KURZ

What KURZ does

KURZ (legal name: LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG) is a privately held, family-owned German company founded in 1920, headquartered in Fürth, with a second German manufacturing site in Sulzbach-Rosenberg. It operates as a global leader in thin-film surface finishing technology, with a headcount of more than 5,800 employees across more than 20 countries and a network of 13+ wholly-owned subsidiaries covering specialized capabilities (Kinegram, PolyIC, MPRINT, ISIMAT, BAIER, Hinderer + Mühlich, Schoefer, Steinemann DPE, KURZ SCRIBOS, KURZ DIGITAL SOLUTIONS, CANYON, Burg Design). The company reports serving "over 100 years" of market activity with awards including iF Design Award 2026, German Innovation Award 2026, German Design Award Gold 2026, and EcoVadis Silver 2025.

KURZ's core technology stack comprises hot-stamping, cold transfer, and digital transfer processes for thin-film surface decoration, supplemented by proprietary holographic security features (TRUSTSEAL®, Kinegram), touch sensor technology (PolyTC®), closed-loop recycling (RECOSYS®), and specialty decorative foils (SILVER LINE®, LUMAFIN®, ECOFIN®). The product portfolio spans four revenue streams: (1) one-time transfer finishing product sales (hot-stamping foils, cold/digital transfer materials, specialty finishes); (2) decoration machine and equipment hardware sales (DM-UNILINER 3D, DM-MAXLINER 3D, MPRINT machines); (3) security solutions combining physical and digital authentication (TRUSTSEAL® licensing and royalties); and (4) design consulting plus DREAMCOMPOSER® software subscriptions (freemium and premium tiers).

Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, combining direct enterprise engagement with major global brands across automotive, packaging, security, cosmetics, wine & spirits, pharma, cards, consumer electronics, food, and textile finishing verticals. Distribution runs through direct enterprise sales, a subsidiary network, regional channel partners (e.g., LUXORO in Italy, Grafical), and presence at global trade shows. Named customers include BMW Group (anti-counterfeiting for spare parts), Vestel (iF Design Award 2026 smart appliance project), and Willi Opitz Winery (TRUSTSEAL® wine labels). The company operates across multiple listed segments on its website: Automotive, Banknotes, Beverage, Cards, Construction, Consumer Electronics, Cosmetics, Food, Home Appliances, Medical Technology, Packaging, Pharma, Security, Textile Finishing, and Wine & Spirits, with Automotive, Packaging, and Security flagged as primary segments.

Name

KURZ

Legal name

LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG

Website

https://kurz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

KURZ (LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG) is a 100-year-old, family-owned German thin-film technology company headquartered in Fürth, employing 5,800+ people globally. It manufactures hot-stamping foils, decoration machines, holographic security features, touch sensors, and recycling systems for automotive, packaging, security, and consumer brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surface Finishing Materials

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Adhesives & Sealants (2891)

akta.pro primary industry

Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Labels, Adhesives & Inks (Wash-Off Labels, De-inkable Inks, Low-VOC) (IMALAMAJ), Flexible Packaging Converting & Finishing (Slitting, Rewinding, Coating, Embossing) (IMALABAL), Finishing, Converting & Die-Cutting Services (IMALAKAN), Paper Finishing & Coating Services (Calendering, Coating, Supercalendering) (IMAMAEAI)

Keywords

• Surface finishing solutions
• Hot stamping technology
• Transfer decoration products
• Brand protection solutions
• Thin-film coating

Headquarters

HQ city

Fürth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transfer Finishing Products: Sale of transfer finishing products including hot-stamping foils, cold transfer materials, digital transfer products, and specialty finishes like SILVER LINE® and LUMAFIN® for surface decoration across industries.
2. Decoration Machines and Equipment: Manufacturing and sale of embellishment machines including DM-UNILINER 3D, DM-MAXLINER 3D, and machines from subsidiary MPRINT for analog and digital finishing processes.
3. Security Solutions and Anti-Counterfeiting: TRUSTSEAL® security labels, holograms, and product protection solutions combining physical and digital authentication features for brand protection.
4. Design Consulting Services: Design and technology consulting from concept through production, including digital prototyping with DREAMCOMPOSER® and collaboration on custom solutions.
5. Software Subscriptions: DREAMCOMPOSER® software offered in free basic version (up to 5 projects) and premium version (unlimited projects) with monthly or annual subscription options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KURZ develops, manufactures and sells thin-film technology-based surface finishing solutions, including hot-stamping foils, cold transfer materials, digital transfer products, and specialty finishing lines such as SILVER LINE® and LUMAFIN®. The company also produces decoration/embellishment machines, holographic and TRUSTSEAL® security labels for brand protection, DREAMCOMPOSER® 3D design software, PolyTC® touch sensors, and operates the RECOSYS® recycling system. These offerings are sold to industrial customers across automotive, packaging, security, cosmetics, wine & spirits, consumer electronics and banknotes.

