Horex Hor-akustik Eg

What Horex Hor-akustik Eg does

Hörex Hör-Akustik eG is a German purchasing and service cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft) founded in 1995 and headquartered in Kreuztal, operating as a community for independent hearing aid acousticians. It serves over 500 member specialist stores (Hörakustik-Fachgeschäfte) across Germany, leveraging collective volume to negotiate purchasing terms with all leading hearing-systems manufacturers while preserving each member's complete entrepreneurial independence. Members can join via a free, cancellable guest membership of up to 12 months and convert to full membership with a one-time €260 cooperative share; there are no recurring fees or purchase obligations.

The cooperative's service platform combines the exclusive Sonic hearing-systems brand (based on Demant technology) with the in-house marketing agency hörex.create, a centralised invoice management system (Hörex Zentralregulierung) that consolidates monthly manufacturer invoices, founding and succession advisory, an event/education series (hörex.connect including Wissensforum, Meet & Talk, and Azubi-Schulungstage), the Hörex-Forum member communication app, and a password-protected member intranet. Supporting the platform is a small 11–50 person central team in Kreuztal/Düsseldorf plus a regional field sales force covering North and South Germany.

The revenue model rests on the aggregate purchasing volume of its members: Hörex earns service fees and margins embedded in centrally negotiated manufacturer conditions, distributes a Warenrückvergütung (goods rebate) back to members when the cooperative posts a positive operating result, and is governed by a Vorstand (Claudia Hellbach, Mario Werndl) and Aufsichtsrat chaired by Christian Großmann. The 2026 General Assembly reported rising sales/revenue versus 2024, supporting a Warenrückvergütung payout.

Name

Horex Hor-akustik Eg

Legal name

Hörex Hör-Akustik eG

Website

https://hoerex.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hörex Hör-Akustik eG is a German cooperative purchasing and service group founded in 1995 that negotiates collective purchasing terms and provides marketing, billing, training, and founding/succession services to over 500 independent hearing-aid specialist stores across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kreuztal

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees / Cooperative Shares: Members pay a one-time cooperative share (Geschäftsanteil) of €260 to join. No further recurring membership fees are charged. The cooperative generates revenue through the aggregate purchasing volume of its members, from which it negotiates rebates and volume-based conditions from manufacturers.
2. Warenrückvergütung (Goods Rebate / Turnover Refund): If Hörex achieves a positive operating result, members participate in a goods rebate (Warenrückvergütung). This distributes a portion of the cooperative's value creation back to members based on their purchasing volume through Hörex.
3. Centralized Purchasing and Billing Administration: Hörex acts as a central billing intermediary for member purchases. Manufacturers invoice Hörex; Hörex invoices members. The cooperative earns revenue through negotiated margins and service fees embedded in the purchasing conditions negotiated with manufacturers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HÖREX Hör-Akustik eG is a purchasing and service cooperative for independent hearing care professionals (Hörakustiker) in Germany. It negotiates centralized purchasing conditions with hearing system manufacturers, provides centralized invoice management (Zentralregulierung), offers an exclusive Sonic hearing aid brand, an in-house marketing agency (hörex.create), and comprehensive founding, succession, training and peer-networking services to its member specialist stores.

Product overview

Hörex Hör-Akustik eG is a cooperative purchasing and service community for independent hearing aid acousticians in Germany. The core offering consists of centrally negotiated purchasing conditions without sales or revenue obligations, combined with the exclusive Sonic hearing system brand and the internal marketing agency hörex.create. Supporting services include founding and succession consulting, the hörex.connect event series for education and networking, apprentice training days, the Hörex-Forum App for member communication, and the member intranet for accessing purchasing conditions and information. The cooperative provides a complete support ecosystem for independent hearing aid businesses from founding through ongoing operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• hörex.create: In-house marketing and advertising agency for hearing aid businesses, providing services including graphic design, media design, illustration, product management, online marketing, social media, photo and video services.

