Velpeau

What Velpeau does

Velpeau is a French medical device brand founded in 1890, owned and operated by the multinational medical products group Lohmann & Rauscher (with operational entity Laboratoires Lohmann & Rauscher SAS, SIREN 380 236 091, headquartered in Remiremont, Vosges). The company designs, manufactures, and distributes three principal product categories: ortheses (knee, wrist, ankle, shoulder, lumbar braces under brands including Ligaction, Manu Control, Ankle Control Expert, Dotop), medical compression products (VeinoCare socks, stockings and tights; Velpeau Strapp and Velpeau Press cohesive bandages), and wound care (plasters, cotton products under Cotopads, Cotodisques and CotoBio sub-brands, and post-operative dressing sets). All products are CE-marked medical devices manufactured at the company's production site in Saint-Genest-Lerpt in the Loire department, which houses specialized compressive knitting technology and an in-house R&D center equipped with 3D printing for prototyping.

Velpeau's go-to-market is exclusively B2B2C through the French pharmacy network, with no direct-to-consumer channel. Pharmacists and pharmacy teams act as the primary customer and recommendation channel, supplemented by mid-funnel education via Ortho-sessions webinars and bottom-of-funnel content via the Coach Velpeau program. Top-of-funnel brand awareness is built through sports sponsorships across volleyball (FFvolley official supplier since 2022), football (ASNL), ice hockey (Gamyo), ultra-trail (Grand Raid), and equestrian events. The company employs 51-100 staff and operates with revenue not publicly disclosed, as a wholly integrated brand within Lohmann & Rauscher's corporate structure.

The business model is one-time sale of medical devices dispensed through pharmacies at non-publicly-disclosed retail prices. Sub-brands target distinct use cases: Eco2 (eco-designed orthoses), CotoBio (organic cotton ECOCERT-certified), and Kids Monster (pediatric plasters). The product portfolio has been actively refreshed in 2024-2026 with new launches in compression, lumbar support, and knee orthesis categories, alongside the 2025 Prix Top Santé eco-responsibility award and ASQUAL certification for compression products.

Name

Velpeau

Legal name

Laboratoires Lohmann & Rauscher SAS

Website

https://velpeau.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Velpeau is a 130+ year-old French medical device brand owned by Lohmann & Rauscher, designing and manufacturing ortheses, medical compression products, and wound care items sold exclusively through the French pharmacy network to consumers and healthcare professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Remiremont

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Sales: Velpeau generates revenue through the sale of medical devices including orthoses, compression products, wound care bandages, and cotton care products distributed exclusively through pharmacies to end consumers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Velpeau manufactures and distributes CE-marked medical devices including orthopedic orthoses (knee, wrist, ankle, shoulder, lumbar, and neck braces), medical compression products (socks, stockings, tights, cohesive and adhesive bandages), and wound care solutions (plasters, cotton products, dressing sets for post-operative and chronic wound care). All products are made in France and sold exclusively through the French pharmacy network, where pharmacists dispense and recommend the products to end consumers.

Product overview

Velpeau is a French brand of medical devices sold exclusively in pharmacies. The product portfolio consists of three main categories: (1) Orthèses (Orthoses/Braces) including knee braces (Ligaction Evo, Ligaction Pro), wrist braces (Manu Control Classic), ankle braces (Ankle Control Expert), shoulder immobilizers, and lumbar support belts (Dotop Lady Comfort, Velpeau® Eco2); (2) Compression médicale (Medical Compression) including VeinoCare® compression socks, stockings, and tights, plus bandages (Velpeau® Strapp, Velpeau® Press); (3) Soins (Wound Care) including plasters (Velpeau® Elastic, Pansements Aqua, Velpeau® Strips, Kids Monster), cotton products (Cotopads®, Cotodisques®, CotoBio), dressing sets (Set Post-opératoire, Set Standard, Set Détersion), and bandages (Velpeau® Pore, Velpeau® crêpe, Velpeau® nyl). All products are CE-marked medical devices manufactured by Lohmann & Rauscher, with production facilities in the Loire region of France and headquarters in Remiremont.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cotopads: Cotton squares and rectangles for medical and hygiene use
• CotoBio
• Cotodisques
• VeinoCare
• Ligaction
• Dotop Lady Comfort
• Eco²

