What Trans-Textil does

Trans-Textil GmbH is a Bavarian functional-textile manufacturer founded in 1960 and headquartered in Freilassing, operating a single-site production facility with 90+ employees. The company is one of Europe's established players in lamination, coating, printing and specialised finishing of technical textiles, integrating four technology platforms — lamination, membrane systems, coating, and seam sealing — into proprietary product families sold under the Topaz® umbrella (PURABLE, COMPANION® 3D, 251, Carbon, PTFE-Duo, Biobased membranes, DOTS coating, Clean4Green and Dual Guard finishes, plus TAPES and ELEMENTS® seam-sealing systems). Adjacent proprietary platforms include the patented Pyroshell™ heat-and-flame protection technology, the AQUAIR® water-based vegan synthetic leather, and the VAP® membrane system originally developed for European satellite applications.

The company sells exclusively B2B into OEM manufacturers in personal protective equipment (fire/heat, anti-static, laser, high-visibility, cold protection), outdoor and sports apparel (waterproof-breathable laminates), footwear (waterproof-breathable shoe laminates and synthetic leather), reusable medical textiles (EN 13795 high-performance gowns, EN 14126 infection protection) and technical/industrial applications. Named customer references include PUMA, ODLO (ISPO Award 2023), Bergwacht mountain rescue, FarbenFreude (Rolling Buttons), Jutec Hitzeschutz and Becker Tuche. Revenue is generated through material sales volume-based contracts with no public pricing; go-to-market is sales-led, supported by participation in Lineapelle Milan, Performance Days Munich, Techtextil Frankfurt and China Wind Power.

The business is supported by an unusually deep certification stack — OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (multiple categories), EN ISO 9001, EN ISO 14001, OHRIS occupational safety, Global Recycled Standard, EN 1149/EN 13795/EN 14126/EN ISO 20471 compliance, 100% Vegan certification for AQUAIR®, and Bavarian Umweltpakt Gold status — plus 100% renewable-electricity operations. Recent strategic activity (2025 SteppTEX JV with Norafin, 2025 TEXTILCOLOR Pyroshell alliance, 2026 in-house footwear membrane launch, Bergwacht and prequalified-procurement pushes) signals an active product and channel expansion phase. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company remains privately held under three Managing Directors (Wilhelm Krings, Matthias Krings, Manfred Hänsch) with no external funding rounds on record.

Name

Trans-Textil

Legal name

Trans-Textil GmbH

Website

https://trans-textil.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Trans-Textil GmbH is a Bavarian B2B manufacturer of functional textiles — proprietary Topaz® membrane systems, AQUAIR® vegan synthetic leather, and patented Pyroshell™ flame protection — sold to OEM customers in PPE, outdoor/sport apparel, footwear, reusable medical and technical applications across Europe and selected global accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Textiles

NAICS

Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Coating & Finishing Chemicals Application (Resins/Softening/Water-Repellent/FR/Antimicrobial) (IMAOACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Finishing & Dyeing Contract Services (Job Work/Toll Processing) (IMAOACAL), Printing Operations (Rotary/Flat/Digital/Sublimation) (IMAOACAC)

Keywords

• Functional textiles
• Membrane laminates
• Protective coatings
• Technical textiles
• Textile finishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Freilassing

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Functional Textile Materials: Sale of proprietary membrane systems, laminates, coatings, and finishing treatments to OEMs in protective apparel, outdoor/sports, footwear, and medical device industries. Revenue is primarily from material sales rather than finished products.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Trans-Textil GmbH is a B2B manufacturer of functional textile systems combining lamination, coating, membrane technologies, finishing, and seam sealing. The company produces proprietary membrane systems (Topaz family), breathable synthetic leather (AQUAIR®), and patented flame protection technology (Pyroshell™) for OEMs in protective apparel, outdoor/sports, footwear, and medical device industries.

Product overview

Trans-Textil GmbH is one of Europe's leading companies in functional textile solutions, offering an integrated portfolio of lamination, coating, printing, and specialized finishing technologies. The core product lines include the Topaz membrane systems family (PURABLE, COMPANION® 3D, 251, PTFE-Duo, Carbon Membrane, and biobased variants), the AQUAIR® breathable synthetic leather on water-based technology, and the Pyroshell™ flame protection technology. These are supported by TOPAZ DOTS partial coating, Topaz Clean4Green and Topaz Dual Guard finishing treatments, and Topaz TAPES/ELEMENTS® seam sealing solutions. The company also produces specialized products like High Performance Plus EN 13795 medical textiles and operates joint venture SteppTEX for stepped composites. The portfolio serves weather protection, workwear/PPE, outdoor/sport, fashion, medical, and technical applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TOPAZ: TOPAZ branded laminates and functional textiles used in weather and work protection, fashion, sport and leisure, and medical and technical applications.
• AQUAIR®
• TOPAZ DOTS
• Topaz Clean4Green
• Topaz Dual Guard
• Topaz PURABLE
• Topaz COMPANION® 3D
• Topaz 251
• PTFE-Duo
• Topaz Carbon Membrane

