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Knobel

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Namestring
Knobel
Legal namestring
TRIKNO AG
Websiteurl
knobel-ch.com
Company typeenum
Private
Founded yearint
2022
Descriptiontext

TRIKNO AG, formerly operating under the Knobel / Knobel-Maschinen brand, is a Swiss manufacturer of chocolate and confectionery production machinery headquartered in Felben-Wellhausen, Switzerland (Marksteinstrasse 5). The company designs and builds precision casting machines and complete moulding production lines for the global confectionery industry, serving a horizontal customer segment that ranges from small artisanal chocolate workshops to the largest chocolate manufacturers worldwide. Its stated mission is to enable confectionery designers to realize complex product visions through flexible, repeatable manufacturing equipment.

At the core of the offering is a modular building block system organized in three progressive automation steps: Step 1 pairs a casting machine with a vibration table and cooling spiral as the entry point; Step 2 adds a return conveyor and form pre-heating for continuous production; Step 3 introduces an automatic demolding station for fully automated operation. Modules are described as intelligent units networked together with plug-and-play integration, including interoperability with existing third-party production lines regardless of age. Alongside the platform, TRIKNO markets specialized processes including the patented ColdPress method (pralines, tablets, hollow figures, biscuit/waffle composites), One-Shot simultaneous shell-and-filling casting, Free Dressing, Decorating, Hollow Moulds, Nuts & Fruits (large inclusions), Solid tablets, Sandwich, and Biscuit composites.

The business is a private Swiss industrial-equipment maker selling directly to enterprise confectionery buyers (consultative B2B field sales) with custom-quoted, non-publicly-disclosed pricing per configuration. Revenue mechanics are hardware sales of machines and lines, ranging from standalone artisanal units up to turnkey production installations for global chocolate manufacturers. Distribution is direct; there is no disclosed reseller or distributor network, no app presence, and no public API. The most material recent commercial development is the rebrand from Knobel to TRIKNO, paired with refresh of the corporate website (trikno.ch), a YouTube demonstration channel, and productization of the three-step modular architecture and patented ColdPress process.

Short descriptiontext

TRIKNO AG (formerly Knobel) is a Swiss manufacturer of chocolate and confectionery production machinery, selling modular casting machines and turnkey moulding production lines direct to confectionery manufacturers worldwide, from artisanal workshops to the largest global chocolate producers.

Operating statusenum
Operating
Ownership categoryenum
Headcount rangeband
101–250
akta.pro rankint
HeadquartersFrauenfeld, Switzerland
HQ citystring
Frauenfeld
HQ countrystring
Switzerland
HQ regionstring
Europe
Markets served

Serves global market

Offices1 record

Each record includes

City, Country, Type, Description, Source

Keyword5 values
chocolate manufacturing machines, confectionery production equipment, modular casting systems, industrial chocolate machinery, Swiss confectionery equipment
Industry1 code
PRIMARYIMAHAOAF
Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid)
Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Packaging Machinery (Automated & Semi-automated)
Product category
Confectionery Manufacturing Equipment
Social media profiles2 records
GTM motion1 record

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

Revenue model1 record
1Chocolate & Confectionery Machines
TypeHardware Sales
Description

Sale of industrial manufacturing equipment including casting machines, production lines, and modular systems. Range from small standalone machines for artisanal production to complete turnkey production lines for major chocolate manufacturers worldwide.

trikno.ch
Marketing channels1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Stage, Description, Source

Distribution channels1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Scope, Target buyer, Description, Source

Cost components5 values
Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
GTM typeB2B
B2B
Offering typeHardware or Manufacturing
Hardware or Manufacturing
Core offering1 text field

Knobel (now TRIKNO AG) designs, develops, and assembles Swiss-made chocolate and confectionery manufacturing machines. The product range spans small casting machines for artisanal chocolate production to complete modular production lines for major industrial chocolate manufacturers, structured around a modular building block system with three configurable steps and incorporating patented ColdPress and One-Shot technologies.

