What Lau does

LAU GmbH is a German specialty distributor of physical and optical testing instruments used for quality control in surface protection coatings. Founded in 1981 as Christina Lau GmbH in Hagen-Hohenlimburg and rebranded and relocated to Hemer in 1988, the company serves industrial customers in the paint, coatings, and surface treatment industries via a B2B sales-led motion. It maintains a domestic German base alongside export sales channels in the USA and the Far East (China). Its primary customer base spans paint manufacturers, coatings professionals, and an automotive reference account (Volkswagen AG); a secondary do-it-yourself segment targets painter trade tools.

The portfolio is organized into 16 product categories that cover the full surface protection testing workflow: coating thickness (e.g., DeFelsko PosiTector 6000 series, QuaNix 1200/1500), hardness (König/Persoz pendulum damping, Buchholz indentation), adhesion (DeFelsko PosiTest AT, cross-cut testers), color (Color-Guide 45/0 spectrophotometer, color viewing cabinets), gloss (Micro-TRI-gloss, micro-haze plus), viscosity (DIN/ISO/Ford flow cups), film application (multiple film applicators), density (pycnometers), dispersion (DAS H 200-K with Siemens S7-200 control), moisture, particle fineness, magnifying loupes, test cards, test cases, and roughness comparison standards. Equipment complies with international standards including DIN, ISO, ASTM, and VDA. The company's most recently highlighted proprietary product is the VAS 5102A mobile stone chip testing device, co-developed with Volkswagen AG for evaluating paint adhesion in automotive body coating applications.

LAU generates revenue primarily through the sale of physical testing instruments and related accessories and consumables (replacement parts, calibration certificates, test consumables). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company operates a quote-based sales model with inquiries handled via website contact form and direct email. Distribution is direct-to-customer rather than through third-party resellers, with headquarters in Hemer managing both domestic and export sales. The company is privately held as a German GmbH with no disclosed institutional or private-equity backing and is currently managed by Björn Krone as authorized managing director (Vertretungsberechtigter Geschäftsführer).

Name

Lau

Legal name

LAU GmbH

Website

https://lau-hemer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LAU GmbH is a German specialty distributor of physical and optical testing instruments for surface protection coatings, serving paint manufacturers, coatings professionals, automotive reference customers, and the painter DIY trade across Europe, the USA, and the Far East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemer

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Testing Equipment Sales: Sale of physical testing instruments for surface protection including coating thickness gauges, hardness testers, adhesion testers, viscosity meters, gloss meters, color measurement devices, and related accessories
2. Accessories and Consumables: Sale of replacement parts, calibration certificates, test consumables, and spare components for testing equipment

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

LAU GmbH is a German laboratory supply company that distributes and sells physical and optical testing instruments for surface protection coatings. The portfolio covers coating thickness gauges, hardness testers, adhesion testers, viscosity meters, gloss meters, color measurement devices, moisture analyzers, density testers, grindometers, film applicators, and related accessories. Products are sold to industrial customers in the paint, coatings, and automotive manufacturing sectors in Germany and international markets including the USA and Far East.

