Steiger Participations
Steiger Participations SA is a Swiss manufacturer (founded 1949, Vionnaz) of industrial flat knitting machines serving fashion, medical/orthopedic, and technical-textile customers worldwide. A wholly-owned member of the Ningbo Cixing Group since 2010, with ~130 professionals and agents globally and self-described world leadership in medical knitting applications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersVionnaz, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Steiger Participations does
Steiger Participations SA is a Swiss industrial-machinery company that designs, produces, and sells industrial flat knitting machines for the fashion, medical/orthopedic, and technical-textile industries. Founded in 1949 in Roanne and relocated to Vionnaz, Switzerland in 1963, the company operates three core product families: the ANTARES/ARIES/LIBRA series for high-end fashion and intarsia knitting; the VEGA series specialized in medical/orthopedic (VEGA 3.90 M with Dimension and Tension Control) and technical/composite applications (VEGA 3.130 supporting 3D carbon fiber preforms); and the cost-optimized STG series. The product portfolio is supported by proprietary Model and Model+ programming software, Netcontrol production-management software, and an S-Touch 2.0 operator interface with remote troubleshooting capability. Steiger holds patents including a worldwide compound-needle patent granted in 2000, holds several "industry firsts" (first fully electronic knitting machine in 1979, first motorized yarn-carrier machine in 1999), and self-describes as world leader in medical/orthopedic knitting applications, with 95% of production exported to Europe.
The company's commercial model is enterprise field sales executed from its Swiss headquarters, complemented by a global network of regional agents and distributors across 20+ countries in Europe, LATAM, EMEA, APAC, and Africa, plus a dedicated service center in China. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of industrial knitting machines, one-time software licenses, and aftermarket spare parts and service. Steiger has been a wholly-owned member of Ningbo Cixing Co. Ltd since July 2010; Ningbo Cixing is publicly listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (IPO 2012) and operates as the world leader in industrial knitting machines. The Cixing Group's recent acquisition of Stoll positions Steiger as the group's lead for medical-textiles development, with the company currently building a new European R&D Center in Switzerland to support this expanded mandate.
Steiger Participations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Steiger Participations
- Legal name
- Steiger Participations SA
- Website
- https://steiger-textil.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Steiger Participations SA is a Swiss manufacturer (founded 1949, Vionnaz) of industrial flat knitting machines serving fashion, medical/orthopedic, and technical-textile customers worldwide. A wholly-owned member of the Ningbo Cixing Group since 2010, with ~130 professionals and agents globally and self-described world leadership in medical knitting applications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Steiger Participations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vionnaz
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Steiger Participations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Industrial Knitting Machines: Sale of industrial flat knitting machines including ANTARES, ARIES, LIBRA, VEGA, and STG series for fashion, medical, and technical applications
- Software Licenses: Sale of Model and Model+ programming software for knitting machine control
- Spare Parts and Service: Service center for spare parts and training for customers worldwide, with centers in Vionnaz and China
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Steiger Participations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Steiger Participations SA manufactures and sells industrial flat knitting machines organized into three product lines: ANTARES/ARIES/LIBRA series for fashion knitwear with intarsia and Jacquard capabilities, VEGA series for medical/orthopedic (with Dimension and Tension Control) and technical/composite applications (3D carbon fiber preforms), and STG series for cost-optimized production. The company is the world leader for medical applications knitting machines and supplies hardware, proprietary Model/Model+ programming software, and global spare parts and training services.
Product overview
Steiger Participations SA manufactures industrial flat knitting machines organized around three core product families: the ANTARES/ARIES/LIBRA series for fashion and high-end knitwear (featuring intarsia capability, electronic needle selection, and motorized yarn-carriers); the VEGA series for specialized applications (VEGA 3.130 for technical/composite materials, VEGA 3.90 M for medical/orthopedic production with Dimension and Tension Control); and the STG series for cost-optimized production. The entire machine portfolio is supported by proprietary Model and Model+ programming software for knitting pattern creation and simulation. The company operates from Vionnaz, Switzerland with manufacturing in China under Ningbo Cixing Group ownership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ANTARES 3.130
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced production waste and manual labor through 3D preform knitting that goes directly into mold
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Steiger Participations
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Steiger Participations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Steiger Participations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ningbo Cixing Co. LtdcoreSteiger has been a member of the Ningbo Cixing Group since July 2010. Ningbo Cixing is based in Zhejiang Province, China and became the world leader in industrial knitting machines following its successful IPO on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2012. Steiger serves as the European R&D and manufacturing center for the group.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Steiger Participations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Shima Seiki: Japanese manufacturer of computer-controlled flat knitting machines, including the WHOLEGARMENT and SDS-ONE systems. It is the global incumbent in industrial flat knitting machinery serving the same fashion, technical, and medical knitwear customers as Steiger, with overlapping product lines and patented needle-selection technology.
