KOHLBECKER

What KOHLBECKER does

Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH is a family-owned German architecture and engineering firm founded in 1930 in Gaggenau, providing general planning services for large-scale industrial, commercial, and cultural construction projects. The firm delivers end-to-end project execution covering master planning, general planning, architecture, project management, BIM consulting, factory planning, structural design, MEP (TGA) planning, fire protection, energy efficiency, and sustainability advisory. Its client base is dominated by European automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers (BMW, Audi, Daimler/Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover, KIA, Magna, Accumotive) and has expanded into food/beverage (Haribo, Griesson de Beukelaer, Canyon), media (ProSiebenSat.1), financial services/IT (Fiducia/Atruvia), hospitality (Motel One, Steigenberger/IntercityHotel), and government/cultural institutions (Unimog Museum).

The firm has positioned itself as a pioneer in digital architecture since a 1968 partnership with IBM, and operates a proprietary digital platform comprising AVAT AR (Digital Twin visualization), HORIZON (drone-based as-built capture and computer vision), SpeedwAI (non-productive path analysis), and AcadeME (internal learning platform). Delivery is supported by the Kohlbecker Network of specialist partners (BLACK.SWISS, KAWA, Bollinger+Grohmann) to provide single-source, multi-discipline project responsibility across 30+ countries.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a project basis, typically structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fees per project phase, with disclosed project values ranging from EUR 5 million (Unimog Museum, 2,023 m2) to EUR 420 million (Jaguar Land Rover Nitra, 300,000 m2). The firm employs 51–100 people across three German offices (Gaggenau headquarters, Munich, Cologne), is currently led by Managing Director Florian Kohlbecker representing the third generation of family ownership, and holds no external institutional investment.

Name

KOHLBECKER

Legal name

Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH

Website

https://kohlbecker.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH is a family-owned German architecture and engineering firm (founded 1930) providing general planning, master planning, BIM, and digital twin services for industrial facility projects. It serves large enterprise clients, primarily European automotive OEMs, across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Architecture engineering services
• Industrial factory planning
• Master general planning
• Building information modeling
• Sustainable building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Gaggenau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Engineering Consulting Services: Kohlbecker generates revenue primarily through fees for architectural design, engineering, and planning services. These are typically project-based engagements covering the full lifecycle from concept to construction implementation, billed as a percentage of construction costs or as fixed fees per project phase. Services include master planning, general planning, architecture, project management, site selection, feasibility studies, fire protection, energy efficiency consulting, structural design, TGA planning, and sustainability consulting.
2. Digital Architecture and BIM Services: Revenue from specialized digital architecture services including BIM consulting, digital twin implementation, and drone-based surveying. These are integrated into broader project engagements or offered as standalone consulting engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH delivers comprehensive architecture and engineering services for industrial, commercial, and cultural construction projects. Core offerings span master planning, general planning, architecture, project management, BIM consulting, factory planning, structural design, MEP planning, fire protection, energy efficiency consulting, and sustainability consulting. The firm leverages proprietary digital tools (AVAT AR, HORIZON, SpeedwAI) to deliver digital architecture services with 50+ years of experience since first digitalizing in 1968.

Product overview

Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH is an architecture and engineering firm offering comprehensive planning services for industrial, automotive, and commercial construction projects. The company operates a platform of digital architecture tools including AVAT AR (Digital Twin technology), HORIZON (aerial drone capturing for building scans), SpeedwAI (non-productive path analysis), and AcadeME (internal learning platform). Core services include master planning, general planning, architecture, project management, BIM consulting, factory planning, sustainability consulting, and specialized engineering services. The firm has pioneered digital architecture since 1968 and markets itself as a leader in digital architecture with expertise in Smart Building, IoT, and Digital Twin technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Verde: Sustainability initiative offering city honey and forest honey from own natural extraction.
• AvatAR
• AcadeME
• SpeedwAI
• HorizON

