ÜZ Mainfranken

What ÜZ Mainfranken does

ÜZ Mainfranken eG is a registered cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft) founded in 1908 and headquartered in Lülsfeld, Bavaria, that operates as the regulated electricity distribution network operator and retail electricity supplier for a supply area spanning 5 counties, 43 municipalities, and 143 municipal districts in the Mainfranken region. The company serves 55,000+ private households, 400 business customers with combined consumption of 110 GWh, 47 municipalities plus the Landkreis Schweinfurt, and a membership base of approximately 3,300 cooperative owners (eG-Mitglieder). It is described as Bavaria's largest regional energy cooperative and was recognized in 2025 by the Genossenschaftsverband Bayern as Bavaria's model cooperative.

The product portfolio spans electricity supply (Haushaltstarife, Heiztarife, Geschäftskunden, Stromkommunen), regulated grid operation, fiber optic and gigabit broadband infrastructure (FTTH via Deutsche Telekom partnership, DarkFibre leasing), renewable generation (20 MW PV plant in Schwebheim, Bürgerwindpark Obbach-Rütschenhausen), e-mobility and charging infrastructure, energy consulting, and technical services including station operation management, street lighting, and cable services. Underlying technology includes the proprietary ÜZ-GIS-Zentrum built on RIWA GmbH's GIS platform with custom FAB modules (developed with Autodesk GmbH and Mensch und Maschine Deutschland), an AMAZiNG digital twin of the power grid combining real measurements with AI-generated pseudo-measurements (with retoflow GmbH and Fichtner IT Consulting), smart metering and remote meter reading, and an online Anmeldeportal for self-producers registering PV, micro-PV, BHKW, and wind systems.

Revenue mechanics combine regulated network charges (managed services), recurring retail electricity subscriptions (annual billing), subscription fiber/dark-fibre services, professional services for GIS, surveying, and station operation, hardware sales via own generation assets, and grant-funded climate protection network coordination (~€1.2M secured, 60% co-financed via the National Climate Protection Initiative through ZUG gGmbH). Go-to-market is a hybrid of direct field sales (dedicated municipal and business customer teams), D2C self-service portals (Kundenportal, Anmeldeportal, Einspeiserportal, Online-Planauskunft), a customer referral program ('ÜZ empfehlen'), and community-led growth through climate protection networks spanning 47 municipalities. Planned capex of €160 million for grid expansion underpins a multi-year investment cycle alongside an equity ratio maintained above 50%.

Name

ÜZ Mainfranken

Legal name

ÜZ Mainfranken eG

Website

https://uez.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ÜZ Mainfranken eG is a regional energy cooperative founded in 1908, supplying electricity, operating the local power grid, expanding fiber-optic broadband, and offering renewable generation and e-mobility services to 55,000+ households, 400 businesses, and 47 municipalities across the Mainfranken region of Bavaria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Power Distribution and Energy Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Microgrids & Shared Distributed Generation (EUACALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

DER Aggregation & Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) (EUAMAJAC), Distributed Storage (Behind-the-Meter Batteries) (EUAMAJAE), Private Cellular Networks for Utilities (Private LTE/5G Core, RAN, SIM/eSIM) (EUADAIAF)

Keywords

• Electricity supply
• Power grid operation
• Fiber optic broadband
• Renewable energy generation
• E-mobility charging

