The verdict in three sentences
A private equity firm in Frankfurt needs a site that convinces a Mittelstand owner, an M&A adviser and an LP of the same thing: that your strategy, ticket size and team are clear and credible. Frankfurt agencies usually quote 20,000 to 50,000 EUR excl. VAT for this kind of site, with financial-sector specialists going well beyond (2026 ballpark), while the Kolonell fixed grid is 2,700, 4,500 or 8,200 EUR. The decision rests on scope: a public site of record fits a fixed grid, while a gated LP portal or a data room integration is a separate budget, priced on quote.
Who reads a PE firm's website, and what do they check?
Deal flow in the Rhine-Main region still comes largely through M&A boutiques, banks and direct approaches to family-owned companies. The owner of a 40 million EUR revenue machinery business will read your site before the first call, often in German, and then ask his adviser what you have actually done. LPs and placement agents read it to check consistency with the fund documents. Recruits read it to understand how the team works.
| Reader | What they look for | Page that answers | Common weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business owner (succession, growth) | How you treat founders and staff | Approach, value creation, owner FAQ | Generic language on "partnership" |
| M&A adviser | Ticket size, sectors, deal types | Investment criteria with clear ranges | Criteria hidden in a PDF |
| Management teams | Role after the deal, incentives | Value creation and team pages | Nothing beyond the deal itself |
| LPs and placement agents | Team stability, governance | Team, firm history, responsible investment | Claims that differ from fund documents |
| Candidates | Culture, career path | Careers page with real roles | Stock photos and no names |
| Journalists | Facts and contacts | News and press contact | Out-of-date news section |
| Regulators and counterparties | Legal identity | Impressum, privacy, legal notices | Incomplete Impressum |
Portfolio pages must list only real holdings, with the company's consent, and should never quote returns. Fund marketing in the EU falls under the AIFMD framework and is supervised in Germany by BaFin: the public site should stay descriptive and leave fund performance to the restricted investor channel.
What German law expects on the site
German websites carry an Impressum duty (provider identification, now under the Digital Services Act transposition), and data protection follows the GDPR and the BDSG, overseen by state data protection authorities, in Frankfurt's case the authority for Hesse. Cookie consent, the contact form, analytics and any newsletter must be reflected accurately in the privacy notice. This is not legal advice: have your counsel or compliance officer review these pages before launch.
Real cost: Frankfurt agencies vs the Kolonell grid
The figures below are typical agency quotes in Frankfurt and the wider Rhine-Main area, read as a 2026 ballpark excluding VAT.
| Provider | Price (EUR excl. VAT) | Usual lead time | Typical scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance designer and developer | 6,000 to 15,000 | 6 to 10 weeks | Design and build, copy supplied by you |
| Frankfurt web agency | 20,000 to 50,000 | 3 to 4 months | Workshops, design, build, German copy editing |
| Financial-sector brand agency | 50,000 to 120,000 | 4 to 6 months | Brand, site, photography, investor materials |
| Kolonell Starter | 2,700 | 3 to 4 weeks | Firm site of record, native copywriting |
| Kolonell Growth | 4,500 | 3 to 4 weeks | Criteria, portfolio, team, careers, news |
| Kolonell Premium | 8,200 | 4 to 6 weeks | Multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
| LP portal, data room link, CRM sync | On quote | After scoping | Specified separately |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks (4 to 6 for Premium) and 3 months of support. German-language copy beyond the tier scope is handled as part of the Premium quote or as a third-party translation. See the international offer for tier details.
Hidden costs and the three-year total
| Cost line | Frankfurt agency | Kolonell Premium | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | 35,000 | 8,200 | Provider price |
| Team photography (8 partners) | 2,500 to 4,000 | 2,500 to 4,000 | Third-party cost |
| Specialist financial translation | 2,000 to 4,000 | 0 to 4,000 | Depends on the quote scope |
| Compliance and legal review | 1,500 to 4,000 | 1,500 to 4,000 | Third-party cost |
| Maintenance, 33 months after support | 400 to 900 a month, market assumption | On quote | Market assumption |
| Total before maintenance | 41,000 to 47,000 | 12,200 to 20,200 | Low and high ends |
The line most firms underestimate is content upkeep: each closing, exit and partner hire means a profile, a news item and often a German and English version.
When a Frankfurt agency is the better choice, and what to ask
A local agency is worth its premium if you are rebranding the firm alongside a fundraise, need in-person workshops with the investment committee, or want a single supplier for the website, the fund presentation and printed materials. If your brand exists and you need a precise, fast, compliant site of record, a remote studio is a sound fit.
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Ask every provider:
- Who writes the investment criteria and who signs off the German text?
- How are portfolio logos approved and removed after an exit?
- Where is the site hosted, and which sub-processors appear in the privacy notice?
- What exactly is priced on quote for an LP portal or data room link?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: "Mainbrücke Partners", a Frankfurt mid-market buyout firm with six partners, compares a local agency quote of 35,000 EUR with Kolonell Premium at 8,200 EUR. With the same photography (3,000 EUR) and legal review (2,000 EUR) on both sides, the totals are 40,000 EUR against 13,200 EUR, a gap of 26,800 EUR. If one extra qualified succession deal per year reaches the team through the site (assumption), the firm can weigh that against the budget gap, without paying for brand work it does not need.
FAQ
How much does a private equity website cost in Frankfurt?
Local agencies typically quote 20,000 to 50,000 EUR excl. VAT, and financial-sector brand agencies 50,000 EUR or more (2026 ballpark). The Kolonell grid is fixed at 2,700, 4,500 or 8,200 EUR, with portals on quote.
Do we need a German version?
For deal flow with German family-owned companies, a German version is strongly advisable, even if your LP base is international. Premium is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote.
Can the site show track record and returns?
Fund marketing in the EU is regulated and BaFin supervises it in Germany, so returns belong in restricted investor materials. The public site can describe holdings and value creation without figures on performance.
How long until launch?
With Kolonell, 3 to 4 weeks, or 4 to 6 weeks for Premium, once criteria, bios and portfolio texts are approved. Frankfurt agencies usually plan 3 to 4 months.
Is an Impressum really mandatory?
German law requires provider identification on commercial websites, and missing details are a frequent source of warning letters. Your counsel should confirm the exact wording for your legal entities.
Let's scope your project. A Growth or multilingual Premium site of record for your firm in 3 to 6 weeks, with criteria, portfolio and compliant Impressum and privacy pages. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
