Heimat

What Heimat does

Heimat, founded in May 2019 by Kathrin Christians, is a Heidelberg-based concept store and manufacturer that combines curated regional retail with in-house production under the bio-certified Eau de Wald sub-brand. The business operates through three integrated pillars: a curated marketplace of 300+ regional products sourced from Heidelberg-area producers (spices, beverages, natural soaps, Kaweco writing instruments, cookbooks); the Eau de Wald Manufaktur producing artisanal spice blends, Fiore di Sale salts, organic vinegars and oils, herbal teas, and gin varieties (including the gold-medal-winning Eau de Wald and King's Chair gin); and a Siebdruck (screen-printing) atelier producing hand-printed organic cotton textiles with forest-animal motifs for men, women, and children. Manufacturing uses OEKO-TEX certified, non-toxic, solvent-free vegan inks, and Eau de Wald food and beverage products are bio-certified, preservative-free, and packaged in glass and cork with sustainable refill options.

The business generates revenue via direct-to-consumer sales through a single physical concept store in Heidelberg's Old Town (Dossenheimer Landstraße 85) and a Shopify-powered multilingual e-commerce storefront (German and English) shipping to Europe, the USA, and Canada, supported by 25+ country/currency configurations. A structured B2B corporate gifting program offers tax-deductible pre-configured and customized gift baskets at €35/€50/€60 price points, with alcohol-free and dietary customization, and has produced 6,000+ gift baskets to date. On-site gin tasting events for groups of 10+ provide an additional experience-based revenue line. Heimat employs approximately 10 people (2 shop staff, 6 creative partners, the founder, and the founder's mother), operates as a sole proprietorship (Heimat – Eau de Wald, Kathrin Christians), and has no external investment, parent company, or disclosed revenue. The product price range spans roughly $4 to $103, with most items under $50.

Name

Heimat

Legal name

Heimat - Eau de Wald (Kathrin Christians)

Website

https://heimatheidelberg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heimat is a Heidelberg-based concept store and manufacturer (founded 2019) curating 300+ regional products and producing its bio-certified Eau de Wald line of spices, gin, vinegars, oils, and screen-printed textiles for tourists, locals, and corporate gifting clients across Europe, USA, and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Retail / Regional Gift Shop

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (31193)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Grain Mill Products (2040)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAHAGAJ

Olive Oil, Vinegar & Condiment Specialty Stores

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Specialty Food Stores (Deli, Cheese, Gourmet, Bakery)

SECONDARYCRAHAMAK

Bulk Baking & Ingredients Supply Stores (Flour, Spices, Grains)

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Wholesale-to-Consumer & Bulk Food Stores

SECONDARYCRAFADAC

Beauty & Personal Care Online Retailers

Consumer Products & Retail/E-commerce & Marketplaces/Online Retailers (Inventory-led)

Keywords

• Regional food products
• Artisanal gin distillery
• Screen-printed textiles
• Corporate gift baskets
• Organic spice blends

Headquarters

HQ city

Heidelberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail and e-commerce product sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of curated regional products, own-manufactured Eau de Wald products (spices, vinegars, oils, gin, teas), screen-printed textiles, fragrances, care products, and specialty food items. Revenue is generated through a physical store in Heidelberg's Old Town and an online shop shipping to Europe, USA, and Canada.
2. Corporate gifting programs: Pre-configured and customized gift baskets for corporate customers, including alcohol-free options and customization for dietary requirements. Tax-deductible gift tiers at €35, €50, and €60 price points.
3. Gin tasting events: Gin tasting events organized at the physical store for groups of 10 or more people at individually arranged dates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heimat operates a concept store in Heidelberg's Old Town and a multilingual e-commerce platform that curates and sells 300+ regional products from Heidelberg and the surrounding area, including its own bio-certified Eau de Wald brand of spices, specialty salts, vinegars, oils, teas, and award-winning gin. The company also runs an in-house screen printing atelier producing hand-printed clothing and accessories on organic cotton, and offers corporate gift basket services and gin tasting events.

