Frank
Frank Europe GmbH designs and manufactures custom patented glass and acrylic museum display cases using a proprietary screw-free, glue-free plug-in technology, serving museums, cultural institutions, traveling exhibitions, and high-end retail and automotive clients worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersBad Kreuznach, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Frank does
Frank Europe GmbH, headquartered in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, designs, manufactures, and sells custom glass and acrylic museum display cases (vitrines) for cultural institutions, exhibition organizers, and high-end retail and automotive clients worldwide. The company operates a unified product line built around its patented FRANK plug-in technology, which connects acrylic or laminated mineral glass panels in a flush, stable configuration without screws, glue, or seals; both the acrylic system (launched 2001) and the glass system (market-mature 2018) are patented and manufactured exclusively in FRANK factories, and cases can be fully disassembled and rebuilt in under ten minutes. Beyond standard vitrines the company ships giant showcases (up to 6m x 3m x 3m) for vehicles and large artifacts, accessories such as FE connection profiles and silicon seals, and a temporary adjacent line (FRANKcare) of protective screens.
Frank makes money primarily through one-time project-based sales of custom-manufactured showcases to enterprise customers, priced per quote with multi-year contract cadences; roughly 650 such projects have been completed worldwide to date. Secondary revenue streams include licensing of FRANK production technology to institutional partners (most notably the Smithsonian Institution, which operates its own FRANK production unit) and a recurring subscription-style educational offering via the FRANK Academy platform, launched in 2021 to share conservation and showcase-selection expertise with designers, architects, and museum specialists.
The company goes to market through a hybrid direct-and-channel model: direct enterprise sales from the German headquarters combine with wholly-owned regional entities (FRANK America Inc., FRANK Display Systems UK Ltd, FRANK Display Cases and Archive Solutions Middle East Trading) and channel partners in South Africa (Digital Fabric), Australia and New Zealand (Pod Museum), Japan (TAKIYA), and India, producing coverage across six continents. Primary customer segments are museums and cultural institutions (the Met, the V&A, the Aga Khan Museum, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, National Museum of Qatar, Te Papa Tongarewa), traveling exhibition organizers (Musealia for the Auschwitz touring show), high-end retail (The Globe Store Berlin), and automotive exhibitions (Mercedes-Benz), with credentials including ISO 9001:2015 certification and Deutscher Museumsbund membership.
Frank firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Frank
- Legal name
- Frank Europe GmbH
- Website
- https://frankeurope.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Frank Europe GmbH designs and manufactures custom patented glass and acrylic museum display cases using a proprietary screw-free, glue-free plug-in technology, serving museums, cultural institutions, traveling exhibitions, and high-end retail and automotive clients worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Frank is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bad Kreuznach
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Frank business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Museum Display Cases: Design, manufacture, and sale of custom museum display cases (glass and acrylic vitrines) for museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and commercial retail. Project-based revenue from concept to installation.
- Exhibition Showcase Systems: Sale of showcase systems for permanent and traveling exhibitions. Includes giant showcases (up to 6 meters length) for high-value artifacts and vehicles.
- FRANK Academy: Educational platform providing conservation guides and expert knowledge to designers, architects, contractors, and museum specialists. Subscription-based membership.
- Licensing and Production Partnerships: Licensing FRANK production technology to partners (e.g., Smithsonian Institution) who manufacture showcases themselves using FRANK systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Custom Project Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Frank product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Frank Europe GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells custom demountable museum display cases (vitrines) in both acrylic and laminated mineral glass for museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and high-end retail. The showcases are built around a patented screw-free, glue-free, and seal-free plug-in technology that enables complete dismountability and assembly in under 10 minutes, supporting both permanent and traveling exhibitions.
Product overview
Frank Europe GmbH offers a unified portfolio of museum display cases and exhibition showcases built around its patented FRANK Showcase System. The core offering consists of demountable display cases available in two material variants: acrylic glass (launched 2001) and laminated mineral glass (market maturity 2018). Both variants use the same revolutionary surface-flush plug-in technology that connects panels without screws, glue, or seals. The product range extends to specialized lines including the EXCEL Line and COMBO configurations, plus accessories like FRANK Silicon Seals. The company also operates the FRANK Academy educational platform and temporarily expanded into FRANKcare Corona Protection Screens during 2020. Key differentiators include complete disassembly capability, emission-free solutions, award-winning minimalist design, and suitability for both permanent and traveling exhibitions. Frank has completed over 650 projects worldwide for prestigious museums and cultural institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FRANKcare: Corona protective screens production line launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Website: frankcare.shop
- FRANK's Museum Shop
Products and services
- FRANK Museum Display Cases / Vitrines The flagship product line of demountable museum-quality display cases (vitrines) available in both acrylic and laminated mineral glass, using patented plug-in technology to connect panels without screws, glue, or seals. Designed for museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and high-end retail.
