Benchmark International

Cologne, Germany – In a strategic move to support its further growth, Taglicht Media has announced a minority change in ownership facilitated by Benchmark International. The transaction, completed in February 2024, sees a group of private investors from the UK and Germany acquiring a minority stake in the company, while former owners and managing directors Uli Veith and Bernd Wilting will stay on board, not only as majority shareholders, but also as managing directors.

Established in 1996, Taglicht Media is one of Germany’s top film companies working with international media enterprises and selling its productions worldwide. The company develops and shoots documentaries, films and series for TV and streaming platforms. In 2013, Taglicht Media won an Emmy award for a film about US sports icon Jesse Owens. Another outstanding milestone included nominations for a Grimme Award and a Golden Panda (in the ‘Green Oscars’) for an animal documentary in 2015.

The group of private investors bring a wealth of experience to their new role, having held management positions in international private equity firms and investment banks. The transaction marks a strategic alignment as the private investors aim to leverage their expertise in M&A, along with their industry knowledge, to further strengthen Taglicht’s position in the market and acquire further assets in the sector to build an international media group.

Garland Hansmann (private investor) commented on the transaction: "We are very pleased to become part of Taglicht Media GmbH. From the beginning we built up trust and a very good relationship with Bernd and Uli and we think we are the right partner to build a conglomerate of media companies. We highly appreciate that Benchmark introduced us to this unique investment opportunity. Benchmark’s team led by Felix von der Heyden guided us professionally through the entire M&A process.”

After a transition period, Bernd Wilting and Uli Veith start their well-deserved retirement and become Senior Advisors of Taglicht Media GmbH.

Europe: Michael Lawrie at +44 (0) 161 359 4400 / Lawrie@BenchmarkIntl.com

Americas: Sam Smoot at +1 (813) 898 2350 / Smoot@BenchmarkIntl.com

Africa: Anthony McCardle at +27 21 300 2055 / McCardle@BenchmarkIntl.com 

Benchmark International is a global M&A firm that provides business owners with creative, value-maximizing solutions for growing and exiting their businesses. Benchmark International has handled over $11 billion in transaction value across various industries from offices across the world. With decades of M&A experience, Benchmark International’s transaction teams have assisted business owners with achieving their objectives and ensuring the continued growth of their businesses. The firm has also been named the Investment Banking Firm of the Year by The M&A Advisor and the Global M&A Network as well as the #1 Sell-side Privately-held M&A Advisor in the World by Pitchbook and Refinitiv’s Global League Tables.