Karuun

What Karuun does

Karuun GmbH, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Kißlegg, Germany, manufactures and sells rattan-based Nature Tech Materials as a sustainable alternative to conventional wood and petroleum-based plastic products. The core technology exploits the unique capillary fiber structure of the Rattan palm (Calamus Manau), combined with approximately 97.5% natural rattan, 2% wood glue, 0.3% water-based binder, and 0.2% color pigments, to produce a composite that is lightweight, dimensionally stable, 3D-formable with heat and water, and in select variants translucent (~50% light transmission) with sound absorption coefficients of 0.95NRC. The product portfolio spans karuun® stripe (veneer), karuun® shine (translucent), karuun® 3D (form-stable spherical components), karuun® block, karuun® panel, karuun® edge, karuun® concepts (technical veneers), karuun® color collection, with karuun® solid and karuun® proof in development. Patents are pending on natural acetic acid treatment processes that enhance durability and weather resistance.

Karuun sells through an enterprise field sales motion focused on custom development partnerships with multi-year contract potential and exclusive-use provisions for co-developed innovations. Pricing is quote-based B2B with public sample ordering for qualification. Customer segments are organized into three verticals: Green Mobility (automotive and aviation interior components), Sustainable Architecture (ecological construction, interior design, furniture, and object construction), and Replace Plastic (product design, consumer goods, sporting equipment, electronics). Named enterprise customers include Porsche (eMacan), NIO (EL6), dm-drogerie markt, HYMER (Eriba Touring), J*GAST, Restaurant Okyu, and Porsche HEAD Freeride Ski. Upstream, the company sources from Indonesia (West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi) through partnerships with VIVERE Group, GIZ under the develoPPP.de program, and Fairventures Worldwide, with the Rattantrace App providing digital traceability and TREEO enabling CO2 portfolio participation.

Name

Karuun

Legal name

karuun GmbH

Website

https://karuun.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Karuun GmbH manufactures rattan-based Nature Tech Materials (veneer, translucent, 3D, panel, and edge products) as sustainable alternatives to plastic, serving enterprise customers in automotive, architecture, and consumer goods via custom B2B development partnerships with rattan sourced from Indonesia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable rattan-based composite materials (Nature Tech Materials)

NAICS

Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326)

SIC

Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081)

akta.pro primary industry

Vegan/Alternative Material Goods Manufacturing (PU/Plant-based/Mycelium) (IMAOAHAH)

Keywords

• Sustainable composite materials
• Rattan natural fiber panels
• Nature tech materials
• Bio-based surface veneers
• Ecological plastic alternatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Kißlegg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Nature Tech Material Products: Sale of karuun® material products including karuun® block, stripe, 3D, and shine materials for various industrial applications in automotive, architecture, and consumer goods sectors.
2. Custom Development Partnerships: Tailored development of karuun® materials for specific customer sustainability and design requirements, with potential for exclusive use of developed innovations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Karuun researches, develops, and manufactures a portfolio of rattan-based "Nature Tech Materials" — including veneers (karuun® stripe), translucent materials (karuun® shine), blocks (karuun® block), 3D-formable deep-drawn parts (karuun® 3D), panels (karuun® panel) and edge banding (karuun® edge) — and sells them as a sustainable, ecological alternative to plastic for enterprise customers in automotive, architecture, and consumer-goods industries. The company also offers a Nature Tech Service for collaborative custom material development and a Rattantrace App for digital supply-chain traceability.

Product overview

Karuun is a Nature Tech Material company offering a portfolio of rattan-based composite materials. The core product line includes karuun® stripe (rattan veneer), karuun® shine (translucent material), karuun® block (raw block material), karuun® 3D (3D-formable veneer), karuun® panel (veneer board), and karuun® edge (edge banding). These are complemented by solution offerings like karuun® concepts (technical veneers) and karuun® color collection. Products under development include karuun® solid (enhanced hardness) and karuun® proof (weather resistance). The company also provides a Nature Tech Service for collaborative product development and the RattanTrace App for supply chain traceability. The materials serve applications in Green Mobility, Sustainable Architecture, and Replace Plastic sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• karuun® stripe: Rattan veneer ideal as surface, for postforming elements and coating of carrier materials.
• karuun® shine
• karuun® block
• karuun® 3D
• karuun® panel
• karuun® edge
• karuun® color collection
• karuun® concepts
• karuun® solid
• karuun® proof
• Nature Tech Service
• RattanTrace

