Roekona Textilwerk

What Roekona Textilwerk does

RÖKONA Textilwerk Gmb & Co. KG is a privately held German technical-textile manufacturer founded in 1961 and headquartered in Tübingen, with a secondary production facility in Hungary for corporate and workwear. The company operates a fully vertically integrated production chain spanning beaming, warp and circular knitting, spacer-fabric (3D) production, dyeing, finishing, lamination, cutting, and confection — all under one roof at its Tübingen site. Its commercial portfolio is split into Mobility (sun shading, wind management, decorative elements, spacer fabrics, vegan-leather alternatives for automotive interiors) and Industry (Protect workwear, Composite materials, Medical textiles, Architecture fabrics, Active/sportswear components, Corporate workwear), with VW Formel Q Konzernaudit certification confirming its role as an automotive tier supplier.

The company's competitive position rests on a portfolio of patented and award-validated proprietary technologies: Contracut® (a granted patent for chainsaw-stopping cut protection), AFILIA (100% recycled-polyester vegan nubuck leather), next-generation variable-spacing 3D spacer fabrics, and a waterless dyeing process delivering up to 89% water and 60% CO2 savings versus piece-dyed knits. These capabilities are bundled into the RE:SPACE sustainability line, which uses feedstock from the SEAQUAL INITIATIVE and feeds process heat into Tübingen's district-heating network via Stadtwerke Tübingen. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales into automotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers with material-agency channels (raumprobe, Material Bank) reaching architects, designers, and specifiers in the architecture and interior segments.

Rökona generates revenue through project-based B2B manufacturing contracts for yard goods, semi-finished components, and finished cut-and-sewn products, with pricing determined per specification, volume, and customization. The customer base spans automotive (primary), occupational safety, composites, medical, architecture, sportswear, and corporate apparel, with the Hungarian facility serving as the entry point for workwear customers. The company is independently owned with no disclosed external funding, managed by Geschäftsführer Harald Westphal and Arnd-Gerrit Rösch, and has historically not publicly disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Roekona Textilwerk

Legal name

RÖKONA Textilwerk GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://roekona.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Rökona Textilwerk is a privately held German technical-textile manufacturer, founded 1961 in Tübingen, producing vertically integrated warp and circular knitted fabrics, 3D spacers, and patented products (Contracut®, AFILIA) for automotive interiors, workwear, medical, composite, architecture, and sportswear customers across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Textiles

NAICS

Apparel Knitting Mills (3151), Other Textile Product Mills (3149), Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills (313310)

SIC

Knitting Mills (2250), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outerwear & Performance Apparel Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAB), Coated & Laminated Base Fabric Mills (Pre-finish Substrates) (IMAOABAI)

Keywords

• Technical textile manufacturing
• Warp knitted fabrics
• Automotive interior textiles
• Cut protection fabrics
• Recycled polyester textiles

Headquarters

HQ city

Tübingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technical Textile Manufacturing: B2B manufacturing and sale of custom technical textiles for mobility and industrial applications. Products sold as yard goods, semi-finished components, or fully finished cut-and-sewn products. Revenue generated from textile production, processing, and finishing services.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RÖKONA Textilwerk manufactures technical textiles for B2B customers through fully integrated production from yarn preparation (beaming) through knitting, dyeing, finishing, lamination, cutting, and sewing. The portfolio spans automotive interior textiles (sun shading, wind management, decorative elements, spacer fabrics, vegan leather), protective workwear, composite materials, medical textiles, architectural fabrics, active sportswear, and corporate wear. Products are sold as yard goods, semi-finished components, or fully finished cut-and-sewn items.

Product overview

Roekona Textilwerk is a fully-integrated manufacturer of technical textiles operating since 1961. The product portfolio is organized into two main categories: Mobility Solutions (sun shading, wind management, decorative elements, spacer fabrics, and vegan leather alternatives for automotive interiors) and Industry Solutions (protective workwear, composite materials, medical textiles, architectural fabrics, active/sportswear, and corporate/workwear). The company also offers a dedicated sustainable product line called RE:SPACE made from recycled materials. Core textile technologies include warp knitting, warp knitting with weft insertion, warp knitted pile fabrics, spacer fabrics (3D), and circular knitting. All production is conducted in-house from beaming through cutting and sewing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RE:SPACE: Product line of sustainably developed and manufactured technical textiles made with high proportion of recycled materials, including recycled polyester from plastic sources.
• AFILIA
• Contracut
• Sterling
• Moon
• Fusion
• Globe
• Air

