What FEGIME Deutschland does

FEGIME Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Nuremberg and founded in 1958, is the central coordinating entity for a German electrical wholesale market community (Marktgemeinschaft) of 45 family-owned shareholder companies operating roughly 160 locations with more than 3,500 employees. The combined network reports approximately €1.5 billion in 2025 revenue and roughly 12% national market share in German electrical wholesale, and sits within the broader FEGIME group that spans 27 countries with 260 family companies, 1,600 branches, 24,000 employees and €7.2 billion in revenue.

The company builds and operates the digital infrastructure that ties shareholders and their trade customers together: the FEGIME Online-Shop (Elektro-Online), the FEGIME Produktdatenbank with around four million ETIM-classified articles, the cross-shareholder Virtuelles Lager indexing roughly 180,000 SKUs, the ELGATE electronic catalog gateway connecting more than 50 manufacturers via EDIFACT-based EDI, and the ELBRIDGE central ordering platform. The ELEKTROtools app (~360–400K downloads) extends these capabilities to installers in the field. IT development is largely internalized via Geneon (majority-owned since 2019), and the cooperative holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001 certifications. Other group entities include FEGIME Deutschland Versicherungskontor GmbH (wholly owned since 1994) for member insurance services.

FEGIME Deutschland makes money primarily through cooperative service fees, central supplier negotiations, and digital infrastructure monetization for its shareholder wholesalers, rather than through direct retail markups. Customers are reached via three channels: the broad Elektro-Handwerk (electrical trades) SMB base served through shareholder branches; a Key Accounts layer for large regional and industrial buyers; and direct industrial customers. Central pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated for members. Strategic positioning around the energy transition is reinforced by events such as WATTsNEXT 2025 (renewables, heat pumps, photovoltaics, wallboxes, storage) and Werkstatt. Zukunft. Licht. 2026 (lighting).

Name

FEGIME Deutschland

Legal name

FEGIME Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://fegime.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FEGIME Deutschland is the Nuremberg-based central cooperative for 45 family-owned German electrical wholesalers (~160 locations, 12% national share, ~€1.5B combined 2025 revenue), operating shared digital infrastructure — product database, virtual warehouse, EDI gateway, online shop — for the Elektro-Handwerk, Key Accounts, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nürnberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Central Purchasing & Negotiation: FEGIME negotiates prices and conditions with a large number of manufacturers on behalf of all shareholder companies. This central purchasing function strengthens the negotiating position of member wholesalers and is a core revenue-supporting mechanism. Additional advantages include significant relief for the purchasing function of each shareholder company, allowing them to focus on individual and regional tasks.
2. Centralized Payment Processing & Central Regulation: Central invoicing and payment processing between manufacturers, shareholders, and end customers. The high transparency offers both electrical wholesalers and manufacturers planning security for joint market processing.
3. Software & Data Services: Geneon, the majority-owned IT subsidiary, develops web solutions, data hosting, and custom software for the FEGIME network and external clients. Services include product data management, online shop provision, and data hosting.
4. Insurance Services: FEGIME Deutschland Versicherungskontor GmbH, an independent insurance broker subsidiary, provides commercial insurance and related services to shareholders and private customers.
5. Marketing Services: Centralized marketing tools provided to shareholders include FEGIMEmedia (web-to-print), catalogs, the elektro forum customer magazine, and digital content distribution. These services support shareholder sales and brand consistency.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FEGIME Deutschland is a market community (Marktgemeinschaft) of 45 independent family-owned mid-sized electrical wholesale companies that collectively operate approximately 160 branch locations across Germany. It provides central purchasing, centralized product data management (the largest European product database for electrical technology with ~4 million articles), a real-time virtual warehouse, a white-label online shop (Elektro-Online), eProcurement integrations, and shared digital services to enable its member wholesalers to compete with larger chains.

Product overview

FEGIME Deutschland is a market community of 45 independent family-owned electrical wholesalers, collectively generating €1.5 billion in revenue with a 12% national market share. The organization offers a unified platform-plus-services architecture anchored by the FEGIME Online-Shop built on the largest European product database (~4 million articles) and the Virtuelles Lager (Virtual Warehouse) connecting ~180,000 stock items in real-time. Key digital products include ELEKTROtools mobile app, ELBRIDGE configurator integration standard, ELGATE manufacturer inventory queries, and FEGIMEmedia web-to-print marketing tools. Services include Key Account Management for national/international customers, FEGIME Future leadership development initiative, and events like WATTsNEXT and Werkstatt. Zukunft. Licht. Subsidiaries include Geneon (IT/software development) and FEGIME Deutschland Versicherungskontor (insurance brokerage).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FEGIME Connect: Brand name for all digital services including online shop, product database, and e-procurement solutions worldwide
• FEGIME Future
• FEGIMEprime
• FAMP (FEGIME Advanced Management Programme)
• ELEKTROtools
• WATTsNEXT
• Werkstatt. Zukunft. Licht.
• elektro forum
• FEGIMEmedia
• ELBRIDGE
• ELEKTROtools
• Virtuelles Lager
• FEGIME Deutschland Versicherungskontor GmbH

