tonwelt

What tonwelt does

tonwelt GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered, privately held provider of visitor guiding solutions and audiovisual content production services for museums, galleries, heritage sites, and corporate experience centers, founded in 1997 and operating across 35+ countries through wholly-owned entities in Germany, France, the UK, and Turkey, plus certified resellers in India, Israel, Canada, and Austria.

The company's core offering is an integrated ecosystem combining proprietary hardware—the supraGuide family of audio and media guides (ECO, MULTI, TOUCH, TOUCH4, DIVA, SPHERIC, S-LIGHT, TRAVEL), tourGuide group guiding systems, and supporting accessories (supraCharger stations, OptiRack/Opti10 storage, dBA-5 headphones)—with the supraCMS multiplatform content management system and in-house creative production via tonwelt Studios. Technical differentiators include RF/IR-based automatic content triggering, binaural/HRTF spatial audio with compass-linked sound sources in SPHERIC, lip-synchronous AV synchronization, and accessibility features (Braille controls, induction loops, audio description, sign language).

Revenue is generated through hardware sales of devices and accessories, professional services covering content creation and AV integration, rental solutions for temporary exhibitions and events, and recurring supraCMS platform licensing. Sales are consultation-led enterprise deals with custom quotes per project; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The customer base spans marquee cultural institutions (Louvre, V&A Museum, Schönbrunn Palace, National Museum of Denmark, Bern Historical Museum/SNB, Giant's Causeway/National Trust), automotive and industrial museums (Mercedes-Benz Museum, Völklinger Hütte, STIHL), and consumer brand experiences (Pilsner Urquell).

Name

tonwelt

Legal name

tonwelt GmbH

Website

https://tonwelt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

tonwelt provides end-to-end visitor guiding solutions—proprietary audio and media guide hardware, the supraCMS content platform, and creative content production—for museums, heritage sites, and corporate experience centers across 35+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Visitor Guidance Systems

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (541420), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Wholesale-Electrical Appliances, Tv & Radio Sets (5064)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Accessories & Consumables (Cables, Stands, Cases, Strings, Picks, Heads) (MPAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations (HSACAOAG), Backline & Musical Instrument Rentals (Concert/Performance Support) (THAHAEAL)

Keywords

• Museum audio guides
• Multimedia tour systems
• Visitor guidance solutions
• Content management software
• Exhibition AV integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Bayreuth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of proprietary audio guide and media guide devices (supraGuide ECO, MULTI, TOUCH, TOUCH4, DIVA, SPHERIC) along with complementary hardware including supraChargers, OptiRack, headphones (dBA-5, TW 205), and triggering accessories
2. Professional Services: Full-service content creation including concept development, scriptwriting, audio and video production, translations, and multilingual content adaptation. Also includes on-site installation, AV integration, and technical consultation for exhibition implementation
3. Rental Solutions: Rental options for temporary exhibitions, events, trade fairs, and special events, providing access to state-of-the-art technology without permanent capital investment
4. Content Management System Licensing: supraCMS platform licensing for content management, deployment, analytics, and multi-platform tour management across devices, apps, and PWAs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

tonwelt designs, manufactures, and integrates proprietary audio guide and media guide devices (supraGuide product family), a multiplatform content management system (supraCMS), and triggering accessories for museums, galleries, heritage sites, and exhibition centers. The company delivers full-service visitor guidance solutions including hardware devices, multilingual content production, AV integration, on-site installation, and rental options for temporary exhibitions.

Product overview

tonwelt provides professional museum audio guides and multimedia tour solutions through a unified ecosystem comprising hardware devices (supraGuide audio/media guides, tourGuide group guiding systems), software (supraCMS content management system), and accessories (headphones, charging stations). The product portfolio includes audio guides (ECO, MULTI, TOUCH), media guides (TOUCH⁴, DIVA), immersive 3D audio headsets (SPHERIC, S-LIGHT), group guiding systems (tourGuide PLAY/GO/GO+/AIR/TG-48), charging/storage solutions (supraCharger stations, OptiRack), and the supraCMS platform for content management and deployment across all devices and multiplatform formats (PWA, iOS/Android apps).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• supraGuide: Product line of audio guides and media guides including ECO, MULTI, TOUCH, SPHERIC, S-Light, and DIVA models
• supraCMS
• supraCharger
• tourGuide
• OptiRack
• Opti10
• dBA-5
• supraPhones
• supraGuide TRAVEL