Headquarters

HQ city

Lülsfeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electricity Supply (Stromlieferung): Sale of electricity to private households (Haushaltstarife), business customers (Geschäftskunden), and municipalities (Kommunen/Stromkommunen). Revenue from standard tariffs, heating tariffs, and individually negotiated contracts. Includes regulated grid operation revenue as a distribution network operator (Netzbetreiber).
2. Grid Operation (Stromnetz): Regulated revenue from operating the electricity distribution network in the ÜZ supply area covering 5 counties, 43 municipalities, and 143 municipal districts. Includes network connection services, measurement services, and publication obligations.
3. Fiber Optic / Gigabit Infrastructure (Glasfaser/Gigabitausbau): Deployment of fiber optic networks under the Gigabit strategy (Gigabitrichtlinie) for high-speed internet in rural areas. Revenue from fiber connections, DarkFibre leasing to telecom providers, and LWL (light wave conductor) services including installation and splicing.
4. Renewable Energy Generation (Energiewende): Own electricity generation from photovoltaic and wind energy. Projects include PV free-area plants (e.g., 20 MW plant in Schwebheim with ~33,000 modules) and wind park participation (Bürgerwindpark Obbach-Rütschenhausen). Citizen participation models enable community investment in renewable projects.
5. E-Mobility Services (E-Mobilität): Charging infrastructure services for private and municipal customers including consultation, planning, and implementation of charging stations.
6. Geodata Management and Surveying (Geodatenmanagement und Vermessung): GIS services, surveying, cable service contracts, and documentation for municipalities, planning offices, energy utilities, and private individuals. Includes cable registry management, infrastructure digitization, and measurement services.
7. Data Center Services (Rechenzentrum): Server hosting and housing services with scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency. Part of the fiber optic and digital infrastructure services.
8. Station and Operation Services (Stationsservice und Betriebsführung): Operation and maintenance services for medium-voltage plants including station inspection contracts, station maintenance contracts, and full operation management contracts for customers with transformer stations or their own medium-voltage networks.
9. Technical Services (Technische Dienstleistungen): Technical services including cable service contracts, street lighting for municipalities, geodetic services, and network planning services.
10. Energy Consulting (Energieberatung): Energy advisory services for private and business customers, including subsidized consulting for buildings and energy efficiency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ÜZ Mainfranken eG is a regional energy cooperative that supplies electricity to private households, business customers, and municipalities, operates the regulated local distribution grid across 5 counties and 43 municipalities, builds and operates fiber optic gigabit networks, and generates renewable energy from its own photovoltaic and wind assets. The company additionally provides e-mobility charging infrastructure, GIS and surveying services, technical services for substations and street lighting, an in-house data center, and coordinated municipal climate protection networks.

Product overview

ÜZ Mainfranken is a regional energy cooperative (Energie-Genossenschaft) serving Mainfranken with a comprehensive portfolio of energy products and digital services. The core offering includes electricity tariffs for household, business, and municipal customers, with renewable energy solutions (PV systems, wind energy, heat supply). The company provides digital infrastructure through fiber optic networks (Gigabit/FTTH) and operates data center services. Technical services encompass geodata management and surveying (GDV) using RIWA GIS-Zentrum, cable services, station and operations management, and street lighting. Digital customer services include online portals for registration, feed-in management, plan information (Online-Planauskunft), and customer account management. The company coordinates climate protection networks with 47 municipalities and conducts AI research in partnership with University of Würzburg. The Energiewende (energy transition) products include citizen participation models, PV systems, wind parks, and heat supply solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Haushaltstarife (Household Electricity Tariffs)
• Heiztarife (Heating Tariffs)
• E-Mobilität Tarife (E-Mobility Electricity Tariffs)
• Geschäftskunden (Business Customer Contracts)
• Stromkommunen (Municipal Electricity Supply)
• Glasfaser / LWL (Fiber Optic Network Services)
• Ladeinfrastruktur (Charging Infrastructure Services)
• Geodatenmanagement und Vermessung (Geodata Management and Surveying)
• GIS-Dienstleistungen (GIS Services)
• Online-Planauskunft (Online Plan Information)
• Kabelservice (Cable Service Contracts)
• Stationsservice und Betriebsführung (Station Service and Operations Management)
• Straßenbeleuchtung (Street Lighting Services)
• Rechenzentrum (Data Center Services)
• Energieberatung (Energy Consulting)
• Klimaschutz-Netzwerke (Climate Protection Networks)
• Zählerfernauslesung (Remote Meter Reading Service)
• Bürgerbeteiligung PV Schwebheim (Citizen Participation Solar Park)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 115 years of reliable energy supply to Mainfranken
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• bisping & bisping GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Following the tragic death of FPS InformationsSysteme GmbH's managing director, bisping & bisping was secured as successor operator to ensure continuity of FPS communication systems and services for customers in the Schweinfurt district.
• Arno Nüßlein (Büro für Heizungsenergieoptimierung)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 30 September 2025Consulting partner presenting on the expansion and new construction of heat networks at the 9th network meeting. Provides practical examples for implementing new heat network projects.
• MaxSolar GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2025Co-development partner for the 20 MW photovoltaic free-area plant in Schwebheim with ~33,000 solar modules. MaxSolar responsible for project development alongside ÜZ and Gündermann Solar.
• Gündermann SolarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2025Partner in the Schwebheim PV project alongside MaxSolar and ÜZ. Contributed to the successful implementation of the 20 MW citizen-participation solar plant.
• RIWA GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-term strategic partnership with RIWA GmbH as the core GIS software provider. ÜZ-GIS-Zentrum built on RIWA GIS-Zentrum platform with web-based, flexible architecture and multiple modules for municipal and utility applications. Partnership spans over 20 years of collaboration.
• Autodesk GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationFAB-modules (ÜZ-eigenen Software-Module) developed in cooperation with Autodesk GmbH for integration with AutoCAD Map 3D, enabling flexible and future-oriented digital network planning solutions.
• Mensch und Maschine Deutschland GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationFAB-modules integrated into MapEdit software in collaboration with Mensch und Maschine Deutschland GmbH, creating a powerful solution for digital processes.
• Institut für Energietechnik (IfE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical consulting partner for the Klimaschutz-Netzwerke (climate protection networks). Certified, manufacturer-, supplier-, and distributor-neutral advisory services for municipalities on all climate protection topics. Supported by experts Pia Meiller, Maximilian Conrad, and others.
• retoflow GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware partner in the AMAZiNG research project providing the software for digital twin creation. retoflow enables network topology import, visualization, real-time load display, and automated target network planning.
• Fichtner IT Consulting GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the central database EDDIE in the AMAZiNG project that harmonizes measurement data from various source systems and makes it available to all project partners. Integrates with GIS for spatial data analysis.
• Fraunhofer ISEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner presenting on the role of large-scale battery storage in the energy system and power grid at the 11th network meeting. Contributes expertise on storage technology and grid integration.
• M. Münch Elektrotechnik GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented technical implementation, procedures, and best practices for battery storage projects at the 11th network meeting. Provides expertise on storage installation and operation.
• FERESTO GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner presenting on trading and marketing of innovative storage concepts at the 11th network meeting. Contributes to energy storage market development discussions.
• Landkreis SchweinfurtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-level government partner in the Klimaschutz-Netzwerke. One of 48 municipal actors participating in climate protection networks coordinated by ÜZ Mainfranken.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Stadtwerke München (SWM): Munich's municipal utility with generation, distribution, fiber (M-net), district heating, and tram operations. Represents a larger-scale Stadtwerke model against which ÜZ's diversification ambitions can be benchmarked.
• EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg: Major integrated German utility with generation, T&D, fiber, and e-mobility across southern Germany. Provides the strategic incumbent benchmark on renewable build-out and grid investment at scale.
• Bayernwerk Netz: Largest regulated distribution grid operator in Bavaria, part of the E.ON group. Operates thousands of km of distribution grid across Bavaria, providing a broader incumbent benchmark for ÜZ's grid business.