Products and services

• Elektro-Online (FEGIME Online Shop) White-label B2B online shop platform for FEGIME shareholders, built on the largest European product database for electrotechnical products (~4 million articles). Features real-time inventory, all major eProcurement interfaces (OCI, IDS-Connect, ELBRIDGE), and integration with ELGATE for manufacturer stock queries. Accessible to registered trade customers (Fachkunden).
• Virtuelles Lager (Virtual Warehouse) Networked inventory system connecting warehouses of FEGIME wholesalers via uniform SHC ERP. Provides ~180,000 different stock items in real time, including specialized products for shipbuilding, railway, and machinery industries. Integrated internationally to Spain and Netherlands.
• FEGIME Produktdatenbank (Central Product Database) Central product data management in Nuremberg maintaining over 4 million active articles, including 1.8 million with images according to ETIM standard. The largest European product database for electrotechnical products, with daily automatic updates at all shareholder locations.
• ELEKTROtools Mobile App Free, ad-free mobile app for electrical calculations, technical information, and direct online shop access for electrical professionals. Available in 11 languages; provides on-site ordering capability and direct access to shareholder online shops.
• FEGIME Connect (Digital Services Brand) Global brand umbrella under which all digital services are conceived and provided worldwide, including the online shop, ELEKTROtools app, and digital procurement solutions.
• ELGATE (Elektro-Geschäftsdaten-Austausch-Technologie) Elektro-Geschäftsdaten-Austausch-Technologie enabling online inventory queries from manufacturers directly in the FEGIME online shop. Stock information from over 50 manufacturers available in real time.
• ELBRIDGE (Configurator Standard) ETIM-developed standard for connecting wholesale shops to manufacturer product configurators. Enables seamless configuration and ordering in specialist sales through standardized technical product selection.
• FEGIMEmedia (Web-to-Print Tool) Web-to-print tool enabling shareholders to create product catalogs, excerpt brochures, and promotional materials without design expertise. Automatically pulls product images and text from the central product database with automatic company branding.
• Key Account Management (Zentraler Vertrieb) Central sales support for customers consolidating procurement or requiring nationwide/international coordination. Offers flexible service models including Nuremberg headquarters centralized ordering, decentralized ordering at shareholders with centralized invoicing, or hybrid approaches with centralized framework terms and local execution.
• elektro forum Customer Magazine Customer magazine published jointly since 1994, appearing multiple times per year with a circulation of ~20,000. Combines customer magazine with company image brochure; cover can be customized by individual shareholders. Cooperates with ZVEH since 2019.
• Central EDIFACT Solution First central EDIFACT solution in German electrical wholesale (1997), enabling paperless exchange of invoices, purchase orders, order confirmations, and delivery notes across all common exchange formats and protocols (Telebox X400, AS2, HTTP, FTP) with real-time monitoring.
• Open Datacheck Solution supporting manufacturers in producing and distributing standard-compliant product data. Validates data for compliance with ETIM, eCl@ss, BMEcat standards before distribution to wholesalers.
• FEGIME Future (Leadership Development Platform) Platform for development of next-generation leadership from member family businesses. Think tank for electrical wholesale, with members from founding generation's grandchildren. Includes international meetings and the FAMP study program.
• FEGIME Advanced Management Programme (FAMP) International study program launched in 2014 in partnership with top European universities. Annual week-long intensive sessions for young managers from FEGIME member companies to network internationally.
• Insurance Brokerage Services (FEGIME Deutschland Versicherungskontor GmbH) Wholly-owned insurance broker subsidiary specializing in commercial insurance requirements for electrical wholesalers while also serving private customers. Provides specialized coverage for the extensive insurance needs of electrical wholesale operations.
• eProcurement Integration Solutions Electronic procurement support including integration with market platforms and various eProcurement systems (OCI, IDS-Connect, EDIFACT, Datanorm, UGL). Article data prepared according to eCl@ss, ETIM, UNSPSC and other standards.
• FEGIMEprime (Leadership Development Program) One-year leadership development program with eight modules featuring close integration of coach, participants, and mentor sponsors, oriented toward practical business requirements.
• Geneon IT Services IT system house and majority-owned subsidiary that develops web solutions, manages data hosting, and provides custom software for the FEGIME network and external enterprise clients in Germany and Europe. Operates from Nuremberg and Berlin.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12% national market share in German electrical wholesale
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GeneoncoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019In 2019, FEGIME Deutschland acquired a majority stake in Geneon, an IT systems house. Geneon develops and maintains the FEGIME software infrastructure including the product database, online shop platform, and data hosting. It operates from Nürnberg and Berlin and also serves external clients in Germany and Europe with custom software solutions and data hosting.
• International FEGIME NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993FEGIME Deutschland and its shareholders are shareholders in the globally active FEGIME market community. The international network comprises 18 country organizations with approximately 260 independent family-owned electrical wholesale companies, 1,600 branches, and 24,000 employees serving 27 countries. The international network shares product data standards, best practices, and supports cross-border customer service.
• FEGIME FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993FEGIME Future is the platform for the development of future leaders from shareholder family companies. It functions as an international think tank and networking platform for junior entrepreneurs and selected executives. The group has produced innovations including the expansion of the product database to an international scope. Additionally, FAMP (FEGIME Advanced Management Programme) was launched in 2014 as a joint executive education program with top European universities.
• FEGIME Deutschland Versicherungskontor GmbHcoreOthers · 1 January 1993Founded over 30 years ago, the FEGIME Deutschland Versicherungskontor GmbH is a wholly-owned insurance broker subsidiary. It provides specialized commercial insurance and related services to shareholder companies and private individuals, covering the extensive insurance needs of electrical wholesale operations.
• FOCUS Suppliers (Preferred Manufacturer Partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFEGIME's FOCUS program identifies preferred manufacturer suppliers who receive maximum support including joint marketing, data integration, priority product introductions, and dedicated account management. The program includes over 100 major electrical industry manufacturers such as ABB, Busch-Jaeger, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Gira, Hager, Stiebel Eltron, Ledvance, Signify, Trilux, Rittal, and many others.
• Zentralverband der Deutschen Elektro- und Informationstechnischen Handwerke (ZVEH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2019, the elektro forum customer magazine cooperates with ZVEH, the central association of German electrical and information technology trades. This partnership adds industry policy perspectives and strengthens the magazine's credibility with the electrical trade readership.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sonepar: French-headquartered global electrical distribution leader (€33B+ revenue) with strong German operations (Sonepar Deutschland). Directly competes with FEGIME Deutschland in serving electrical installers and industrial customers through a multi-branch network, making it the most direct comparable peer.
• Würth Elektronik: Division of Würth focused on electronic components distribution. Comparable to FEGIME in serving professional B2B customers via centralized product data and digital channels, though more specialized in electronic components rather than installation electrical materials.
• Rexel: French-headquartered global electrical distributor (€19B+ revenue) with substantial German presence (Rexel Deutschland). Directly competes with FEGIME Deutschland in electrical wholesale to installers and industry, with comparable product breadth and customer segment focus.
• RS Components (RS Group): UK-headquartered global distributor of electronic, electrical, and industrial components (€2B+ revenue). Comparable as a multi-channel (catalog, e-commerce, field sales) electrical distributor serving professional installers and industrial customers across Europe, with strong digital infrastructure paralleling FEGIME Connect.