Products and services

• AQUAIR® Breathable Synthetic Leather Highly breathable synthetic leather produced on solvent-free aqueous polyurethane coating basis, with microporous structure for water vapor permeability. Targeted at footwear, apparel, furniture and accessory OEMs seeking vegan, PFAS-free materials.
• Topaz PURABLE Membrane System

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 95% less water and 50% less energy consumption compared to conventional production using Covestro INSQIN® technology for AQUAIR®
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TEXTILCOLOR AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Strategic cooperation in the field of Pyroshell™ flame protection. TEXTILCOLOR AG, a leading provider, collaborates with Alpex, Majocchi and Trans-Textil specifically on Pyroshell™ flame protection solutions announced November 2025.
• NorafincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Trans-Textil and Norafin established SteppTEX Ges.m.b.H. joint venture in July 2025 to produce high-quality quilted composites (Steppverbünde) for heat protection and other technical applications.
• CovestrocoreTechnology or IntegrationTrans-Textil's AQUAIR® microporous PU system is based on Covestro's aqueous INSQIN® technology. INSQIN® enables textile coating production using up to 95% less water and 50% less energy than conventional processes.
• Penn Textile SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on PFC-free warp-knitted laminates combining Trans-Textil's membrane technology with Penn's textile solutions. Partnership produced ISPO Award-winning ODLO ski touring apparel with individually colored Topaz membranes visible through 3D warp-knit structures.
• PUMAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrans-Textil and Covestro collaborated with PUMA on evoPOWER Vigor soccer shoes featuring Topaz Dots waterborne textile coating technology with distinctive 3D texture reminiscent of snake skin.
• Becker Tuche GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of 'Wool Performance' laminates combining natural wool fibers with Trans-Textil's functional membrane technology for weatherproof business cycling apparel.
• Test and Research Institute Pirmasens (PFI)minorOthersPFI provides testing and certification services for AQUAIR® including the '100% Vegan' certification, verifying product, ingredients, and manufacturing process are vegan and not of animal origin.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Teijin Limited: Japanese materials conglomerate with aramid-fibre, technical textile, and protective apparel solutions. Overlaps with Trans-Textil in protective and technical textile end-uses but at far greater scale and product breadth.
• Freudenberg Performance Materials: German manufacturer of nonwovens and engineered functional fabrics for apparel, automotive, and industrial customers. Larger-scale incumbent with overlapping applications in laminates and coated textiles.
• Toray Industries: Large Japanese diversified materials group with significant functional textile and membrane offerings for sportswear and protective apparel. Competes broadly in the same end-markets through much larger scale and global reach.

Direct peers

• W. L. Gore & Associates: US-based inventor of Gore-Tex and a global leader in expanded PTFE membrane laminates for functional apparel, footwear, and PPE. Most direct peer to Trans-Textil's membrane and coating systems across outdoor, sport, and protective applications.
• Schoeller Textil: Swiss functional textile specialist combining weaving, finishing, and coating technologies for sports, outdoor, workwear, and fashion. Closely comparable technical profile to Trans-Textil in lamination, coating, and specialty finishing.
• Sympatex Technologies: German manufacturer of hydrophilic membrane laminates (Sympatex) for functional apparel, footwear, and PPE, with a strong sustainability positioning. Direct peer in waterproof-breathable membrane supply into European outdoor, sport, and workwear customers.
• Polartec (Milliken & Company): US-headquartered performance fabric maker (now part of Milliken) producing technical knit fleece, weather-protective, and workwear fabrics. Overlaps directly with Trans-Textil's outdoor, sport, and PPE laminate/membrane applications.
• Porelle Membranes: UK-based manufacturer of breathable waterproof membranes and laminates for sportswear, workwear, and military applications. Comparable mid-sized European functional membrane supplier serving the same OEM customer base.
• Norafin Industries: German nonwoven and technical textile manufacturer that is Trans-Textil's joint-venture partner in SteppTEX Ges.m.b.H. for quilted composites in heat/flame protection. Peer in flame/heat-protective textile composites for PPE and industrial markets.

Others

• Covestro: German polymer and coatings raw-material supplier whose INSQIN® waterborne PU technology underpins Trans-Textil's AQUAIR® line. Adjacent enabler/ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but a critical technology partner for functional textile coating.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TransTextil
• Instagraminstagram.com/transtextilgmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trans-textil-gmbh

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Trans-Textil