Products and services

• karuun® stripe The first rattan veneer — ideal as a surface, for postforming elements and coating of carrier materials. Sold to enterprise customers in automotive, architecture and consumer-goods industries.
• karuun® shine A translucent rattan-based material that is light- and air-permeable with excellent stability and formability, offering approximately 50% light transmission, 0.95 NRC noise-reduction and 0.9 aw sound-absorption. Sold as a sustainable decorative and acoustic surface material to enterprise designers and manufacturers.
• karuun® block Block material derived from the rattan palm combining function and aesthetics, supplied to industrial customers for further processing and fabrication.
• karuun® 3D Dimensionally stable 3D-formable rattan veneer enabling production of form-stable spherical and deep-drawn components, from button-size parts to large deep-drawn elements. Sold to enterprise product designers and manufacturers.
• karuun® panel Veneer panel product made from karuun® material for construction, interior architecture and furniture applications.
• karuun® edge Edge-banding product made from rattan for finishing furniture and panel edges, providing a natural-fiber alternative to conventional edge materials.
• karuun® concepts Pioneering solution of technical veneers based on karuun® stripe for specialized industrial applications. Sold as an exclusive solution for customer projects.
• karuun® color collection A unique color collection of karuun® materials uniting nature and design for premium interior, furniture, kitchen and product applications.
• Nature Tech Service Collaborative product-development service in which Karuun works with enterprise customers to jointly innovate new applications of karuun® materials, with potential exclusivity on developed innovations; includes concept development and holistic consulting.
• RattanTrace App Digital supply-chain traceability application developed by Karuun with GIZ and an international technology partner, providing end-to-end transparency from independent Indonesian smallholder rattan farmers to customer delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 binding potential through rainforest preservation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and support.

• VIVERE GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Indonesian partner for sustainable rattan sourcing and production. Collaboration under develoPPP.de program with GIZ for reanimating rattan through modern industrial applications. VIVERE Group handles local rattan cultivation and processing in Indonesia.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership under develoPPP.de program (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development). Focus on establishing performance systems for all stakeholders in the rattan supply chain, training 'Rattan Rangers', and developing traceability infrastructure.
• Fairventures WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the karuun® Cycle for forest conservation and reforestation measures. Part of collaborative approach connecting communal, economic, and ecological interests for sustainable supply chains.
• TREEOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCO2 removal portfolio partnership connecting tree cultivators with climate-conscious companies (Balancers) with Net-Zero goals. karuun® participates as a Balancer company supporting reforestation.
• International Technology Company (Unnamed)supportTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for development of Rattantrace-App - a digital supply chain traceability solution for end-to-end business processes. App enables full transparency from independent smallholder farmers to customer delivery.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Spiber: Japanese biotech firm producing Brewed Protein plant-based fiber for apparel and automotive applications. Comparable as a fermentation/biotech-based alternative material manufacturer pursuing premium OEM partnerships in mobility and consumer goods.
• Hempitecture: US-based manufacturer of hemp-based building materials, insulation, and sustainable construction products. Comparable as a plant-based building material innovator targeting sustainable architecture and construction segments overlapping with Karuun's Sustainable Architecture use case.
• Natural Fiber Welding: US company developing plant-based, high-performance materials with proprietary fiber welding technology for apparel, automotive, and consumer applications. Comparable as an alternative material innovator competing for sustainable materials customers with proprietary process IP.
• HempWood: Manufacturer of hemp-based wood alternative for flooring, panels, and building materials produced through compression of hemp fibers with soy-based adhesives. Comparable as a plant-based material manufacturer competing for sustainable building product customers in similar applications to Karuun's panels.
• Ecovative Design: US-based mycelium materials company producing bio-based packaging, foam alternatives, and leather substitutes. Comparable as a bio-based alternative material manufacturer targeting plastic replacement and sustainable material use cases with a similar nature-tech positioning.
• MycoTechnology: US-based food and materials company using mushroom mycelium fermentation to create sustainable products across food and materials applications. Comparable as a bio-alternative material innovator using natural biological processes to produce sustainable substitutes.
• Bolt Threads: Biotechnology company producing bio-fabricated materials including mycelium-based leather alternatives and silk proteins. Comparable in alternative material innovation, bio-based manufacturing approach, and pursuit of premium fashion/automotive customers seeking sustainable substitutes.

Broad incumbents

• Wilsonart: Global manufacturer of decorative surfaces, high-pressure laminates, and engineered materials for architecture and design. Represents incumbent surface material competition that Karuun's panels, edge products, and veneer solutions compete against in commercial and residential specification.

Direct peers

• Bcomp: Swiss manufacturer of natural fiber composites (flax-based) for automotive interior, sporting goods, and consumer applications. Directly comparable to Karuun's automotive and sports customer base with similar bio-composite material positioning and tier-1 OEM wins (including automotive interior programs).
• Lingrove: US-based natural fiber composite manufacturer producing eco-friendly architectural panels and surfaces from plant-based fibers. Directly comparable to Karuun's karuun® panel and stripe products targeting sustainable architecture and interior design applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Karuun