Odelo

What Odelo does

Odelo Group is a global Tier 1 supplier of automotive lighting systems, specialising in rear lamps (signal lights), front lights, daytime running lights, and auxiliary lighting. The group was originally founded in 1940 as Farba in Bursa, Turkey, and was rebranded to odelo in January 2019; it is owned by the Turkish family-controlled Bayraktarlar Group. Odelo operates from ten production and engineering locations across Germany (Stuttgart Sales & Engineering Center), Turkey (Bursa operational headquarters plus production, moulding, and logistics sites), Slovenia (Prebold and Gornja Radgona), Bulgaria (Kuklen production plant and Sofia R&D center), China (two Tianjin facilities), and the USA (Greer, SC logistics partner). Headcount is reported at 101–250 employees.

The company's core technology platforms centre on OLED and LED systems for vehicle lighting. In February 2016 Odelo became the world's first automotive supplier to bring organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology to series production readiness for rear lamps, enabling thinner form factors, uniform light emission, and design flexibility. Proprietary manufacturing capabilities include simultaneous Branson laser welding — deployed on the Audi A6 combination rear lamp — and functional glass edge design with angled component gradation, both recognised with GKV/TecPart Innovation Awards. Featured applications include the signature "Starry Sky" rear lamp with "Leaving"/"Coming-Home" animation for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, lighting systems for BMW, Volkswagen, Renault, and Fiat, and tail lights for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class produced in Bulgaria.

Odelo generates revenue primarily through long-term direct supply contracts with premium OEMs as a Tier 1 hardware supplier, complemented by an aftermarket distribution channel under the ULO brand for replacement parts. Customer concentration is anchored by the major German premium OEMs (Daimler/Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, VW) plus Renault and Fiat. Between 2018 and 2020 Odelo executed a significant capital expansion programme — investing over €40 million in the 23,000 sqm Bulgaria plant (opened October 2019), opening a Sofia R&D Center (July 2019), and adding a 4,100 sqm warehouse in Slovenia (January 2020) — while simultaneously announcing a realignment of its German business in July 2020 in response to the automotive industry crisis.

Name

Odelo

Legal name

odelo GmbH

Website

https://odelo.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Odelo is a global Tier 1 automotive lighting supplier producing rear lamps, front lights, and signal lights for premium OEMs including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and VW. Headquartered in Stuttgart under the Bayraktarlar Group, the company pioneered automotive OLED rear-light series production across ten facilities worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Lighting Systems

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Lighting Systems & Components Manufacturing (LED/Headlamps/Signal/Interior) (IMACAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive Lighting Assemblies Manufacturing (Headlamps/Taillamps/Interior Lamps/DRLs) (IMACAKAG), Aftermarket Lighting & Visibility Products Manufacturing (Bulbs/LED Kits/Headlamps/Mirrors/Cameras) (IMACANAG)

Keywords

• Automotive lighting systems
• OEM signal lights
• OLED rear lamps
• Tier-1 automotive supplier
• Vehicle lighting manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. OEM Automotive Lighting Systems: Design, development, and production of automotive lighting systems (rear lights, front lights, daytime running lights, auxiliary lights) sold directly to automotive manufacturers as Tier 1 supplier. Revenue generated through long-term supply contracts for vehicle platforms.
2. ULO Aftermarket: Aftermarket business unit operating under the ULO brand, supplying replacement automotive lighting parts through distribution channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Odelo Group designs, develops, and manufactures automotive lighting systems for premium vehicle manufacturers, with a primary focus on rear lights (Heckleuchtensysteme) and a portfolio that also includes front lights, daytime running lights, and auxiliary lights. The company supplies these lighting systems as a Tier 1 supplier to OEMs such as Daimler/Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Renault, and Fiat, leveraging proprietary OLED and LED technologies. An aftermarket business operates under the ULO brand, distributing replacement automotive lighting parts through global distribution channels.

Product overview

Odelo is a global automotive lighting systems manufacturer specializing in rear lights (Heckleuchtensysteme und -komponenten). The company operates as a tier-one automotive supplier offering a unified portfolio of automotive lighting products including rear lights, front lights, daytime running lights, and auxiliary lights. Odelo serves premium automotive manufacturers such as BMW, Daimler, Audi, VW, Renault, and Fiat. The product portfolio is complemented by proprietary technologies including OLED (organic light-emitting diode) and LED technologies. The company also maintains an aftermarket operation under the ULO brand. Odelo develops and manufactures at ten global locations, positioning itself as a technology leader in automotive rear lighting with over 80 years of industry experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ULO: ULO Aftermarket business unit offering automotive tail lights for aftermarket distribution

Products and services

• Rear Lights (Heckleuchten)

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bayraktarlar GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of the odelo Group. Odelo is a company of the Bayraktarlar Group. The group oversees Odelo as part of its portfolio of companies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Valeo: French global Tier 1 supplier with a leading automotive lighting business (front, rear, signal, interior) serving European OEMs including Renault — directly overlapping with Odelo's product range and customer set.
• Koito Manufacturing: Japanese automotive lighting market leader — a global Tier 1 supplier of headlamps, rear lamps and signal lighting serving Japanese, European and U.S. OEMs with comparable LED/OLED capability to Odelo.
• Stanley Electric: Japanese Tier 1 automotive lighting supplier with deep LED expertise and European OEM exposure — competes with Odelo on premium European lighting programs through Japanese-OEM platforms.
• SL Corporation: Korean automotive lighting and signal-lamp supplier (formerly Samil) supplying European and global OEMs — comparable scale and product overlap (rear lamps, signal modules) to Odelo.
• Hella (FORVIA): German-headquartered global Tier 1 automotive lighting supplier (now part of FORVIA) — the most direct competitor to Odelo on premium German OEM rear lamp, front lamp, and signal lighting programs.
• ZKW Group (LG): Austrian premium automotive lighting Tier 1 (acquired by LG Electronics) specializing in headlamps and complex LED/OLED modules for European premium OEMs — closest functional competitor to Odelo on OLED signature lighting.
• Marelli (Magneti Marelli): Italian-Japanese owned automotive lighting Tier 1 with global production for European and Asian OEMs — competes head-to-head with Odelo for lighting programs on Fiat, Renault and German premium platforms.

Emerging players

• Varroc Engineering: Indian-headquartered automotive lighting and electronics supplier with growing European footprint — competes with Odelo on cost-driven lighting programs for non-premium European OEM platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Continental Automotive (Lighting): Broad automotive Tier 1 with a lighting product line alongside electronics and powertrain — overlaps with Odelo on signal/lighting modules for German OEMs but is not lighting-pure-play.

Regional players

• Ichikoh (Valeo-owned): Japanese automotive lighting specialist (now part of Valeo) primarily serving Japanese OEMs in Asia — comparable in product scope to Odelo but with a different geographic customer footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/odelo-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Odelo