Strategic Partnership Strengthens VNR Group's International App and AI Business
Bad Godesberg/GrĂĽnwald, September 9, 2026: The VNR Group has acquired a majority stake in the app studio Tappz, thereby further expanding its international business in digital products and software. With this investment, the VNR Group is expanding its technological and product-related expertise, particularly in the areas of mobile applications and artificial intelligence. Tappz will continue to operate as an independent company and will drive forward its development and international expansion with its existing team.
With this majority stake, the VNR Group is laying the groundwork for the next phase of Tappz’s development. The app studio can continue to focus on its core competencies: the development, marketing, and international launch of new apps. At the same time, the VNR Group provides Tappz with a renowned partner that has experience in media, digital business models, software, and international growth. The investment comes at a time when AI-powered applications are rapidly gaining traction among consumers. This opens up opportunities for companies that can quickly develop, test, and scale digital products internationally.
"Our investment in the app studio Tappz is a long-term partnership on equal footing with Jonas, Chris, and the entire team.", explains Richard Rentrop, CEO of the VNR Group. “Tappz has built exactly the kind of company we want to partner with: an entrepreneurial team that makes quick decisions, understands new technologies, and turns ideas into products that people actually use. They’ve long since proven their ability to develop and scale apps internationally. Our job is to give them the resources, reach, and stability to continue expanding exactly that.”
Jonas Tillges, CEO and co-founder of Tappz, adds: “With the VNR Group, we have a partner at our side who shares our strategic vision. This allows us to focus even more strongly on our core competencies: the development and international launch of new apps. Our focus is particularly on our core markets—the U.S., Australia, and Europe. At the same time, this partnership opens up additional opportunities for us to further develop our products and turn new ideas into successful applications more quickly.”
For the VNR Group, this investment represents another step in the expansion of its international technology and software business. The group combines organic growth with a long-term M&A strategy and makes targeted investments in companies and business models that complement its existing portfolio both technologically and internationally.
About the VNR Group
More than 50 years ago, VNR Verlag für die Deutsche Wirtschaft was founded with the goal of helping people achieve greater success in their personal and professional lives. This has grown into today’s VNR Group, an international media, knowledge, and software group. Under the mission “We
Under the motto “ensure customer success,” the group develops specialized information, financial information, software solutions, events, and digital platforms for individual and business customers. Today, approximately 800 employees in Germany (VNR Verlag für die Deutsche Wirtschaft, platform X, PressMatrix, Tappz), Poland (Wiedza i Praktyka), the U.S. (FinMC), and the U.K. (Agora Business Publications) work toward this goal every day. The group combines organic growth with a long-term M&A strategy.
About Tappz
Tappz is an international app studio based in Grünwald near Munich. The company was founded in 2023 by Jonas Tillges and Christopher Heid in Rosenheim. Tappz combines strategy, design, and technology to develop innovative mobile applications and scale them internationally. The focus is particularly on applications based on artificial intelligence. Among Tappz’s successful products are ChatNow, an app that bundles multiple AI models into a single interface—from chat to video—as well as Echo AI, an AI application for transcribing and structuring conversations. Other apps in the Tappz portfolio include Voiceit, AI Type, homie AI, AI Cam, and Booksome. These apps reach users in international markets and exemplify Tappz’s approach of combining technological innovation with intuitive user experiences.
Press Contact:
Ralph FĂĽrther
Press Spokesperson
T +49 (0) 171 4859871
ralph.fuerther@vnr.de