Lokay

What Lokay does

Lokay (legal entity: D.O.G. Lokay GmbH & Co. KG) is a German family-owned environmental printing company headquartered in Reinheim near Darmstadt, founded in 1940 and led by managing director Ralf Lokay. Operating 24 hours a day with a documented team of 30 employees, the company produces climate-neutral print materials using exclusively plant-based inks (since 1998), alcohol-free printing processes, 100% process-free printing plates, and an 80% recycled-paper production mix, while reporting more than 90% CO2-equivalent savings in Scope 1 and 2 since 2007. The technical foundation rests on Heidelberg offset presses certified to ProcessStandard Offsetdruck (PSO / DIN ISO 12647-2), with prepress, three-shift offset production, and postpress finishing (cutting, folding, adhesive binding, embossing up to 72 × 104 cm) executed in a single facility featuring heat recovery, an 8,000-liter rainwater cistern, LED lighting, and thermal insulation.

The product portfolio covers brochures, books, annual reports, catalogs, magazines, sustainability reports, presentation folders, flyers, posters, business cards, and labels, complemented by a 56-variety sustainable paper collection (Lokay Papierkollektion) and paid workshops plus consulting on sustainable printing and corporate management. Lokay operates two e-commerce channels (umweltdruckerei.de and shop.lokay.de) for self-service SMB and individual ordering alongside a consultative phone-and-email direct sales motion (06162 9302-0) for larger B2B engagements. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the company states sustainable products are priced at parity with conventional alternatives, with special rates offered to Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie (GWÖ) certified and non-profit customers.

The customer base is concentrated in Germany and skewed toward sustainability-focused B2B buyers — including WWF, Weleda, Triodos Bank, Demeter, Riese & Müller, Würth, Caparol, Neumarkter Lammsbräu, WEtell, and Klima-Allianz — across NGOs, banking, natural cosmetics, mobility, hardware, food and beverage, telecom, and academia. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time project-based print orders and a smaller but growing mix of e-commerce transactions, paid workshops, and consulting services. The company holds a dense stack of certifications (Blue Angel RAL-UZ 195, FSC, Cradle to Cradle, EMAS, GWÖ, ISO 12647-2, natureOffice climate-neutral) and has won back-to-back German Sustainability Awards (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis 2023 and 2024).

Name

Lokay

Legal name

D.O.G. Lokay GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://lokay.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lokay is a family-owned German environmental printing company in Reinheim that produces climate-neutral brochures, books, sustainability reports, and presentation folders for sustainability-focused B2B clients such as WWF, Weleda, and Triodos Bank, using plant-based inks, recycled paper, and certified eco-processes with 30 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Reinheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Printing Products: Lokay generates revenue through producing customized printing products including brochures, books, annual reports, catalogs, magazines, sustainability reports, presentation folders, and finishing services. Products are sold via online shop and direct consultation.
2. Online Shop Sales: E-commerce sales through their own online shop (umweltdruckerei.de) where customers can upload print PDFs, select quantity, paper type, and format for delivery.
3. Environmental Consulting and Workshops: The company offers paid workshops on sustainable printing and corporate management, generating additional revenue stream.
4. Paper Collection Sales: Sale of sustainable paper samples and collections, with proceeds partially donated to environmental causes (e.g., NABU).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Lokay is a family-owned environmental printing company (Umweltdruckerei) that produces custom sustainable printed materials — brochures, books, annual reports, catalogs, magazines, sustainability reports, and presentation folders — using plant-based inks, alcohol-free Heidelberg offset presses, 100% process-free plates, and certified FSC/recycled papers. The company offers climate-neutral printing with full CO2 compensation, an online shop (shop.lokay.de / umweltdruckerei.de) for self-service ordering, a curated paper sample collection, and paid workshops and sustainability consulting.

