designfunktion
designfunktion is a German B2B office planning and furnishing consultancy operating 18 showrooms nationwide. It delivers consulting, space design, and premium furniture from over 100 manufacturer brands to corporate, education, public-sector, and residential clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersMünchen, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What designfunktion does
designfunktion is a German B2B office planning, furnishing, and workspace consultancy founded circa 1980 (originally as Objektform) and headquartered in Munich. The firm operates 18 physical showrooms across Germany, serving as a full-service intermediary between enterprise customers and over 100 premium furniture manufacturers including Vitra, USM Haller, Wilkhahn, Bene, Walter Knoll, Brunner, and Framery. Its service portfolio spans strategic consulting (Workspace Analytics, Marke im Raum, Zielworkshop, Office Effizienzcheck, Design to Budget), space planning, interior architecture, lighting, acoustics, textiles, kitchen installation, and physical furnishing delivery across corporate, education, public-sector, hospitality, events, and high-end residential segments.
The underlying "technology" is a methodology stack rather than a software platform: proprietary consulting frameworks (e.g., Workspace Analytics combining quantitative online surveys with qualitative requirement workshops; Marke im Raum translating brand identity into spatial design) supported by a content-driven digital surface (New Office Solution Finder tool, New Office Guides, blog, newsletter, events). The company does not maintain APIs, SDKs, or mobile apps per the input. Delivery is on-site, showroom-anchored enterprise field sales with full-service installation through a network of architects, craftsmen, and specialty trades.
Revenue mechanics combine hardware resale (one-time purchase of premium furniture), professional services fees (consulting and planning), recurring/contracted revenue (multi-year leasing), usage-based revenue (furnable rental for agile workspaces), and transaction-based revenue (corporate voucher Homeoffice Shop). The company is privately held under a GmbH structure with no parent, no disclosed funding rounds, and no PE/VC involvement, consistent with a founder-led German Mittelstand business model. Headcount is in the 101–250 band (with ~30 at Nuremberg, 40+ at Rhein-Main, and 8 at Singen named explicitly), and the business has grown organically through regional subsidiary formation and showroom expansion, most recently into the Oberpfalz region in 2019.
designfunktion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- designfunktion
- Legal name
- designfunktion GmbH
- Website
- https://designfunktion.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- designfunktion is a German B2B office planning and furnishing consultancy operating 18 showrooms nationwide. It delivers consulting, space design, and premium furniture from over 100 manufacturer brands to corporate, education, public-sector, and residential clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
designfunktion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Office Furniture and Workspace Design Services
- NAICS
- Interior Design Services (54141)
- SIC
- Retail-Furniture Stores (5712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
Keywords
Where designfunktion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- München
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices16 records
Markets served
designfunktion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Office Furniture Sales: Sale of premium office furniture from over 100 manufacturer brands including Vitra, USM, Wilkhahn, Bene, and others. Customers can purchase directly or through leasing arrangements.
- Consulting and Planning Services: Professional services including workspace analytics, goal workshops, office efficiency checks, brand-in-space workshops, and comprehensive office planning and design services.
- Furniture Leasing and Rental: Flexible financing options including leasing with end-of-term purchase or return options, and rental through furnable brand for agile workspaces requiring temporary furniture solutions.
- Homeoffice Shop: Corporate voucher-based home office furniture shopping platform allowing companies to support remote workers with quality designer furniture.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Purchase - Direct ownership of office furniture |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Leasing - Cost distribution over usage period |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Rental - Flexible furniture for agile workspaces (furnable) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
designfunktion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
designfunktion provides holistic office planning, furnishing, and advisory services, selling furniture from more than 100 premium manufacturer brands through 18 showrooms across Germany. The offering combines strategic consulting (workspace analytics, goal workshops, brand-in-space), full office planning and design, and flexible acquisition via purchase, leasing, or rental (furnable), with related residential and home-office solutions.
Product overview
designfunktion is a German B2B office furnishing and workspace design consultancy with over 40 years of experience, operating 18 locations across Germany. The company offers a comprehensive service portfolio organized around three core pillars: consulting (Beratung), planning (Planung), and furnishing (Einrichtung). Their consulting services include Workspace Analytics, Zielworkshop, Office Effizienzcheck, Marke im Raum, Nachhaltigkeit im Raum, and Design to Budget. Planning services encompass complete office design, lighting concepts, acoustics, textiles, and kitchen installations. The company represents over 100 furniture brands including Vitra, USM, Wilkhahn, and Walter Knoll. They provide flexible acquisition options through purchase, leasing, or the furnable rental service. Key digital offerings include the New Office Solution Finder and New Office Guides. Their services extend to home office solutions via a dedicated shop with employee voucher systems, as well as residential interior consultation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Beratung und Konzeption (Consulting and Concept)
Quantifiable outcome
- 92.7% of packaging materials recycled
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use designfunktion
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
designfunktion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
designfunktion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- VitracorePremium furniture brand partner providing office seating, tables, and storage solutions. Featured in multiple high-profile projects including Musikhaus Thomann, Wissenschaftszentrum Bonn, and Charité.
