MEDIAFIX’s Success Story – From a Startup to the Market Leader in Analogue Media Digitisation
In the digital world, we are all used to taking photos and videos with our smartphones. However, many of us still have analogue media at home, like VHS tapes, cine films, slides or paper photos. Technology has moved forward, and today it’s difficult to relive these memories, especially if you don’t have a functioning VHS video recorder. That’s where MEDIAFIX can help!
But what exactly is MEDIAFIX, and how did it develop into the successful company we know today? Let’s take a look together!
How the idea was born
It all started in 2011, when Dr. Hans-Walter Knuth was looking for a cost-effective solution to digitise his slide collection. He looked at some options, but all of them were too expensive, and the quality wasn’t what he hoped for. After this disappointing experience, he decided to build a scanner himself that could digitise slides quickly and in high quality.
The first scanner prototype
At a family celebration, Dr. Hans-Walter Knuth spoke enthusiastically about his invention to his cousin Hans-Günter Herrmann. He suggested further developing the scanner. His goal was to help private individuals convert their slides to digital without spending a fortune. The inventor left his prototype with the young Hans-Günter, who developed it and built an actual company.
From the invention to the company
Hans-Günter had the chance to develop and test his idea at the end of 2011 thanks to a project at the Professional Center at the University of Cologne. There, he met Christoph Kind and Stefan Wickler, who also took part in the project. In 2012, Christoph further developed the prototype with a team of technicians and photo experts. This made it possible to launch the offer to the public. That’s when MEDIAFIX was born!
The first years of the company
From that point on, the company expanded its digitisation offer. It became possible not only to digitise slides but also other analogue media like negatives, photos, video cassettes and cine films.
Opening of the first drop-off points
In 2016, the first drop-off point opened in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It marked the first step in a successful business concept that still continues today. MEDIAFIX now has almost 100 drop-off points all over Europe, and the number is increasing year by year.
From startup to market leader
In 2018, the company’s success story went even further. MEDIAFIX obtained the title of market leader in the German market, according to a comparative study with different providers. Especially during the pandemic, the company experienced strong growth, as many customers felt the need to digitise their analogue media and rediscover their past memories.
Their own stand at Photokina
MEDIAFIX took part in Photokina with its own stand in 2018. It was a major event where 812 companies and about 180,000 people from all over the world came together to explore the latest innovations in the photo industry. Thanks to its participation in Photokina, MEDIAFIX had the chance to showcase its latest innovations in analogue media digitisation and to meet potential clients and partners.
MEDIAFIX expands internationally
In 2019, MEDIAFIX began its expansion into other European markets. The first market was Austria, followed by Switzerland in 2021. In 2022, MEDIAFIX successfully expanded into Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, followed by France in 2023 and the United Kingdom in 2024. The international growth was so strong that MEDIAFIX became Europe’s market leader in analogue media digitisation. According to a more recent comparative study, MEDIAFIX is the largest scanning service in Europe in terms of number of employees, facility size and sales.
Not only a great company: MEDIAFIX is a top employer in Germany
According to Kununu, the leading job review platform in Germany, MEDIAFIX is one of the best employers in the country. Their success story? MEDIAFIX values the diversity of its employees: from part-time students to older, more experienced staff, MEDIAFIX sees diversity as something enriching that boosts innovation and contributes to a more equal world.
MEDIAFIX’s mission: Saving memories
Private individuals and archives still have tons of memories trapped in old films, videotapes, slides or paper photos. MEDIAFIX helps convert them to digital formats, so that everyone can relive their precious memories. Unlike other scanning services, MEDIAFIX focuses on the quality of digitisation and gives customers the opportunity to customise their experience. For example, customers can choose the quality level of the digitisation and book additional services like post-processing of their films and photos.
A team of experts
MEDIAFIX has about 120 employees working in various fields, from digitisation to customer service, quality management and marketing. They all work hard to help the company grow more and more successful.
What makes MEDIAFIX so special
MEDIAFIX offers affordable pricing without compromising on quality. At the same time, they handle customers’ media with care, as if it were their own. The analogue media is stored securely in their warehouse, where every parcel has an individual barcode. This prevents packages from getting lost. Furthermore, every employee signs a non-disclosure agreement and agrees to handle personal data and customer media confidentially.
The future of MEDIAFIX
MEDIAFIX plans to continue investing in technology to ensure that its equipment stays up to date and that customers remain satisfied with the quality of the digitisation. This includes the use of AI to improve the company’s processes and to provide more efficient digitisation and quality control. Another important project is the further expansion into other European markets. This way, MEDIAFIX aims to lead in other countries as well and further strengthen its position as Europe’s market leader.
Conclusion
As we have seen, MEDIAFIX is the leading company in Europe in the field of analogue media digitisation. It started as a successful startup in Germany and grew to become an international leader in its field. The company’s strength lies in its innovation and its mission, which make it unique and progressive.