Product overview

KURZ (LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG) is a leading surface finishing company with over 100 years of experience, specializing in thin-film technology. The product portfolio centers on three core finishing technologies: hot-stamping, cold transfer, and digital transfer processes. Key products include DREAMCOMPOSER® (3D design visualization software), TRUSTSEAL® (holographic security and brand protection including digital TRUSTSEAL® ID), SILVER LINE® and LUMAFIN® (premium metallic and translucent finishes), RECOSYS® (sustainable take-back and recycling system), and PolyTC® (touch sensor technology). The company serves diverse markets including automotive, packaging, cosmetics, wine & spirits, security, and medical technology through surface finishing, embellishment machines, labels, and product/brand protection solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DREAMCOMPOSER: 3D visualization software for design, packaging and labels enabling real-time visualization of label designs with transfer finishes
• TRUSTSEAL
• SILVER LINE
• LUMAFIN
• RECOSYS
• PolyIC
• NFPP
• ECOLAYER FX
• DEEP BLACK SURFACES

Products and services

• DREAMCOMPOSER® 3D design and visualization software for real-time rendering of label and packaging designs with KURZ transfer products; offered in a free basic version (up to 5 projects) and premium monthly/annual subscriptions, for packaging designers and brand owners.
• TRUSTSEAL® Security Labels Holographic anti-counterfeiting labels combining diffractive structures with customer-specific design and digital authentication (TRUSTSEAL® ID) for brand owners and security printers.
• SILVER LINE® Premium metallic hot-stamping, cold-transfer and digital finishing line producing luxurious silver-metallic reflections, 3D effects and mirror-plus-matte combinations for premium label converters and brand owners.
• LUMAFIN® Semi-transparent finishing line creating glass-like visual depth where underlying motifs appear to shimmer through; available in transparent, transparent-metallic and multiple colors for cosmetics and beverage labels.
• Hot-Stamping, Cold & Digital Transfer Products Core KURZ transfer finishing products — hot-stamping foils, cold transfer materials and digital transfer products — used by industrial converters and brand owners for surface decoration across substrates.
• Embellishment Machines (DM-UNILINER 3D, DM-MAXLINER 3D) Industrial decoration and embellishment machines (including the DM-UNILINER 3D and DM-MAXLINER 3D, plus MPRINT subsidiary equipment) for analog and digital finishing processes, sold to label converters, packaging printers and finishing houses.
• KURZ SCRIBOS Brand Protection Solutions Combined physical and digital anti-counterfeiting and brand protection solutions, including TRUSTSEAL® labels and online authentication tools, sold to brand owners such as BMW Group for counterfeit spare-parts protection.
• KINEGRAM Holograms Optical security holograms and diffractive security features for banknotes, ID cards, government documents and high-value product authentication, sold to central banks, government agencies and security printers.
• PolyTC® Touch Sensors Capacitive multi-touch sensor technology (hidden-til-lit) sold by subsidiary PolyIC for automotive interior HMI panels and consumer electronics touch interfaces.
• RECOSYS® 2.0 Take-Back & Recycling Service Closed-loop take-back and recycling service converting excess carrier materials from the graphics industry into pure rPET granules for use in technical textiles and other products.
• Design Consulting Services End-to-end design and technology consulting from concept through production, including digital prototyping via DREAMCOMPOSER®, provided to brand owners and converters in automotive, packaging, cosmetics and related sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• NFPP materials achieve up to 40% weight reduction compared to conventional plastic solutions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Xeikon (Flint Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Industrial partner for Xeikon Innovation Days 2026, showcasing new digital presses alongside KURZ embellishment solutions. Events scheduled June 9-10 in Lier, Belgium and June 16-18 in Elgin, Illinois.
• Cerm, Esko, Fedrigoni, Grafisk Maskinfabrik, Herma, Hybrid Software, MeechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partners exhibiting alongside KURZ at Xeikon Innovation Days, representing the complete ecosystem of label and packaging production technology providers.
• BOBSTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to elevate hot-stamping embellishment to new levels. Collaboration on machine solutions and process optimization for premium embellishment applications.
• BMW GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKURZ SCRIBOS products support BMW Group in protection against counterfeit spare parts through advanced anti-counterfeiting solutions.
• Swarovski Mobility, SP3majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of FrontIQ Light Concept combining Swarovski Mobility's light design expertise with KURZ's 3K decoration process for sustainable front headlight design.
• ams OSRAMmajorTechnology or IntegrationIntegration of ALIYOS™ LEDs in Rear Light Concept for homogeneous, energy-efficient light and compact light integration with mini-LED technology.
• COVESTROmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides recycled PC material for FrontIQ Light Concept's transparent cover enabling sustainable manufacturing.
• SABICmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplies PC/ABS recyclates for FrontIQ Light Concept frame component.
• RühlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides bio-based polyurethane for protective coating in FrontIQ Light Concept.
• Farplas, Topp Textil, TechnofibresmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment of Smart Display Center Console with rPET textiles for automotive interiors. KURZ provides RECOSYS® rPET material, partners handle textile processing and integration.
