cunova

What cunova does

cunova GmbH is a German-headquartered specialty copper and copper alloy manufacturer serving primarily the global steel, maritime, offshore, and industrial processing sectors. The company operates four business units: Melting & Casting Technologies (continuous casting mould plates, mould tubes, casting rolls, cooling elements, crucibles, copper staves, casting wheels), Service Division (refurbishment, repair, machining, on-site maintenance through seven global service centers), Maritime Applications (OSNA® nickel-copper alloys, OSNALINE® tube bundles for shipbuilding and offshore), and Industrial Applications (ELBRODUR® resistance welding consumables, OSNA-Cu58®, PROCU® profiles, ANCU copper anodes, bus tubes, copper powder for additive manufacturing). Its proprietary technology stack includes the Cu+ Plate intelligent cooling mould plate (claiming up to 50% extended service life, patent pending), WAVE® mould tube geometry, CV Cooling design, AMC multilayer coating, TC1® spray coating, OSNA® copper-nickel alloys, Mould Organiser real-time sensor monitoring, and fibre optic temperature measurement systems, supported by a library of more than 100,000 detailed engineering drawings and 150+ years of metallurgical heritage tracing back to KME Group origins.

The business model combines one-time capital goods sales of customized specialty copper components with recurring aftermarket revenue from refurbishment, machining, plating, bearing services, and on-site technical support delivered through seven wholly-owned service centers in Germany, USA, India, Spain, Turkey, Mexico, and China, supplemented by a distributor and agent network covering 50+ countries. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with strong trade show presence (METEC, AISTech, SMM, ANKIROS, ADIPEC, Euronaval) and close collaborative product development with steel and maritime customers. The company does not disclose public pricing; all products are quote-based custom configurations. cunova employs approximately 1,500 people worldwide, is privately held following a 2022 carve-out from KME Group backed by Paragon Partners, and rebranded from KME Special Products & Solutions to cunova GmbH in March 2023. Leadership includes CEO Christoph Geyer (appointed April 2025), CFO Jan-Torben Keßler (2025), and Chairman Claudio Pinassi. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 50001 certifications, a BSFZ research seal, and TÜV certification for the Product Carbon Footprint of its mould tubes.

Name

cunova

Legal name

cunova GmbH

Website

https://cunova.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

cunova GmbH is a German-headquartered global manufacturer of specialty copper and copper alloy products, including mould plates, mould tubes, casting rolls, and OSNA® nickel-copper alloys, serving steel producers, maritime and offshore operators, and industrial customers through direct sales and a network of seven service centers and 50+ country distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty copper and copper alloy products for industrial manufacturing

NAICS

Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying (331420), All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299), Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (332), Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341), Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Copper Recycling & Secondary Copper Smelting/Refining (IMAKADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Precious Metals Smelting & Refining (IMAKAEAE), Refractory & Metallurgical Consumables Distribution (Fluxes, electrodes, refractories) (IMAKAJAM), Support Removal & Finishing Tools/Consumables (Cutters, Abrasives, Sandpaper, Deburring) (IMAAAIAK)

Keywords

• Continuous casting components
• Copper alloy manufacturing
• Industrial mould products
• Maritime nickel-copper alloys
• Specialty copper materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Osnabrück

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Copper and Copper Alloy Products: Revenue generated from the manufacture and sale of specialty copper and copper alloy products including mould plates, mould tubes, casting rolls, copper-nickel alloys, bus tubes, and related components. Primarily one-time capital goods sales with potential for aftermarket and refurbishment recurring revenue.
2. Service and Maintenance: Comprehensive services for continuous casting plants covering the full lifecycle from tundish to torch cutting. Includes mould and segment repair, machining, plating, roll refurbishment, bearing refurbishment, and on-site services. Delivered through 7 service centers across Germany, USA, India, Spain, Turkey, Mexico, and China.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

cunova manufactures and sells specialty products and components made from copper and copper alloys — primarily mould plates, mould tubes, casting rolls, cooling elements, crucibles, copper staves, copper-nickel (OSNA) alloys, bus tubes, copper anodes, ELBRODUR resistance-welding consumables and copper powder — for continuous casting of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plus maritime (shipbuilding/offshore) and industrial customers. Offerings are sold as custom-engineered capital goods and complemented by a global Service Division providing mould/segment repair, roll/bearing refurbishment, machining, plating and on-site caster services across seven service centers.

