Heimatlichter GmbH

What Heimatlichter GmbH does

Heimatlichter GmbH is a German private limited company (GmbH) founded in August 2020 and headquartered in Freinsheim, Rheinland-Pfalz, with a secondary regional office in Offenburg (Schwarzwald). The company operates as a network-model creative agency built on a curated roster of 80+ freelance photo and video photographers across Southern Germany and Switzerland, supported by a five-person core team of two managing directors and a head of marketing. It delivers professional photography, videography, 360° virtual tours, illuminated and acoustic wall art, exhibition services, and WordPress-based websites and shops to tourism boards, municipalities, healthcare facilities, hospitality businesses, and individual consumers.

The product surface is organized across four sub-brands consolidated under heimatlichter.com: Sehen (photo, video, and 360° tours via the Heimat360 platform), Spüren (wall, illuminated, and acoustic images, including a proprietary Leuchtkasten line and Akustikbilder panels), Zeigen (exhibition design and installation), and Erzählen (an online magazine and bi-weekly podcast). Ancillary revenue lines include a rentable 90 m² photo studio at the Heimatlichter Forum in Freinsheim, photography coaching, photo trips via heimaterleben.de, and print retail via heimatfotos.de's 5,000+ motif catalog. The technology stack is largely conventional — WordPress CMS, Brevo for email/push, Vimeo/YouTube for video, and a proprietary cookieless analytics layer (Heimat Site Analytics); the Heimat360/Heimat VR components are the closest thing to differentiated proprietary technology.

The go-to-market is sales-led for B2B (project inquiry forms, phone, trade shows CMT Stuttgart and Photopia Hamburg) and community-led for supply (the photographer network). Enterprise reference clients include Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH (Wirtschaftspartner since January 2024), Pfalz Touristik e.V. (150-POI virtual tour), Europa-Park Erlebnisregion, BG Unfallklinik Ludwigshafen, and LBM Rheinland-Pfalz (framework partner since end-2024). Pricing is quote-based for services; only studio rental is publicly disclosed (€60–€300 per session). The firm holds TourCert sustainability certification (2022) and RLP Gold Markenpartner status (December 2023), and operates with a registered share capital of 25,000 EUR and no external institutional funding on record.

Name

Heimatlichter GmbH

Legal name

Heimatlichter GmbH

Website

https://heimatlichter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heimatlichter GmbH is a network-based creative agency in Southern Germany, offering photography, video, 360° virtual tours, wall art, exhibitions, and websites to tourism boards, municipalities, healthcare, and businesses through a roster of 80+ regional photographers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Photography Services

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Photography & Still Production (Stills, Product, Lifestyle) (MPAAAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF), Photography & Videography Workshops (THAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Commercial photography services
• Virtual 360 tours
• Wall art products
• Exhibition design services
• Photography workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Freinsheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Photography & Video Services: Professional photography and videography services for businesses, tourism boards, municipalities, and events. Includes commercial photography, aerial/drone photography, event coverage, and image campaigns. Projects range from individual business portraits to large-scale tourism photography campaigns spanning multiple months.
2. Virtual 360° Tours: Creation of immersive virtual panoramic tours for destinations, museums, hotels, and businesses. Offered through the Heimat360 platform and as custom project work.
3. Wall Art & Print Products: Sale of high-quality framed prints, illuminated images, and acoustic panels through the Heimatfotos portal. Products include backlit displays, fine art prints, and panoramic photo tapestries for homes and businesses.
4. Exhibition Services: Complete exhibition setup service including concept development, print production, and installation for museums, municipalities, and businesses.
5. Photography Studio Rental: Rental of professional photography studio space in Freinsheim, including equipment like lighting, backdrops, and projector. Offers half-day and full-day rates for private and professional use.
6. Photography Coaching: Individual photography coaching and training sessions with professional photographers from the network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heimatlichter GmbH delivers professional photography, videography, virtual 360° tours, and premium wall art products for tourism boards, municipalities, healthcare facilities, and businesses across Southern Germany and Switzerland. The company operates a network of 80+ photographers producing high-quality visual content for digital and physical spaces, including regional stock photography via Heimatfotos, immersive 360° tours via Heimat360, and exhibition services. Revenue is generated through professional service fees, custom product sales, and studio rental at the Heimatlichter Forum.

