Futura Design
Futura Design is a UK-based, family-owned specialist in automotive prototyping and low-volume production. Founded in 1987, it offers turnkey design, CAD, CNC machining, additive manufacturing, composites, and paint finishing to automotive, aerospace, motorsport, marine, film, and architecture sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersCoventry, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Futura Design does
Futura Design Limited is a UK-based, family-owned specialist in design, prototyping, and low-volume production with operations centred in Coventry, West Midlands. Founded in 1987 by David Abel on the foundations of pattern making, model making, and clay modelling, the firm has built more than three decades of experience delivering concept cars for global motor shows, prototype models for design validation, and short-run production parts for OEMs. The current leadership comprises founder David Abel's sons, Mark Abel (CEO) and Daniel Abel (COO), who collectively own and direct the business as a private limited company registered in the United Kingdom.
The company's capability stack spans the full physical prototyping value chain: CAD design and engineering (translating sketches and A-surfaces into engineered B-surfaces and 3D solid models with WebEx design reviews), additive manufacturing (SLA, SLS, FDM, Polyjet), 3-axis and 5-axis CNC machining in polyurethane, epoxy, and metals, GRP and carbon fibre composite layup (polyester, epoxy, prepreg), silicone moulding, tooling manufacture for composite/injection/blow moulding/casting routes, and specialised paint finishing including bespoke colour development and Industrial Paint Mixing. A dedicated project-management layer wraps these capabilities into a turnkey managed service that delivers fixed-price, date-certain prototypes and low-volume runs (typically up to 500 units). The firm employs between 11 and 50 people, operates from a single headquarters site in Coventry, and reports no external parent, subsidiaries, or institutional investors.
Revenue is generated almost entirely through custom, project-based quoting on enterprise contracts, with a partial-year multi-year billing cadence implied but not publicly disclosed. Customer engagement is direct enterprise field sales — phone, email, website contact form — supported by a website-led marketing presence and social-media gallery. The customer base is anchored in automotive OEMs (Infiniti, Isuzu, Porsche marque restoration work) and extends across aerospace, motorsport, marine, film/stage/special effects, sculptures and architecture, and transport verticals, including a high-profile film production credit on the Judge Dredd production (25 Land Rover Taxi Cabs). A separately operated automotive design recruitment business, run by COO Daniel Abel, supplies 20+ OEM clients across the UK and Europe and represents an adjacent recurring-revenue line outside the prototyping core.
Futura Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Futura Design
- Legal name
- Futura Design Limited
- Website
- https://futura-design.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Futura Design is a UK-based, family-owned specialist in automotive prototyping and low-volume production. Founded in 1987, it offers turnkey design, CAD, CNC machining, additive manufacturing, composites, and paint finishing to automotive, aerospace, motorsport, marine, film, and architecture sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Futura Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Prototyping Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (541420), Industrial Mold Manufacturing (333511)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Foam Conversion & Fabrication (Cutting, Laminating, CNC, Packaging Inserts) (IMANAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Futura Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coventry
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Futura Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Prototyping Services: Custom prototyping services including rapid prototyping, CNC machining, GRP & carbon fibre composites, silicone moulding, and paint/trim finishing for automotive, aerospace, motorsport, marine, and other industries.
- Low Volume Production: Low volume production units typically up to 500 units in CNC parts and composite materials such as GRP and Carbon Fibre. Higher units considered depending on timeline.
- Tooling Manufacturing: Low volume tooling manufacture of Polyurethane or Epoxy materials supporting composites, injection moulding, blow moulding, and casting.
- Paint and Colour Development Services: Paint finishing, colour development, and car detailing services including bespoke colour creation and matching.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
Futura Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Futura Design provides prototyping and low volume production services for the automotive industry and related sectors. The company delivers design, engineering, manufacturing, tooling, and finishing services — combining CAD design, CNC machining, additive manufacturing (SLA, SLS, FDM, Polyjet), GRP/carbon fibre composites, silicone moulding, and specialized paint finishing — to produce concept cars, prototype models, and low volume production parts.
