Key Takeaways
- • Bertelsmann Investments achieved 19 percent organic revenue growth in 2025, demonstrating strong operational momentum across its dual-pillar investment platform structure.
- • Completed 51 new venture capital investments and 23 follow-on investments during 2025, reflecting accelerated deployment of capital and portfolio expansion in growth markets.
- • Bertelsmann Next, the growth unit established in 2022, scaled organic revenues from €172 million (2022) to €545 million (2025), representing a 47 percent average annual organic growth rate—positioning the platform for potential €1 billion+ revenue generation.
- • Group-level revenues reached €19.0 billion in 2025 with operating EBITDA adjusted at €3.0 billion, while Group organic growth was reported at 1.9 percent, indicating strong performance across complementary operating and investment businesses.
- • Strategic positioning as a flexible, long-term operator-investor differentiates the platform in a market being reshaped by artificial intelligence and disruptive technologies, combining entrepreneurial expertise with capital deployment flexibility.
Summary
Bertelsmann Investments delivered a robust 2025 financial year, achieving 19 percent organic revenue growth while expanding its venture capital activities and accelerating its positioning as Bertelsmann's global investment and growth platform. The company completed 51 new investments and 23 follow-on investments, reflecting significant capital deployment momentum and deepening portfolio engagement across multiple stages and geographies.
The platform's dual-pillar architecture—comprising Bertelsmann Next, a growth unit housing four operating businesses, and venture capital activities structured around four funds—demonstrated substantial operational traction. Bertelsmann Next emerged as a particular growth driver, scaling organic revenues from €172 million in 2022 to €545 million in 2025, representing a compound average annual organic growth rate of 47 percent. This trajectory positions the unit's portfolio companies toward the strategic target of generating more than €1 billion in revenues over the long term, underpinning Bertelsmann's commitment to building market-leading platforms in attractive, high-growth sectors.
At the consolidated Group level, Bertelsmann generated €19.0 billion in revenues during 2025, with operating EBITDA adjusted reaching €3.0 billion. Group-level organic growth was reported at 1.9 percent, reflecting the broader economic environment while demonstrating underlying resilience. The company achieved net profits exceeding €1 billion, underscoring profitable growth across its diversified operating and investment portfolio.
Carsten Coesfeld, CEO of Bertelsmann Investments, attributed the platform's success to its combination of deep entrepreneurial expertise and flexible, long-term capital deployment. The strategic emphasis on active operator involvement—supporting founders and management teams in building scaled businesses—combined with the financial capacity to take multi-year investment horizons, positions Bertelsmann Investments to capitalize on opportunities in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and market disruption. The organization's evolution over recent years has solidified its role as a differentiated investor focused on generating market-leading returns while building enduring operating franchises.
The platform's dual-pillar architecture—comprising Bertelsmann Next, a growth unit housing four operating businesses, and venture capital activities structured around four funds—demonstrated substantial operational traction. Bertelsmann Next emerged as a particular growth driver, scaling organic revenues from €172 million in 2022 to €545 million in 2025, representing a compound average annual organic growth rate of 47 percent. This trajectory positions the unit's portfolio companies toward the strategic target of generating more than €1 billion in revenues over the long term, underpinning Bertelsmann's commitment to building market-leading platforms in attractive, high-growth sectors.
At the consolidated Group level, Bertelsmann generated €19.0 billion in revenues during 2025, with operating EBITDA adjusted reaching €3.0 billion. Group-level organic growth was reported at 1.9 percent, reflecting the broader economic environment while demonstrating underlying resilience. The company achieved net profits exceeding €1 billion, underscoring profitable growth across its diversified operating and investment portfolio.
Carsten Coesfeld, CEO of Bertelsmann Investments, attributed the platform's success to its combination of deep entrepreneurial expertise and flexible, long-term capital deployment. The strategic emphasis on active operator involvement—supporting founders and management teams in building scaled businesses—combined with the financial capacity to take multi-year investment horizons, positions Bertelsmann Investments to capitalize on opportunities in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and market disruption. The organization's evolution over recent years has solidified its role as a differentiated investor focused on generating market-leading returns while building enduring operating franchises.
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