müller co-ax

What müller co-ax does

müller co-ax gmbh is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer founded in 1960 in Forchtenberg. The company pioneered the coaxial valve architecture that year and has remained a focused specialist in that niche for over six decades, producing roughly 14 core product families including direct-acting, externally controlled, high-pressure, cryogenic, lateral, cartridge, certificated, pressure-control, flow-control, and special-purpose valves, plus manifold modules and the Quadax butterfly-valve sub-brand. The technology centres on a proprietary coaxial arrangement of the drive within the valve seat, enabling compact design, high flow rates at small diameters, low control-air consumption (claimed as low as one-tenth of competitors), and operation across vacuum to 1000 bar and down to -196°C for cryogenic media. Products are differentiated by an unusually broad certification stack — ATEX, IECEx, DVGW, TÜV, SIL 2/3, and DIN ISO EN 9001:2015 — which acts as a structural barrier to new entrants in safety-critical applications.

The business model is B2B enterprise hardware sales with a quote-based pricing model, where customers submit requests-for-quotation and the company provides technical consultation to develop customized configurations. Distribution is run through wholly-owned sales subsidiaries in England, Italy, Spain, Singapore, and the United States, complemented by an international network of independent distributors. End-markets include hydrogen (production, storage, transport, refueling at 1000 bar via the KX 1000), marine and offshore, chemical and oil-and-gas, machine and plant construction, energy, aerospace and rocketry, and construction/transportation infrastructure. Notable reference customers include PCI (USA, on-site medical and industrial oxygen/nitrogen generation), Talgo (Spain, hydrogen fuel-cell trains), Space Team Aachen and Rocket Factory Augsburg (hybrid rocket propulsion), HyImpulse (German rocket startup), and DHBW Mosbach (tunnel-boring-machine competition).

The company operates a single primary manufacturing site in Forchtenberg with continuous reinvestment, including a new turning-and-milling centre for the müller quadax division, alongside three group entities (müller co-ax gmbh, m-tech gmbh, müller quadax gmbh) and the US sales entity co-ax valves inc. Ownership remains concentrated in the founding Müller/Wurst families with Friedrich Müller as CEO and Managing Partner and a Managing Director team of Thorsten Müller, Andreas Wurst, and Antonio Erriu. The company has been named World Market Leader in coaxial valve technology and high-pressure valves by WirtschaftsWoche for six consecutive years (2021-2026), implying annual sales above the index's €50 million threshold and export share above 50%, with international subsidiaries meeting the minimum three-continent presence criterion.

Name

müller co-ax

Legal name

müller co-ax gmbh

Website

https://co-ax.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

müller co-ax gmbh is a German, family-owned industrial valve manufacturer founded in 1960 that invented and continues to specialize in proprietary coaxial valve technology, serving enterprise customers in hydrogen, marine, chemical, oil-and-gas, aerospace, and machine-construction markets through direct sales and international subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Forchtenberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Valve Manufacturing and Sales: müller co-ax develops and manufactures valves for industrial applications. The company sells directly to customers globally through subsidiaries and distributors. Revenue is generated through the sale of valves and valve solutions, with typical B2B industrial transaction sizes and custom solution pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

müller co-ax gmbh develops and manufactures coaxial industrial valves, having invented the coaxial valve technology in 1960. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio of direct acting, externally controlled, high-pressure (up to 1000 bar), cryogenic (down to -196°C), cartridge, certificated (DVGW, TÜV, ATEX), and flow control valves, sold primarily to industrial OEMs and system integrators across hydrogen, marine, chemical, aerospace, and machine/plant engineering sectors.

