Open Datacheck) to its member firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: VEG is funded through membership fees paid by electrical wholesale companies. The association represents member interests through advocacy, standardization, training, and industry publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VEG is the professional trade association for electrical wholesale companies in Germany, providing industry advocacy, sector-wide standardization (ELGATE electronic data exchange platform and EDILEKTRO EDI message standards), vocational training through the xLearning online platform, the ElektroWirtschaft trade journal, and compliance advisory on environmental and legal matters. Its digital platforms enable real-time price and availability queries between wholesaler and manufacturer ERP systems, replacing manual telephone inquiries with automated electronic exchanges.

Product overview

VEG (Bundesverband des Elektro-Großhandels e.V.) is a professional trade association for electrical wholesale in Germany, offering a portfolio of digital services and platforms. The core offerings include ELGATE for electronic business data exchange, EDILEKTRO for EDI message standards, xLearning for e-learning and training, ElektroWirtschaft as the official trade journal, and Ausbildung services for vocational training support. These services are interconnected: ELGATE and EDILEKTRO form the electronic commerce infrastructure enabling automated price/availability queries and business document exchange; xLearning provides training content for member employees; ElektroWirtschaft delivers industry communication; and Umwelt und Recht provides compliance guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ELGATE Electronic business data exchange platform enabling real-time price and availability queries between electrical wholesalers and manufacturers/suppliers via direct access to their ERP systems through standardized web services, replacing manual telephone inquiries with automated online responses. Available to VEG member companies.
• EDILEKTRO Standardized EDI message set for the German electrical wholesale industry, covering INVOIC (invoice), ORDRSP (order response), DESADV (delivery notification), REMADV (payment advice), ORDERS (purchase order), and INVRPT (inventory report). Enables interoperable electronic document exchange across manufacturer-wholesaler supply chains.
• xLearning Online learning management platform based on ILIAS, providing vocational training, continuing education, and professional development modules including electrotechnical knowledge content developed by BFE Oldenburg. Modules are delivered via audio narration, screen text, animations, videos, and interactive quizzes, accessible via browser. Available free to VEG member company employees.
• ElektroWirtschaft