Products and services

• supraGuide ECO Classic audio-only guide weighing 70g with up to 15 hours battery life, Braille keyboard, automatic triggering via RF/IR, and lip-sync audio-video synchronization, designed for museum visitors.
• supraGuide MULTI Accessible multimedia audio guide bridging classic audio and multimedia functionality, featuring large Braille keypad, induction loop for hearing aids, touchscreen display, and optional group guiding function.
• supraGuide TOUCH Compact multimedia guide with large touchscreen for images, videos, and maps, featuring automatic triggering, multilingual audio for video projections, interactive maps, and visitor feedback integration.
• supraGuide TOUCH4 Compact multimedia guide weighing 152g with high-resolution touchscreen display and aluminum casing, supporting audio, video, images, apps, interactive maps, automatic triggering, and AV synchronization.
• supraGuide DIVA High-performance multimedia guide with octa-core chipset, FHD+ display, augmented reality support, integrated tourGuide mode with 55 channels and 200m range, and automatic indoor/outdoor triggering.
• supraGuide SPHERIC All-in-one wireless headphones with 3D/binaural audio, 100% hands-free operation, automatic triggering, AV synchronization, floating ear cups, multitrack 3D sound with compass integration, and up to 12 hours battery life.
• supraGuide S-LIGHT Stereo audio version of SPHERIC optimized for classic audio guides without 3D sound, featuring automatic triggering and wireless operation for smaller museums or temporary exhibitions.
• supraGuide TRAVEL Travel-focused audio guide product in tonwelt's audio guide portfolio.
• tourGuide PLAY Digital group guiding system weighing 44g with 22ms latency, up to 110 channels, 120m range, and optional sync-kit for simultaneous channel setting, ideal for city tours and small to medium-sized museums.
• tourGuide GO Group guiding device for outdoor guided activities.
• tourGuide GO+ Enhanced version of tourGuide GO for group guiding activities.
• tourGuide AIR Wireless group guiding system included in the tourGuide portfolio.
• tourGuide TG-48 Group guiding device included in the tourGuide portfolio for guided tours.
• supraCMS Multiplatform content management system for centralized management of multilingual, interactive tours, featuring content editing/preview, maps/navigation, analytics, story-telling tools, quiz/survey functionality, and deployment across audio guides, media guides, PWA, and native apps.
• supraCharger ECO 30 Intelligent charging station for 30 supraGuide ECO devices with LED status indicators, content management, deployment, and preset language selection.
• supraCharger MULTI/TOUCH Charging station for supraGuide MULTI and TOUCH devices, supporting up to 20 devices with charging, content deployment, and language configuration.
• supraCharger DIVA Intelligent charging station for supraGuide DIVA with 12 charging slots, LED status indicators, and network connectivity for multiple units.
• OptiRack & Opti10 Charging and storage solution for supraGuide SPHERIC devices, with OptiRack holding up to 36 units with USB/Ethernet content transfer and safe charging.
• dBA-5 Headphones Lightweight stereo headphones optimized for speech reproduction with audio guides, featuring single-sided cable, adjustable headband, and optional hygienic pads.
• tonwelt Studios Content Production In-house creative studio providing end-to-end content creation including concept development, scriptwriting, audio and video production, translations, and multilingual content adaptation for museum and exhibition clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports unlimited languages and accessible formats for international and special needs visitors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bern Historical Museum & Swiss National BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Moneyverse immersive financial culture exhibition at Bern Kaiserhaus. tonwelt provided supraGuide DIVA with ultra-precise trigger technology for interactive stations, app integration, and two-way communication systems for educational serious games.
• National Trust (Giant's Causeway)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing service partnership since 2017 for UNESCO World Heritage site, providing audio guides, triggering technology for indoor and outdoor, and support staff for visitor centre with up to 1 million annual visitors.
• tonwelt StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-house creative studio providing audio and video production services, scriptwriting, translations, and multimedia content creation for all tonwelt products and client projects.
• AudComm (India)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCertified reseller for India, handling local sales and support for tonwelt products in the Indian market.
• Mensch Edutainment (Israel)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCertified reseller for Israel, providing local distribution and support for tonwelt guiding solutions.
• PAG (Canada)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCertified reseller for Canada, handling local sales and implementation support for tonwelt products.
• Kraftwerk (Austria)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCertified reseller for Austria, providing local sales and support services for tonwelt products.
• Membership OrganizationsminorOthersActive memberships in industry associations including VERA (Verband der Museen实质性 e.V.), Deutscher Museums Bund, Museums Association, and Österreichischer Museums Bund, demonstrating industry engagement and best practice alignment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Orpheo Group: Paris-based global provider of audio guides and multimedia visitor interpretation solutions for museums, cultural sites, and tourism. Direct competitor with overlapping product categories (audio guide hardware, content, AV integration) and similar flagship museum clients.
• Acoustiguide: Long-established provider of audio guides and multimedia tour content for museums and cultural attractions worldwide. Competes head-to-head with tonwelt on enterprise museum contracts and offers comparable hardware + content + CMS solutions.
• Antenna International: John Lennon-founded visitor experience agency producing audio guides, multimedia tours, and digital interpretation for museums and cultural institutions globally. Competes in the same RFP process for marquee museum accounts as tonwelt.
• GuideID: European provider of museum audio guides and multimedia visitor devices with a similar product portfolio spanning hardware devices, content production, and multilingual tour delivery for cultural institutions.

Broad incumbents

• Sennheiser (Tour Guide / Visitor Audio division): Global professional audio incumbent with a tour guide and visitor audio systems business that overlaps tonwelt's group guiding and audio guide offerings. Wider audio portfolio (consumer, pro, broadcast) but competes in the same venues for tour guide RFPs.

Emerging players

• IZI.travel: App and platform for self-guided museum and city tours, offering BYOD-based multimedia interpretation. Represents the smartphone-app alternative to tonwelt's dedicated hardware, particularly relevant for cost-conscious smaller museums.
• Smartify: App-based museum interpretation platform using image recognition to surface multimedia content on visitors' own devices. Direct substitute for tonwelt's hardware-led approach in mid-market museums and a key competitive threat.
• STQRY: Mobile app and CMS platform for museum and visitor centre self-guided tours, offering BYOD-based tours, collection browsing, and AR features. Competes with tonwelt's PWA and supraCMS offerings in the software layer.
• Cuseum: Digital engagement platform for museums offering app-based tours, AR, beacons, and analytics. Competes with tonwelt's CMS-plus-device ecosystem particularly for North American museums seeking app-first solutions.
• Bloomberg Connects: Bloomberg Philanthropies' free museum app and content platform offering audio tours, collections, and visitor wayfinding. A heavyweight app-first competitor that pressures tonwelt's pitch in mid-market and budget-constrained museums.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tonwelt
• Facebookfacebook.com/tonwelt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tonwelt-guidingsolutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 tonwelt