VAPOS

What VAPOS does

VAPOS, spol. s r.o. is a Czech precision engineering manufacturer founded in 1990 and headquartered in Nová Paka, operating since 2022 as the Engineering Division of RKO GROUP Holding. The company operates a fleet of approximately 30 CNC machine tools — of which 22 are of its own design and manufacture (FVC, FCV, PHC series) — and produces custom precision mechanical components, primarily for European automotive tier-1 and OEM customers including ŠKODA AUTO, TRW Lucas, BMW, Volkswagen, Rolls-Royce, Peugeot, and Renault.

Its product portfolio spans four proprietary hardware lines and three service lines. Hardware products include (i) PARK BIKE, a modular automated bicycle and e-bike parking tower system with capacity of 56 to 168 bikes and full load/unload in under five minutes; (ii) a towbar range covering fixed, detachable, manually tilting, and fully automatic tilting variants for ŠKODA and Volkswagen vehicles (currently suspended for capacity reasons); (iii) polyp grapples for heavy machinery manufactured in cooperation with IKOV Trade using Hardox 500 Tuf steel for claimed 30% longer service life; and (iv) CNC broaching/stretching machines developed under EU co-funding, featuring linear-guide and pre-tensioned ball-screw architecture as a replacement for traditional slide-guide and hydraulic designs. Services comprise CNC machining (milling, turning, broaching), robotic welding using KUKA robots with FRONIUS equipment (MIG/MAG/TIG), and mechanical assembly.

Commercially, VAPOS runs a B2B direct sales motion via a small in-house sales team, pricing all offerings on a custom quote basis with no public list pricing. Revenue is generated through per-part pricing under long-term supply contracts (notably the TRW Lucas brake-holder programme, scaled to a 980,000-piece-per-year capacity on six dedicated machines), one-off hardware sales of PARK BIKE systems, CNC broaching machines, and grapples (the latter exported exclusively outside the Czech and Slovak markets), and service billings for welding and assembly. The company holds IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and TISAX certifications and reports cumulative deliveries exceeding 30 million machined brake-bracket parts, with current annual production of approximately 2 million parts across all operations.

Name

VAPOS

Legal name

VAPOS, spol. s r.o.

Website

https://vapos.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

VAPOS is a Czech precision-engineering manufacturer operating as the Engineering Division of RKO GROUP Holding, producing custom CNC-machined automotive components for tier-1 and OEM customers (ŠKODA, TRW, BMW, VW, Renault, Peugeot, Rolls-Royce) alongside proprietary hardware lines including the PARK BIKE automated bicycle-parking tower, towbars, grapples, and CNC broaching machines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nova Paka

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Precision Manufacturing: B2B custom manufacturing of precision machine parts including CNC milling, CNC turning, and CNC broaching. Serves automotive industry with brake brackets, precision components. Revenue from per-part pricing under long-term supply contracts.
2. Towbar Products: Manufacturing and sale of fixed, detachable, manual tilting, and fully automatic tilting towbars for ŠKODA and Volkswagen vehicles. Currently suspended for capacity reasons.
3. PARK BIKE Parking Systems: Sale of automated bicycle parking towers. Modular system sold to municipalities, train stations, shopping malls, universities. Configuration from 4-12 modules (56-168 bikes capacity).
4. Industrial Grapples: Production of polyp grabs for heavy machinery in cooperation with IKOV Trade. Sold exclusively on foreign markets.
5. CNC Broaching Machines: Sale of proprietary CNC stretching/broaching machines. Project started January 2018 with EU funding, resulting in two fully functional prototypes.
6. Assembly Services: Mechanical assembly work for groups and sub-groups. Currently offering free assembly capacities. Assembly of own products including PARK BIKE, towbars, CNC machines.
7. Robotic Welding Services: Welding services using KUKA robots with FRONIUS equipment. MIG, MAG, TIG methods for medium-sized weldments in medium and larger series.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VAPOS manufactures automated parking systems for bicycles (PARK BIKE), towbars for passenger vehicles, custom precision mechanical components via CNC milling and turning, robotic welding assemblies, and heavy-machinery grapples. It also develops and sells its own CNC broaching machines. Primary customers are automotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers requiring high-volume precision parts under long-term supply contracts.

Product overview

VAPOS is a traditional Czech manufacturer producing a portfolio of hardware products and manufacturing services. Core products include PARK BIKE (automated bicycle/e-bike parking tower systems), Towbars (vehicle towing devices in multiple types), Grapple (polyp grabs for heavy machinery), and CNC Broaching Machines. Manufacturing services include Custom Production (CNC milling and turning), Robotic Welding (KUKA robots with FRONIUS equipment), and Assembly Work. The company operates as part of RKO GROUP Holding and serves automotive industry end customers including BMW, Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen, ŠKODA, Peugeot, and Renault. All products are manufactured at company facilities using in-house CNC machines and robotic equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PARK BIKE: Innovative and safe parking system for bicycles and e-bikes - a modular parking tower system that can park up to 168 bikes, loading/unloading in less than 5 minutes.
• CNC Broaching Machines

