In 2020, Afinum Management GmbH acquired a majority stake in Threema, and the Threema apps became open source (see announcement). With Afinum’s support, Threema professionalized as a company and, among other achievements, became market leader in the field of business messaging (see Success Stories). Furthermore, the protocol suite was modernized and multi-device support developed.
Afinum typically invests for a period of approximately five to seven years in order to support start-ups in transitioning into established companies. At the beginning of 2026, ownership will transfer from Afinum to Comitis Capital GmbH.
Comitis focuses on a small number of carefully selected companies that are based on clear core values and a strong commitment to sustainability. With Comitis, Threema has found a new owner who fully shares Threema’s values and vision and who will support the company in further strengthening its position in data security and privacy.
What will change for users?
Nothing will change for Threema users. The company’s mission, values, and strategy stay the same. So does the management team, who will continue to lead Threema according to the proven principles.
No.
As was the case with Afinum Management GmbH, based in Munich, the new owner, Comitis Capital GmbH, based in Frankfurt am Main, also holds its stake in Threema GmbH via Threema Holding AG, based in Zurich.
The messaging services are still provided by Threema GmbH in Switzerland. Therefore, it is primarily Swiss law that applies to Threema GmbH and its services due to it being registered in Switzerland. German law does not apply to Threema’s services due to German ownership, but due to provision of the instant messaging services to users in Germany. A good example is the GDPR, which applies based on the place of residence of the data subject.