• PolyICcoreTechnology or IntegrationSister company supplying PolyTC® Multitouch sensors for Smart Display Center Console touchpad functionality. PolyIC and KURZ collaborated on Rainbow Textile Demonstrator with MENTOR.
• Polyvlies, FRIMO Innovative TechnologiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFPP applications partnership demonstrating nature-fiber reinforced polypropylene processing in DecoPress process.
• WITTMANNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLive manufacturing demonstration of NFPP cover component with front-side decoration and back-side injection molding.
• ENERGYNESTmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint construction of Germany's first Power-to-Heat system with thermal energy storage for industrial decarbonization at Sulzbach-Rosenberg facility.
• HorizonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture formation: Horizon-Kurz New Material Technology GmbH for innovative battery technology and high-performance coating solutions.
• SCRIBOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMerged brand under KURZ SCRIBOS for combined product and brand protection offerings. New unified brand presence for anti-counterfeiting solutions.
• CCL ASEANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContribution to CCL's inaugural Sustainability Day Southeast Asia in Bangkok, Thailand. Part of broader sustainability collaboration with packaging industry.
• Avery Dennison Thailand, Krones Thailand, EnviccominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partners at CCL Sustainability Day Southeast Asia discussing sustainability in packaging and printing.
• UPM RaflatacmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaterials supplier collaboration for premium wine and spirits label materials demonstrating global consistency across regional paper variants.
• DenominationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign agency collaboration for premium wine and spirits labels with Australian-inspired storytelling and advanced embellishment techniques.
• GraficalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrinter using KURZ hot stamping materials and H+M tooling for Denomination's premium label project.
• Hinderer + Mühlich (H+M)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKURZ subsidiary providing hot-stamping tools and precision embossing stamps for embellishment applications.
• Willi Opitz WineryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on premium wine label design combining motorsport aesthetics with TRUSTSEAL® security features and high-finish decoration.
• LUXOROminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive KURZ partner in Italy demonstrating LUXLAB - first paper and carton mockup laboratory with industrial printing processes for prototyping.
• TechnofibresmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProcessed KURZ rPET into stable yarn for rPET jersey production within RECOSYS® 2.0 closed-loop system.
• Hero TextilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialized textile manufacturer producing rPET jerseys from KURZ recycled materials.
• CPI BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRevolution in industrial book finishing: CPI Books uses DM-MAXLINER 3D from KURZ for premium embellishment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Henkel: Global leader in industrial adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings. Overlaps with KURZ in adhesive-based transfer technology and surface treatments, with broader consumer and industrial footprint.
• 3M: Diversified industrial conglomerate with significant presence in specialty coatings, films, and adhesive technologies. Comparable to KURZ as a broad materials supplier serving automotive and industrial customers, though without KURZ's hot-stamping specialization.
• Crown Holdings: Global packaging manufacturer specializing in metal containers with significant coating and finishing operations. Relevant comparable for surface treatment scale and packaging end-market exposure.
• Illinois Tool Works (ITW): Diversified industrial manufacturer with segments in specialty coatings, finishing, and automotive components. Comparable in scale, family-controlled legacy, and diversified industrial end-market exposure.
• DuPont: Specialty chemicals and advanced materials supplier serving automotive, electronics, and packaging with coating and film technologies. Comparable to KURZ in advanced materials positioning and automotive interior/exterior finishing adjacency.

Direct peers

• BOBST: Swiss-based supplier of equipment and services for packaging and label manufacturing, including hot-stamping and embellishment machinery. KURZ's stated partner for advancing hot-stamping decoration; competes in the equipment side of the same value chain.
• CCL Industries: World's largest specialty label converter with deep presence in premium wine & spirits, healthcare, and consumer packaging labels. Comparable to KURZ in label embellishment, brand protection, and the Southeast Asia sustainability partnership referenced in KURZ's CCL ASEAN relationship.
• Avery Dennison: Global leader in pressure-sensitive label materials, tags, and RFID solutions serving packaging, retail, and industrial markets. Directly comparable to KURZ as a label and packaging materials supplier with comparable sustainability programs and brand-owner customer base.
• Xeikon (Flint Group): Digital printing press manufacturer for labels and packaging. KURZ's partner at Xeikon Innovation Days 2026; competes as an alternative finishing technology to traditional hot-stamping foils.
• API Group: Leading manufacturer of holographic foils, transfer films, and security laminates for brand protection and packaging. Closest direct competitor to KURZ in holographic transfer materials and anti-counterfeiting substrates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/THE_KURZ_GROUP
• Facebookfacebook.com/KURZGERMANY

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about KURZ