Brand profile · Germany
erlich Revenue, search volume and competitors 2026
Cologne D2C label for sustainable underwear and home textiles, founded in 2016, acquired by Calida in 2022, bought back in a 2023 management buyout.
Fact sheet
- Founded
- 2016
- Founders
- Sarah Grohé, Benjamin Sadler
- Headquarters
- Köln
- Company
- Vorfreude GmbH
- Employees
- ca. 9 (2024)
- Die Höhle der Löwen (German TV show)
- Did not appear
- Funding
- No venture capital known
- Investors
- Calida Group (strategisch, 90 Prozent 2022 bis 2023)
- Funding rounds
- 2022: Strategische Übernahme durch Calida Group, k. A. (90 Prozent der Anteile)
Background and milestones
Sarah Grohé studied fashion design and first worked in the fashion industry, where she encountered ecological and social problems. Together with Benjamin Sadler she wanted to build an underwear brand that is sustainable and modern at the same time, relying on online-only sales from the start.
- 2016
Founded in Cologne by Sarah Grohé and Benjamin Sadler.
- 2021
Revenue of about 7 million euros with 21 employees, award at the German Sustainability Award Design.
- 2022
Calida Group acquires 90 percent of Vorfreude GmbH.
- 2023
Calida exits, management buyout led by Sarah Grohé; Benjamin Sadler leaves management.
SWOT analysis of erlich
Editorial assessment based on the sources listed and the radar data.
Strengths
- Established direct brand with over 100,000 customers according to the shop and production in Europe.
- Back on plan after restructuring: according to Pitchdeck Magazin 2024 tracked fully on plan, with a focus on profitability.
Weaknesses
- Heavy staff reduction from over 20 to about 9 employees after Calida's exit.
- High dependence on women's underwear at about 75 percent of revenue.
Opportunities
- Brand search volume of about 1,900 per month provides a base for core products in the own shop.
- Growing interest in sustainable basics positioned through organic cotton and TENCEL Modal.
Threats
- Strong competition from established underwear brands and other sustainable direct brands.
- Online-only distribution makes the brand dependent on advertising costs and consumer sentiment.
What is behind the demand?
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Sources
- erlich textil Shop (Produktion, Preise, 100.000 Kunden)
- Pitchdeck Magazin: Aufstieg, Calida-Krise und Comeback (Umsatz 2021, MBO, Team)
- Calida Group Medienmitteilung (Beteiligung 90 Prozent, Februar 2022)
- Startupvalley Profil (Gründungsidee, 75 Prozent Frauenunterwäsche)
- DHDL.info Kategorie Textil (kein Eintrag)
Frequently asked questions about erlich
How much revenue does erlich make?
erlich generated around 7 million € in revenue in 2021 (partly documented). The full revenue history and a model estimate of organic revenue (brand vs. non-brand) are in the brand profile after login.
Who founded erlich?
erlich was founded in 2016 by Sarah Grohé and Benjamin Sadler. The company is based in Köln.
Was erlich on Die Höhle der Löwen?
No, erlich did not appear on the German TV show Die Höhle der Löwen.
Is erlich backed by venture capital?
No, there is no known venture capital funding for erlich. Shareholders include Calida Group (strategisch, 90 Prozent 2022 bis 2023).
How much does erlich spend on marketing?
erlich does not publish its ad budgets. What can be measured is how much demand the brand creates: brand searches show whether social media, ads and word of mouth are working. The higher that share, the less erlich has to pay for each visit.
How much revenue does erlich make through Google?
The model estimate combines brand searches and organic traffic of erlich with the niche's purchase intent, conversion rate and basket size. It separates brand revenue (people who already know erlich) from non-brand revenue (new customers via SEO). The figures are in the brand profile after login.
What would the organic traffic of erlich be worth as a Google Ads budget?
Every organic click replaces a paid one. Organic clicks times the keywords' cost per click gives the equivalent ad budget. The brand profile shows the organic traffic and ranking keywords of erlich after login.
How do I find out the SEO revenue of my own website?
With your free Visibly account, which also works on antonioblago.com, you connect Google Search Console and see which keywords and pages bring you clicks, split into brand and non-brand. That lets you run the same numbers for your own domain as shown here for erlich.
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