Product overview
Futura Design is a UK-based provider of automotive prototyping and low volume production services, offering an integrated portfolio of services. The core offering includes a Full Turnkey Managed Service that coordinates the entire project lifecycle, supported by CAD Design & Engineering, Prototyping (encompassing Rapid Prototyping, CNC Machining, GRP & Carbon Fibre Composites, Silicone Moulding & Resin Applications, and Paint/Trim/Finishing), Tooling, Low Volume Production, and Paint Finish/Colour Development/Car Detailing services. Services are delivered to industries including Automotive, Aerospace, Motorsport, Sculptures & Architecture, Film Set/Stage/Special Effects, Marine, and Transport sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full Turnkey Managed Service
Companies that use Futura Design
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Futura Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Futura Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Futura Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HORIBA MIRA: UK automotive engineering, test and prototyping centre near Coventry. Comparable in UK automotive R&D services, prototyping and low-volume programme support for OEMs and Tier-1s.
- Protolabs: Digital manufacturing platform offering CNC, injection moulding, sheet metal and additive manufacturing with rapid lead times. Comparable on rapid prototyping and low-volume production technology stack.
- RLE International: German automotive engineering services firm providing product development, prototyping and low-volume production for OEMs and Tier-1s across Europe. Directly comparable to Futura's turnkey automotive design and prototype offering.
- Bertrandt: Listed German engineering services provider serving automotive OEMs with design, prototyping and series-development support. Highly comparable to Futura on automotive design, prototyping and low-volume services.
- EDAG: One of the largest independent engineering service providers to the automotive industry, offering vehicle development, prototyping and low-volume production. Comparable as a full-service automotive prototype/engineering counterpart to Futura.
- Williams Advanced Engineering: UK-based motorsport-derived engineering services firm offering prototype manufacture, low-volume composites and electrification programmes. Comparable UK footprint and similar blend of motorsport/automotive prototype work.
- Multimatic: Tier-1 automotive supplier with strong prototyping, low-volume vehicle manufacturing and composites capabilities. Overlaps directly with Futura's CNC, composite and low-volume production services for OEMs and motorsport.
- Ricardo: UK-based automotive and industrial engineering consultancy with prototyping and low-volume production capabilities. Comparable UK footprint and automotive/industrial customer base, though Ricardo is significantly larger and more diversified.
- ARRK: Global product development and prototyping group serving automotive and industrial clients with rapid prototyping, tooling and low-volume production — directly comparable across Futura's full service stack.
Emerging players
- Xometry: AI-enabled on-demand manufacturing marketplace aggregating CNC, 3D printing and prototyping capacity. Partial overlap with Futura's additive/CNC services, primarily as a competing sourcing channel for OEM procurement teams.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Futura Design social profiles
Digital presenceFutura Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Futura Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Futura Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Futura Design 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 Futura Design
What does Futura Design do?
Futura Design provides prototyping and low volume production services for the automotive industry and related sectors. The company delivers design, engineering, manufacturing, tooling, and finishing services — combining CAD design, CNC machining, additive manufacturing (SLA, SLS, FDM, Polyjet), GRP/carbon fibre composites, silicone moulding, and specialized paint finishing — to produce concept cars, prototype models, and low volume production parts.
Is Futura Design a public or private company?
Futura Design is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Futura Design founded?
Futura Design was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Futura Design based?
Futura Design is headquartered in Coventry, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Futura Design make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Prototyping Services are the primary driver. The others are low Volume Production, tooling Manufacturing and paint and Colour Development Services.
Who are Futura Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HORIBA MIRA, Protolabs, RLE International, Bertrandt, EDAG, Williams Advanced Engineering, Multimatic, Ricardo and ARRK. Xometry is listed as an emerging player.
Does Futura Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Futura Design.
What industry is Futura Design in?
Futura Design's product category is Automotive Prototyping Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design, with a secondary code of IMANAIAJ, Foam Conversion & Fabrication (Cutting, Laminating, CNC, Packaging Inserts). Its NAICS code is 541420.