eco eco

What eco eco does

eco eco AG is a German sustainable-investment and consulting firm founded in 1999 by Dr. Thomas E. Banning and headquartered in Bamberg (with operating offices in Eggolsheim). The company operates two interconnected lines of business. First, it provides outsourced commercial services — Unternehmensberatung (business consulting), kaufmännische Verwaltung (corporate administration), Rechnungswesen und Finanzabwicklung (accounting and treasury), Finanzierung (financing advisory), Informationstechnik (IT infrastructure), and kaufmännische Betriebsführung (commercial operations management of 70+ wind, PV, biogas, and wood/gas heating plants) — primarily as a Shared Service Center for the NATURSTROM group and other sustainable SMEs. Second, it invests across five verticals: venture capital in sustainable companies (NATURSTROM AG anchor position, Wind 7, CCS Catalytic Combustion Systems, Holzapfel-Gruppe, Klimaschwarm), regenerative power supply, Nahwärme (district heating via NatCon JVs in Nordbayern, Fränkische Schweiz, Berlin, and Eifel), Böden (land/forestry via ecofundus 1 and 2, Holzhof Eggolsheim, R-B-B 1a, Ökolandwirtschaft Hartmann), and cooperative-ownership real estate development.

The business model blends professional-services fees with investment returns from a diversified minority-stake portfolio, where the 25% minus one share anchor position in NATURSTROM AG functions as both an economic and a strategic-defensive asset. The go-to-market is direct, enterprise field sales built on long-standing relationships and partner referrals; pricing is bespoke and quote-based. The firm holds a § 34c GewO trade permit for financial-contract brokerage, regulates its IT and data-protection via dedicated contacts, and currently employs 11–50 people. Geographic operations are concentrated in Germany, with cooperative-housing and district-heating projects expanding into additional federal states beyond the original Bavarian base.

Name

eco eco

Legal name

eco eco AG

Website

https://ecoeco.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

eco eco AG is a German sustainable-investment and consulting firm (founded 1999) that provides administrative, financial, IT, and operational management services to sustainable businesses while holding minority equity stakes across renewable energy, district heating, land/forestry, and cooperative real estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Eggolsheim

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. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for sustainable businesses covering business planning, market analysis, and strategic advisory. Revenue generated through service fees for business consulting and advisory engagements with companies in renewable energy and sustainable sectors.
2. Investment Returns: Returns generated from equity participations in sustainable companies, renewable energy projects, and real estate developments. The company acts as anchor shareholder and investor in businesses focused on ecological sustainability.
3. Administrative and Operational Services: Ongoing fees for comprehensive administrative services including bookkeeping, financial management, IT services, and commercial operational management of renewable energy plants. Services provided as a Shared Service Center to the NATURSTROM group and other clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

eco eco AG provides consulting, administrative, financial, IT, and commercial operations management services to sustainably oriented companies, particularly in the renewable energy sector. It also acts as an anchor shareholder and investor in sustainable businesses, including a 25% minus one share stake in NATURSTROM AG, and operates district heating networks, land, and real estate investment verticals.