Quantifiable outcome

• Water savings up to 89% compared to piece-dyed knits (per 1 kg knitted fabric)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEAQUAL INITIATIVEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to source recycled polyester from marine plastic waste. Plastic retrieved from waste is shredded into flakes and spun into new yarns for RE:SPACE sustainable textiles, supporting circular economy goals.
• Allianz Faserbasierter Werkstoffe Baden-Württemberg (AFBW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActively connected with the Alliance of Fibre-Based Materials Baden-Württemberg. Participated in AFBW Gemeinschaftsstand at JEC World 2022 in Paris to showcase composite textile solutions.
• Xbrick®minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration at ARENA 2036 research campus. MOON article featured with Xbrick® modular building blocks. Both products share single-origin, recyclable properties and sustainability focus. Xbrick® received Focus Open GOLD 2018.
• Hochschule Reutlingen (Reutlingen University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with university to promote textile industry knowledge. Supports through scholarships, student trainee positions, and internships. Interdisciplinary collaboration in research and development.
• Südwesttextil Employer AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented in the presidium of the Südwesttextil employer's association. Active engagement in textile industry workforce and policy matters.
• Verband der GesamtmascheminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the leading German knitting industry association, providing networking with textile manufacturers.
• Tübingen Climate Protection PactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommitted to Tübingen Climate Protection Pact, pursuing sustainability and regionality as top priorities. Thermal exhaust treatment feeds into municipal district heating network.
• Stadtwerke Tübingen (Tübingen Municipal Utilities)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative relationship for Kesselhaus (boiler house) project. Process heat recovery from textile manufacturing fed into municipal district heating network to support emission reduction in communal heat generation.
• raumprobecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEurope's largest materials agency with 1,200 m² showroom in Stuttgart and 10,000+ products in digital database. Mediates materials, knowledge, and contacts between manufacturers and planners/designers.
• Material BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital material sampling platform. Samples ordered by 18:30h shipped carbon neutral overnight. Material Bank committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, supporting sustainable sampling practices.
• ARENA 2036minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch campus collaboration where MOON textile article is displayed at design factory alongside Xbrick® products. Platform for design thinking and innovative textile applications.
• wd3 Design StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio displaying intelligent application diversity of Xbrick® alongside Rökona's partnership collaboration. Partnership approach to design and sustainability.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Outlast Technologies: German company specializing in phase-change material (PCM) temperature-regulating textiles for apparel, bedding, and automotive. Comparable as a German mid-sized textile innovator with proprietary functional textile technology serving overlapping active/sportswear and automotive interior end-markets.

Direct peers

• Tenowo GmbH: German manufacturer of technical textiles including warp-knitted, weft-inserted, and spacer fabrics for automotive interiors, protective clothing, and industrial applications. Direct peer given shared warp-knitting technology base, automotive OEM customer base, and overlap in protective/safety textile offerings.
• JUMBO-Textil GmbH: German manufacturer of technical narrow fabrics, elastic bands, and warp-knitted textiles for apparel, automotive, and industrial applications. Comparable as a German mid-sized specialty textile peer with shared technical knitting expertise and similar B2B model serving apparel and industrial customers.
• Heathcoat Fabrics: UK-based technical weaver and knitter producing high-performance textiles for aerospace, defence, automotive, and industrial markets. Comparable as a European heritage technical textile manufacturer (founded 1800s) with proprietary weaving/knitting technologies serving overlapping end-markets including protective and automotive.
• Concordia Textiles: Belgian manufacturer of technical and protective textiles for workwear, defence, and industrial applications. Comparable as a European specialty textile manufacturer focused on protective/functional fabrics, with overlapping customer base in PPE, workwear, and industrial textiles.
• Norafin Industries: German manufacturer of technical nonwovens and specialty textiles for protective clothing, automotive, and industrial filtration. Comparable as a German mid-sized specialty textile manufacturer with similar B2B model, technical fabric focus, and overlap in protective and industrial segments.
• Sioen Industries: Belgian-headquartered global manufacturer of technical textiles including coated fabrics, protective clothing, and industrial textiles. Comparable as a European technical textile manufacturer with strong presence in protective workwear (PPE), technical coatings, and industrial applications overlapping Rökona's PROTECT segment.
• Sefar Group: Swiss-based global manufacturer of precision technical textiles, monofilaments, and filtration/screening fabrics for industrial applications. Directly comparable as a European specialty textile manufacturer serving automotive, medical, and industrial end-markets with proprietary weaving and finishing capabilities.

Regional players

• Sandler Group: German family-owned nonwoven textile manufacturer serving automotive, hygiene, filtration, and industrial markets. Comparable German mid-sized technical textile peer with overlapping automotive and industrial exposure, though focused on nonwovens rather than warp knitting.

Broad incumbents

• Freudenberg Performance Materials: German-headquartered global leader in technical nonwovens and woven textiles for automotive, construction, and apparel applications. A broader incumbent overlapping with Rökona in automotive interior textiles and spacer/foam-replacement solutions, though with a much larger nonwoven-focused portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roekona-textilwerk-gmbh

Compliance2 records

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 Roekona Textilwerk