Product overview

Heimatlichter GmbH operates as a multi-brand network offering professional photography, videography, virtual 360° tours, website development, wall and illuminated art products, exhibitions, and photography experiences across South Germany and Switzerland. The core umbrella brand heimatlichter.com (rebranded in March 2023 from the previous split structure) consolidates B2B offerings including Sehen (photo/video production), Spüren (wall and illuminated images), Zeigen (exhibitions), and the Heimatlichter Forum venue. Allied sub-brands include Heimatfotos (wall art and stock photography portal), Heimaterleben (photo workshops and trips), and Heimat360 (360° tour platform). The portfolio also includes an online magazine, podcast, and a rentable photography studio. The company maintains a network of over 80 photographers and operates two physical locations in Freinsheim (Pfalz) and Offenburg (Schwarzwald).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heimatfotos: Regional photo platform offering high-quality wall pictures and digital photographs from photographers in southern Germany and Switzerland.
• Heimaterleben
• Heimat360

Products and services

• Professional Photography & Videography Services
• Virtual 360° Tour Services (Heimat360)
• Wall & Illuminated Art Products (Heimatfotos/Spüren)
• Exhibition Design & Installation Services (Zeigen)
• Website Design & Development Services
• Photo Studio Rental (Heimatlichter Forum)
• Photography Workshops & Coaching (Heimaterleben)

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ regional motifs in the Heimatfotos catalog
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH (STG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Official economic partnership (Wirtschaftspartner) with the Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH. Partnership announced at CMT Stuttgart tourism fair. Heimatlichter supports STG with photographic expertise and products. Wand- und Leuchtbilder with Schwarzwald motifs displayed at STG's trade show booth.
• Pfalz Touristik e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor project partnership for tourism photography. Completed largest project to date: photographed 150 Points of Interest and 100 events, producing nearly 2,000 high-quality photographs. Created Pfalz 360° virtual panoramic tour.
• Land Rheinland-Pfalz (Gold Partner)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold partner status in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz's brand partnership program since December 2023. Provides marketing and visibility benefits.
• WindcloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationSustainable server hosting partnership. Windcloud provides 100% CO2-free hosting with renewable energy and waste heat recycling for algae cultivation. Ensures environmentally friendly digital infrastructure for Heimatfotos servers.
• Mikoko PamojaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate protection partnership supporting mangrove reforestation project in Kenya. Kooperationsvertrag signed December 2021. Financial support for planting 1,500 mangrove trees to start, with ongoing ecological and social project support.
• GreenRoastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee partnership with Kaffeerösterei GreenRoast from Grünstadt. Offers coffee and espresso at the Heimatlichter Forum. Some varieties transported by sailing ship from Costa Rica. Exclusive 'Wegelnburg' espresso blend created for Heimatlichter.
• born2exploreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint exhibition partner at Photopia 2022 and 2023. Shared booth showcasing virtual spaces, drone photography, and 360° panorama capabilities.
• Insta360minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Photopia trade show events. Joint marketing and prize sponsorship for photography competitions.
• Fotofachlabor TrenklecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional printing partner in Freiburg i.Br. Produces high-quality prints including UV direct printing, Fine Art prints behind acrylic glass, aluminum profiles, and professional installation services.
• DeinDorfleben.deminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with sustainable rural experience platform sharing values around quality, regionality, and sustainability.
• Foto FranzminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional photography equipment retailer partner in Kehl. Physical showroom for photographers to test equipment.
• Landesbetrieb Mobilität Rheinland-Pfalz (LBM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFramework partnership since end of 2024 for event photography at road and cycling network openings in Rheinland-Pfalz. Photos used for LBM website and marketing materials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Shutterstock: Broad incumbent stock photography and footage marketplace with a large contributor network, competing with Heimatlichter in the stock/licensing layer and increasingly in AI-generated imagery for SMB marketing use cases.
• Adobe Stock: Stock photography service integrated into Adobe Creative Cloud, providing a global marketplace for contributors — a broad incumbent that overlaps with Heimatlichter's content library and competes for the same marketing-buyer wallet.
• Getty Images: Global incumbent in commercial stock and assignment photography, offering photography, video and editorial content across all categories — overlapping with Heimatlichter's stock library and assignment work, but serving a global rather than regional customer base.

Direct peers

• Plainpicture: Munich-based stock photography agency curating independent photographers for commercial licensing, directly analogous to Heimatlichter's curated regional photographer network and Heimatfotos stock portal.
• Maskot: Regional stock photography agency offering curated, location-specific image collections (especially travel and lifestyle) for commercial use, closely comparable to Heimatlichter's Heimatfotos stock portal and regional motif library.
• LOOK Fotografen: German photography agency managing a roster of professional photographers for advertising, editorial and corporate clients — similar in offering commissioned and stock photography services to enterprise clients in the DACH region.
• Westend61: German stock and assignment photography agency representing a network of photographers, producing commercial imagery for marketing and editorial clients — the same network-based commercial photography model Heimatlichter operates, but at much larger national scale.
• Stocksy: Curated, artist-owned stock photography cooperative offering premium commercial imagery — comparable network/curation model to Heimatlichter's photographer network and Heimatfotos platform, though at a global rather than regional scale.

Emerging players

• EyeEm: Curated photography marketplace and contributor community with a focus on authentic, mobile-shot imagery; comparable in its network-of-photographers model but operating at a different price point and global reach than Heimatlichter.

Others

• Matterport: Category-leading 3D/virtual tour platform widely used in real estate, hospitality and museums; overlaps directly with Heimatlichter's Heimat360 virtual tour service, though at much larger scale and with proprietary capture hardware.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heimatlichter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Heimatlichter GmbH