INVENT

What INVENT does

INVENT GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of high-precision structural components made from fibre-reinforced composites (carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer / glass-fibre-reinforced polymer), founded in 1996 as a spin-off of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and headquartered at Christian-Pommer-Straße 47, Braunschweig. The company sells engineering-intensive, project-specific components across three business segments — Space, Aviation, and Industry & Innovation — covering the full value chain from design, development, and prototyping through to series production, including downstream painting, machining, bonding, and assembly on its own autoclave, fibre-winding, CNC, and paint assets.

Its product portfolio encompasses satellite platform and instrument structures (e.g., ExoMars TGO, CO2M, EUCLID, JUICE, MTG, Sentinel, BepiColombo, Heinrich Hertz, Copernicus), aircraft serial components supplied directly to Airbus (side fin fairings, CFK ribs, shim plates and structural profiles for the A380, A320, and A330), and industrial composite parts for automotive, rail, shipbuilding, and mechanical-engineering customers. The company highlights its position as the only European manufacturer of high-precision CFRP waveguides for satellite antennas, supported by proprietary DP-RTM resin-transfer moulding, 25 years of fibre-winding experience, and a 5-axis winding system installed in 2019. INVENT is certified to EN 9100, Nadcap (valid until 28.02.2025), and DIN EN ISO 9001 and operates from two Braunschweig properties, with approximately 90 employees as of 2021 (plus 12 additional jobs enabled by the 2022 NBank-funded expansion). Commercial activity spans Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with sales contacts segmented by vertical.

The business model is project-based custom manufacturing sold directly (B2B) to prime contractors and system integrators under multi-year contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set per project by specifications, volumes, and complexity. Major customers include Airbus (civil aviation, direct supplier since 2005/2007), OHB System AG (subcontractor on ESA missions, e.g., CO2M), Airbus Defence and Space / HPS GmbH (Euclid, Heinrich Hertz antennas), ESA, DLR, Bundeswehr/WTD, and NOVUS. INVENT co-founded HPS GmbH in 2000 as a 50-50 joint venture with Kayser-Threde GmbH to serve space deployable structures, and it participates in EU- and BMBF-funded consortia such as SUSTAINair, FiberEUse, CarbonSafe 2, and futureTEX; the company remains under founder/owner-management by Managing Director Dipl.-Ing. Henning Wichmann with no disclosed private-equity or venture-capital participation.

Name

INVENT

Legal name

INVENT Innovative Verbundwerkstoffe Realisation und Vermarktung neuer Technologien GmbH

Website

https://invent-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

INVENT GmbH is a privately held Braunschweig-based manufacturer of high-precision fibre-composite (CFRP/GRP) structural components, supplying serial and prototype parts to aerospace primes (Airbus, OHB, ESA) and adjacent industrial customers since its 1996 spin-off from DLR.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Composite Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Composite Structures & Layup Manufacturing (IMABAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Structural Assemblies & Integration (Airframe Subassemblies) (IMABAEAD), Primary Airframe Structures (Fuselage, Wing, Empennage) (IMABAEAA)

Keywords

• Fibre composite manufacturing
• Aerospace structural components
• CFRP satellite structures
• Lightweight engineering
• Precision composite machining

Headquarters

HQ city

Braunschweig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Structural Component Development and Production: End-to-end services from theoretical studies and development through prototype production to series production of high-precision structural components made of fibre composites. Projects span bespoke prototyping and small-batch to series production for aerospace, aviation, and industrial customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

INVENT GmbH designs, develops, and manufactures high-precision structural components made from fibre-reinforced composites (CFRP and GRP) for the space, aviation, and industrial sectors. The company operates the full value chain from theoretical studies and prototype development through to series production, delivering products such as satellite structures, aircraft components (Airbus A380/A320/A330 series), support structures, structural panels, fibre-wound tanks and central tubes, and customer-specific lightweight industrial components. Production is carried out at two Braunschweig facilities using in-house autoclave, fibre winding, CNC machining, bonding, painting, and assembly capabilities under Nadcap and EN 9100 certifications.