Differentiator
Functional benefit
Problem solved
Product overview1 text field

TRIKNO (formerly Knobel) is a Swiss manufacturer of high-quality chocolate machines and confectionery machines, offering both individual casting machines for artisanal production support and complete turnkey production lines for major chocolate manufacturers worldwide. The product portfolio centers on the Modulares Baukastensystem (Modular Building Block System), a three-step scalable production line architecture (Step 1: casting machine with vibration table and cooling spiral; Step 2: adds return conveyor and form pre-heating; Step 3: adds automatic demolding for full automation), combined with specialized application processes including One-Shot (simultaneous shell and filling casting), ColdPress (patented process for pralines and filled chocolates), Dekorieren (decorating hollow figures and pralines), Freidressieren (free-form casting), Nüsse & Früchte (large inclusions processing), Hohlformen (hollow moulding), Solid (solid chocolate tablets), Biscuit (chocolate-biscuit composites), and Sandwich (sandwich confectionery). All machines are intelligent units networked together with plug-and-play integration capabilities, able to be integrated into existing third-party production lines.

Product and service1 record
1Modulares Baukastensystem (Modular Building Block System)
Scale indicator1 record

Each record includes

Type, Value, Description, Source

Recent move6 records

Each record includes

Date, Type, Title, Description, Source

Expansion highlight5 records

Each record includes

Type, Description

Peers10 records
1Royal Duyvis Wiener
TypeDirect peer
Description

Dutch producer of chocolate and cocoa processing equipment, including moulding and complete turnkey lines. Directly comparable to TRIKNO on the chocolate/confectionery machinery category.

2Aasted ApS
TypeDirect peer
Description

Danish maker of chocolate moulding plants, One-Shot depositors, and complete chocolate production lines. Closely comparable in product scope, particularly around One-Shot and praline casting.

3Bühler Group
TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Swiss global leader in food-processing and chocolate/confectionery equipment. Overlaps directly with TRIKNO on chocolate moulding, casting, and complete production lines, but operates at far greater scale across grains, food, and advanced materials.

4Haas Lebensmitteltechnik
TypeDirect peer
Description

Austrian confectionery-equipment manufacturer with moulding and one-shot systems analogous to TRIKNO's offering, targeting similar artisanal-to-industrial confectionery customers.

5Petroncini
TypeDirect peer
Description

Italian manufacturer of complete lines for chocolate, pralines, and confectionery products. Comparable product scope in moulding and continuous casting systems.

6BCH Ltd
TypeDirect peer
Description

UK-based manufacturer of confectionery production equipment and moulding lines, directly comparable to TRIKNO on chocolate and praline moulding systems.

7Sollich KG
TypeDirect peer
Description

German manufacturer specializing in chocolate and confectionery processing equipment, including moulding plants and cooling tunnels. Most directly comparable to TRIKNO's casting and moulding lines for pralines and chocolate bars.

8LCM (Línea de Confitería y Maquinaria)
TypeRegional player
Description

Latin American (Colombia-based) confectionery machinery manufacturer serving regional chocolate and candy producers; comparable product category but focused on the Latin American market rather than competing head-on in EMEA.

9Chocotech (Sollich Group)
TypeDirect peer
Description

German-based supplier of chocolate processing equipment including cooking, conching, and moulding — overlapping with TRIKNO's confectionery-machinery positioning.

10Latini Macchine
TypeDirect peer
Description

Italian maker of chocolate moulding lines, depositors, and confectionery equipment with a strong artisanal-to-industrial offering analogous to TRIKNO's modular casting machines.

Market position
Strengths4 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Weaknesses4 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Competitive moat4 records

Each record includes

Type, Details

Key risks5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Key highlights5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Customer concentration

Classification, Details

Segment1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Primary, Description, Pain point addressed, Use case, Source

Ideal customer profile2 records

Each record includes

Profile, Firmographic size, Sales motion, Sales cycle length, Buying structure, Purchase trigger, Buyer persona, Geography, Industry vertical, Primary use case, Description, Pain points, Evidence proof points, Target buyer

Technology focused
No
API detail
Has APIbool
No

Docs URL, Description

AI maturity
App detail

Has app

Feature3 records

Each record includes

Title, Differentiator, Description, Source

Core technology
Revenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number of profiles
No data
No data
Funding overview

Funding stage, Last funding date, Total funding USD

Funding rounds

Each record includes

Round, Amount USD, Date, Pre money valuation, Total investors, Investors, News

Investors

Each record includes

Name, Type, Date of entry, Rounds participated, Website

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Each record includes

Name, Acquisition type, Announced date, Completed date, Status, Website, News

Investment

Each record includes

Name, Round, Announced date, Lead investor, Website, News

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Knobel

Confectionery Manufacturing Equipmentknobel-ch.com

TRIKNO AG (formerly Knobel) is a Swiss manufacturer of chocolate and confectionery production machinery, selling modular casting machines and turnkey moulding production lines direct to confectionery manufacturers worldwide, from artisanal workshops to the largest global chocolate producers.