Others

• M-net Telekommunikations: Regional fiber operator in Bavaria with municipal utility shareholders (including SWM). Relevant ecosystem peer for benchmarking ÜZ's fiber/DarkFibre strategy and potential partnership models.

Direct peers

• N-ERGIE: Regional energy supplier and grid operator serving Middle Franconia with a comparable portfolio of electricity, gas, district heating, fiber, and e-mobility services. Most analogous to ÜZ in scope, scale, and Bavarian regional utility model.
• Überlandwerk Mittelrhein: Regional grid operator and energy supplier in Rhineland-Palatinate with similar scope in regulated distribution, customer services, and municipal partnerships — useful peer for operating-cost benchmarking.
• Mainova: Frankfurt-based municipal utility (Stadtwerke) operating electricity and gas distribution, renewable generation, fiber, and e-mobility. Highly comparable vertically integrated regional utility with similar customer-municipality mix.
• RhönEnergie Osthessen: Regional energy cooperative (Genossenschaft) supplying electricity, gas, and fiber in eastern Hesse — directly comparable to ÜZ in cooperative structure, regional scope, and product portfolio.

Regional players

• Energieversorgung Unterfranken (EVU): Energy supplier operating in the immediate geographic vicinity of ÜZ (Unterfranken/Lower Franconia). Highly relevant for local market dynamics, customer overlap risk, and regional pricing.

Emerging players

• Licht- und Kraftwerke Sonneberg: Smaller regional municipal utility in Thuringia with similar vertically integrated electricity and fiber offerings. Useful emerging-peer benchmark for sub-250-employee utility economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/uez.mainfranken
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uezmainfranken

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries1 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 ÜZ Mainfranken