Kiel

Name

Kiel

Legal name

Franz Kiel GmbH

Website

https://kiel-sitze.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kiel (Franz Kiel GmbH) is a German manufacturer of transit seating systems for buses and rail, supplying OEMs and public transportation operators worldwide through wholly-owned subsidiaries and distribution partners across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transportation Seating

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Seating and Interior Trim Manufacturing (336360), Motor Vehicle Seating and Interior Trim Manufacturing (33636)

SIC

Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790), Railroad Equipment (3743)

akta.pro primary industry

Bus & Coach Interior Systems Manufacturing (Seating/Flooring/Accessibility) (IMACADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Automotive Seating Systems Manufacturing (Frames/Mechanisms/Foam/Complete Seats) (IMACAKAA)

Keywords

• Bus seating systems
• Rail seating systems
• Transit vehicle seats
• Passenger seating solutions
• Commercial vehicle seating

Headquarters

HQ city

Nördlingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bus Seating Systems: Complete seating systems and custom seating solutions for buses in local, regional, and long-distance transport. Products include individual seats and full seating systems with modern design and innovative extras.
2. Rail Seating Systems: Seats and seating systems for trains in local, regional, and long-distance travel, featuring innovative ideas, appealing design, high quality, robustness, and vandalism protection.
3. Custom/Special Seating Solutions: Individual customer-oriented seating solutions for special requirements, including Sondersitze (special seats) for both bus and rail applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kiel manufactures complete seating systems and custom seating solutions for buses and trains used in local, regional, and long-distance public transportation. The company designs, develops, and produces ergonomic, durable, and safety-focused passenger seats, ranging from urban transit seating to premium intercity coach seats, sold primarily to vehicle OEMs and public transport operators.

Product overview

Kiel Seating Solutions is a leading manufacturer of seating systems for commercial vehicles and public transportation. The company offers two core product categories: Bus Seats (Bussitze) for local, regional, and intercity transport, and Rail Seats (Bahnsitze) for train applications. Under these categories, specific seat models are offered including AVANCE X TEC SEAT (premium intercity bus seat), Citos (urban transit), Esos (city buses), Lihok (rail), Simos (metro/suburban rail), Ideo 40, Lifeline 425, Basel, Centra AL, and Match G2 (rail). The portfolio spans from standardized seating systems to fully customized solutions, with products distinguished by premium quality, modern design, maximum ergonomics and safety, lightweight construction for economy, and environmental friendliness through modularity and recyclability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Avance X: Premium seat line featuring TEC SEAT technology for buses with advanced safety and comfort features
• Seating Experience+

Products and services

• Bus Seating Systems (Bussitze) Comprehensive range of bus seating solutions for local public transport (Nahverkehr), regional transport (Regionalverkehr), and long-distance/intercity coach travel (Reiseverkehr), plus special seats (Sondersitze) and minibus seating. Offers standardized and customized seating systems with modern design, maximum ergonomics, safety, lightweight construction, and high modularity/recyclability.
• Rail Seating Systems (Bahnsitze) Seats and seating systems for trains in local, regional, and long-distance travel, featuring innovative design, high quality, robustness, vandalism protection, and maximum ergonomics/safety for passengers.
• AVANCE X TEC SEAT Premium bus seat for intercity and long-distance coach travel, featuring advanced safety and comfort technologies, modern design, and setting new benchmarks for passenger seating. Used by OEMs such as Neoplan for Tourliner and Skyliner models.

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jiangsu ARSALE KIEL Seats Co., Ltd. (China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Joint venture established in 2020 in Changzhou, China to serve the Asian market with local production capabilities
• Metro Transit Sales (USA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Distribution partner in Minneapolis, USA for transit sales in the North American market
• KIEL Macedonija D.O.O.E.L.coreOthers · 1 January 2017Subsidiary established in 2017 in Tetovo, Macedonia for regional production and manufacturing
• Kiel N.A., L.L.C (USA)coreOthers · 1 January 2009Subsidiary established in 2009 in Bellwood, Illinois, USA to serve the North American market
• Franz Kiel B.V. (Netherlands)coreOthers · 1 January 2000Subsidiary established in 2000 in Rijen, Netherlands to serve the Benelux market
• Kiel Polska Sp. z o.o.coreOthers · 1 January 1997Subsidiary established in 1997 in Nowy Tomysl, Poland to serve the Polish market with local manufacturing and support
• FKT Koltuk Sistemleri A.Ş. (Turkey)coreOthers · 1 January 1996Subsidiary established in 1996 in Bursa, Turkey to serve the Turkish and regional markets with local production and customer support
• EMAR MANUFACTURAS METÁLICAS, S.A. (Spain)minorOthersCooperation partner in Spain for local production and market coverage
• C&G Kiel Italia (Italy)minorOthersCooperation partner in Italy for local market presence
• McConnell (Australia)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner in Australia for the Australian market
• Polyrit (Israel)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner in Israel for the Israeli market
• Dr. Mauric GmbH (Austria)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner in Austria for the Austrian market
• Werner Nüchterlein (Nordic Countries)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Nordic countries covering Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grammer AG: German-headquartered manufacturer of commercial vehicle seating, headrests, armrests, and interior systems for buses, trucks, and rail. Most direct global comparable to Kiel given overlapping bus/coach/rail customer base and premium OEM positioning.
• Geven S.p.A. Italian manufacturer of seating for rail, metro, and high-speed trains with significant European OEM penetration. Closely comparable to Kiel's rail seating business (Bahnsitze) and competes for the same Stadler/Bombardier/Siemens contracts.
• Freedman Seating Company: US-based manufacturer of bus and paratransit seating, with growing presence in transit and motorcoach markets. Comparable North American peer for Kiel's US subsidiary operations.
• FISA (Fabbrica Italiana Sedili Auto): Italian seating manufacturer with focus on rail and urban transit seating for European markets. Direct competitor in the European rail seating category where Kiel operates.
• USSC (U.S. Seating Corporation) / UES (USSC Group): US manufacturer of bus and rail passenger seating with installations across North American transit agencies. Comparable to Kiel in the North American bus/rail seating category.
• Lazzerini S.r.l. Italian maker of bus seating solutions for city, intercity, and coach applications. Direct overlap with Kiel's Bussitze portfolio and similar European OEM customer base.
• Recaro (Adient rail & commercial): German seating brand with strong presence in premium bus, coach, and rail seating — directly overlaps Kiel's premium long-distance coach and rail seat ranges (e.g., AVANCE X tier).
• Compin (Compin Industries): French seating specialist for rail, metro, and bus applications. Comparable to Kiel's European rail and bus seating business and competes for similar transit-operator contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Adient plc: Global leader in automotive seating with a broader passenger vehicle focus but adjacent commercial-vehicle presence. A larger incumbent operating adjacent to Kiel's commercial-vehicle seating niche.
• FORVIA (Faurecia): Major Tier-1 automotive supplier with seating and interior systems business serving commercial vehicle OEMs globally. Wider portfolio than Kiel but competes on bus/rail seating components.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KielSitze
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kielsitze8727/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/FranzKielGmbH
• Instagraminstagram.com/kiel_sitze
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franz-kiel-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries12 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 Kiel