MKN

What MKN does

MKN Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer GmbH & Co. KG is a German specialist manufacturer of professional thermal cooking equipment, founded in 1945 and headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony. The company designs and produces combi steamers (SpaceCombi, FlexiCombi, Junior), the FlexiChef multifunctional cooking appliance with a "Cook.Clean.Continue" workflow, the OPTIMA modular kitchen system, MasterLine individual cooking solutions, multifunctional tilting cooking kettles, and the Connected Kitchen IoT platform for smart kitchen management. MKN's proprietary MKN SteelPlus sustainable stainless steel delivers over 40% CO2e reduction across Scope 1, 2, and 3.

The company serves seven vertical segments — Hotels & Restaurants (primary), Care Facilities, Education, Catering, System Catering, Maritime Solutions, and Butchers — through a B2B model combining direct enterprise field sales, regional sales areas, dedicated key account management, a partner portal, and an e-commerce spare parts shop. Revenue derives from hardware sales of installed equipment, recurring spare parts and Waveclean consumables, after-sales service contracts, care packages, and service training programs. MKN employs approximately 211 people, operates without external investors, and has been recognized in 2025 as one of the Top 5 family-owned companies in Germany.

Name

MKN

Legal name

MKN Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://mkn.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MKN is a German family-owned manufacturer of professional thermal cooking equipment — combi steamers, the FlexiChef multifunctional appliance, the OPTIMA modular system, and the Connected Kitchen IoT platform — serving hospitality, healthcare, education, catering, maritime, and butcher customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Cooking Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (33331)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Cooking Equipment & Parts Wholesale (AFAIALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Restaurant & Commercial Kitchen Equipment Wholesale (AFAIALAB)

Keywords

• Professional cooking equipment
• Combi steamers
• Thermal cooking appliances
• Modular kitchen systems
• Commercial kitchen technology

Headquarters

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Cooking Equipment Sales: Direct sales of professional thermal cooking equipment including FlexiChef, Combi Steamers, MasterLine, and OPTIMA modular systems to commercial customers
2. Spare Parts and Accessories: E-commerce sales of spare parts and accessories through dedicated online shop (shop.mkn.de)
3. After-Sales Service and Support: Service contracts, care packages, and service training programs for installed equipment base
4. Waveclean® Products: Specialized cleaning solutions for professional kitchen equipment sold through dedicated shop

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MKN manufactures and sells professional thermal cooking equipment, including combi steamers, multifunctional cooking appliances, and modular kitchen systems for commercial kitchens. Core products include the FlexiChef multifunctional appliance, SpaceCombi and FlexiCombi combi steamers, MasterLine modular solutions, and the OPTIMA modular kitchen cooking line, alongside the Connected Kitchen IoT platform and MKN SteelPlus sustainable stainless steel. Sales are conducted directly to commercial operators across hospitality, healthcare, education, catering, maritime, and butcher sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FlexiChef®: Multifunctional cooking appliance
• Combi Steamers
• MasterLine
• Connected Kitchen®
• Waveclean®
• OPTIMA®

Products and services

• FlexiChef Multifunctional cooking appliance designed for professional kitchens with the Cook.Clean.Continue functionality, integrating cooking and cleaning workflows for streamlining operations in hotels, restaurants, care facilities, education, catering, and maritime kitchens.
• SpaceCombi Compact combi steamer combining steam and convection cooking capabilities for space-efficient professional cooking applications.
• FlexiCombi Flexible combi steamer for professional cooking applications offering configurability for varied culinary operations.
• Junior Combi Steamer Junior-sized combi steamer offering steam and convection cooking for smaller-scale professional kitchen operations.
• MasterLine Modular cooking solutions allowing individual customization and configuration for varied professional kitchen requirements.
• OPTIMA Modular Kitchen System Professional modular kitchen system offering 100% modular design for customizable professional kitchen installations, recognized with the Red Dot Award 2025 for outstanding design.
• Multifunctional Tilting Cooking Kettle Multifunctional tilting cooking kettle for professional kitchens, designed for high-volume cooking applications requiring kettle-style cooking with tilting functionality.
• Connected Kitchen IoT-enabled professional kitchen technology platform enabling smart kitchen management, connectivity, and monitoring across MKN-installed equipment.
• Waveclean Cleaning System Specialized cleaning solutions and products designed for maintaining professional kitchen equipment, sold through a dedicated online shop.
• Spare Parts and Accessories E-commerce shop offering spare parts and accessories for installed MKN professional cooking equipment, supporting the aftermarket and installed base.
• After-Sales Service and Care Packages After-sales service contracts, care packages, and service training programs provided to commercial customers to maintain and support installed MKN professional kitchen equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40% CO2e reduction in stainless steel through SteelPlus initiative

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

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.

• Butcher WolfpackminorOthers · 1 January 2025MKN supports Butcher Wolfpack team at the World Butchers' Challenge in Paris - the world championship of the butcher's trade. This is a sponsorship/brand support relationship rather than a commercial partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Welbilt: Specialty commercial cooking equipment manufacturer (brands including Convotherm combi ovens and Cleveland Range) that is now part of Middleby; directly competes with MKN across combi steamers, braising pans, and modular cooking systems.
• Cleveland Range: Manufacturer of commercial steamers, kettles, and combi ovens (now under Middleby/Welbilt) that directly competes with MKN's FlexiChef, combi steamers, and multifunctional tilting cooking kettles in professional kitchens.
• Blodgett: US manufacturer of commercial convection and combi ovens for professional kitchens, overlapping directly with MKN's thermal-cooking equipment range in restaurants and institutional customers.
• Alto-Shaam: US-based manufacturer of combi ovens, cook-and-hold ovens, and connected kitchen systems directly competing with MKN's FlexiChef and combi-steamer offerings in hotels, restaurants, and institutional foodservice.
• Rational AG: Global market leader in combi steamers and the most direct competitor to MKN's FlexiCombi and SpaceCombi lines, serving the same professional kitchens across hospitality, catering, and retail with overlapping thermal-cooking technology and go-to-market.

Broad incumbents

• Electrolux Professional: Public Swedish-Italian manufacturer of professional cooking, refrigeration, and food-service equipment; competes with MKN in combi steamers, modular kitchens, and connected cooking solutions for hospitality and institutional customers.
• Ali Group: Privately held Italian conglomerate encompassing dozens of commercial kitchen equipment brands (e.g., Hoshizaki Europe entities, Scotsman, Baron); a broad incumbent overlapping with MKN across cooking, refrigeration, and warewashing for professional kitchens.
• Middleby Corporation: Largest US-listed commercial kitchen equipment conglomerate offering combi ovens, modular cooking systems, and connected-kitchen solutions across many categories that overlap with MKN's OPTIMA modular line and FlexiChef.
• Hoshizaki Corporation: Japanese global leader in commercial ice machines and refrigeration that has expanded into cooking equipment; competes with MKN in integrated professional kitchen solutions for hospitality and catering.

Emerging players

• Franke Foodservice Systems: Swiss-based supplier of commercial kitchen systems including modular cooking and ventilation; an adjacent player competing with MKN's OPTIMA modular kitchen line in European hospitality and chain-catering projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mkn

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 MKN