Russmedia

Overview

Russmedia was founded in 1919 by the Russ family in Schwarzach, Austria, and has remained under family control for three generations. The company began as a regional newspaper publisher and has since expanded into a multi-niche media group spanning 19 locations and employing over 1,000 people. The wealth originates from a century of regional media operations in Vorarlberg, with the business now led by CEO and primary owner Eugen A. Russ. Today the group's strategy rests on two pillars: regional media dominance in Vorarlberg and international online marketplaces. The domestic portfolio includes the daily NEUE Vorarlberger Tageszeitung, the weekly WANN & WO, the real estate portal ländleimmo.at, and the job board ländlejob.at, alongside radio, printing, and logistics operations. Internationally, Russmedia focuses on marketplace and service-technology platforms. Its subsidiary erento operates a rental marketplace handling over 500,000 annual rental requests across Europe. Through RM Equity Partners, led by Eugen B. Russ, the family co-invests with Speedinvest, a Vienna-based venture capital firm, targeting international marketplace and fintech opportunities. The group also holds fintech and digital asset exposure, as well as commercial real estate including its Schwarzach headquarters and a printing house in Bregenz. The team is led by the founder's descendants: Eugen A. Russ as CEO, Isabel Russ as Managing Director of Russmedia Austria, and Eugen B. Russ as Managing Partner of the family's investment arm. Beyond Vorarlberg, Russmedia maintains a Berlin office for its marketplace operations and participates in industry bodies including INMA and WAN-IFRA. In early 2026, the group hosted the Vorarlberger Pflegeaward, continuing its community engagement through events and the affiliated foundations Ma hilft and the Toni Russ Prize. Russmedia's structure differs from a conventional family office: the media operating company generates cash flow that funds both organic digital expansion and venture-stage co-investments. Rather than liquidating the legacy asset, the family uses the media business as a permanent capital base, reinvesting profits into marketplace and service-technology platforms. This hybrid operating-company-plus-investment-arm architecture gives RM Equity Partners a proprietary sourcing advantage in the DACH region, as portfolio companies gain access to Russmedia's audience of over 115 million monthly visits and its deep regional distribution network.