What Knobel does

TRIKNO AG, formerly operating under the Knobel / Knobel-Maschinen brand, is a Swiss manufacturer of chocolate and confectionery production machinery headquartered in Felben-Wellhausen, Switzerland (Marksteinstrasse 5). The company designs and builds precision casting machines and complete moulding production lines for the global confectionery industry, serving a horizontal customer segment that ranges from small artisanal chocolate workshops to the largest chocolate manufacturers worldwide. Its stated mission is to enable confectionery designers to realize complex product visions through flexible, repeatable manufacturing equipment.

At the core of the offering is a modular building block system organized in three progressive automation steps: Step 1 pairs a casting machine with a vibration table and cooling spiral as the entry point; Step 2 adds a return conveyor and form pre-heating for continuous production; Step 3 introduces an automatic demolding station for fully automated operation. Modules are described as intelligent units networked together with plug-and-play integration, including interoperability with existing third-party production lines regardless of age. Alongside the platform, TRIKNO markets specialized processes including the patented ColdPress method (pralines, tablets, hollow figures, biscuit/waffle composites), One-Shot simultaneous shell-and-filling casting, Free Dressing, Decorating, Hollow Moulds, Nuts & Fruits (large inclusions), Solid tablets, Sandwich, and Biscuit composites.

The business is a private Swiss industrial-equipment maker selling directly to enterprise confectionery buyers (consultative B2B field sales) with custom-quoted, non-publicly-disclosed pricing per configuration. Revenue mechanics are hardware sales of machines and lines, ranging from standalone artisanal units up to turnkey production installations for global chocolate manufacturers. Distribution is direct; there is no disclosed reseller or distributor network, no app presence, and no public API. The most material recent commercial development is the rebrand from Knobel to TRIKNO, paired with refresh of the corporate website (trikno.ch), a YouTube demonstration channel, and productization of the three-step modular architecture and patented ColdPress process.

Knobel firmographics

Firmographics
Name
Knobel
Legal name
TRIKNO AG
Website
https://knobel-ch.com
Company type
Private
Founded year
2022
Operating status
Operating
Headcount range
101–250 employees
Short description
TRIKNO AG (formerly Knobel) is a Swiss manufacturer of chocolate and confectionery production machinery, selling modular casting machines and turnkey moulding production lines direct to confectionery manufacturers worldwide, from artisanal workshops to the largest global chocolate producers.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Knobel industry classification

Industry
Product category
Confectionery Manufacturing Equipment
akta.pro industry
PRIMARYIMAHAOAF
Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid)
Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Packaging Machinery (Automated & Semi-automated)

Keywords

  • Chocolate manufacturing machines
  • Confectionery production equipment
  • Modular casting systems
  • Industrial chocolate machinery
  • Swiss confectionery equipment

Where Knobel is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city
Frauenfeld
HQ country
Switzerland
HQ region
Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

Knobel business model

Business model
GTM type
B2B
Offering type
Hardware or Manufacturing
Cost components
Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

  1. Chocolate & Confectionery Machines: Sale of industrial manufacturing equipment including casting machines, production lines, and modular systems. Range from small standalone machines for artisanal production to complete turnkey production lines for major chocolate manufacturers worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Knobel product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Knobel (now TRIKNO AG) designs, develops, and assembles Swiss-made chocolate and confectionery manufacturing machines. The product range spans small casting machines for artisanal chocolate production to complete modular production lines for major industrial chocolate manufacturers, structured around a modular building block system with three configurable steps and incorporating patented ColdPress and One-Shot technologies.