- Stoll (Karl Mayer STOLL): German manufacturer of flat knitting machines historically competing head-to-head with Steiger across fashion and technical knitwear. Now part of the same Ningbo Cixing parent group alongside Steiger following its recent acquisition, making it a direct internal peer rather than an external competitor.
- Ningbo Cixing: Chinese parent company and world leader in industrial knitting machines, publicly listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Cixes Steiger machines in the same category and shares overlapping technology platforms, with Steiger acting as its European R&D center and premium product line.
- Mayer & Cie: German manufacturer of circular knitting machines serving apparel, sportswear, and technical textile markets. While focused on circular rather than flat knitting, it competes for the same industrial customer capex budgets and shares the European industrial textile-machinery footprint.
- Santoni (Lonati Group): Italian manufacturer of circular knitting and seamless knitting machines for hosiery, sportswear, and medical garments. Its medical-compression and seamless apparel offerings compete with Steiger's medical/orthopedic knitting equipment for the same end customers.
- Pai Lung Machinery Mill: Taiwanese manufacturer of circular knitting machines serving global apparel producers. It competes in the broader industrial knitting machinery category and targets similar fashion and technical textile customers, particularly in Asia.
Broad incumbents
- Karl Mayer: German manufacturer of warp knitting machines and textile finishing equipment. While it operates in a different knitting technology (warp vs. flat), it serves overlapping fashion and technical textile customers and competes for industrial textile machinery budgets.
Others
- Groz-Beckert: German manufacturer of knitting machine needles, system components, and machinery. As a key supplier of compound and latch needles used in industrial knitting machines—including those used by Steiger—it is an ecosystem participant closely tied to the same machinery market.
- Tompkins Robotics / Fives (industrial automation peers): Fives is a broader industrial machinery group active in textiles and composites processing equipment. It is comparable as a large industrial-machinery incumbent that supplies adjacent capital equipment to textile and composite manufacturers served by Steiger.
Emerging players
- Comez (Jakob Müller Group): Italian manufacturer of crochet and narrow fabric knitting machines under the Jakob Müller Group. While narrower in scope and focused on technical textiles and narrow fabrics, it serves overlapping technical knitting customers and competes for adjacent industrial knitting capex.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Customer concentration
Steiger Participations social profiles
Digital presenceSteiger Participations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Steiger Participations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Steiger Participations subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Steiger Participations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Steiger Participations 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 Steiger Participations
What does Steiger Participations do?
Steiger Participations SA manufactures and sells industrial flat knitting machines organized into three product lines: ANTARES/ARIES/LIBRA series for fashion knitwear with intarsia and Jacquard capabilities, VEGA series for medical/orthopedic (with Dimension and Tension Control) and technical/composite applications (3D carbon fiber preforms), and STG series for cost-optimized production. The company is the world leader for medical applications knitting machines and supplies hardware, proprietary Model/Model+ programming software, and global spare parts and training services.
Is Steiger Participations a public or private company?
Steiger Participations is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Steiger Participations founded?
Steiger Participations was founded in 1949. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Steiger Participations based?
Steiger Participations is headquartered in Vionnaz, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Steiger Participations make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Industrial Knitting Machines are the primary driver. The others are software Licenses and spare Parts and Service.
Who are Steiger Participations's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Shima Seiki, Stoll (Karl Mayer STOLL), Ningbo Cixing, Mayer & Cie, Santoni (Lonati Group) and Pai Lung Machinery Mill. Karl Mayer is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Groz-Beckert and Tompkins Robotics / Fives (industrial automation peers). Comez (Jakob Müller Group) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Steiger Participations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Steiger Participations.