Product overview

Lokay is an environmental printing company (Umweltdruckerei) offering a comprehensive portfolio of sustainable print products and services. The core offering includes custom print materials such as brochures, books, annual reports, catalogs, magazines, sustainability reports, and presentation folders, all produced using environmentally-friendly processes. The company operates across the entire print value chain with prepress services, offset and digital printing on Heidelberg presses, and postpress finishing including cutting, folding, binding, and embossing. Complementary services include climate-neutral printing certification, a curated sustainable paper collection (Lokay Papierkollektion) with 56 varieties, an e-commerce online shop platform, and professional workshops on sustainable printing and business practices. The company holds multiple environmental certifications including Blauer Engel RAL-UZ 195, FSC, Cradle to Cradle, and EMAS, positioning it as a premium sustainable printing partner primarily serving environmentally-conscious businesses and organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individualprodukte (Custom Print Products) Customizable environmentally-friendly printed materials including brochures, books, annual reports, catalogs, magazines, sustainability reports, and presentation folders, produced using plant-based inks, alcohol-free Heidelberg offset presses, and FSC/recycled papers. Sold to sustainability-focused companies, NGOs, and agencies across Germany.
• Lokay Papierkollektion (Sustainable Paper Collection) A curated collection of 56 sustainable paper varieties — FSC-certified and recycled papers in multiple weights and color variants — for sampling and selection by customers producing business materials, brochures, and flyers. Proceeds from collection sales are partially donated to environmental causes such as NABU.
• Klimaneutraler Druck (Climate-Neutral Printing) Carbon-neutral printing service in which unavoidable CO2 emissions across the production lifecycle are fully compensated through certified climate protection projects (via natureOffice certification), making it the foundational sustainability promise of the company.
• Workshops & Vorträge (Workshops and Presentations) Customized paid workshops and presentations on environmentally conscious print production and sustainable corporate management, covering eco-printing design, paper selection, and environmental labels (Blue Angel, FSC, Cradle to Cradle). Delivered on-site or off-site at the Reinheim facility with factory tours.
• Nachhaltigkeitsberatung (Sustainability Consulting) Paid expert consulting on sustainable print production and marketing, drawing on more than two decades of environmental expertise (EMAS, Blue Angel, FSC, Cradle to Cradle, GWÖ) to advise customers on how to align printed communications with their sustainability goals.

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• B.A.U.M. e.V. (Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerB.A.U.M. is a corporate network with significant influence in business, science, and politics, promoting sustainable management practices. Lokay participates in this sustainability network.
• ZNU – Zentrum für nachhaltige EntwicklungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute at University of Witten/Herdecke, jointly initiated by business and science, working through research, teaching, continuing education, and conferences to inspire sustainable corporate management.
• HeldenmarktminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGermany's leading consumer trade show for sustainable consumption, presenting good and beautiful products from nearly all areas of life with an informative program.
• Umweltforum Rhein-Main e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network for sustainable business practices and a melting pot for future-oriented, cross-industry projects in the Rhein-Main region.
• VeggieWorldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGermany's oldest and largest European trade show for vegan lifestyle, reflecting Lokay's commitment to sustainable and vegan products.
• Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationDevelopment partnership since 2007 with Heidelberg Printing Machines AG, ensuring access to state-of-the-art printing technology and continuous modernization of equipment.
• natureOfficecoreTechnology or IntegrationCertification partner for climate-neutral printing, ensuring CO2 emissions that cannot be avoided are offset through climate protection projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Onlineprinters (Unitedprint): Large German online printing platform serving SMBs and enterprise with brochures, flyers, and business materials via a self-service e-commerce shop. Directly comparable business model to Lokay's umweltdruckerei.de/shop.lokay.de channel and product mix.
• Flyeralarm: One of Europe's largest online print shops, offering brochures, books, business cards and marketing materials. Comparable in customer segments, product range, and online-direct GTM, though operating at much larger scale and without an explicit sustainability niche.
• Druckerei.de: German online printing company focused on offset and digital print products for SMBs. Closely comparable in product categories (brochures, books, presentation materials), online ordering flow, and German B2B/SMB target customers.
• Saxoprint (Canon Group): German online printer offering offset and digital print products via an e-commerce platform. Comparable GTM motion (self-service online shop) and product overlap in brochures, books, and presentation folders.
• Pixartprinting: European online printing company (Italy-headquartered) serving SMB and enterprise customers with customized print products. Comparable online-direct model and broad product portfolio including books and marketing materials.
• MOO: Premium online print brand for business cards, brochures, and marketing materials targeting design-conscious SMBs. Comparable premium positioning and direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, though at smaller volume and more design-led than sustainability-led.
• Optimal Media (Roediger Druck): German full-service printing company producing books, catalogs, and packaging. Comparable in offset print products, German market focus, and B2B customer base, though broader in scope (also audio/physical media production).

Broad incumbents

• CEWE: Listed German printing and photo products group with a much broader portfolio (photo books, retail printing, commercial print). Comparable as a German printing incumbent; Lokay is materially smaller and more narrowly focused on sustainable commercial print.
• Cimpress / Vistaprint: Global mass-customization printing platform serving SMBs worldwide with marketing materials. Comparable in self-service online printing model and broad product mix, though vastly larger and not positioned around sustainability.

Regional players

• Elanders: Swedish-headquartered printing and packaging group operating Print24 and other print brands across Europe. Comparable in offset and digital print products and online B2B channels; primarily serves customers outside Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAkSa2oWEEBrFhcWZP6rFnw
• Facebookfacebook.com/lokay.druck
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lokay-umweltdruck
• Instagraminstagram.com/lokayumweltdruckerei

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Lokay