mbDESIGN

What mbDESIGN does

mbDESIGN GmbH & Co. KG is an owner-managed German manufacturer of aluminum wheels founded in 1995 by Markus Brandt and headquartered at a single integrated facility in Gelnhausen, Hessen. The company produces forged and flowforming aluminum wheels in 15+ designs spanning 17" to 24" sizes, with 22 named SKUs (KV1, LV1, KV4, SF1, VR3, TURBO, JP Forged, CUP Forged, etc.). All production steps — design, forging/flowforming, CNC machining, surface treatment, painting, and quality control — are performed in-house at Gelnhausen, and every wheel ships with TÜV approval and ABE/TTG certification for German road registration. The company additionally holds KBA-anerkannter benannter TD status (KBA-A 22024), ISO 9001, and ISO 14001.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model. The primary channel is direct-to-consumer e-commerce through mbdesign.shop, featuring a wheel configurator covering 15,000+ vehicle applications, multi-language support (German/English), and nine-currency checkout. Unit wheel prices range from approximately €360 to €1,324, with complete wheel-and-tire packages (Kompletträder) sold at an 8% bundle discount. A secondary channel is a B2B specialist dealer network (Fachhändler) verified by trade-license upload and granted wholesale pricing; dealers handle local mounting and customer service. A third, smaller leg supplies prototype wheels, development wheels, and small-series production to premium and luxury automotive OEMs (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen). Ancillary revenue lines include suspension components (Fahrwerke), forged blanks (Schmiedeblanks), wheel accessories, and a lifestyle sideline (mbDECK skateboards). Geographic reach spans Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, the UK, the USA, and Norway.

Name

mbDESIGN

Legal name

mbDESIGN GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://mbdesign.shop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

mbDESIGN is a German owner-managed manufacturer of forged and flowforming aluminum wheels (17"–24", 15+ designs), producing entirely in-house at its Gelnhausen facility since 1995 and selling directly via mbdesign.shop, through a verified B2B dealer network, and as a prototype/small-series supplier to premium OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Aluminum Wheels

NAICS

Nonferrous Forging (332112)

SIC

Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460)

akta.pro primary industry

Wheels & Rims Manufacturing (Steel/Alloy) (IMACAIAJ)

Keywords

• Aluminum alloy wheels
• Forged wheel manufacturing
• Automotive aftermarket parts
• Flowforming rim production
• OEM wheel development

Headquarters

HQ city

Gelnhausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Aluminum Wheel Sales: One-time purchase revenue from direct sales of forged and flowforming aluminum wheels to end consumers and through dealer network. Products include individual wheels, wheel sets, complete wheels with tires, and accessories.
2. Complete Wheel Packages: Bundled sales of wheels + tires + mounting service through dealer network, with promotional pricing (8% discount on complete wheel packages).
3. Wheel Accessories: Sales of wheel accessories including center caps, central locking systems (Zentralverschluss), and related components.
4. B2B/OEM Supply: Supply of prototype wheels, development wheels, and small series production to leading automotive OEMs in premium and luxury segment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

mbDESIGN manufactures and sells high-quality forged and flowforming aluminum wheels (17–24 inch) under its own brand from its Gelnhausen, Germany facility, covering design, CNC machining, surface treatment and painting in-house. It sells individual wheels, complete wheel-and-tire packages, accessories, suspension components and forged blanks, plus a small lifestyle skateboard line, to consumers, dealers and OEMs.

Product overview

mbDESIGN is a German manufacturer of high-performance aluminum wheels, operating since 1995 from Gelnhausen. The company produces both forged and flowforming aluminum wheels in over 15 designs, ranging from 17" to 24" sizes. The core product portfolio centers on 22 distinct wheel models (KV1, LV1, KV4, SF1, KV1 S, VR3, TURBO S, KX1, MF1, MSP, KV2, TURBO, SF2, JP Forged, TURBO Forged, KV3.2, VR3.2, MF2, KV1.3, CUP Forged, SF1.3), which are complemented by a comprehensive e-commerce ecosystem including a wheel configurator tool, complete wheel packages with tires, wheel accessory products (ZV caps/center lock covers), and lifestyle products (mbDECK skateboards). The company also offers ancillary categories such as suspension (Fahrwerke) and forged blanks (Schmiedeblanks) for custom manufacturing. All wheels are produced in-house with CNC machining, surface treatment, and painting capabilities, and are TÜV-approved with ABE certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mbDECK: Skateboard product line
• mbDESIGN Felgen