Product overview

LAU GmbH is a German company specializing in testing equipment for surface protection (Prüfgeräte für Oberflächenschutz). The product portfolio consists of standalone precision instruments organized into 16 categories: Density (Dichte), Dispersing (Dispergieren), Color (Farbe), Color Mixing Devices (Farbmischgeräte), Moisture Measurement (Feuchtemessung), Film Application (Filmauftrag), Gloss (Glanz), Adhesion (Haftung), Hardness (Härte), Particle Fineness (Kornfeinheit), Magnifying Lenses (Lupen), Test Cards (Prüfkarten), Test Cases (Prüfkoffer), Roughness (Rauhigkeit), Coating Thickness (Schichtdicke), and Viscosity (Viskosität). Key products include DeFelsko PosiTector 6000 coating thickness gauges, Color-Guide 45/0 spectrophotometer, Micro-TRI-gloss reflectometer, König/Persoz pendulum damping testers, Buchholz indentation hardness testers, DeFelsko PosiTest AT adhesion testers, QuaNix 1200/1500 thickness gauges, PIG Universal testers, flow cups (DIN/ISO/Ford), Hegmann grindometers, micro-haze plus devices, FAS 500 color mixers, DAS H 200-K dispersers, pyknometers, and various film applicators. The company has over 25 years of experience supplying these instruments primarily to the industrial coatings, paint, and surface treatment industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DeFelsko PosiTector 6000 Series Coating Thickness Gauges (Schichtdickenmessgeräte DeFelsko 6000er Serie) Non-destructive coating thickness measurement devices for non-conductive coatings on ferrous and non-ferrous metals using magnetic-inductive or eddy current methods, available in models with integrated or external probes for different substrates. Sold to industrial coating and surface finishing customers.
• Color-Guide 45/0 Spectrophotometer (Color-Guide 45/0 Spektralphotometer) Handheld spectrophotometer for quick and reliable color inspection and quality assurance with 45° circumferential illumination, 0° observer, and reflection measurement in the visible range (400-700nm), with data transfer to Windows applications including Excel. For paint and coatings QC professionals.
• Micro-TRI-gloss Reflectometer (Micro-TRI-gloss) Portable three-angle reflectometer (20°, 60°, and 85°) for gloss measurements on flat surfaces from matt to high-gloss, for on-site or laboratory use. Distributed in partnership with BYK-Gardner.
• Micro-gloss Series and micro-haze plus Glossmeters (Micro-gloss Serie / micro-haze plus) Portable glossmeters for measuring gloss at different angles (20° for high-gloss, 60° for semi-gloss, 85° for matt surfaces), with the micro-haze plus model also measuring haze in a single operation. Distributed in partnership with BYK-Gardner.
• König/Persoz Pendulum Damping Tester (Pendel-Dämpfungsprüfer nach König/Persoz) Pendulum damping tester according to DIN 53157 and ISO 1522 for evaluating the damping of a pendulum oscillating on a coating. The number of oscillations is determined via a digital counter. For coating laboratories and paint manufacturers.
• Buchholz Indentation Hardness Tester (Eindruckhärteprüfer nach Buchholz) Buchholz indentation hardness tester according to DIN 53 153 and ISO 2815 for measuring the indentation resistance of paint layers with a minimum thickness of 15 micrometers. For paint manufacturers and quality control labs.
• DeFelsko PosiTest AT Pull-Off Adhesion Tester (Haftzugprüfgerät DeFelsko PosiTest AT) Mobile pull-off adhesion testers for conducting dollies tests according to ISO 4624. Measures the force required to pull coated test specimens perpendicular from the substrate. Distributed in partnership with DeFelsko.
• Cross-Cut Testers GS 200/201/202 (Gitterschnittprüfgerät GS 200/201/202) Cross-cut testers according to ISO 2409 for norm-compliant assessment of adhesion of coatings to their substrate and between layers. For paint manufacturers, coating inspectors, and surface treatment professionals.
• QuaNix 1200/1500 Coating Thickness Gauges (QuaNix 1200/1500) Coating thickness gauges with integrated probes for one-handed operation. QuaNix 1200 measures on ferrous metals (0-2000 micrometers); QuaNix 1500 measures on both FE and NFE substrates (0-5000 micrometers). Distributed in partnership with QuaNix.
• Paint Inspection Gage PIG-Universal (Paint Inspection Gage PIG-Universal) Universally applicable device for measuring dry coating thickness on practically all substrates using the wedge-cut method. Also enables cross-cut testing and Buchholz hardness testing.
• Flow Cups DIN/ISO/Ford and Dip-Type Flow Cups (Auslaufbecher / Tauchauslaufbecher) Flow cups and dip-type flow cups for determining the flow time of coating materials and other liquids according to DIN 53 211, DIN ISO 2431, and ASTM D 1200 standards.
• Hegmann Grindometer (Grindometer nach Hegmann) General-purpose testing device for determining the fineness of grind of solid-liquid materials according to DIN 53 203, ISO 1524, and ASTM D 1210.
• Color Viewing Cabinet (Farbabmusterungskabine) Color viewing cabinet according to DIN 6173 and ASTM D 1729 for color matching and color tone adjustment under constant, reproducible, and standardized lighting conditions.
• Disperser DAS H 200-K SYSTEM LAU Dispersion tester with cooling device for testing pigments, binders, and dispersing agents under identical mechanical conditions, controlled via Siemens SPS S7-200 with cooling system for consistent temperature during testing.
• FAS 500 Color Mixing Device (Farbmischgerät FAS 500) Color mixing device for mixing pasty printing inks or other highly viscous substances using horizontal shaking motion at approximately 1450 rpm.
• Pyknometer for Density Measurement (Pyknometer) Pycnometer for determining the density of coating materials according to DIN 53 217 and ISO 2811, available in stainless steel and aluminum versions (50ml and 100ml).