- USM HallercoreSwiss modular furniture system partner for office storage and space division. Featured on homepage as key brand partner.
- WilkhahncoreGerman office seating specialist providing ergonomic chairs and furniture. Used in SC Freiburg VIP lounges project.
- BenecoreAustrian office furniture manufacturer providing comprehensive workspace solutions. Featured brand on homepage.
- BrunnercoreGerman furniture manufacturer specialized in public seating and conference furniture. Partner for Heidelberg Congress Center and other projects. Regional production with high quality standards emphasized.
- Walter KnollcorePremium German furniture brand for reception, waiting, and executive areas. Featured in LVMH Watch & Jewelry and HUK Coburg projects.
- FramerycoreFinnish acoustic pod and phone booth manufacturer. Featured in Qontigo and other projects.
- Creation BaumanncoreSwiss textile manufacturer providing acoustic and decorative fabrics. Partner for LVMH project.
- degelo ArchitektencoreArchitecture firm responsible for Heidelberg Congress Center design. Collaborated with designfunktion on interior furnishing integration.
- Gäbele & Raufer ArchitektenminorArchitecture firm for SC Freiburg VIP lounges project.
- Becher & PartnerminorArchitecture firm in Bayreuth for HUK Coburg executive workspace project.
- Interior Architects and DesignerscoreVarious interior architects and designers supporting projects across Germany, including taktonika GmbH for Charité project.
- Craftsmen and Specialty TradescoreNetwork of carpenters, metalworkers, electricians, flooring specialists, painters, and dry-wall builders for project execution. Includes Schreinerei Herglotz, Ehm & Eitel, Hinsche GastroBau, and others.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
designfunktion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Haworth: Global office furniture manufacturer with a European dealer network and workspace design services, including integrated NARBUTAS and Poltrona Frau offerings; competes head-to-head with designfunktion in EMEA enterprise workspace projects.
- Vitra: Premium Swiss office and home furniture brand (also a core designfunktion partner) operating its own showroom network, design consultancy, and direct enterprise sales in DACH — relevant both as a supply partner and competitive incumbents in flagship workspace projects.
- Nowy Styl Group: European office furniture group offering comprehensive workspace solutions including furniture, advisory, and fit-out; competes across DACH and broader Europe with both manufacturing scale and integrated service offerings relevant to designfunktion's positioning.
- Steelcase: Global office furniture leader with a substantial European (including German) dealer network and an integrated workplace consulting practice; the most direct global incumbent analog to designfunktion's premium workspace positioning.
- USM Haller: Swiss modular furniture manufacturer with own-brand showroom presence across Germany (also a core designfunktion partner); a frequent co-specification partner but also a competitor pursuing similar premium enterprise and architectural accounts via direct channels.
Direct peers
- M Moser Associates: Global workplace strategy and design consultancy that bundles strategy, change management, architecture, and furniture procurement — directly comparable to designfunktion's integrated consulting + planning + furnishing model. Operates globally with strong European (and German) presence.
- Bene (Bene GmbH): Austrian office furniture manufacturer (also a designfunktion partner) with end-to-end office conception, space planning, and furnishing services. Positioned as both a partner and direct competitor for major DACH workspace transformation projects.
- König + Neurath: German office furniture manufacturer with deep consulting, space-planning, and dealer-network services; well-established German Mittelstand peer with overlapping customer base (corporate and public sector) and direct competition for workspace projects.
- Sedus Stoll: German premium office seating and furniture manufacturer offering workspace consulting, ergonomic planning, and space design — a direct competitor for German enterprise workspace projects with similar premium positioning and customer reference style as designfunktion.
- Walter Knoll: Premium German office and contract furniture brand (also a designfunktion partner) serving reception, lounge, and executive areas for luxury and enterprise customers; competes for the same high-end project specifications referenced in designfunktion's LVMH and HUK Coburg engagements.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
designfunktion social profiles
Digital presencedesignfunktion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
designfunktion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
designfunktion subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
designfunktion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
designfunktion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about designfunktion
What does designfunktion do?
designfunktion provides holistic office planning, furnishing, and advisory services, selling furniture from more than 100 premium manufacturer brands through 18 showrooms across Germany. The offering combines strategic consulting (workspace analytics, goal workshops, brand-in-space), full office planning and design, and flexible acquisition via purchase, leasing, or rental (furnable), with related residential and home-office solutions.
Is designfunktion a public or private company?
designfunktion is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was designfunktion founded?
designfunktion was founded in 1980. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is designfunktion based?
designfunktion is headquartered in München, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does designfunktion make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Office Furniture Sales are the primary driver. The others are consulting and Planning Services, furniture Leasing and Rental and homeoffice Shop.
Who are designfunktion's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Haworth, Vitra, Nowy Styl Group, Steelcase and USM Haller. Direct peers are M Moser Associates, Bene (Bene GmbH), König + Neurath, Sedus Stoll and Walter Knoll.
Does designfunktion have an API?
No public API is recorded for designfunktion.
What industry is designfunktion in?
designfunktion's product category is Office Furniture and Workspace Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAI, Space Planning & Workplace Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54141 and its SIC code is 5712.