Bertelsmann is a global media, services, and education group made up of eight autonomous divisions, including RTL Group, Penguin Random House, BMG, and Arvato. It operates across B2B and B2C markets, with activities in broadcasting, book publishing, music rights management, and business process outsourcing. Its products range from streaming subscriptions and printed books to logistics, CRM services, and AI-powered content and rights-management tools. The company differentiates itself through a decentralized, entrepreneur-led structure that reinvests profits into content and digital infrastructure via its Boost program, backed by private foundations and the Mohn family. It aims to grow organically and through selective acquisitions while leveraging large-scale data and cross-divisional synergies to deliver personalized content and service experiences at a global scale.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
Debt Financing
Total Funding
$1.4B
Headquarters
Gütersloh, Germany
Founded
1835
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German media, services and education company Bertelsmann has priced a €1.25 billion dual-tranche senior unsecured bond issue. The €750 million 5-year tranche carries a 4.500% fixed annual coupon and will mature on 6 October 2031. It was priced at mid-swaps plus 98 basis points and reoffered at 99.580, yielding 4.596%. The €500 million 9-year tranche carries a 5.000% fixed annual coupon and will mature on 6 October 2035. It was priced at mid-swaps plus 138 basis points and reoffered at 99.752, yielding 5.035%. Settlement is scheduled for 6 October 2026. BNP Paribas and Goldman Sachs Bank Europe acted as joint global coordinators, with BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe, HSBC and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg serving as joint active bookrunners.
Bertelsmann brings UFA Film Night to Luxembourg with sold-out screening of restored Ernst Lubitsch classic "carmen" Thomas Rabe, Karin Schlautmann, Nacho de Paz, Helen Müller and Stephan Gehmacher (f.l.) (C) Bertelsmann / Fotograf: Yann Wirthor (IN BRIEF) Bertelsmann has staged the first UFA Film Night in Luxembourg, drawing around 1,200 attendees to a sold-out presentation of Ernst Lubitsch's digitally restored 1918 silent film "Carmen." The screening was organised with Philharmonie Luxembourg and accompanied live by the Luxembourg Philharmonic under conductor Nacho de Paz, performing a score composed by Tobias Schwencke for the film's 2021 UFA Film Nights presentation in Berlin. The Luxembourg event extends a cultural format Bertelsmann launched in Berlin in 2012 and has since taken to Brussels, Madrid, Paris and New York. Bertelsmann Chairman and CEO Thomas Rabe highlighted the company's longstanding relationship with Luxembourg through both business and cultural activities. The UFA Film Nights form part of Culture@Bertelsmann, which also includes support for Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation film restorations, preservation and digitisation of the Archivio Storico Ricordi in Milan, and the literary format "The Blue Sofa." (PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 28-Sep-2026 - /EuropaWire/ - Bertelsmann has brought its UFA Film Night to Luxembourg for the first time, attracting around 1,200 film enthusiasts to a sold-out ciné-concert featuring a digitally restored version of Ernst Lubitsch's 1918 silent film "Carmen." Presented in cooperation with the Philharmonie Luxembourg, the event combined the restored film with a live performance by the Luxembourg Philharmonic, marking the latest international expansion of the cultural series that originated in Berlin. The orchestra performed the score composed by Tobias Schwencke specifically for the film's presentation at the 2021 UFA Film Nights in Berlin. In Luxembourg, the performance was conducted by Nacho de Paz, bringing together silent cinema and live orchestral music for the local premiere. The event builds on the established UFA Film Nights programme, which Bertelsmann launched in Berlin in 2012. Since then, the format has also been presented in Brussels, Madrid, Paris and New York, with the Luxembourg edition extending its international presence further. Thomas Rabe, Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, said the company has maintained close ties with Luxembourg for more than four decades. He pointed to Bertelsmann's business activities in the country through RTL Group and the recently opened Riverty Bank, alongside the company's longstanding engagement with Luxembourg's cultural sector. Rabe said the UFA Film Night offers audiences in Luxembourg a distinctive cultural experience by bringing together restored cinema and live music. Bertelsmann's involvement in film preservation extends beyond the UFA Film Nights. Since 2014, the company has supported major restoration projects undertaken by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation, helping preserve and make historically important films accessible to contemporary audiences. These activities form part of Culture@Bertelsmann, the company's broader cultural initiative. Through the programme, Bertelsmann supports projects focused on preserving cultural heritage and widening access through digitisation, exhibitions, concerts and other formats. The company also owns the Archivio Storico Ricordi in Milan, an archive containing more than 200 years of Italian opera history. Bertelsmann is cataloguing the collection according to current archival standards and is making thousands of documents available online free of charge. The holdings include stage and costume designs, librettos, business correspondence and other historical materials connected with Italian musical and theatrical culture. Bertelsmann's cultural activities also include "The Blue Sofa," a literary format that has provided authors with a platform to present new works for more than 20 years. The Luxembourg debut of the UFA Film Night therefore forms part of a wider programme through which Bertelsmann combines cultural preservation with public access and live presentation. The company said the sold-out attendance demonstrates strong audience interest in the combination of restored silent cinema and orchestral performance. Bertelsmann operates globally across media, services and education, employing more than 75,000 people in around 50 countries. Its businesses include RTL Group, Penguin Random House, BMG, Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments. The company generated revenues of approximately €19 billion in the 2025 financial year. Media Contact: Mandy Berghoff Spokesperson / Corporate Communications Phone: +49 5241 80-78063 [email protected] MORE ON BERTELSMANN, ETC.: EDITOR'S PICK:
Ataraxis AI has raised $20.4 million in a Series A round led by AIX Ventures to commercialise its cancer treatment prediction technology. Thiel Bio, Founders Fund, Floating Point, Bertelsmann, Giant Ventures and Obvious Ventures also participated. The company previously raised $4 million in seed funding. The startup analyses high-resolution images of cancer cells using AI trained on hundreds of millions of images from thousands of patients. According to Ataraxis, its technology is 30% more accurate than current standards for breast cancer care. The funding will support the commercial launch of its first breast cancer test and expansion into other cancer types. Co-founded by Jan Witowski and NYU professor Krzysztof Geras, Ataraxis aims to help predict long-term cancer outcomes and potentially reduce unnecessary chemotherapy treatments.
Germany-based Stenon has raised €18 million ($20.5 million) in Series B funding led by Dutch impact investor Pymwymic to expand its nitrogen and soil data management platform. The funding comes as fertiliser prices surge globally, with EU nitrogen fertiliser costs up 70% in 2024. Stenon's FarmLab product combines hardware and software to generate real-time soil data, measuring plant-available nitrogen, soil organic carbon, temperature and moisture within seconds. The platform uses optical and electrical sensors with AI to provide immediate fertilisation insights, allowing farmers to optimise application rates. The company operates across several million acres in Europe, Central Asia, Brazil and the US. Stenon claims its technology delivers 2-8% yield increases and 20-40% average return on investment for nitrogen fertiliser across crops including corn, beans and cotton.
Creates global platform to deliver superior service to artists, songwriters, and partnersUnlocks meaningful value through greater scale and strong cash flow, enabling continued investment in music rights, creative talent, and technologyBob Valentine to serve as CEO and Thomas Coesfeld as Chairman of the combined company, with global headquarters in Nashville and European Headquarters in BerlinCombined company to be named BMG with divisions “BMG Publishing” and “Concord Records”