Products and services

• HÖREX Core Cooperative Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 member specialist businesses served across Germany
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Schiegg AssekuranzService GmbHminorOthersCooperation partner providing specialized hearing aid insurance products available to members' customers, including during the trial period. Additional business insurance options for member businesses are also available.
• Santander Consumer Bank AGminorOthersFinancing partner enabling Hörex members to offer their customers installment financing for hearing aids and complete hearing solutions at attractive conditions, subject to creditworthiness.
• Bernafon AkademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining partnership with Bernafon Akademie providing Hörex members with preparation courses for Geselle (journeyman) and Meister (master) examinations, as well as training for assistants in hearing acoustics. Hörex provides ongoing certified seminars and workshops in collaboration with Bernafon Akademie.
• 57mobilminorOthersCar rental service partner offering Hörex members special conditions on vehicle rentals for business use, including service and mobility services plus nationwide delivery.
• Agentur TieleschminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing agency with long-standing experience in the hearing acoustics industry, offering customer acquisition support, regional market presence development, a Hörmobil (hearing mobile unit), telemarketing, and AI-based marketing and sales tools.
• bk GroupminorOthersShop design and interior fitting partner with extensive experience in hearing acoustics, providing store layout, shop design, and fit-out services including compliance with acoustic requirements and PräQ certification.
• CarFleet24minorOthersVehicle brokerage service through a nationwide dealer network, offering new vehicles at negotiated special conditions for Hörex members, their families, and employees.
• Neickenpartner Licht- und Werbetechnik GmbHminorOthersSignage and lighting technology partner offering signage, lettering, illuminated signs, banners, digital printing, and LED surfaces for retail environments.
• opta data GruppeminorOthersHealthcare billing, software, and services group offering solutions for the healthcare sector, supporting companies in optimizing their operational processes.
• Optica (Abrechnungszentrum Dr. Güldener GmbH)minorOthersHörex has negotiated a framework agreement for centralized prescription billing (Rezeptabrechnung). Members can join through an individual billing contract with Optica for processing health insurance reimbursements.
• SACHS – Transaktions- und NachfolgeberatungminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndependent, owner-managed consulting firm specializing in buying and selling hearing acoustics businesses. Supports entrepreneurs with business succession, expansion, or location expansion, drawing on industry knowledge and an existing network.
• VikingminorOthersOffice supplies, office technology, and office equipment provider. Through a cooperation agreement, Hörex members can access Viking's product range at negotiated conditions.
• WERTGARANTIEminorOthersWarranty and protection product provider offering hearing aid protection plans covering repair costs as well as damage from loss or theft for new, used, or refurbished devices.
• WinLocalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal online visibility specialist helping specialist stores improve their local search presence, offering services in SEO, online advertising, AI search, listing management, and review management.
• Demant (technology provider for Sonic brand)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Sonic exclusive brand is based on technology from the Demant Group. This technology partnership enables Hörex to offer members an exclusive hearing systems brand with negotiated purchasing conditions and marketing support, providing differentiation from competitors.
• Genoverband e.V.minorOthersHörex is a member of Genoverband e.V., the cooperative association that serves as both the trade association membership and the audit association (Prüfungsverband) for the cooperative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• WS Audiology (Signia, Widex): WS Audiology is a major hearing aid manufacturer combining the Signia and Widex brands. It supplies H\u00f6rex members and competes with H\u00f6rex member stores via its own retail initiatives in some markets.
• Demant: Demant (parent of Oticon, Bernafon, Sonic) is a top global hearing technology group and a core H\u00f6rex partner — Sonic is an exclusive H\u00f6rex member brand based on Demant technology, and Bernafon Akademie provides training. It is a key supplier and strategic ally for the cooperative.
• Starkey Hearing Technologies: Starkey is a US-based global hearing aid manufacturer supplying H\u00f6rex members. As one of the "big six" hearing technology players, it is both a supplier and a structural influence on the hearing acoustics value chain in which H\u00f6rex operates.
• GN Hearing (Beltone, ReSound): GN Hearing is a major global hearing aid manufacturer with its own retail brands (Beltone, ReSound) and is a key supplier with whom H\u00f6rex negotiates purchasing terms. As a manufacturer-retailer, it represents both a partner and a potential disintermediation risk.

Broad incumbents

• Amplifon: Amplifon is a global hearing care retail leader with significant German operations (including acquisitions of regional chains). It competes with H\u00f6rex's member stores for end customers and represents the kind of large-scale retail competitor that threatens independent specialists' market position.
• KIND Optik & Hörakustik: KIND is the largest hearing care retail chain in Germany, offering hearing aids, optician services, and accessories. It is a competitor to H\u00f6rex's independent member specialist stores rather than to the cooperative itself, but operates in the same German hearing acoustics value chain with overlapping customers and supplier relationships.
• Sonova (retail operations including GEERS Hörakustik): Sonova operates hearing care retail networks (including GEERS in Germany) alongside its Phonak and Unitron hearing aid brands. It combines manufacturer and retailer roles and competes directly with independent specialists served by H\u00f6rex.

Emerging players

• Fördergemeinschaft Gutes Hören (FGH): FGH is a German industry initiative focused on hearing conservation awareness and end-customer education. It is not a direct cooperative peer but operates in the same German hearing care ecosystem and influences consumer demand dynamics that affect H\u00f6rex's member businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hoerexeg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hörex-hör-akustik-eg
• Instagraminstagram.com/hoerex_eg

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 Horex Hor-akustik Eg