BRAUN

What BRAUN does

BRAUN AG is a Swiss B2B wholesaler of wood-based materials headquartered in Gossau, Switzerland, with operations extending into Liechtenstein. The company serves the manufacturing trades — carpenters, furniture makers, interior builders, and other verarbeitendes Gewerbe customers — supplying wood-based panels, solid wood, doors, flooring, walls and ceilings, terraces, acoustic solutions, construction boards, insulation, and sealants/adhesives. Its value proposition is broad assortment, Swiss-market specialization, and trade-grade depth, supported by a 1,700 m2 exhibition space at headquarters and a digital procurement layer that aims to make repeat ordering more efficient for trade buyers.

The company's underlying technology footprint is a Shopware-based e-commerce platform extended with proprietary customer-facing tools: BRAUN Visual 3D for visualization, a Terrassenplaner (terrace planner), a Zuschnittskonfigurator (cut-to-size configurator), and a ComNorm ERP interface co-developed with industry associations VSSM and Holzbau Schweiz. These tools encode order-related complexity (cut dimensions, terrace layouts, catalyst product visualization) into a self-service digital workflow, and the ComNorm interface embeds the catalog directly into trade customers' procurement environments. The business model is straightforward B2B wholesale: trade customers purchase materials from BRAUN's catalog via the online shop, the exhibition space, or directly through integrated ERP workflows, with revenue tied to volume of materials sold across the assortments.

Name

BRAUN

Legal name

BRAUN AG

Website

https://braun.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BRAUN AG is a Swiss B2B wholesaler of wood-based materials headquartered in Gossau, serving carpenters, furniture makers, and other trade customers across Switzerland and Liechtenstein with a broad assortment of panels, solid wood, doors, flooring, and related products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wood Materials Wholesale

NAICS

Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers (42331)

SIC

Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030)

akta.pro primary industry

Membership Wholesale Clubs (B2B & B2B2C) (CRAEAEAB)

Keywords

• Wood materials wholesale
• Panel board distribution
• B2B construction supplies
• ERP-integrated procurement
• Wood product visualization

Headquarters

HQ city

Gossau

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wood Materials Product Sales: Primary revenue stream from the sale of wood-based materials including panels (MDF, HDF, OSB, particle board), solid wood, doors, flooring, walls/ceilings, terraces, acoustic panels, construction boards, insulation materials, sealants, and adhesives. Sold via B2B online shop and account-managed sales. Pricing is quote-based and volume/quantity-tiered.
2. Machine Rental (Leihmaschinen): Rental of professional machines including tile cutters, floor cleaning machines, floor sanders, moisture meters, and insulation cutters. Machines are rented per day with delivery/pickup fees. Revenue from ancillary consumables and accessories also included.
3. ComNorm ERP Integration Services: Free ComNorm interface enabling direct ERP-to-shop connectivity for customers. Revenue derived from increased order volume through streamlined purchasing rather than direct fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BRAUN AG is a Swiss B2B wholesaler of wood-based materials serving the manufacturing trades. Its core product is a broad catalogue of wood and wood-based materials (panels, solid wood, doors, flooring, walls/ceilings, terraces, acoustic solutions, construction boards, insulation, sealing systems, adhesives) sold through a Shopware-based online shop, a direct account sales force, and a 1,700 m2 physical exhibition. Around the catalogue, BRAUN provides digital tools (BRAUN Visual 3D, Terrassenplaner, Zuschnittskonfigurator), the ComNorm ERP interface for automated ordering, and a free machine rental service to support customers' projects.

Product overview

BRAUN AG operates a diversified wood materials and construction supplies business with a modular digital platform centered on the BRAUN Online-Shop. The core offering includes the e-commerce platform (BRAUN Online-Shop) complemented by visualization tools (BRAUN Visual 3D, Terrassenplaner), ERP integration (ComNorm Schnittstelle), and a machine rental service (Leihmaschinen). The product portfolio spans multiple collections (Colibri, Akustik, Terreno, Terrasse, Edelspan) organized by application areas, with physical showrooms ('Holz erleben' exhibition) supporting the digital experience. Product categories include panels/boards (Platten, Massivholz), doors (Türen), flooring (Boden), wall/ceiling systems, terrace materials, acoustic solutions, construction boards, insulation, sealing systems, and adhesives. The company serves the Swiss wood processing trade as a wholesale supplier, focusing on B2B customers in the manufacturing sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Colibri: Product collection category for decorative surfaces
• Terreno
• Edelspan
• BRAUN Visual 3D
• ComNorm Schnittstelle