• Moisture Measurement Devices (E 200 IR, A-10 D, Thermo-Hygrometer Series) Moisture measurement devices including infrared temperature/humidity/dew point measurement (E 200 IR), dielectric microwave construction moisture meter (A-10 D), and thermo-hygrometers/hygrographs for measuring air temperature, relative humidity, and dew point during derusting and painting work.
• Film Applicators and Film Frames (System Wasag, Stufenspalt-Rakel, Universal-Filmaufziehgerät, Vierfach-Filmziehrahmen) Film applicators for producing uniform test coatings on flexible substrates such as films, papers, and leather with various gap heights from 0 to 1000 micrometers. Includes multi-gap film applicators, stepwise applicators, leveling/sagging testers (ASTM D 2801), and four-gap frames.
• Surface Inspection Magnifying Loupes (Mikrolupe 1174, Präzisionsmesslupe 1154/10) Battery-illuminated magnifying loupes (30x magnification) and precision measuring loupes (10x magnification, 0-15mm measuring range with 0.1mm accuracy) for surface inspection of lacquers, paints, metals, textiles, and minerals.
• Test Cards and Opacity Charts (Metopac Panels, Opacity Charts, Spray Monitors) Black-white coated test plates (Metopac Panels Form T 12 G/T 12 M), high-quality solvent-resistant test cards for determining hiding power of paints (Opacity Charts Form 2 A, 140 x 250mm), and self-adhesive black-white spray monitoring labels (Spray Monitors M 12/M 33).
• Custom Test Cases (Prüfkoffer) Custom-equipped test cases for application technicians, tailored to specific areas of application and containing various testing instruments.
• Blast Comparison Standards G 201/S 101 (Vergleichsstandards G 201/S 101) Blast standards for quality steel for assessing blasted steel surfaces according to ISO 8503. Available for grit-blasting (G 201) and shot-blasting (S 101).
• Wet and Dry Film Thickness Gages (Nassfilm-Dickenmesser, Trockenfilm-Dickenmesser nach Rossmann) Wet film thickness gages (comb and wheel form) for measuring wet film thickness on smooth and curved surfaces according to ISO 2808, and dry film thickness gauge using the Rossmann method.
• VAS 5102A Mobile Stone Chip Testing Device (VAS 5102A Mobiles Steinschlagprüfgerät) Mobile stone chip testing device co-developed with Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, used for evaluating paint adhesion in car body coating applications at automotive manufacturing facilities.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Volkswagen AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partnership to create the mobile stone chip testing device VAS 5102A. The device is used for evaluating paint adhesion in car body coating applications at Volkswagen manufacturing facilities.
• DeFelskocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes DeFelsko coating thickness measurement equipment including the PosiTector 6000 series and PosiTest adhesion testing devices in Germany and Europe.
• QuaNixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes QuaNix coating thickness measurement devices including QuaNix 1200 and QuaNix 1500 models.
• BYK-GardnercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes BYK-Gardner products including Micro-gloss series, Micro-TRI-gloss, and micro-haze plus instruments for gloss and haze measurement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Elcometer: UK-based manufacturer and supplier of coating and concrete inspection instruments (thickness, adhesion, gloss, porosity). Closest functional competitor to LAU with a broader global footprint and own product line versus LAU's distribution-led model.
• ElektroPhysik: German manufacturer specializing in coating thickness measurement instruments using magnetic-induction and eddy-current methods. A direct domestic peer in coating thickness testing, the same core category LAU addresses.
• Kett Electric Laboratory: Japan-based manufacturer of moisture meters, coating thickness gauges, and paint film testing instruments. Direct peer serving automotive and industrial coatings QC customers, with overlap in moisture and thickness product lines.
• Paul N. Gardner Company: US-based distributor and manufacturer of physical and visual test instruments for paints and coatings, including thickness gauges, gloss meters, and viscometers. Comparable US analog of LAU's distribution-plus-private-label model.
• Helmut Fischer GmbH: German-headquartered global manufacturer of coating thickness, materials analysis, and surface testing instruments. A direct German peer serving automotive and industrial coatings customers with overlapping product scope.
• Paint Test Equipment: UK-based supplier of physical and mechanical test equipment for paints, coatings, and surface treatment. Closely comparable to LAU as a small specialist distributor in the European coatings QC market.
• TQC: Netherlands-based supplier of coating testing equipment including thickness, viscosity, and adhesion instruments. Closest direct functional peer to LAU in continental Europe with similar product breadth and customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• DeFelsko: US manufacturer of the PosiTector 6000 and PosiTest AT coating thickness/adhesion instruments that LAU distributes in Germany/Europe. Direct supplier-partner relationship makes it a partial incumbent peer and a key dependency for LAU's portfolio.
• BYK-Gardner (ALTANA): Global leader in color, appearance, and physical testing instruments for coatings (Micro-TRI-gloss, micro-haze plus). LAU is a distributor of BYK-Gardner products, making them both a partner and a much larger incumbent serving overlapping customers.

Emerging players

• Coatings Analytics: Smaller/niche supplier focused on data-driven and connected coating inspection tools, representing the digital-native direction the broader industry is moving. An emerging peer whose software-centric approach contrasts with LAU's hardware-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lau-gmbh

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 Lau