Product overview

Heimat is a local product concept store and manufacturer based in Heidelberg, Germany, founded in 2019 by Kathrin Christians. The business operates through three main pillars: (1) a curated marketplace offering regional products from local producers including spices, beverages, kitchen items, and care products; (2) the bio-certified Eau de Wald sub-brand manufacturing artisanal spices, specialty salts, teas, vinegars, oils, and award-winning gin; and (3) an in-house screen printing workshop producing hand-printed textiles on organic cotton. The company also provides corporate gift services and gin tasting events. With over 300 carefully selected products and more than 6,000 gift baskets packed to date, Heimat serves both retail customers seeking Heidelberg souvenirs and corporate clients looking for regional, ESG-compliant corporate gifts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eau de Wald: The company's own brand for handcrafted spices, salts, vinegars, oils, teas, and gin products, manufactured in Heidelberg. Bio-certified with natural ingredients.

Products and services

• Eau de Wald Spice Blends Handcrafted, bio-certified spice blends including fermented pepper, spruce smoked rub, wild forest rub, and BBQ sets, for cooking, grilling, and seasoning dishes. Made from 100% natural ingredients, preservative-free.
• Eau de Wald Fiore di Salts Premium bio-certified sea salts infused with forest ingredients such as spruce, alder smoke, hibiscus, barberry, rosehip, and juniper, for cocktails and culinary finishing.
• Eau de Wald Vinegars and Oils Organic vinegars (cherry, raspberry, Riesling) and oils (walnut, olive) for salads, hot dishes, and desserts, produced in-house or sourced from local producer Kaltenthaler.
• Eau de Wald Teas Herbal teas inspired by forest flavors including Frühnebel (morning mist) and Wald Eistee (forest iced tea), made from apple, spruce needles, and rosehip.
• Eau de Wald Screen-Printed Textiles Hand-printed apparel featuring forest animal motifs (squirrel, boar, fox, stag), using OEKO-TEX certified, solvent-free vegan inks on 100% organic combed ring-spun cotton. Includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies for men, women, and children.
• Eau de Wald Gin (King's Chair) Award-winning gin varieties including King's Chair and Eau de Wald, crafted with regional botanicals. Eau de Wald Gin won gold at the Frankfurt International Trophy and was the first gin added to a regional restaurant's repertoire.
• Regional Beverages Curated selection of locally sourced drinks including wines, sparkling wines, gins, whiskeys, fruit brandies, and non-alcoholic alternatives from Heidelberg and the surrounding region.
• Fragrance and Care Products Natural personal care products including soaps (forest soap, children's soap, sea salt soap), solid shampoos, cleansing oils, facial oils, body oils, and flower tonics from regional producers such as Botanik Atelier and Klar Seifen.
• Kitchen and Spices Curated regional spices, herb mixtures, tea and cocoa, dish towels, shrubs (fruit vinegars), balsamic creams, and specialty ingredients sourced from local producers.
• Gift Baskets and Corporate Gifts Curated gift baskets for individuals and corporate clients, including presents for third parties (€35), employees (€50), and anniversaries (€60), with alcohol-free options and customization for dietary requirements. Includes preparation, packaging, and shipping services.
• Gin Tasting Events Corporate and group gin tasting events for groups of 10 or more people at the Heimat store, customizable to preferred dates.
• Art Prints and Posters Limited edition screen prints and posters featuring Heidelberg motifs, forest animals, and decorative artwork produced in-house.
• Kaweco Writing Instruments Premium German-made pens and pencils, including gel rollerballs and fountain pens, designed and manufactured in Heidelberg since 1883. Resold by Heimat in its concept store and online shop.
• Kala? Kala! Cookbook Mediterranean cookbook by ARD-Buffet moderator Fatma Mittler-Solak and cardiologist Dr. Enise Lauterbach, featuring 60 Cretan family recipes for heart-healthy eating. Published by Edition Michael Fischer GmbH and resold at Heimat.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 gift baskets packed for corporate and individual customers
• +2 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

