What HELCOR-LEDER-TEC GmbH does

HELCOR-LEDER-TEC GmbH is a privately held German specialty materials manufacturer founded in 1990 in Hehlen by Phillip Schaefer, Hans-Wilhelm Strebost, and Rudolf Ebeling, currently led by Managing Directors Thomas Strebost and Frank Fiedler. The company develops and finishes carrier materials — split leather, microfiber (HELTEX), spacer fabric (HELSPACE), flax fabric (HELFLAX), leather fiber fabric (HELBOND), thermoplastic PU (HELPURE), and microfiber skin — applying a patented process that bonds an ultra-thin polyurethane layer (less than 0.15 mm) onto silicone matrices under pressure, heat, and an aqueous chemical mix. The result is a breathable, water-vapor and air-permeable material that may legally be labeled "genuine leather," with a broad surface-design library (Nappa, Silky, Velvet, Snake, Alligator, 3D Carbon, and others) enabled by flexible matrix manufacturing. The flagship 2025 launch INNOVERA™ extends the portfolio into plant-protein/biopolymer/recycled-rubber vegan material via a partnership with Modern Meadow.

The company serves B2B enterprise customers in automotive (door panels, seat covers, gear knobs), footwear (shoe uppers), bags and accessories, and upholstery/contract furniture through direct enterprise field sales, working collaboratively on custom surface and color development and offering contract manufacturing/toll processing. Revenue is generated from finished materials sales, custom development services, and toll finishing of customer-owned substrates. The company co-locates with its sister company HELLER-LEDER for joint sustainability investments and combined grain-leather/HELCOR-surface offerings, and maintains a comprehensive certification stack (IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, OEKO-TEX STeP, LWG, TISAX, ECOL, and laboratory accreditation) that qualifies it as a supplier to European automotive OEMs and premium fashion brands. Pricing is quote-based with no public disclosure, consistent with custom B2B contract manufacturing.

Name

HELCOR-LEDER-TEC GmbH

Legal name

HELCOR-LEDER-TEC GmbH

Website

https://helcor-leder-tec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HELCOR-LEDER-TEC GmbH is a German specialty materials manufacturer that finishes split leather, microfiber, spacer fabric, and vegan substrates (INNOVERA) using a patented ultra-thin PU coating process, supplying automotive, footwear, fashion, and upholstery OEMs across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leather and Synthetic Leather Finishing Materials

NAICS

Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing (316110), Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing (3161), Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (3169), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133)

SIC

Leather & Leather Products (3100), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Finishing & Surface Coating (Pigmented/Aniline/Embossing/Topcoat) (IMAOAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vegan/Alternative Material Goods Manufacturing (PU/Plant-based/Mycelium) (IMAOAHAH), Leather Goods Components & Subassemblies Manufacturing (Straps/Handles/Hardware Assemblies) (IMAOAHAI)

Keywords

• Leather finishing materials
• Polyurethane coated leather
• Automotive interior materials
• Vegan leather alternatives
• Microfiber carrier fabrics

Headquarters

HQ city

Hehlen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Finished Leather Materials Sales: Manufacturing and selling high-quality leather and technical surface materials based on leather, microfiber, spacer fabric, or leather fiber for automotive, footwear, bags & accessories, and upholstery sectors.
2. Contract Manufacturing / Toll Processing: Processing and finishing customer-owned materials. HELCOR works with customers to develop designs and surfaces, and manufactures finished products on behalf of customers.
3. Custom Surface/Color Development: Developing individual colors and designs according to customer specifications. Offers tailor-made solutions combining quality, functionality, and design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HELCOR develops and manufactures high-quality finished leather and technical surface materials based on leather, microfiber, spacer fabric, leather fiber, and innovative bio-based carriers, using a patented polyurethane finishing process applied with silicone matrices. The company serves automotive, footwear, bags & accessories, and upholstery sectors, and offers contract manufacturing (toll finishing) of customer-owned materials as well as custom surface and color development services.

Product overview

HELCOR-LEDER-TEC GmbH is a German materials company that develops and produces high-quality leather finishing materials using a patented polyurethane finishing process. Their portfolio comprises carrier materials (including genuine leather, microfiber/HELTEX, spacer fabric/HELSPACE, flax fabric/HELFLAX, leather fiber/HELBOND, thermoplastic PU/HELPURE, microfiber skin, grain leather, and split leather) combined with diverse surface finishes (over 30 types including Nappa, Silky, Velvet, Snake, Alligator, 3D Carbon, and more). The flagship sustainable product is INNOVERA™ - a vegan material made from plant-based proteins and recycled rubber. They offer contract manufacturing and custom surface/color development services for automotive, footwear, bags & accessories, and upholstery/contract furniture sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• INNOVERA™: A highly innovative material developed from plant-based proteins, biopolymers, and recycled rubber. Completely free of animal components, it combines eco-friendly production with the look and feel of real leather. Formerly known as BIO-VERA®.
• 3D Carbon