Product overview

cunova is a global market leader for customized products and solutions made from copper and copper alloys. The company's product portfolio is organized into four main business units: (1) Melting & Casting Technologies offers comprehensive continuous casting solutions including mould tubes (WAVE®, Textured, Round WAVE®), mould plates (Cu+ Plate, AFM®, ASM®, ATSM, ABBM, ATM), crucibles, casting wheels, copper staves, and cooling technologies (CV Cooling Design). (2) Service Division provides complete lifecycle support for continuous casting operations including mould refurbishment, segment repair, roll refurbishment, bearing services, and on-site maintenance across global service centers. (3) Maritime Applications supplies highly corrosion-resistant nickel-copper products including OSNA® 400, OSNA® K-500, OSNA® 10/OSNA® 30, OSNALINE® tube bundles, and comprehensive piping systems for shipbuilding and offshore platforms. (4) Industrial Applications provides drawn copper products including ELBRODUR® for resistance welding, OSNA-Cu58®, PROCU® bars and profiles, ANCU copper anodes, bus tubes, copper powder, and specialized coatings (AMC Multilayer-Coating, TC1® Spray Coating, HVOF, Chrome). The portfolio is unified by deep expertise in copper metallurgy and close customer collaboration for application-specific solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OSNA: Nickel-copper alloys and maritime products including OSNA 400 and OSNA K-500
• OSNALINE
• ELBRODUR
• Cu+ Mould
• WAVE
• AMC Multilayer-Coating
• ACI
• AFM
• ASM
• CV Cooling

Products and services

• Cu+ Plate Intelligent cooling technology for mould plates used in continuous casting of steel, dynamically adapting cooling throughout the mould lifecycle to extend service life by up to 50% and improve casting quality.
• OSNA 400 and OSNA K-500 OSNA 400 offers excellent corrosion resistance in seawater, chloride and stress-corrosion cracking environments; OSNA K-500 provides additional high strength and hardness through aluminium and titanium hardening for dynamically loaded components in offshore, shipbuilding and chemical-plant service.
• WAVE Mould Tubes Innovative mould tube technology with proprietary wave geometry that enhances cooling performance and improves casting quality in continuous casting of steel and non-ferrous metals.
• CV Cooling Design Mould technology that optimises heat transfer in continuous casting by improving cooling performance through a special macrostructure on the broadface, resulting in improved casting quality and longer mould service life.
• AFM - Advanced Funnel Mould Advanced mould plates for continuous casting of steel featuring optimised design for improved heat transfer and extended service life.
• ASM - Advanced Slab Mould Advanced slab mould technology for continuous casting of steel, designed for enhanced durability and performance in slab casting operations.
• ATSM - Advanced Thin Slab Mould Advanced mould plates for thin slab casting applications in compact strip production steel plants.
• ABBM - Advanced Beam Blank Mould Advanced beam blank mould plate and tube technology for beam blank continuous casting of long products.
• ATM - Advanced Tube Mould Advanced tube mould technology for billet and bloom casting in continuous casting of long products.
• Textured Mould Tubes Textured-surface mould tubes for improved heat transfer and casting surface quality in continuous billet and bloom casting.
• Casting Rolls Copper and copper-alloy casting rolls used in continuous casting and rolling mill operations.
• Casting Wheels Casting wheels used in continuous casting of non-ferrous metals.
• Copper Staves Copper staves used as cooling elements in blast furnace cooling systems for ironmaking.
• Forged Crucibles High-quality forged crucibles for melting and casting operations in non-ferrous metallurgy.
• OSNALINE Tube Bundles Complete range of nickel-copper tube bundles for maritime and industrial applications, including Antistatic, Flex, Heat Traced, Plastic and Metallic bundle configurations for shipbuilding and offshore systems.
• OSNA 10 / OSNA 30 Nickel-copper alloys (OSNA 10 and OSNA 30) for shipbuilding and offshore applications, providing excellent corrosion resistance in seawater environments.
• Offshore OSNA-10 Piping Specialised nickel-copper alloy piping, elbows, tees and fittings for offshore oil and gas platform seawater and process systems.
• ELBRODUR Specialised copper-alloy rods, tubes and profiles for resistance welding applications, including ELBRODUR G, GF, H and NIB alloy variants for different industrial uses.
• OSNA-Cu58 Special-machining copper-alloy rods, profiles and tubes designed for high-performance machining and industrial use.
• PROCU Copper hollow profiles and bars for industrial applications, offering high performance and reliability.
• ANCU Copper Anodes Copper anodes for industrial electrochemical applications including electroplating and refining.
• Bus Tubes Copper bus tubes for electrical conductivity applications in industrial settings such as electrolytic refining and large-current distribution.
• Copper Powder High-purity copper powder suitable for additive manufacturing (3D printing) and high-performance coatings, leveraging excellent thermal conductivity properties.
• Hollow Profiles and Special Parts Customised copper hollow profiles and special parts tailored to specific customer requirements for industrial applications.
• Coatings — AMC Multilayer-Coating and TC1 Spray Coating Proprietary coating technologies for mould components — AMC multilayer coating for mould tubes and TC1 spray coating — enhancing durability, wear resistance and continuous casting performance.
• Service Division — Continuous Casting Plant Service Comprehensive lifecycle services for continuous casting plants from tundish to torch cutting, including mould and segment repair, machining, plating, roll refurbishment, bearing refurbishment, sleeve and chock refurbishment, rolling mill service and on-site support — delivered through seven service centers in Germany, USA, India, Spain, Turkey, Mexico and China.
• Mould Sensor / Mould Organiser Intelligent sensor system enabling continuous real-time monitoring of casting process temperatures and conditions for early detection of deviations and prevention of production defects.
• Fibre Optic Temperature Monitoring System Fiber optic temperature monitoring system for highly precise measurement directly within the continuous casting process, enabling detailed insights into temperature distribution inside the mould.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cu+ Plate can increase mould plate lifetime by up to 50% under constant cooling parameters
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Roser Technologies Inc (RTI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022cunova acquired Roser Technologies Inc (RTI) in 2022, which had set standards in service offerings in Melting & Casting Technology for over 20 years. RTI CEO Jack A. Roser was appointed to lead the new Service Division as its head, and RTI's expertise was integrated into cunova's global service operations.
• Peter Schmidt GroupminorOthersPeter Schmidt Group is responsible for the website design of cunova's digital presence.
• team4mediaminorOthersteam4media is responsible for the technical development/implementation of cunova's website.
• KME Germany GmbHminorOtherscunova maintains a close operational connection to KME Germany at the Osnabrück site, sharing the facility. KME is also acknowledged as a photo source on the website. While cunova has separated from KME Group, the two companies share infrastructure at the headquarters location.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Materion Corporation: US-based advanced materials manufacturer producing specialty metal alloys including copper beryllium and other high-performance alloys. Comparable in specialty alloy positioning but operates in a broader portfolio of advanced materials.
• Mueller Industries: US-based manufacturer of copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic products serving plumbing, HVAC, industrial, and automotive markets. Larger and more diversified than cunova but overlaps in copper product manufacturing and distribution.
• Aurubis: Europe's largest copper producer and one of the world's leading copper recyclers, producing cathodes, wire rod, continuous cast shapes, and specialty profiles. Significantly larger than cunova but overlaps in copper processing and rolled/drawn product manufacturing.