Product overview

müller co-ax gmbh is a developer and manufacturer of industrial valves founded in 1960, specializing in coaxial valve technology. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of valve products organized into several categories: (1) Coaxial Direct Acting Valves (2/2 and 3/2 way) - MK and FK series for standard applications; (2) Externally Controlled Valves (2/2 and 3/2 way) - VMK/VFK series and FMX series for pneumatically/hydraulically operated applications; (3) High Pressure Valves - both coaxial and lateral designs rated up to 500 bar; (4) Certificated Valves - DVGW, TÜV, and ATEX certified safety shut-off valves; (5) Cryogenic Valves - KB series for temperatures down to -196°C; (6) Cartridge Valves - PCD/PCS series with replaceable cartridge design; (7) Lateral Valves - RSV and DRV series for low-pressure applications; (8) Pressure Control Valves - HPB, SPB, HPI, SPI series for coolant and process control; (9) Flow Control Valves - RMQ series with motor-actuated stepless adjustment; (10) Special Valves - V2, LVP, PCB, PLB, IV series for specialized applications; (11) Modules and Manifolds - FMX, MK, VMK, PCD, CFM series for multi-valve configurations; and (12) Quadax Butterfly Valves as a related brand. The products share common technological foundations including coaxial design, compact construction, and high switching efficiency, and are used across industries including hydrogen, marine, chemical, energy, oil and gas, aerospace, and construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2/2 Way Coaxial Direct Acting Valves Electrically operated solenoid valves with two connections and two switching positions in a hermetically sealed coaxial design for liquid, gaseous, dirty, or toxic media, used in industrial fluid control applications.
• 3/2 Way Coaxial Direct Acting Valves Electrically operated solenoid valves with three connections and two switching positions in a hermetically sealed coaxial design, used for industrial fluid control with various media including liquids, gases, and contaminated substances.
• 2/2 Way Coaxial Externally Controlled Valves Pneumatically or hydraulically operated coaxial valves with two connections and two switching positions, featuring energy-efficient design with low air consumption for industrial applications.
• 3/2 Way Coaxial Externally Controlled Valves Pneumatically or hydraulically operated coaxial valves with three connections and two switching positions, available with dirt wipers for abrasive or sticky media applications.
• FMX Series Coaxial Externally Controlled Valves 2/2 way externally controlled coaxial valve series (FMX-2, FMX-3, FMX-4, FMX-5) with compact design and high flow rates, pressures up to 40 bar with KV values ranging from 3.7 to 24.6 m³/h depending on model.
• Cartridge Valves (PCD/PCS Series) Coaxial cartridge valves with replaceable cartridge design attached with three screws, available in 10-15mm nominal width, pressures up to 200 bar. Cartridges can be replaced without removing valve body from pipeline.
• Certificated Valves (DVGW, TÜV, ATEX) Type-tested safety shut-off valves with certifications for gaseous fuels (DVGW), liquid fuels (TÜV), and explosive atmospheres (ATEX). Close within one second on voltage loss.
• Cryogenic Valves (KB Series) High-pressure coaxial valves (KB 15, KB 20) designed for cryogenic applications down to -196°C, with no dynamic plastic seals required for low temperature operation.
• High Pressure Coaxial Valves Coaxial high-pressure valves with pressures from vacuum up to 400 bar, nominal widths 2-50mm with KV values from liters to 43 m³/h.
• High Pressure Lateral Valves High-pressure valves with lateral drive arrangement (not coaxial), pressures from vacuum to 500 bar with nominal widths 1.5-15mm.
• Lateral Valves (RSV, DRV Series) Solenoid valves with laterally arranged magnetic drive, RSV series for open/close functions and DRV series for vacuum lifting tools. Non-pressure-balanced design for low-pressure applications.
• Pressure Control Valves (HPB, SPB, HPI, SPI, HPP, SPP Series) Pressure-regulating valves including bypass valves, inline valves, and three-way valves used for coolant pressure regulation in machining, pressure limiting, and pressure reducing applications.
• Flow Control Valves (RMQ Series) Motor-operated valves with stepless adjustable valve stroke controlled by setpoint signals (4-20 mA or 0-10 V), featuring very low power consumption (10-19 watts) and position-holding capability for precision dosing.
• Special Valves (V2, LVP, PCB, PLB, IV Series) Special-purpose valves including V2 flanged valves, LVP high-pressure, PCB/PLB pilot valves, and IV inline valves for vacuum applications.
• KX 1000 Hydrogen Valve Hydrogen valve rated for pressures up to 1000 bar with very high KV value, designed for applications requiring high flow rate, tight installation spaces, low weight, and low control air consumption.
• Ex-Series-D Valves Ex valve series designed for safe use in gas and dust explosion hazard zones, meeting ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU and IECEx standards.
• TÜV Safety Shut-off Valves for HVO TÜV-certified safety shut-off valves approved for operation with HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil).

Quantifiable outcome

• Control air consumption as low as 1/10 of competitor values
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• co-ax valves inc. (USA)coreOthersWholly-owned subsidiary of müller coax group handling sales and customer service for US market. Provides nearby and fast customer service for American customers including PCI. Founded as CVI - represents company's direct presence in US market.
• m-tech gmbhcoreOthersPart of müller coax group of companies alongside müller co-ax gmbh and müller quadax gmbh. Represents the group's expansion beyond core valve technology into complementary industrial technologies.
• müller quadax gmbhcoreOthersPart of müller coax group of companies. Specializes in butterfly valves (Quadax® brand). Company has invested in new turning and milling center for this division to expand production capabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/coax.ventile
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/m%C3%BCller-co-ax-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/mueller_coax

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 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 müller co-ax