Integration19 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BlausinnminorOthersProvides lavender-based products (lavender sachet, essential lavender oil) included in Heimat's gift baskets. Regional artisan supplier of aromatherapy products.
• GoodvinesminorOthersSupplier of alcohol-free wines (Riesling, Merlot Rosé) featured in Heimat's alcohol-free corporate gift baskets.
• Königsthron (King's Chair)minorOthersProducer of gin (King's Chair Gin) and olive oil featured in Heimat's corporate gift products. Own brand line alongside Eau de Wald.
• KaltenthalerminorOthersLocal producer supplying vinegars, balsamic creams, and shrubs for Heimat's food product range. Regional Heidelberg-area producer.
• DartingminorOthersSupplier of wines (Sankt Laurent red wine) featured in Heimat's anniversary corporate gift basket.
• Botanik AtelierminorOthersProducer of fragrance and care products (cleansing oil, flower tonic, body oil, facial oil) sold at Heimat. Own manufacturing of natural skincare.
• Klar (Klar Seifen)minorOthersSupplier of natural soaps (Klar Heart Soap, Moss Soap) for Heimat's product range. Producer of artisanal, natural soap products.
• KawecominorOthersHeidelberg-based manufacturer of writing instruments (gel rollerball pens, fountain pens, accessories) since 1883. Historic brand with deep Heidelberg roots. Heimat retails Kaweco products in its concept store and online.
• SchönfeldminorOthersSupplier of specialty teas (Casanova Tea) featured in Heimat's anniversary corporate gift basket.
• Edition Michael Fischer GmbHminorOthersPublisher of the 'Kala? Kala!' cookbook (Mediterranean/ Cretan cuisine) sold at Heimat. The cookbook features recipes by ARD-Buffet presenter Fatma Mittler-Solak and cardiologist Dr. Enise Lauterbach.
• Various regional producers and startupsminorOthersHeimat maintains personal relationships with producers and startups in the Heidelberg region. Producers are known personally and regularly exchange ideas. Shared drive to create something special and unique.
• DHLminorOthersShipping partner for domestic and international deliveries. Orders are carefully packaged and insured for safe delivery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Hofladen.de: Online marketplace aggregating German farm shops and regional producers. Comparable to Heimat's curated marketplace aspect, though operates as a multi-producer platform rather than a single vertical concept store.

Direct peers

• Manufactum: Germany's leading curated specialty retailer selling high-quality, often artisanal and traditional products across food, home, and lifestyle. Directly comparable to Heimat's concept-store model of personally vetted, premium regional goods, though at much larger scale and broader assortment.
• Alnatura: Germany's largest organic specialist retailer with ~140 stores and a strong private-label food assortment. Comparable to Heimat on organic/specialty food focus and DTC store concept, though nationwide scale vs. Heimat's single flagship.
• Bio Company: Berlin-based organic supermarket chain with regional-producer focus and strong private-label food range. Comparable to Heimat on organic positioning, curated regional sourcing, and store-based retail, but operates in a different geography at multiple-store scale.
• Sonnentor: Austrian organic herb, spice, and tea brand with strong own-store retail and farm-tourism concept. Closely comparable to Heimat's Eau de Wald spice-blend and tea line, plus gift-basket positioning, with overlap in organic herb/specialty salz market.
• Basic Bio: German organic food retailer and former store chain, now focused on wholesale private-label organic products. Comparable to Heimat on organic certified food retail and Hausmarke strategy, though at significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Rapunzel Naturkost: One of Germany's largest organic food producers with branded retail products (spices, oils, vinegars, chocolate) sold across Europe. Comparable to Eau de Wald Manufaktur on organic production of spices, oils, and vinegars, but at wholesale FMCG scale.
• denn's Biomarkt: Germany/Austria's largest organic supermarket chain (Dennree Group), operating ~300+ stores. Overlaps with Heimat on organic specialty food retail, but at national discount-organic scale rather than premium curated concept.

Emerging players

• Andechser Natur: German organic dairy and specialty food producer with own cafe and farm shop in Bavaria. Partial overlap with Heimat on organic specialty food manufacturing and regional production, and comparable on-premise consumer experience.
• Beutelsbacher: Family-owned German organic producer of juices, vinegars, and specialty foods, with its own farm shop and selected retail presence. Overlaps with Heimat on regional organic food manufacturing and specialty-food retail, though more juice-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/heimatheidelberg/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heimatheidelberg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Heimat