Products and services

• Felgen (Aluminum Wheels/Rims) Forged and flowforming aluminum wheels (rims) sold individually or as sets, manufactured in-house at Gelnhausen, available in sizes from 17 to 24 inches across 15+ proprietary designs (KV1, LV1, KV4, SF1, KV1 S, VR3, TURBO S, KX1, MF1, MSP, KV2, TURBO, SF2, JP Forged, TURBO Forged, KV3.2, VR3.2, MF2, KV1.3, CUP Forged, SF1.3). For individual car owners, dealers and OEMs seeking road-legal aftermarket or development wheels.
• Kompletträder (Complete Wheel Packages) Pre-assembled wheel-and-tire packages including tires, professional mounting, balancing and optional TPMS sensors. Sold primarily through the specialist dealer network with an 8% bundle discount for end customers wanting turnkey wheels.
• Felgen Sets (Wheel Sets) Complete sets of four matching aluminum wheels sold as a single unit, with optional tire-mounting services. For end consumers and dealers outfitting a full vehicle.
• Reifen (Tires) Standalone tire products available through the online shop, sold separately or as part of complete wheel packages.
• Rad Zubehör (Wheel Accessories) Wheel accessories including center caps, valve caps and central locking caps (Zentralverschluss / ZV Caps) compatible with mbDESIGN wheel designs. Complementary line for owners and dealers of mbDESIGN wheels.
• Fahrwerke (Suspension / Chassis Components) Chassis and suspension components sold as complementary products to mbDESIGN wheels, targeting vehicle customization customers and dealers.
• Schmiedeblanks (Forged Blanks) Semi-finished forged aluminum wheel blanks supplied for further custom manufacturing. For OEM partners, custom builders and tuners requiring forged wheel base material.
• mbDECK Skateboards Three-piece aluminum skateboard decks produced under the mbDECK sub-brand, leveraging the company's aluminum manufacturing capability. Lifestyle product line sold through the same online shop.
• OEM Wheel Development and Small-Series Production B2B/OEM service supplying prototype wheels, development wheels and small-series production to leading automotive OEMs in the premium and luxury segment. Customers include BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 vehicle applications covered
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Leading OEMs in Premium and Luxury SegmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnermbDESIGN serves as OEM supplier to leading automotive manufacturers in the premium and luxury segment, providing prototype wheels, development wheels, and small production series. These OE relationships set quality standards that apply to all products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AEZ Leichtmetallräder: German aftermarket aluminum wheel brand with broad coverage of mid- and premium-segment vehicles. Comparable on D2C + dealer distribution in Germany and Europe, multi-design SKU range, and TÜV/KBA-certified road-legal documentation approach.
• BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik: German premium forged and flowformed wheel manufacturer with deep OEM and motorsport ties. Direct competitor in the same product category (aftermarket and OEM luxury wheels), serving the same premium/luxury vehicle segment with similar in-house German production and TÜV-certified documentation.
• OZ Racing: Italian manufacturer of forged and flowformed aluminum wheels with strong motorsport heritage and OEM presence. Directly comparable on technology (forging/flowforming), product range (multi-spoke, motorsport designs in 17–22"+ sizes), and customer base (enthusiast + premium OEM).
• Brock Alloy Wheels: German aftermarket wheel specialist with strong tuning/enthusiast positioning and OE ties. Comparable on German manufacturing footprint, forged/flowformed technology, dealer-led distribution, and premium-segment focus.
• HRE Performance Wheels: US manufacturer of premium forged and carbon-fiber wheels for ultra-premium and motorsport applications. Comparable on high-end forged SKU range, custom finishes, and OE-adjacent quality positioning; serves an overlapping luxury/sports customer base.
• RAYS Co., Ltd. Japanese premium forged wheel specialist widely regarded as a benchmark in flowforming and forged wheel engineering. Directly comparable on premium forged/flowformed SKU range, fitment catalog depth, and enthusiast distribution model.
• Vossen Wheels (Vossen & Wheels): US-based aftermarket forged and flowformed wheel brand focused on luxury/SUV fitments. Comparable on premium positioning, D2C-plus-dealer distribution, and design-led configurator experience targeting the same enthusiast and luxury-vehicle buyer.
• RIAL Leichtmetallfelgen: Italian/German aftermarket aluminum wheel manufacturer with extensive European dealer network. Directly comparable product, channel (specialist dealer + e-commerce), and certification footprint to mbDESIGN.

Emerging players

• TSW Alloy Wheels: Aftermarket flowformed and forged wheel brand with growing focus on luxury/SUV fitments and direct-to-consumer sales. Comparable technology stack (flowforming) and target customer but operates at smaller scale and primarily through import/distribution rather than in-house German production.

Broad incumbents

• ALCAR Group (AEZ/RIAL/DEZENT/ENZO): Austrian group operating multiple aftermarket wheel brands with pan-European distribution and larger scale than mbDESIGN. Comparable product portfolio (aluminum aftermarket wheels, TÜV/KBA documentation) but broader multi-brand portfolio and larger distribution footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mbdesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/mbDESIGNwheels
• Xx.com/mbdesign_wheels
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mbdesignwheels

Compliance2 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 mbDESIGN