Quantifiable outcome

• ELGATE replaces up to 80%+ of telephone-based price and availability inquiries in serial business with automated electronic responses
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DG Haustechnik (Deutscher Großhandelsverband Haustechnik)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019VEG cooperates with DG Haustechnik on the Open Datacheck data quality platform. The platform, originally operated in the SHK (heating/plumbing) sector since 2016, was extended to VEG electrical wholesalers starting October 2019. Over 200 manufacturers supply product data for more than 2.7 million products through this platform.
• ZVEI (Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVEG and ZVEI jointly developed and implemented the ELGATE concept for electronic business data exchange. The two associations collaborate on standardizing data flows between electrical wholesale and the manufacturing industry, using standardized web services to connect heterogeneous ERP systems without requiring a central database.
• CURAMUS GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationCURAMUS GmbH was jointly engaged by VEG and ZVEI to develop and implement the ELGATE platform. CURAMUS operates the information portals for ELGATE and is the technical partner for the web service-based ERP integration.
• BFE Oldenburg (Bundesinstitut für Elektrotechnik)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFE Oldenburg developed the electrotechnical knowledge learning modules (Elektrotechnisches Wissen) used on VEG's xLearning platform. The modules support both newcomers and advanced learners in initial training, qualification, and refreshing of electrical engineering fundamentals.
• BGA (Bundesverband Großhandel, Außenhandel, Dienstleistungen)coreOthersVEG is a member of BGA, the German Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade, and Services. BGA provides advocacy at the federal level and conducts research projects including the IW economic analysis of wholesale sector significance. VEG participates in BGA's Wholesaler Association working groups and events.
• dena (Deutsche Energie-Agentur) — Bündnis GebäudewendeminorOthersVEG is a member of dena's 'Alliance for Building Decarbonization' (Bündnis Gebäudewende), contributing to energy efficiency and building decarbonization policy discussions.
• EUEW (European Union of Electrical Wholesalers)coreOthersVEG is a member of EUEW, the European Union of Electrical Wholesalers. VEG participates in the EUEW Business Convention and other international activities of the European electrical wholesale community.
• Smart Living GermanyminorOthersVEG is a member of the Smart Living Germany initiative, which promotes intelligent building and living solutions.
• ForveG (Forschungsvereinigung Großhandel e.V.)minorOthersForveG conducts research on wholesale sector topics including E-nutzfahrzeuge and fleet electrification. VEG supports ForveG's research initiatives including the annual Förderpreis (€9,000 prize) for outstanding young researcher papers in wholesale.
• DIHK (Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer)minorOthersVEG aligns with DIHK positions on training and education policy, including advocacy for equal Germany-Ticket pricing for trainees (Azubis) equivalent to student rates.
• ZVEH (Zentralverband der Deutschen Elektro- und Informationstechnischen Handwerke)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVEG co-founded the ElektroHeldinnen initiative together with ZVEH and other partners. Both organizations collaborate on the E-Markenpartner awards and industry events including Light + Building. ZVEH represents the electrical trades, the primary customers of electrical wholesale.
• ZVEI (Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZVEI collaborates with VEG on ELGATE (electronic business data exchange) and jointly on the ElektroHeldinnen initiative. ZVEI represents the electrical manufacturing industry, the primary suppliers to electrical wholesale.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EUEW (European Union of Electrical Wholesalers): Pan-European association of national electrical wholesaler trade associations, of which VEG is a member. EUEW organizes cross-border events (e.g., the EUEW Business Convention) and represents the sector at EU level — a directly comparable association serving an overlapping constituency at a wider geographic scope.
• BGA (Bundesverband Großhandel, Außenhandel, Dienstleistungen): Federal German association for wholesale, foreign trade, and services — VEG is a member of BGA and participates in its wholesaler working groups. BGA is the umbrella trade association above VEG in the wholesale sector hierarchy, providing federal-level advocacy and economic research.
• ZVEH (Zentralverband der Deutschen Elektro- und Informationstechnischen Handwerke): German national trade association for the electrical trades (the downstream customers of VEG members). ZVEH co-founded the ElektroHeldinnen initiative with VEG and collaborates on E-Markenpartner awards and events like Light + Building, making it the closest peer in mission and constituency.
• FEGIME Deutschland: German branch of the FEGIME international electrical wholesaler buying group and a supporting member (Fördermitglied) of VEG. FEGIME Deutschland is a parallel cooperative-style organization for independent electrical wholesalers and shares the constituency and value proposition with VEG's core membership.
• ZVEI (Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie): German trade association representing the electrical manufacturing industry — the upstream suppliers to VEG's wholesale members. ZVEI jointly developed and operates ELGATE with VEG and is a co-founder of ElektroHeldinnen, making it a direct counterpart on the supply side of the same value chain.
• DG Haustechnik (Deutscher Großhandelsverband Haustechnik): German trade association for HVAC/plumbing wholesale (SHK sector) and partner with VEG on the Open Datacheck product data platform since 2019. Operates in an adjacent but parallel trade association model serving wholesale members in a related building-services vertical.
• Mitegro: German marketing and services cooperation group for independent electrical wholesalers and a supporting member of VEG. Mitegro pools purchasing, marketing, and digital services for its member wholesalers — a functional peer to VEG's association-level services in the same vertical.

Regional players

• ADIME (Asociación de Distribuidores de Material Eléctrico): Spanish national association of electrical wholesalers, equivalent in mission and structure to VEG but serving the Iberian market. ADIME is the most direct international functional peer — a national trade association for electrical wholesale — but operates in a different geography without direct competition with VEG.

Broad incumbents

• DIHK (Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer): umbrella organization of the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce. DIHK operates at a much broader scope than VEG but engages on overlapping training, apprenticeship, and economic-policy issues. VEG aligns with DIHK positions on training policy, making it a broad-incumbent peer in the policy and education domain.

Emerging players

• ForveG (Forschungsvereinigung Großhandel e.V.): Research association for the German wholesale sector, of which VEG is a member. ForveG conducts research on topics such as fleet electrification and runs an annual young-researcher prize; it overlaps with VEG on sector advocacy and data/research but focuses on academic output rather than member services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/veg-e-v

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Veg