Direct peers

• Luvata: Global manufacturer of copper products and engineered solutions serving automotive, industrial, and electrical end markets. Comparable in scale to cunova with similar copper alloy manufacturing capabilities and global customer footprint.
• Concast Metal Products: US manufacturer of continuous cast copper and copper alloy products including rods, bars, tubes, and shapes. Direct competitor in continuous casting technology for copper alloys, comparable in product line focus.
• Wieland Group: German-headquartered global leader in copper and copper alloy semi-finished products including rolled, drawn, and extruded forms for industrial applications. Most direct comparable to cunova in European specialty copper alloys market with overlapping customer base in industrial and engineering sectors.
• KME Group: Italian-German copper products manufacturer and cunova's former parent before the 2022 carve-out. Continues to manufacture copper and copper alloy products for similar industrial applications, making it the closest structural peer in product portfolio and customer overlap.
• Diehl Metall: German manufacturer of specialty copper and copper alloy products including rods, profiles, and forged parts for industrial applications. Comparable in scale and product range to cunova, with overlapping European customer base.

Others

• SMS group: German global leader in metallurgical plant and rolling mill technology. Cunova is a key supplier to SMS-built continuous casters, making SMS a major customer rather than direct competitor, but represents an adjacent player in the same value chain.

Emerging players

• IBC Advanced Alloys: Specialty copper alloy manufacturer focused on high-performance beryllium-aluminum and copper-based alloys for industrial, aerospace, and defense applications. Smaller than cunova but competes in adjacent specialty alloy segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cunova
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cunova
• Facebookfacebook.com/cunova.group

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 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 cunova