Product overview

eco eco AG operates as a sustainable investment and consulting firm founded in 1999. The company offers two interconnected service portfolios: (1) Consulting and Business Services including Unternehmensberatung, kaufmännische Verwaltung, Rechnungswesen und Finanzabwicklung, Finanzierung, Informationstechnik, and kaufmännische Betriebsführung (managing over 70 renewable energy installations); and (2) Investment Services across five verticals—Venture Capital (with holdings in NATURSTROM AG, Wind 7, CCS Catalytic, Holzapfel-Gruppe, Klimaschwarm), Regenerative Stromversorgung (anchor shareholder of NATURSTROM AG), Nahwärme (district heating networks through joint ventures like NatCon companies), Böden (land acquisition for renewable installations and sustainable agriculture), and Immobilien (citizen-owned real estate development). Notable projects include the Heizhaus Hallerndorf district heating plant and the Ecosquare office building in Bamberg. The company acts as Shared Service Center for the NATURSTROM group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unternehmensberatung (Business Consulting) Advisory services for sustainably oriented companies covering business idea analysis, market research, strategic analysis including strengths/weaknesses and portfolio analysis. Targeted at sustainable enterprises.
• Kaufmännische Verwaltung (Commercial Administration) Administrative services including office administration, company founding support, shareholder meeting preparation, and legally required archiving of business documents. Targeted at portfolio companies and clients.
• Rechnungswesen und Finanzabwicklung (Accounting and Financial Processing) Accounting and financial services including bookkeeping, payment processing, preliminary closing work, business planning, liquidity planning, and ongoing reporting.
• Finanzierung (Financing Advisory) Financing advisory services including profitability calculations, financing requests to banks, negotiation support, and project management for financing conditions. Targeted at sustainable businesses seeking capital.
• Informationstechnik (IT Services) IT services including network planning and commissioning, server infrastructure installation and operation, workplace delivery and support, IP telephony, and device recycling.
• Kaufmännische Betriebsführung (Commercial Operations Management)
• Shared Service Center Outsourced commercial administrative services for the NATURSTROM group and other clients, allowing the partner to focus on core business. Covers financial, administrative, and IT services.
• Nahwärme (District Heating Networks) Development and operation of district heating networks for customers throughout Germany in partnership with NATURSTROM AG through joint ventures, including financing and administrative services.
• Heizhaus Hallerndorf District heating plant that supplies over 120 citizens of the municipality of Hallerndorf with renewable heating. Features the largest open-area solar thermal system in Bavaria.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 70 renewable energy plants managed operationally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NATURSTROM AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral strategic partnership with NATURSTROM AG, Germany's first nationwide independent green electricity provider founded in 1998. eco eco AG holds anchor shareholder position (25% minus one share) protecting against hostile takeovers. Together they founded joint ventures including Naturstrom Anlagen GmbH. eco eco AG serves as Shared Service Center for the NATURSTROM group, providing comprehensive administrative, financial, and IT services.
• Wind 7coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquity participation in wind energy company Wind 7 as part of renewable energy investment portfolio. Company website: www.wind7.com
• CCS Catalytic Combustion Systems GmbH & Co KGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquity participation in CCS Catalytic Combustion Systems as part of diversified sustainable business investments beyond renewable energy sector.
• Holzapfel-GruppeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment in Holzapfel-Gruppe (www.holzapfel-konsorten.de) as part of portfolio diversification beyond renewable energy sector.
• KlimaschwarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquity participation in Klimaschwarm (www.klimaschwarm.de) as sustainable investment beyond renewable energy sector.
• NatCon Nordbayern GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture with NATURSTROM AG for development and operation of district heating networks in Northern Bavaria region. eco eco AG responsible for financing and administrative services.
• NatCon Fränkische Schweiz GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture for district heating network development in Fränkische Schweiz region. eco eco AG provides financing and administrative support.
• NatCon Berlin GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture for district heating network operations in Berlin metropolitan area in partnership with NATURSTROM AG.
• NatCon Eifel GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture for district heating network development in Eifel region. eco eco AG handles financing and administrative responsibilities.
• econtract GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment in district heating sector through econtract GmbH & Co. KG as part of Nahwärme (district heating) business segment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NATURSTROM AG: Germany's first nationwide independent green electricity provider and eco eco AG's anchor stake (25% minus one share). Operates renewable generation and supply across Germany; directly comparable as a German green-energy operator in which eco eco AG is the structural anchor shareholder and shared-services partner.
• Wind 7: German wind energy project developer and operator, held as a minority equity participation by eco eco AG. Directly comparable as a German wind-energy portfolio company operating in the same value chain as eco eco AG's renewable asset management.
• Green Planet Energy: German green electricity cooperative (formerly Greenpeace Energy) supplying nationwide renewable power to consumers. Directly comparable as a mission-aligned German green-power competitor with cooperative ownership and a similar ecological-conversion focus.
• Lichtblick: German independent green energy provider offering renewable electricity and innovative home-energy products (e.g., ZuhauseKraftwerk). Closely comparable as a smaller, mission-driven German green-energy operator competing in the same customer segment.
• EWS Elektrizitätswerke Schönau: German green electricity cooperative founded after the Schönau grid takeover, now a nationwide green power supplier. Directly comparable as a citizen-owned German green-energy cooperative with similar ecological conviction and grassroots origins.
• Ökoworld: German sustainable investment fund manager running the Ökoworld funds focused on ecological and ethical investments. Directly comparable as a German sustainable-investment firm aligning ecological values with capital allocation, mirroring eco eco AG's venture-capital vertical.

Broad incumbents

• GLS Bank: Germany's leading sustainable bank, financing ecological and social projects across Germany. Comparable as a larger, established German sustainable-finance incumbent serving the same investor and project-finance audience eco eco AG targets.
• Triodos Bank (Niederlassung Deutschland): European sustainable bank with German operations, financing renewable energy, organic agriculture, and social enterprises. Comparable as a broader sustainable-finance incumbent operating in Germany alongside eco eco AG's investment and consulting activities.
• UmweltBank: German environmental bank financing renewable energy, sustainable construction, and ecological real estate nationwide. Comparable as a German sustainable-finance incumbent in the same renewable-finance and ecological-real-estate verticals eco eco AG addresses via its Böden and Immobilien investments.
• EnBW: Major German energy company (EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg) actively expanding renewable generation, district heating, and grid services. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping renewable-energy and district-heating activities that competes for the same Energiewende and Wärmewende opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eco-eco-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries15 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 eco eco