Products and services

• Masterplanung (Master Planning) Strategic development assessment of locations, including socio-political and socio-demographic research, for large-scale industrial, commercial, and urban projects. Delivered to enterprise clients as a standalone planning service or as the entry point to comprehensive general planning engagements.
• Generalplanung (General Planning) Complete planning and implementation solutions from a single source, leveraging a network of specialist service providers to deliver all disciplines of construction projects. Targets enterprise and government clients seeking integrated, multi-disciplinary project delivery.
• Architektur (Architecture) Building design and construction with a focus on user experience for clients in business, research, and culture sectors. Includes interior design, sustainable building design, and heritage-sensitive architecture.
• Projektmanagement (Project Management) Platform-based open exchange between architect and client covering controlling, finance, HR, and time management for construction projects.
• Fabrikplanung (Factory Planning) Industrial architecture planning including new factory construction and building conversion, with 50+ years of digital experience. Specialty area for automotive OEMs, food/beverage manufacturers, and industrial clients.
• BIM Consulting Advisory services for implementing Building Information Modeling methodologies, including IT infrastructure setup, interface configuration, and BIM working method implementation support. Delivered to enterprise clients seeking to digitalize their planning processes.
• Site Selection / Standortanalyse Traffic, environment, and space requirement analysis conducted worldwide for optimal location selection for industrial, commercial, and cultural projects.
• Machbarkeits-Studie (Feasibility Study) Project viability assessment including scope, timeline, and cost analysis to prevent surprises during construction project execution.
• Brandschutz (Fire Protection) Fire prevention, escape route security, and damage limitation solutions for building projects. Includes individual solutions tailored to each construction project.
• Energie-Effizienz-Beratung (Energy Efficiency Consulting) Energy optimization advice including government subsidy guidance for economical energy use in building projects.
• Bestandserfassung (As-built Surveys / Stocktaking) Professional measurement to collision-tested building models for digital factory planning, including drone-based aerial capture (via HORIZON technology).
• Tragwerksplanung (Structural Design) Structural planning ensuring safety and reliability of buildings, delivered in collaboration with specialist partner Bollinger+Grohmann.
• TGA Planung (MEP Planning) Technical building services planning covering heating, sanitation, electrical engineering, and related disciplines for construction projects.
• Nachhaltigkeitsberatung (Sustainability Consulting) Certification support, subsidy advice, and ESG compliance including life cycle assessment and climate-resistant construction. Supports DGNB certification pursuit.
• Interior Design Interior architecture focusing on practical benefits of buildings for users, integrated with broader architecture and general planning services.
• LEAN Management Consulting Process efficiency and space optimization consulting to avoid waste in facility layouts and operational workflows, supported by the SpeedwAI path analysis tool.
• AVAT AR Digital Twin Visualization Digital Twin technology enabling augmented reality visualization of buildings and construction projects. Allows clients to experience and interact with digital building models during planning and project execution.
• HORIZON Aerial Drone Building Capture Aerial drone-based building capture technology for digital as-built surveys. Used for location analysis and building scans, enabling precise digital documentation of existing structures.
• SpeedwAI Non-Productive Path Analysis Non-productive path analysis tool that optimizes workflow efficiency by analyzing and improving movement patterns within facilities to reduce non-productive time and costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• BMW Forschungszentrum saves 37% energy through Smart Building technology
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BLACK.SWISSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Kohlbecker Network of specialist service providers. BLACK.SWISS appears alongside KAWA and Bollinger+Grohmann in the network section of the Kohlbecker website, suggesting collaborative service delivery for architecture and engineering projects.
• KAWA ZT GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Kohlbecker Network of specialist service providers. KAWA ZT GmbH (architects and engineers firm based in Austria) collaborates with Kohlbecker on project delivery.
• Bollinger+GrohmannminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Kohlbecker Network of specialist service providers. Bollinger+Grohmann (structural engineering firm) collaborates with Kohlbecker as a specialist partner for structural design aspects of projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• HDR Inc. Omaha-based architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with substantial industrial and manufacturing facility work; comparable for cross-border industrial capital projects.
• WSP Global: Montreal-based global professional-services firm in engineering, environment, and architecture; competes in the same industrial-factory and infrastructure planning markets with broader geographic reach.
• AECOM: Dallas-based global infrastructure consulting firm with extensive industrial, manufacturing, and buildings practices; competes for mega-programmes that exceed Kohlbecker's in-house delivery capacity.
• Sweco AB: Stockholm-based European engineering, design, and consulting firm active across industrial, infrastructure, and urban development — adjacent in services but with a Nordic geographic emphasis.
• Arcadis NV: Amsterdam-headquartered global design, engineering, and consultancy operating across mobility, resilience, and places — competes for the same industrial/manufacturing clients at the largest project scale.

Direct peers

• Drees & Sommer: Stuttgart-headquartered German architecture, engineering, and real-estate consultancy with a strong digital/LEAN/BIM emphasis across industrial, real estate, and infrastructure projects. Highly comparable in scope (Gesamtplaner model), German Mittelstand DNA, and enterprise-client roster.
• HPP Architekten: Düsseldorf-based German architecture firm with deep industrial and automotive OEM heritage (Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler projects). Closest direct peer in industrial-architecture customer mix and project scale.
• Werner Sobek Group: Stuttgart-based engineering/architecture firm with strong industrial-factory planning and digital-design credentials. Direct comparable on engineering depth, German base, and complex industrial engagements.

Others

• KAWA ZT GmbH: Austrian architectural-engineering consultancy listed as a Kohlbecker Network partner for collaborative project delivery; not a direct competitor but operates in adjacent Austrian industrial-architecture territory.
• Bollinger + Grohmann: Frankfurt-based structural engineering firm already cited as part of Kohlbecker's specialist-partner network; structurally adjacent and a co-delivery partner rather than head-to-head competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kohlbecker.architekten.ingenieure
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/kohlbecker-architects-&-engineers
• Instagraminstagram.com/kohlbecker_architekten

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 KOHLBECKER