What Menphis does

Menphis SpA is an Italian surface treatment technology company founded in 1982 by Gilberto Menin in Como, now operated by the second generation (Giacomo Menin, Managing Director, and Marco Menin, Operations and R&D Director). It operates two main divisions from a 30,000 sq metre, eight-building production complex in Casnate con Bernate (Como): a Fashion division offering nine fabric and leather processing services (transfer printing, Chiné warp printing, frosting/coating, couplings and laminations, plastic lamination, special effects such as BLOB/BEST/SOFT GLOW/GHOST, paints and crack, double print, and denim transfer), and a Wood Effects & Interior Design division producing eco-sustainable wood-grain coatings on aluminum and decorative surfaces including wallpaper.

The company's commercial moat rests on patented Transfer Technology (Carta Transfer) refined over more than 50 years, in-house production of Unitrans thermoplastic resins and sublimation powders via the CRATT research center, and a 20-year strategic partnership with SEF Italia that bundles Menphis consumables with industrial surface treatment equipment (sublimation plants, profile and coil painting systems, Magicdisc® self-cleaning systems). Recent technology upgrades include WINDYE® (2018), which enables color fixing in 40 seconds across all fibres and expanded substrates, and BIOT® (2020), a product line containing 50% bio-based materials.

Menphis sells B2B on a quote basis through a global network of sales agents and distributors across five continents, with named industrial customers routed through SEF Italia (Hydro, Cortizo, Manfrotto, Sapa, Ponzio, Metra, Knotwood, AKFA, Gulf Extrusions). Approximately 60-70% of production is exported, and the company has shifted from a subcontractor model toward direct sales through its website, blog content, and a new headquarters showroom. Diversification has extended into a Menphis Energy vertical (2020), and additional brands include BIOT® and WINDYE® for finished products, plus CRATT for research.

Name

Menphis

Legal name

Menphis SpA

Website

https://menphis.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Menphis SpA is a family-owned Italian surface treatment company applying patented Transfer Technology to fabrics, leather, and aluminum for fashion houses, interior designers, and aluminum profile manufacturers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surface Treatment Technology

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Fabric Coating Mills (313320), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural & Decorative Painting (Interior/Exterior) (IMAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL)

Keywords

• Transfer printing technology
• Surface decoration services
• Wood effect aluminum coating
• Fashion fabric processing
• Industrial coating equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Como

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surface Processing Services (Fashion): B2B manufacturing services processing textiles and leather for fashion houses and stylists. Services include transfer printing, chiné processing, frosting/coating, couplings and laminations, plastic lamination, special effects, paints and crack finishes, double print, and denim transfer. Products used are ecological with environmentally-friendly solvents and plasticisers.
2. Wood Effects & Interior Design: Eco-sustainable wood grain effects applied on aluminum profiles for fixtures, interior design, and architecture applications. Includes wallpaper and metal sheet decoration.
3. Equipment & Systems (via SEF Italia): Sublimation plants, profile painting systems, coil painting systems, washing machines, and Magicdisc self-cleaning painting systems through partnership with SEF Italia.
4. Process Materials: Production of films, powders, and sublimation films for internal use and supply through SEF Italia partnership.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Menphis provides proprietary transfer-technology-based surface decoration services and products for the fashion and interior design industries. The company applies decorative effects (films, lacquers, foils, sublimation prints) onto fabrics, leather, aluminum profiles, wallpaper, and other substrates using its patented Carta Transfer technology, Unitrans thermoplastic resins, and chiné warp-printing processes. It also produces wood-grain coated aluminum profiles for architecture and, through its SEF Italia partnership, designs and builds industrial surface treatment equipment including sublimation plants and Magicdisc® self-cleaning painting systems.