Products and services

• Ligaction Evo Evolutive knee brace designed for comfort and the treatment of ankle injuries. Provides support for patients recovering from sprains or knee conditions.
• Ligaction Pro Knee brace specifically designed for the treatment of sprains. Professional-grade orthosis for managing ligament injuries.
• Manu Control Classic Wrist orthosis designed for wrist support and immobilization. Part of the Classic range for everyday injury management.
• Ankle Control Expert Expert-level ankle brace for ankle stabilization. Indicated for the prevention and treatment of ankle injuries. Fine enough to be worn in sports shoes.
• Dotop Lady Comfort Lumbar support belt specifically adapted to feminine morphologies. Elegant design inspired by French couture houses, combining style with functional support.
• Velpeau Eco2 Eco-designed orthoses range made in France. Designed for joint care in cases of joint fragility, mild sprains, osteoarthritis, or arthritis while preserving the environment. Features modern designs and pleasant wear.
• Gilet orthopédique Shoulder immobilization orthosis for immobilizing shoulder and arm joints in a determined position. Indicated for acute painful lesions, post-traumatic/post-operative immobilization, and upper extremity paralysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products CE marked as medical devices meeting European regulatory standards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FFvolley (Fédération Française de Volley)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2022Velpeau became official supplier to the French Volleyball Federation and national teams (men and women) for three years starting 2022. The partnership provides orthopedic supports, strapping tapes, compression socks, and wound care products for athletes and medical staff during national and international competitions. The French men's team won Olympic gold medals in 2021 and 2024.
• ClimatePartnerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Through its parent company Lohmann & Rauscher, Velpeau partners with ClimatePartner to support tree planting in France as part of environmental commitment. This partnership contributes to ecosystem regeneration and climate change mitigation through carbon offset initiatives.
• Equestrian competitionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 September 2020Velpeau partners with equestrian events including Derby Cross and PTV (Parcours en terrain varié) federal events, supporting riders with orthopedic products. The company has been involved in equestrian sponsorship for multiple years near its headquarters in the Vosges region.
• ASNL (Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 February 2016Velpeau partnered with Nancy football club, appearing on player jerseys as a premium partner. The partnership provided orthopedic products for player injury treatment and supported the club during the 2016-2017 season while they competed in Coupe de France.
• Grand RaidminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Velpeau sponsors the Grand Raid ultra-trail event in Reunion Island, supporting thousands of runners across multiple race categories including La Diagonale des Fous, Trail de Bourbon, and La Mascareignes. Products provided include strapping tapes and wound care for medical stations.
• Gamyo (Hockey sur glace spinalien)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 March 2015Velpeau sponsors the ice hockey team from Epinal, providing orthopedic devices for player injury prevention and treatment. The company has supported the team since 2015, attending playoff matches with product stands and distributing cotton samples to fans.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• medi: medi is a German manufacturer of medical compression garments, orthoses, and wound care products. It directly competes with Velpeau's VeinoCare compression range and orthopedic product lines across European pharmacy and orthopedic specialty channels.
• Sigvaris: Sigvaris is a Swiss specialist in medical compression therapy (stockings, socks, tights). It is a direct peer to Velpeau's VeinoCare compression line, particularly in European pharmacy distribution and clinical compression categories.
• Hartmann Group: Hartmann is a German medical products company with strong positions in wound care (e.g., Cosmopor, Hydrocoll) and orthopedics. It directly competes with Velpeau's wound care dressings and bandage range in European pharmacy and clinical channels.
• Thuasne: Thuasne is a French family-owned medical device company specializing in orthoses, compression therapy, and orthopedic supports. It is the most direct competitor to Velpeau in the French pharmacy channel, with overlapping product categories and similar Made-in-France positioning.
• Bauerfeind: Bauerfeind is a German medical device manufacturer producing orthoses, compression stockings, and orthopedic supports with strong brand recognition across Europe. It competes with Velpeau in premium orthopedics and compression segments through pharmacy and medical retail channels.

Others

• Lohmann & Rauscher: Lohmann & Rauscher is the German parent group of Velpeau, producing medical devices, wound care, and hygiene products internationally. As the manufacturer and parent, it provides context on Velpeau's position within a larger group portfolio rather than a market competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Mölnlycke Health Care: Mölnlycke is a Swedish multinational specializing in wound care and surgical solutions (Mepilex, Mepitel, Avance). It competes with Velpeau's wound care portfolio at the professional/clinical end of the market and is a broader incumbent.
• BSN medical (Essity): BSN medical, owned by Essity, is a broad incumbent in wound care, compression therapy, and orthopedics with global reach (e.g., JOBST, Leukoplast, Cutimed brands). It competes with Velpeau across multiple product categories but operates as part of a much larger hygiene and health portfolio.
• DJO Global (Enovis): DJO Global, part of Enovis, is a broad incumbent in orthopedic devices and bracing (DonJoy, Aircast, Chattanooga brands). It overlaps with Velpeau in sports medicine braces and orthopedic supports but operates globally with significantly larger scale.
• Össur: Össur is an Icelandic global leader in orthopedics, prosthetics, and bracing. It is adjacent to Velpeau's orthosis business but operates at a larger scale and with stronger presence in orthopedic specialty channels rather than mass pharmacy retail.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzB6WuT8TQoRkTNAaC8XK6g
• Facebookfacebook.com/VelpeauPK
• Instagraminstagram.com/velpeau_officiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/velpeau

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Velpeau