- FRANK Acrylic Display Cases Acrylic glass museum display cases using the FRANK plug-in technology, primarily used for temporary exhibitions due to easy handling and standard safety compliance.
- FRANK Glass Display Cases Laminated mineral glass display cases with the same FRANK plug-in technology as the acrylic line, designed for permanent and high-end museum exhibitions.
- FRANK Giant Showcases Extra-large custom display cases (up to 6 meters in length) for high-value artifacts, vehicles, and large installations such as the Mercedes-Benz MB Guard exhibition including the Pope Mobile exhibit.
- FRANK EXCEL Line A configuration or size category within the FRANK showcase system, available with dedicated brochures.
- FRANK COMBO A combination showcase configuration within the FRANK product family, offered in DE/EN/FR brochure materials.
- FRANKcare Corona Protection Screens Temporary line of protective screens for system-relevant professions, produced and sold during the COVID-19 pandemic via the frankcare.shop online storefront.
Quantifiable outcome
- Assembly in under 10 minutes
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Frank
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Frank technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Frank partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Smithsonian InstitutioncoreLong-standing partnership where the Smithsonian Institution owns a production unit to manufacture FRANK showcases themselves. The Smithsonian has brought FRANK showcases to the White House in Washington D.C. for exhibitions.
- FRANK America Inc.coreRegional partner covering North and South America operations based in Springfield, VA. Handles sales, distribution, and potentially installation for the Americas.
- FRANK Display Systems UK LtdcoreRegional partner covering England operations from London, handling sales and distribution in the UK market.
- FRANK Display Cases and Archive Solutions Middle East Trading L.L.CcoreRegional partner covering Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the UAE, handling Middle East operations.
- Digital Fabric (Pty) LtdcoreRegional partner for Africa based in South Africa, handling operations across the African continent.
- Pod Museum and Art Services Pty LtdcoreRegional partner for Australia and New Zealand based in Braeside, Victoria, handling Oceania operations.
- TAKIYA Inc.coreRegional partner for Japan and Far East operations based in Osaka, Japan.
- Collaboration Group (Spirit of Leadership Exhibition)minorCollaboration on the Spirit of Leadership traveling exhibition for King Fahad in Saudi Arabia, working with design firms and exhibition organizers.
- MusealiaminorExhibition organizer for the Auschwitz traveling exhibition, where FRANK provided over 90 custom display cases.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Frank competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Goppion S.p.A. Italian premium manufacturer of museum display cases and vitrines. Direct competitor to Frank with a similar client base of major museums including the Louvre and Smithsonian, and comparable premium positioning in the global museum showcase market.
- Glasbau Hahn GmbH: German manufacturer of museum display cases and vitrines with similar premium positioning and customer base. Directly competes with Frank in the German and European museum showcase market.
- SkillGlass Ltd: UK-based manufacturer of museum and exhibition display cases serving similar cultural institution customers with comparable glass showcase products and museum-quality standards.
Others
- GES (Global Experience Specialists): Global provider of exhibition and event services, building exhibition infrastructure for trade shows and corporate events. Adjacent to Frank's museum exhibition showcase business in the broader exhibitions and live experiences market.
- ERCO GmbH: German specialist in architectural and museum lighting. Complementary to Frank's showcase offerings within the museum design ecosystem, serving overlapping cultural institution customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Frank social profiles
Digital presenceFrank compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Frank financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Frank leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Frank subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Frank funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frank M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Frank
What does Frank do?
Frank Europe GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells custom demountable museum display cases (vitrines) in both acrylic and laminated mineral glass for museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and high-end retail. The showcases are built around a patented screw-free, glue-free, and seal-free plug-in technology that enables complete dismountability and assembly in under 10 minutes, supporting both permanent and traveling exhibitions.
Is Frank a public or private company?
Frank is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Frank founded?
Frank was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Frank based?
Frank is headquartered in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Frank make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Museum Display Cases are the primary driver. The others are exhibition Showcase Systems, FRANK Academy and licensing and Production Partnerships.
Who are Frank's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Goppion S.p.A., Glasbau Hahn GmbH and SkillGlass Ltd. Others are GES (Global Experience Specialists) and ERCO GmbH.
Does Frank have an API?
No public API is recorded for Frank.