Products and services

• PARK BIKE Modular automated bicycle and e-bike parking tower system handling 56 to 168 bicycles per installation. Each module has an individual tower, separate lift, and automatic door enabling simultaneous multi-module operation. Loads or unloads 168 bicycles in under 5 minutes with per-bike cycle of 20 seconds.
• Towbars for ŠKODA and Volkswagen Vehicles Vehicle towbars in fixed, detachable, manually tiltable, and fully automatic tiltable variants. Approved for ŠKODA (Kodiaq, Octavia III/IV, Superb III) and Volkswagen (Golf VII, Passat B8, T-Roc). Sales currently suspended for capacity reasons.
• Polyp Grab (Drapák) Polyp grab for heavy machinery produced in cooperation with IKOV Trade. Features Swedish Hardox 500 Tuf steel tentacles with 30% longer lifetime, INDEXATOR IR 25 rotator, and max working pressure of 320 bar. Available in 400L, 600L, and 800L capacities. Sold only on foreign markets; Czech/Slovak distribution handled by IKOV Trade.
• CNC Broaching Machines Proprietary CNC stretching/broaching machines designed by VAPOS. Innovation replaces traditional slide guide with linear guide and hydraulic drive with pre-tensioned ball screws, enabling higher feed rates, finer axis positioning accuracy, variable cutting speeds, and carbide tool use.
• Custom CNC Production Service Contract CNC milling and turning services using VAPOS FCV/FVC/PCV/PHC series machines plus MAZAK turning centres. Over 30 million machined brake bracket parts delivered for passenger cars. End customers include BMW, Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Renault (via TRW Lucas).
• Robotic Welding Service Robotic welding using KUKA robots (KR 5 acr, KR 60L 30-3) with FRONIUS FK 4000-R FC welding aggregates. MIG, MAG, and TIG welding for medium-sized weldments in medium and larger production series. Quality verified via capillary defectoscopy and macroscopic testing.
• Mechanical Assembly Service Mechanical assembly of groups and sub-groups at ergonomic assembly tables with pneumatic tighteners and work guide holders. Currently offering free assembly capacities. Includes assembly of VAPOS own products (PARK BIKE, towbars, CNC broaching machines, CNC machining centres).

Quantifiable outcome

• 168 bicycles can be loaded or unloaded in less than 5 minutes
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• IKOV TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership for polyp grab (drapák) products for heavy machinery. VAPOS manufactures the grapple while IKOV Trade handles sales distribution, particularly for Czech and Slovak markets. Grapples available in three sizes (400L, 600L, 800L) and sold exclusively on foreign markets by VAPOS directly.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bosal: Global manufacturer of towbars, exhaust systems, and roof boxes headquartered in Europe. Comparable to VAPOS for the towbar product line, with much broader automotive aftermarket and OEM exposure.
• Continental AG: Global tier-1 automotive supplier producing brake systems, among many other components. Comparable to VAPOS for the brake holder/brake system manufacturing capability, though at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Hella (FORVIA Hella) Autotechnik Nova s.r.o. Czech subsidiary of FORVIA Hella producing automotive lighting and electronics. Comparable as a tier-1 automotive supplier with Czech precision manufacturing operations, though broader portfolio than VAPOS.

Emerging players

• Falco Velobox: Dutch provider of bicycle parking infrastructure including covered shelters, lockers, and modular storage solutions. Comparable to PARK BIKE for the urban bicycle infrastructure use case, though with a different technology approach.

Regional players

• TOS Varnsdorf: Czech manufacturer of heavy-duty machine tools including CNC machining centers. Comparable to VAPOS as a fellow Czech precision machine builder with similar European OEM customer base, though focused on larger-format horizontal boring machines.

Direct peers

• Westfalia-Automotive: Leading European towbar manufacturer producing fixed, detachable, and swiveling towbars for VW Group and other OEMs. Directly comparable to VAPOS's towbar product line (currently suspended), though at much greater scale.
• Brano Hradec nad Moravicí: Czech precision manufacturer producing automotive components and gas springs for OEM customers. Direct comparable to VAPOS given shared Czech origin, automotive customer base, and contract manufacturing model serving European OEMs.
• Forst Technologie GmbH: German specialist manufacturer of CNC broaching machines and keyway cutting equipment. Direct comparable to VAPOS's CNC broaching machine product, serving similar machine tool buyer segment in Europe.
• WÖHR Autoparksysteme: German manufacturer of automated bicycle parking systems and car parking towers. Most direct competitor to VAPOS's PARK BIKE product, serving municipalities and transit authorities across Europe with similar modular automated parking technology.

Others

• Indexator Rotator Systems: Swedish manufacturer of industrial rotators and grapples used as supplier components in heavy machinery attachments. Comparable because VAPOS uses Indexator IR 25 rotators in its grapple products and operates in the same heavy machinery ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=pE-dwo8INT8
• Facebookfacebook.com/VAPOS-100068145934163
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vapos

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 VAPOS