The Platform Group begins entry into the optician industry

The Platform Group begins entry into the optician industry
 

• Acquisition of optician chain with 30 locations and 200 employees in Germany
• Development of a new segment (“Optics & Hearing”) with an EBITDA margin of 25%
• Further acquisitions planned in the optician segment
• Linking own and external opticians with the MyGlasses online platform

Düsseldorf, 13 June 2025. The Platform Group AG (ISIN DE000A2QEFA1, “TPG”), a leading software company for platform solutions, is beginning its entry into the optician industry following extensive preparations. The market entry will take place in three consecutive steps.

As part of step one, The Platform Group AG announced today that it will initially acquire two groups of companies in the optician and hearing acoustics industry and merge them with the MyGlasses platform. The objective is to ensure a fully comprehensive digital customer journey through the seamless integration of 30 locations and the MyGlasses online platform. In step two, numerous other optician companies in Germany and other EU countries are to be acquired by the end of 2026, creating an independent segment within The Platform Group AG. In step three, the MyGlasses optician platform is to be opened up to external opticians from the end of 2025 in order to become the leading platform for opticians in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The target is to connect at least 1,000 local opticians and hearing aid acousticians to the platform and thus provide local opticians and hearing aid acousticians with access to e-commerce on a partnership basis.

The acquisition announced today comprises the purchase of majority stakes in the optician groups Beste Aussichten GmbH and Karrasch & Nolte GmbH, both based in Münster. The two companies have a total of around 30 locations nationwide with a focus on optician and hearing acoustics and employ around 200 people. The transactions each take the form of share deal agreements. The purchase price is in the double-digit million euro-range and is made up of a cash component, which is financed from own funds, and share compensation. The parties have agreed not to disclose the exact purchase price. Closing is expected to take place in July 2025.

Given the future importance of the business area and the further acquisitions within it, TPG will introduce a separate segment in future as part of Group segment reporting. The new “Optics & Hearing” segment is expected to generate revenue of over EUR 30 million and adjusted EBITDA of EUR 8 million to EUR 10 million in the 2025 financial year on a pro forma basis. The forecast EBITDA margin (adjusted) is at least 25%.

As part of the active acquisition and takeover process planned in step two in the optician and hearing acoustics sector, concrete talks are already being held with 15 target companies. The company expects these to be concluded in the near future by 2026. The takeovers are to take place in Germany and neighboring EU countries. By the end of 2026, the acquired companies are expected to contribute at least EUR 55 million to EUR 60 million to sales with an EBITDA margin of at least 25% and a growing online share.

Dr. Dominik Benner, CEO of The Platform Group AG: “The entry into the optician sector is well thought out for the long term and represents an important acquisition. We have spent the past two years intensively engaging with the industry and analyzing the best way to create a profitable business model in this sector. After all, 70% of prescription eyewear is sold over the counter – the online channel is an important addition and combines offline with online. In step one of our market entry, we are ensuring that we quickly establish one of the most relevant optical chains for high-quality optics and hearing acoustics and link it to our online platform MyGlasses. In step two, we will expand our presence with additional, highly profitable companies, including in other EU countries. Our current financial strength allows us to actively make acquisitions. In step three, we will open up the MyGlasses online platform to external specialist stores in the sector, with the aim of connecting 1,000 optician and hearing accoustics professional locations. In general, we see the optics and hearing acoustics sector as a business area that will enable us to achieve a high margin of over 25% and make TPG even more profitable in the future.”

Dieter Meis, Managing Director of the Beste Aussichten optician group: “Our focus is on really high-quality optics and optometry with eye health care as well as audiology with the best hearing aid fittings. These are all areas that offer good margins but are difficult terrain for bricks and mortar stores. The connection between the online platform and opticians enables a new customer experience, which we would like to expand as an important part of our marketing mix in the future. I have acquired over 300 optical and hearing care stores in my career. With the Platform Group’s joint approach, we want to successfully expand this strategy. Our great employees, who value a long-term approach rather than short-term exit plans, are at the heart of this.”

For the 2025 financial year, four transactions have already been implemented with the acquisition of Herbertz GmbH, LyraPet, JoliCloset and the Fintus Group. The Board of Directors expects further transactions in line with business planning and forecasts.

Bjoern Minnier, CFO of The Platform Group AG: “We expect further attractive acquisitions to be made this year. It is likely that larger targets will also come to TPG. The structure of SE & Co. KGaA proposed for the Annual General Meeting in August 2025 will enable us to take on larger companies in the future, take into account an equity component for sellers and do so with a stable ownership structure with our anchor shareholder. The TPG of the future will be significantly larger and more profitable, and the now fifth segment of our Group will play an important role in this.”

The Platform Group AG:

The Platform Group AG is a software company that is active in 27 industries with its own platform solutions. Its customers include both B2B and B2C customers in sectors such as furniture retail, machinery retail, dental technology, car platforms and luxury fashion. The Group has 18 locations across Europe and is headquartered in Düsseldorf. In 2024, sales of EUR 525 million was realized with an operating result (EBITDA adjusted) of EUR 33 million.

Contact:

Investor Relations
Bjoern Minnier, CFO and Head of IR
ir@the-platform-group.com
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