Cornu

What Cornu does

Cornu AG is a Swiss privately held industrial supply company headquartered in Pfyn, Switzerland, founded in 1968 (or 1969 per 50th anniversary milestone in 2019). The company operates a B2B e-commerce platform selling industrial abrasives, adhesive products, and workplace safety equipment to manufacturing, metalworking, and welding customers primarily in the Swiss market with delivery extending to Liechtenstein. With 11-50 employees and over 55 years of continuous operation, Cornu AG functions as an authorized distributor for several premium industrial brands rather than a manufacturer of proprietary products.

The company's product portfolio centers on high-performance grinding and surface finishing solutions, dominated by 3M branded products including Cubitron II and Cubitron 3 precision-shaped grain abrasives, Scotch-Brite non-woven web products, and related consumables. Complementary product categories include carbide milling tools, wire brushes, pneumatic and electric grinding machines (Dynabrade), industrial adhesives and masking tapes, and personal protective equipment such as Optrel welding masks, 3M respiratory protection systems, and safety accessories. Cornu AG also offers in-house custom fabrication services for non-standard abrasive belt dimensions, providing a service layer beyond standard distribution.

Revenue is generated through one-time transactional sales of industrial consumables priced in Swiss Francs (excluding 8.1% VAT), with unit prices ranging from CHF 0.75 to over CHF 2,500. The go-to-market motion is sales-led with a self-serve B2B online shop featuring customer accounts, order history, and customer-specific pricing. Marketing channels include the e-commerce platform, email newsletter, and product catalogs. Customer segmentation follows a vertical approach targeting industrial manufacturing as the primary segment and metalworking/welding as a secondary segment. Authorized distributor partnerships with 3M, Optrel, PFERD, VSM, Klingspor, and Mirka form the core of the company's value proposition, supplemented by ISO certification and over five decades of brand reputation in the Swiss industrial supply market.

Name

Cornu

Legal name

Cornu AG

Website

https://cornuag.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornu AG is a Swiss B2B industrial supply distributor selling abrasives, adhesives, and workplace safety equipment to manufacturing and metalworking customers, operating an e-commerce shop and serving as an authorized Swiss distributor for brands including 3M, Optrel, PFERD, VSM, and Klingspor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pfyn

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Abrasives Sales: One-time product sales of grinding belts, sanding discs, fiber discs, flap discs, and non-woven web products to industrial customers. Products range from standard consumables to high-performance precision abrasives.
2. Adhesive Products Sales: Sales of industrial adhesives, adhesive tapes, mounting tapes, and bonding solutions including 3M tape systems and specialty adhesive products.
3. Workplace Safety Equipment Sales: Sales of personal protective equipment including welding masks (Optrel, Speedglas), respiratory protection systems (3M Versaflo, Adflo), safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, and protective suits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cornu AG distributes and sells industrial consumables and equipment — primarily industrial abrasives (grinding belts, fiber discs, flap discs), Scotch-Brite surface finishing products, carbide milling tools, wire brushes, grinding machines, workplace safety equipment (welding masks, hearing/eye/respiratory protection), and 3M industrial adhesives — to Swiss business customers through a B2B e-commerce shop. The company also provides a custom abrasive belt cutting service that fabricates belts to customer-specified dimensions in-house.

Product overview

Cornu AG is a Swiss industrial supplies company (based in Pfyn, Switzerland) that operates as a B2B online shop for abrasives, work safety equipment, and adhesive products. The product portfolio centers on high-performance grinding and surface finishing solutions, primarily featuring 3M branded products (Cubitron II, Cubitron 3, Scotch-Brite) alongside complementary tool categories. The core offering includes grinding belts (Schleifbänder), non-woven web products (Scotch-Brite Vlies), surface conditioning discs, handpads, and heavy-duty cleaning discs for industrial metalworking. Supporting product lines encompass carbide milling tools (HM-Fräswerkzeuge), wire brushes, grinding machines (pneumatic Dynabrade and electric), work safety equipment (Optrel welding masks, respiratory protection, protective clothing), and industrial adhesives (masking tapes, transfer tapes, Bumpon buffers). The company offers custom cutting services for standard abrasive belts. The portfolio follows a multi-brand distributor model rather than proprietary branded products, with 3M products being the dominant brand across abrasive categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Abrasives (3M Cubitron II grinding belts, fiber discs, flap discs)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 3McoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Swiss distributor of 3M industrial products including Cubitron precision abrasives, Scotch-Brite non-woven products, adhesive tapes, and personal protective equipment including 3M Versaflo respiratory systems and Speedglas welding masks.
• OptrelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Swiss distributor of Optrel welding masks and respiratory protection equipment. Optrel is a Swiss manufacturer known for innovative auto-darkening welding helmets and air-fed respiratory systems.
• PFERDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of PFERD (August Rumpfsräderfabrik) grinding and brushing tools including POLINOX polishing and grinding wheels, brush products, and precision tools.
• VSMcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of VSM Abrasives AG products including coated abrasives, diamond abrasive tools, and non-woven products. VSM is a German manufacturer of industrial abrasive materials.
• KlingsporcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Klingspor Abrasives products including grinding discs, cutting wheels, and abrasive belts. Klingspor is a German manufacturer of professional abrasive tools.
• MirkaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor of Mirka abrasive products. Mirka is a Finnish manufacturer specializing in surface finishing solutions and dust-free sanding equipment.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• VSM Abrasives: German manufacturer of coated abrasives and non-woven products selling to industrial customers across Europe; competes with Cornu in the same abrasive categories while also being a Cornu brand partner.
• PFERD: German manufacturer of grinding, milling, brushing, and cutting tools serving metalworking and industrial customers; both competes via direct sales and supplies Cornu through authorized distribution.
• Optrel: Swiss manufacturer of auto-darkening welding helmets and air-fed respiratory protection; both a Cornu brand partner and a direct seller of premium welding PPE to industrial customers.
• Klingspor: German manufacturer and direct distributor of coated abrasives, cutting discs, and grinding tools; both competes with Cornu as an abrasive specialist and supplies Cornu as a brand partner.
• Berner SE: European B2B industrial supply distributor selling consumables, tools, PPE, and chemicals to trades and industrial customers; multi-brand model and direct sales overlap closely with Cornu's go-to-market.
• Haberkorn: Austrian-headquartered industrial supply distributor serving metalworking, manufacturing, and PPE customers across the DACH region with a comparable multi-brand portfolio and technical advisory model.

Broad incumbents

• ERIIKS: European industrial distribution group focused on components and technical consumables including sealing, flow control, and industrial supplies; broader portfolio but similar multi-brand industrial distribution model.
• Würth: Global industrial supply leader with a deep multi-brand portfolio spanning fasteners, tools, abrasives, PPE, and adhesives; serves the same industrial B2B customer base across Europe including Switzerland but at vastly greater scale.
• MSC Industrial Direct: Large North American broad-line industrial distributor of metalworking consumables, tools, and PPE via catalog and e-commerce; same B2B consumables model at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Emerging players

• Contorion: German e-commerce platform for industrial supplies, tools, and PPE targeting professional trades and industrial buyers; directly comparable to Cornu's B2B online shop model in the DACH region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cornuag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornu-ag

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 Cornu