Products and services

• BRAUN Online-Shop B2B e-commerce platform for wood materials and construction supplies, accessible only to registered trade customers (verarbeitendes Gewerbe), with product catalogs, dimensional and material filtering, customer accounts, order management, sample ordering, and ComNorm ERP integration.
• Platten (boards and panels) Wood-based panel products including MDF, HDF, compact fiberboards, particle boards, OSB, and specialty panels, sold to wood-processing trade customers for manufacturing and finishing applications.
• Massivholz (solid wood) Solid wood products including timber boards, multi-layer panels, stair components, and furniture panels for carpenters and furniture makers.
• Türen (doors) Interior doors, fire-rated doors (EI30), soundproof doors, and door frames supplied to trade customers for residential and commercial projects.
• Boden (flooring) Flooring products including parquet, laminate, vinyl, cork, and linoleum floors for trade installation projects.
• Wand | Decke (wall and ceiling) Wall and ceiling products including panels, cladding, and decorative surfaces for interior finishing trades.
• Terrassen (terrace) Terrace products including decking boards, WPC materials, substructures, and accessories for terrace builders.
• Akustik (acoustic products) Acoustic products including acoustic panels, ceiling tiles, absorbers, and room dividers for interior applications.
• Bauplatten (construction boards) Construction boards including cement-bonded boards, gypsum fiber boards, and OSB panels for timber construction.
• Dämmstoffe (insulation materials) Insulation materials including glass wool, stone wool, wood fiber insulation, and sheep wool insulation for building envelopes.
• Dichtungssysteme (sealing systems) Sealing systems including vapor barriers, airtightness solutions, and exterior weather barriers for building envelope applications.
• Klebstoffe (adhesives) Wood adhesives including dispersion adhesives, PUR adhesives, and contact adhesives for trade and industrial use.
• Corepel Pure Water-resistant compact fiberboard for extreme applications including swimming pools, spa facilities, and outdoor use, available in XDF-N (natural) and XDF-B (black) variants.
• Colibri Kollektion Product collection line featuring a wide variety of decorative wood surfaces and materials for interior finishing.
• Akustik Kollektion Acoustic products collection including acoustic panels, ceiling elements, wall panels, and sound-absorbing materials for interior applications.
• Terreno Kollektion Terrace collection featuring versatile products for outdoor terrace applications.
• Terrasse Kollektion Terrace product range including terrace boxes, decking materials, and planning tools for terrace construction.
• Edelspan Kollektion Premium panel collection featuring high-quality wood-based panel materials.
• ComNorm Schnittstelle (ERP interface) Electronic data exchange interface connecting customer ERP systems to the BRAUN Online-Shop, enabling automated product data sync, real-time pricing and availability, order transmission, and digital document exchange (order confirmations, delivery notes, invoices).
• Leihmaschinen (machine rental) Rental service for professional machines including tile cutters, floor cleaning machines, floor sanders, moisture meters, insulation cutters, and edge sanders, rented per day with delivery/pickup fees.
• BRAUN Visual 3D Online 3D visualization tool that allows customers to visualize wood materials and products in realistic 3D environments for material selection and configuration.
• Terrassenplaner (terrace planner) Online configuration tool that simplifies terrace installation planning with an extensive selection browser and configuration capabilities.
• Ausstellung "Holz erleben" (Wood Experience exhibition) 1,700 m2 physical exhibition space in Gossau SG where trade customers can experience and touch wood materials firsthand, with terrace box display and appointment booking available.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1700 m2 physical exhibition space for hands-on product experience

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VSSM (Verband Schweizerischer Schreinermeister und Möbelfabrikanten)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative industry partner in the development of the ComNorm electronic data exchange standard for the wood processing industry in Switzerland.
• Holzbau SchweizcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative industry partner in the development of the ComNorm electronic data exchange standard for the wood construction industry in Switzerland.
• VELUXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing heat protection solutions (Hitzeschutzlösungen) for roofs, offered through BRAUN to create comfortable cool indoor spaces in summer.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• EGGER: Major European manufacturer of wood-based panels (MDF, OSB, particle board) and laminates. Functions primarily as an upstream supplier to BRAUN but competes for specification-driven sales to large carpentry and construction accounts, representing both a partnership channel and a competitive threat.
• Holz Her: Manufacturer and supplier of woodworking machinery and processing equipment serving the carpentry and joinery trades. Comparable to BRAUN's Leihmaschinen rental service and serves the same trade customers, but operates upstream as a machinery OEM rather than a materials distributor.

Broad incumbents

• BauKing: German building materials retailer/wholesaler serving professional trades and DIY with lumber, panels, construction boards, and insulation. Comparable assortment to BRAUN, but a broader retail/pro hybrid model and larger scale.
• Stark Group: Pan-European building materials distributor serving professional contractors and trades across multiple geographies. Comparable to BRAUN on trade customer focus and product breadth but with much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Hagebau: Large German building materials and timber trade cooperative serving professional trades and contractors with a wide assortment including lumber, panels, and construction supplies. Overlaps with BRAUN on trade customers and building materials but operates at significantly larger scale and broader category scope.
• Hornbach: Major European home improvement and building materials retailer with a strong pro/trade customer offering across lumber, panels, flooring, and construction supplies. Comparable in product categories but operates a broader retail/pro hybrid versus BRAUN's pure B2B trade model.

Direct peers

• HolzLand: German cooperative of independent wood and building materials specialist dealers serving trade customers with a shared assortment and procurement infrastructure. Operates an analogous B2B trade-only model for wood and construction materials comparable to BRAUN's.
• JAF Holz: Austrian-headquartered pan-European wood wholesaler serving carpenters and the wood-processing trade with a similar B2B membership model, broad wood-based materials assortment, and integrated e-commerce/ERP procurement. Closely comparable to BRAUN on customer type, product range, and GTM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 BRAUN