Products and services

• INNOVERA Vegan, cruelty-free material made from plant-based proteins, biopolymers, and recycled rubber replicating the look and feel of collagen leather for automotive interiors and fashion applications. Developed in partnership with Modern Meadow.
• HELTEX (Microfiber) Nonwoven microfiber carrier fabric made from synthetic raw materials such as polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, and optionally viscose, suitable for hygiene products and automotive applications.
• HELSPACE (Spacer Fabric) Three-dimensional textile carrier material where two fabrics are joined together by spacer connecting elements, belonging to the knitted fabric category.
• HELFLAX (Flax Fabric) Natural carrier fabric consisting of 40% flax and 60% cotton, valued for resistance, durability, and breathability. The blend increases stretch compared to 100% flax.
• HELBOND (Leather Fiber Fabric) Material based on leather but not genuine leather; consists of leather remnants, binding agents, and fatliquors reduced to a uniform mass.
• HELPURE (Thermoplastic PU) Carrier material based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) combining durability with elasticity, featuring abrasion resistance, flexibility, and chemical resistance.
• Microfiber Skin (HELTEX Skin) Special nonwoven providing high wear protection and secure hold, used in orthopaedics for insoles and in fashion/leather goods for reinforcement. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and GRS certified.
• Grain Leather (Narbenleder) Full-grain leather from the hair side of leather, characterized by natural structure and visible hair pores, offering high tear resistance and permanent bending properties.
• Split Leather (Spaltleder) Split leather processed with precision using sustainable methods. Particularly thick leather (5-10mm) from cowhide is depilated, degreased, and split before tanning.
• Surface/Color Development Service Custom design service for creating individual leather surfaces with specific textures, colors, and effects using HELCOR's patented finishing processes.
• Processing/Finishing (Contract Manufacturing) Contract manufacturing service for finishing split leather and textile substrates with HELCOR's patented innovative finishing process, including finishing of customer-owned materials (toll processing).
• 3D Carbon Surface A timeless technical surface inspired by carbon fiber aesthetics, used across multiple product areas including automotive and fashion interiors.
• Nappa Surface Soft, smooth, and supple leather surface conveying luxury, elegance, and maximum comfort while being robust and durable.
• Silky Surface Smooth, soft, and supple leather surface conveying a luxurious, elegant sensation with fine, even grain and sophisticated look.
• Velvet Surface Soft, velvety-matt leather with pleasant feel and elegant appearance, featuring a fine slightly roughened surface for a luxurious warm character.
• Snake Surface Distinctive snake-like embossing reminiscent of natural snakeskin structure, creating an elegant modern appearance with fine grain for interplay of light and shadow.
• Alligator Surface Exotic leather texture replicating the distinctive pattern of alligator skin for luxury applications.
• Vienna Surface Fine, elegant grain with smooth, even surface conveying sophisticated, timeless aesthetic combined with stylish design and high functionality.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HELLER-LEDERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company with shared location in Hehlen. Companies work together on comprehensive package solutions for various applications. Fine HELLER grain leather can be optimally combined with technically sophisticated HELCOR surfaces, creating new combination possibilities for creative applications and functional requirements. Joint investment in resource-saving technologies, efficient energy management, and modern disposal systems.
• Modern MeadowcoreTechnology or IntegrationAdvanced bio-design technology partner for INNOVERA material. Modern Meadow's technologies enable production of plant-based proteins, biopolymers, and recycled rubber materials with over 80% renewable carbon content. HELCOR licenses and manufactures products based on Modern Meadow's bio-design technologies.
• InfoTech GmbHminorOthersExternal website hosting provider located at Pommernstraße 4, 37603 Holzminden. Company has a data processing agreement (AVV) with InfoTech for GDPR compliance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bader Group: German family-owned leather manufacturer and finisher serving automotive interiors globally. Directly comparable in process technology, automotive OEM customer base, and European manufacturing footprint.
• Modern Meadow: US-based bio-design company that supplies the plant-protein/biopolymer technology underlying HELCOR's INNOVERA™ product. Direct peer in next-generation vegan leather materials for automotive and fashion.
• Wollsdorf Leather: Austrian premium leather manufacturer for automotive, footwear, and upholstery. Directly comparable in automotive-grade leather finishing, surface design, and OEM supply relationships.
• Alcantara S.p.A. Italian manufacturer of premium microfiber automotive interior materials. Direct competitor in the automotive surface materials segment with similar high-end OEM customer base and surface-finish customization capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Toray Industries (Ultrasuede): Japanese diversified materials giant whose Ultrasuede/Htmluxx microfiber is widely used in automotive interiors and fashion. Comparable technology (microfiber surface substrates) and overlapping automotive OEM customer base, but operates as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Kolon Industries (Automotive Materials): Korean chemicals/materials conglomerate producing automotive synthetic leather and microfiber. Comparable product offering for automotive OEMs and broader manufacturing scale.
• Asahi Kasei (Lamous / Lamous AI): Japanese materials producer of Lamous™ plant-based bio-fabric and Dinamica® microfiber for automotive interiors. Direct competitor in plant-based vegan materials and automotive surface finishes.

Emerging players

• Bolt Threads (Mylo): US-based biotech producing mycelium-based Mylo™ vegan leather. Emerging competitor in next-gen vegan leather materials targeting fashion and automotive; partial overlap with HELCOR's INNOVERA value proposition.

Others

• Stahl Holdings BV: Dutch specialty chemicals company providing leather finishing chemicals and coatings. Adjacent supplier in the leather finishing value chain; competes on coatings but supplies to many of the same OEMs.
• HELLER-LEDER GmbH & Co. KG: Sister company of HELCOR, co-located in Hehlen, Germany. Strategic upstream/downstream partner producing fine grain leather that HELCOR finishes with its patented PU process. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helcor-leder-tec-gmbh

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 HELCOR-LEDER-TEC GmbH