Broad incumbents

• Würth: German family-owned global leader in industrial supplies and fasteners (€20B+ revenue). Comparable as a German family-owned industrial distribution powerhouse, but with a significantly broader product portfolio beyond electrical; represents both an adjacent business model peer and a potential competitive threat in adjacent categories.
• Schneider Electric: French multinational manufacturer of electrical equipment, energy management, and automation solutions with its own distribution arm. Relevant peer as a key FEGIME supplier-partner and as a vertically integrated player competing for the same end-customer relationships.
• ABB: Swiss-headquartered global manufacturer of electrification, motion, and automation solutions. Comparable as a key FEGIME supplier (part of FOCUS preferred-supplier program) and as a manufacturer increasingly moving into direct B2B digital sales that compete with traditional wholesale.
• Legrand: French-headquartered global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructure (€8B+ revenue). Comparable as a major manufacturer whose products are distributed via FEGIME and as a strategic player shaping the digital and energy-transition transformation of the electrical installation market.
• Eaton: US-headquartered power management company with European operations in electrical components and distribution products. Comparable as a major manufacturer whose products flow through FEGIME and as a vertically integrated competitor with growing direct-to-customer digital capabilities.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Division of Siemens focused on building electrification, electrical products, and digital industry. Relevant peer as both a major FEGIME supplier and a competitor in delivering integrated electrical solutions; representative of the manufacturer-distributor convergence reshaping the industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fegime-deutschland

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 FEGIME Deutschland