Product overview

Menphis S.p.A. is an Italian surface treatment technology company founded in 1982, operating primarily in Fashion and Wood Effects/Interior Design sectors. The core technology is Transfer Technology - a proprietary system for applying decorative effects (films, lacquers, foils, sublimation) onto various substrates including fabrics, leather, and aluminum. Fashion division offers 9 distinct processing services: Transfer Printing, Chiné (warp printing), Frosting/Coating, Couplings/Laminations, Plastic Lamination, Special Effects (BLOB, BEST, SOFT GLOW, GHOST), Paints and Crack, Double Print, and Transfer on Denim. Wood Effects division provides wood grain coatings on aluminum and interior design solutions. The company also operates through subsidiary SEF Italia for industrial surface treatment equipment and maintains an internal R&D center (C.R.A.T.T.) for continuous innovation. Recent innovations include WINDYE® (2020) transfer printing technology and BIOT® eco-sustainable product line.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C.R.A.T.T. Centro Ricerca Applicazione Tecnologia Transfer - Transfer Technology Application Research Center, company within the company where technological innovations are tested before production insertion
• SEF Italia
• Windye
• BIOT
• Magicdisc

Products and services

• Transfer Technology Printing
• Chiné Warp Printing
• Wood Effects on Aluminum
• Interior Design Surfaces (Wallpaper and Plates)
• SEF Italia Industrial Surface Treatment Systems
• Magicdisc® Self-Cleaning Painting Systems
• WINDYE® Transfer Technology
• BIOT® Eco-Sustainable Product Line

Quantifiable outcome

• 60-70% export ratio with reach across 5 continents
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SEF ItaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEF Italia is a 20-year leading company in design and production of innovative surface treatment systems. In partnership with Menphis, SEF Italia offers consulting and supply of all necessary process materials, powders, and high-quality sublimation films. SEF Italia also designs and builds horizontal painting systems and sublimation systems for Menphis, enabling the company to expand from film/powder production to complete equipment manufacturing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Avery Dennison: Global supplier of pressure-sensitive labels, films, and specialty materials. Adjacent to Menphis's in-house Unitrans resin and film production, particularly for surface-decorative laminates and films used in fashion and architecture.
• Durst Group: Italian industrial inkjet/digital printing systems provider serving textiles, ceramics, and labels. Overlaps with Menphis in textile printing technology direction and Italian manufacturing heritage, but operates across much broader industrial print verticals.
• Mimaki Engineering: Japanese industrial inkjet printer maker with a strong textile/apparel printing line. Competes with Menphis in fashion surface decoration via digital alternatives to film-based transfer.

Emerging players

• Aeoon Technologies: Austrian maker of industrial direct-to-garment printers serving fashion and apparel brands. Competes with Menphis's transfer printing services for shorter-run fashion decoration work.
• Kornit Digital: Israeli maker of direct-to-garment and on-demand digital textile printing systems. Competes for the same fashion and apparel decoration budgets, offering an alternative to Menphis's transfer/sublimation workflow with shorter-run economics.
• Sublimatic: Sublimation and digital transfer printing specialist serving fashion, sportswear, and home textiles. Overlaps with Menphis's fashion transfer printing services, particularly for smaller fashion brands and on-demand decoration.

Regional players

• Linetec: US-based architectural aluminum finishing company offering painting, anodizing, and wood-grain finishes for window/curtain-wall profiles. Comparable to Menphis's wood-effects division but primarily serving North American architectural customers.

Direct peers

• SPGPrints: Dutch manufacturer of rotary screen and digital printing systems for textiles. Direct comparable to Menphis's fashion printing services, with overlapping customer base in fashion mills and home textiles.
• MS Printing Solutions: Italian manufacturer of digital printing machines for textiles and fashion applications. Headquartered near Menphis in the Italian textile machinery cluster, competing for the same fashion processing customer wallet.
• Decoral System: Italian-headquartered specialist in sublimation-based wood-effect decoration on aluminum profiles and similar substrates. Most direct competitor to Menphis's Wood Effects division, serving the same architectural and aluminum extrusion customer base with comparable technology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Menphis.Spa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Menphis