Product overview

INVENT GmbH is a manufacturer of high-precision fiber composite structural components, operating as a single unified product line focused on composite manufacturing rather than a software platform. The company offers multiple technology processes (Prepreg/Autoclave, Resin Injection, Fiber Winding, Pressing, Machining, Painting, Bonding, Assembly) to produce structural components across three main segments: Space (satellite structures, support structures, structural panels), Aviation (aircraft serial components), and Industry (automotive, machinery, rail, shipbuilding). Products range from custom prototypes to series production, all manufactured at the Braunschweig facility since 1996.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Structures (Stützstrukturen) Primary structural elements for spacecraft and equipment, including GFK/CFK and metallic (Al, Ti, Invar) structures, isostatic mountings, surface coatings (thermal, optical, electrical), and partial assembly. Designed for high-precision aerospace applications such as satellite platforms and mission equipment mounting.
• Structural Panels (Strukturpaneele) Flat structural panels based on CFK or aluminium deck layers and honeycomb cores, with deck layer thickness from 0.1 mm and maximum dimensions up to 4 × 2.5 m. Includes heterogeneous honeycomb construction, local structural doublers, hot and cold bonding processes for inserts, grounding, and surface coatings. Intended for satellite structures and aerospace platforms.
• Satellite Structures High-precision satellite platform structures and instrument structures manufactured for ESA and European space missions, including ExoMars TGO, JUICE, EUCLID, CO2M, and the Copernicus programme satellites. Structures produced in CFK/GRP and aluminium sandwich configurations to meet mission-specific thermal, mechanical, and dimensional stability requirements.
• Aerospace Serial Components (Airbus A380 / A320 / A330) Series-produced aircraft components supplied directly to Airbus, including side fin fairings, CFK ribs, shim plates, and structural profiles for the A380, A320, and A330 platforms. Manufactured under EN 9100 / Nadcap quality requirements in a dedicated cleanroom.
• Industrial Composite Components Custom composite components for automotive, machinery, rail vehicles, and shipbuilding industries, including CFK wheels for the NOVUS electric motorcycle, CFK bridges to NATO standard, optical benches, and specialised structural elements leveraging aerospace-grade manufacturing capabilities.
• CO2M Satellite Central Structure Central structure of the CO2M satellite platform manufactured in aluminium sandwich and machined components, delivered to OHB System AG as part of the European Space Agency's CO2M mission focused on global CO2 monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• Selected as supplier for 4 of 6 satellites in the new Copernicus programme (CHIME, CIMR, ROSE-L, CO2M) — the only European manufacturer of CFRP waveguides for satellite antennas.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TU Braunschweig / Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum HannoverminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024INVENT collaborated with the Institute for Production Technology (IFW) at TU Braunschweig, a partner in the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Hannover, to develop a simulation tool for evaluating energy flexibility measures in production. Project completed in 2024.
• OHB System AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020OHB System AG is a key customer for INVENT in the space sector. INVENT serves as subcontractor in ESA missions for OHB, manufacturing satellite structures such as the CO2M satellite platform central structure. The relationship involves close engineering collaboration between INVENT's manufacturing experts and OHB's system engineers.
• HPS GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPS GmbH (Munich) was co-founded by INVENT in May 2000 with Kayser-Threde GmbH. HPS specialises in deployable structures for space. INVENT and HPS have jointly developed antenna structures including the Euclid telescope antenna and the Heinrich Hertz (H2KAR) communication satellite antenna. The companies share deep engineering collaboration on space composite structures.
• futureTEX ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINVENT is a competence partner in the futureTEX consortium, which includes over 90 companies and promotes sustainable textile and composite technologies in the context of Industry 4.0.
• SUSTAINair ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINVENT participates in the SUSTAINair EU project focused on circular aviation — developing lightweight and recyclable composite structures to reduce environmental impact in aviation manufacturing.
• FiberEUse Consortium (H2020)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINVENT participates in the EU-funded FiberEUse project (GA No. H2020-730323-1), which develops innovations to increase the viability of recycling and reusing fibre composite materials, including damage-free separation of bonded composite components.
• CarbonSafe 2 ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINVENT participates in the BMBF-funded CarbonSafe 2 project, which focuses on safe and efficient carbon fibre composite manufacturing to advance mobility technologies.
• Braunschweiger LebenshilfeminorOthersINVENT cooperates with Lebenshilfe Braunschweig, a non-profit supporting people with disabilities. The partnership enables inclusion through integrating people with disabilities into the company. INVENT holds the 'We are INCLUSIVE!' seal.
• Braunschweiger Tafel e.V.minorOthersINVENT is a sponsor of the Braunschweiger Tafel, which distributes donated food to approximately 2,200 people in need and social institutions in Braunschweig.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Spirit AeroSystems: Major Western aerostructures tier-1 (A220, A320, A350, B787 fuselages and wings). Relevant incumbent benchmark for scale, certification depth, and composites manufacturing in commercial aviation similar to INVENT's Airbus footprint.
• Hexcel Corporation: US-listed advanced composites supplier (carbon fibre, prepregs, honeycomb). Functions as both upstream materials supplier and downstream parts manufacturer in aerospace composites, providing relevant competitive and technology benchmarks for INVENT.
• GKN Aerospace: UK-headquartered tier-1 supplier with broad aerostructures, engine and special technologies portfolios including extensive composite capability. Comparable as a much larger incumbent serving the same Airbus/Boeing primes with overlapping composite airframe work.
• Premium AEROTEC (Airbus Atlantic): German aerostructures manufacturer (now part of Airbus Atlantic) producing metallic and composite fuselage sections, wings, and components. Comparable established DACH incumbent in aircraft structures with CFRP capability.
• Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space): Swiss space-hardware manufacturer producing satellite structures, mechanisms, and launchers' fairings. Direct comparable for INVENT's space-structures work and broader European space-supply-chain dynamics.

Direct peers

• FACC AG: Austrian aerospace composites manufacturer producing CFRP structural components, cabin interiors, and engine parts for Airbus, Boeing and other primes. Directly comparable tier-1/2 European composites supplier serving the same end markets as INVENT.
• Duqueine Group: French tier-2 supplier specializing in composite and metallic structural parts for aerospace, defense and rail. Closely comparable mid-sized European composites manufacturer with similar prime-customer footprint.
• MT Aerospace AG: German subsidiary of OHB AG supplying aerospace structural components, including launch vehicle structures and satellite subsystems. Comparable as a DACH-based tier supplier in fibre composites and metallic structures for space and aviation primes.
• HPS GmbH: Munich-based specialist in deployable space structures co-founded by INVENT and Kayser-Threde. Closely related composite space-structures peer that co-develops antenna programs (Euclid, Heinrich Hertz) with INVENT.

Others

• Toray Advanced Composites: Subsidiary of Toray Industries producing thermoset and thermoplastic prepreg systems used by INVENT and its peers. Relevant as the upstream materials ecosystem that INVENT's autoclave/DP-RTM processes rely on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/INVENTGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/invent-gmbh---innovative-composites

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INVENT