Product overview

TRIKNO (formerly Knobel) is a Swiss manufacturer of high-quality chocolate machines and confectionery machines, offering both individual casting machines for artisanal production support and complete turnkey production lines for major chocolate manufacturers worldwide. The product portfolio centers on the Modulares Baukastensystem (Modular Building Block System), a three-step scalable production line architecture (Step 1: casting machine with vibration table and cooling spiral; Step 2: adds return conveyor and form pre-heating; Step 3: adds automatic demolding for full automation), combined with specialized application processes including One-Shot (simultaneous shell and filling casting), ColdPress (patented process for pralines and filled chocolates), Dekorieren (decorating hollow figures and pralines), Freidressieren (free-form casting), Nüsse & Früchte (large inclusions processing), Hohlformen (hollow moulding), Solid (solid chocolate tablets), Biscuit (chocolate-biscuit composites), and Sandwich (sandwich confectionery). All machines are intelligent units networked together with plug-and-play integration capabilities, able to be integrated into existing third-party production lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

  • Modulares Baukastensystem (Modular Building Block System)

Companies that use Knobel

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Knobel technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API
No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Knobel partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Knobel competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

  • Royal Duyvis Wiener: Dutch producer of chocolate and cocoa processing equipment, including moulding and complete turnkey lines. Directly comparable to TRIKNO on the chocolate/confectionery machinery category.
  • Aasted ApS: Danish maker of chocolate moulding plants, One-Shot depositors, and complete chocolate production lines. Closely comparable in product scope, particularly around One-Shot and praline casting.
  • Haas Lebensmitteltechnik: Austrian confectionery-equipment manufacturer with moulding and one-shot systems analogous to TRIKNO's offering, targeting similar artisanal-to-industrial confectionery customers.
  • Petroncini: Italian manufacturer of complete lines for chocolate, pralines, and confectionery products. Comparable product scope in moulding and continuous casting systems.
  • BCH Ltd: UK-based manufacturer of confectionery production equipment and moulding lines, directly comparable to TRIKNO on chocolate and praline moulding systems.
  • Sollich KG: German manufacturer specializing in chocolate and confectionery processing equipment, including moulding plants and cooling tunnels. Most directly comparable to TRIKNO's casting and moulding lines for pralines and chocolate bars.
  • Chocotech (Sollich Group): German-based supplier of chocolate processing equipment including cooking, conching, and moulding — overlapping with TRIKNO's confectionery-machinery positioning.
  • Latini Macchine: Italian maker of chocolate moulding lines, depositors, and confectionery equipment with a strong artisanal-to-industrial offering analogous to TRIKNO's modular casting machines.

Broad incumbents

  • Bühler Group: Swiss global leader in food-processing and chocolate/confectionery equipment. Overlaps directly with TRIKNO on chocolate moulding, casting, and complete production lines, but operates at far greater scale across grains, food, and advanced materials.

Regional players

  • LCM (Línea de Confitería y Maquinaria): Latin American (Colombia-based) confectionery machinery manufacturer serving regional chocolate and candy producers; comparable product category but focused on the Latin American market rather than competing head-on in EMEA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Knobel social profiles

Digital presence

Knobel financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Knobel leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Knobel funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Knobel M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knobel

What does Knobel do?

Knobel (now TRIKNO AG) designs, develops, and assembles Swiss-made chocolate and confectionery manufacturing machines. The product range spans small casting machines for artisanal chocolate production to complete modular production lines for major industrial chocolate manufacturers, structured around a modular building block system with three configurable steps and incorporating patented ColdPress and One-Shot technologies.

Is Knobel a public or private company?

Knobel is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.

When was Knobel founded?

Knobel was founded in 2022. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Knobel based?

Knobel is headquartered in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, in the Europe region.

How does Knobel make money?

One revenue line is on record: chocolate & Confectionery Machines.

Who are Knobel's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Royal Duyvis Wiener, Aasted ApS, Haas Lebensmitteltechnik, Petroncini, BCH Ltd, Sollich KG, Chocotech (Sollich Group) and Latini Macchine. Bühler Group is listed as a broad incumbent. LCM (Línea de Confitería y Maquinaria) is listed as a regional player.

Does Knobel have an API?

No public API is recorded for Knobel.

What industry is Knobel in?

Knobel's product category is Confectionery Manufacturing Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAOAF, Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid).

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