List of the 100 largest holdings Germany [2024 Update]

List of the 5 largest holding companies in Germany

The sole purpose of a holding company is to hold interests in companies. Sometimes a holding company forms a corporate umbrella, sometimes the construct is used to bundle family assets. Here are the 5 largest German holding companies.

1. Heraeus Holding GmbH, Hanau

Heraeus is a traditional Hanau-based company and family-owned technology group. The history of Heraeus dates back to the 17th century, and in 1985 Heraeus Holding was founded as the corporate umbrella. Below the holding company are five management companies for precious metals, dental materials, quartz glass, sensors and medical technology.

Update 2024: The topic of hydrogen is playing an increasingly important role in the industry and is seen as central to the success of the energy transition. Heraeus is also aware of the importance of the technology and announced at the beginning of 2024 that the Hyrogen Systems division will be founded. In particular, precious metal-based products for electrolyzers and fuel cells are to be developed and offered here.

2. RETHMANN SE & Co. KG, Selm

RETHMANN started in 1934 as a freight forwarding company in Selm. Today, RETHMANN SE & Co. KG is the parent company of the three subgroups Remondis (recycling and water treatment), Rhenus (contract logistics, freight logistics and port logistics) and Saria (recycling of animal and plant residues). The RETHMANN Group is family-owned.

Update 2023: German food processor Saria is part of the RETHMANN Group and completed the acquisition of Devro, a Scottish producer of sausage skins, at the beginning of 2023. Saria’s range of services extends from the disposal and processing of food waste and animal by-products to the production of food and animal feed.

3. maxingvest AG, Hamburg

The Herz family of entrepreneurs is behind maxingvest. The management holding company owns 100 percent of the trading company Tchibo and a majority stake in the consumer goods manufacturer Beiersdorf with its subgroup tesa. 70 percent of sales are generated with Beiersdorf products, 30 percent with Tchibo. maxingvest is responsible for strategic management.

4. HGV Hamburger Gesellschaft für Vermögens- und Beteiligungsmanagement mbH, Hamburg

HGV is the investment holding company of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. It bundles important shareholdings in companies operating in the fields of public transport, utilities and waste management, housing and urban development, as well as transport and logistics. The sole purpose of HGV is investment management.

5. Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, Duisburg-Ruhrort

Franz Haniel founded a trading house in Ruhrort in the 18th century – the origin of today’s Haniel conglomerate. Franz Haniel & Cie. is the corporate umbrella for more than 200 companies. These are grouped into six divisions (People, Planet, Progress, Transformation, Growth Capital). The group is owned by the founders’ descendants.

Capital investment companies: Active in several industries

We present the largest holding companies in Germany in our unique list. Holdings or holding companies are umbrella companies whose purpose is the administration or the capital participation in other companies. The largest holding company in Germany is Heraeus Holding GmbH from Hesse, Germany, with annual revenues of more than 22 billion euros in 2019. Heraeus Holding operates on several continents and in many different industries, such as telecommunications, packaging and interconnection technology, medical technology, etc.

This information is included in the product

• Company name
• General contact data (address, e-mail address, telephone number, URL)
• Name of the management
• Serial letter suitable for addressing the management (e.g. “Dear Dr. Müller”)
• Sales figures for the years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements)
• Employee figures for the years 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements)
• Sector classification & Field of activity

Note: If the sales and employee figures are not included in a company’s own financial statements but in the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the data from the respective consolidated financial statements are provided.

Picture source: Unsplash (Sean Pollock), Unsplash (Stephen Dawson)