studiokurbos®
Independent, owner-managed German design studio with Stuttgart and Shanghai offices providing mobility, product, and UI/UX design services to premium and Chinese automotive OEMs, eVTOL startups, robotics firms, and technology companies globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersStuttgart, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What studiokurbos® does
studiokurbos GmbH is an independent, owner-managed international design studio founded in 2013 and headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, with a second office in Shanghai, China opened in 2021. The studio is structured around three core service lines: Mobility Design (vehicle exterior and interior design, CMF development, Class-A surfaces in Autodesk Alias/ICEM Surf), Product Design (industrial design, CMF, prototyping), and UI/UX Design (in-vehicle HMI, screen design, interactive prototyping). studiokurbos serves enterprise customers in premium automotive (Porsche since 2015, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Daimler Truck, MAN, Wiesmann, RUF, Gemballa, Automobili Pininfarina), Chinese OEMs (Li Auto, Xpeng, Geely, Hongqi, Chery, GAC, Leapmotor, Dongfeng, Changan, Jaecoo, Omoda, Yutong, Togg, Luxeed, Honda), Tier-1 suppliers (Bosch, ZF, Continental, Motherson, Grammer, Novem, AMS Osram), and adjacent verticals including aerospace eVTOL (Pantuo Aviation's PANTALA Concept H, Range Aviation's LE200), industrial robotics/exoskeletons (German Bionic Apogee, premiered CES 2023), consumer products (BLANCO UNIT App, Makara Works Kraken Pro, Hexagon scanner UI, Warwick Acoustics), and consumer electronics.
The studio's underlying technology stack combines conventional automotive design tooling (Autodesk Alias, ICEM Surf) with proprietary parametric design systems for systematic design quality and shortened iteration loops, VR visualization that lets clients experience 3D vehicle concepts before physical implementation, and AI-supported ideation workflows (notably in the FEV LUNET project). The studio is TISAX-certified, indicating adherence to OEM-grade information security standards, and operates from a 600-square-meter Stuttgart headquarters.
The business model is professional services / project-based B2B design consulting, with quote-based pricing tied to scope and complexity. Revenue is generated through direct enterprise engagement, research-consortium participation (RUMBA with Audi/Bosch 2021-2024; KARLI with Ford/Audi/Continental/Fraunhofer; FEV LUNET with FEV Group), and showcase collaborations that generate marketing premium (Monterey Car Week, Pebble Beach, CES, Zhuhai Airshow, CIIE). Geographic distribution is split between the Stuttgart and Shanghai offices, and go-to-market relies on direct B2B relationships, trade-show presence, and a tri-lingual digital presence (DE/EN/ZH). Ownership is concentrated with founder Andreas Kurbos; there is no evidence of external investors or institutional capital.
studiokurbos® firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- studiokurbos®
- Legal name
- studiokurbos GmbH
- Website
- https://kurbos.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Independent, owner-managed German design studio with Stuttgart and Shanghai offices providing mobility, product, and UI/UX design services to premium and Chinese automotive OEMs, eVTOL startups, robotics firms, and technology companies globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
studiokurbos® industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Design Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (54142)
- akta.pro primary industry
- B2B/ABM Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAI)
Keywords
Where studiokurbos® is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stuttgart
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
studiokurbos® business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Design Services: Project-based professional design services for automotive exterior/interior design, product design, and UI/UX design. Work includes concept development, design sketches, 3D modeling, CGI visualization, and full design implementation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
studiokurbos® product offering
Product offeringCore offering
studiokurbos is an independent, owner-managed international design studio offering Mobility Design (automotive exterior/interior design, CMF development, Class A surfaces), Product Design (industrial design, model building), and UI/UX Design (interaction concepts, screen design, interactive prototypes) for physical and digital products. The studio delivers these services through direct B2B project engagements with automotive OEMs, eVTOL startups, and technology companies, working from studios in Stuttgart and Shanghai.
Product overview
studiokurbos is an independent, owner-managed international design studio with locations in Stuttgart and Shanghai, offering three core service areas: Mobility Design, Product Design, and UI | UX Design. The studio works holistically across automotive, product, and user experience design, creating product identities for physical and digital use cases. The portfolio spans vehicle design (eVTOL aircraft like PANTALA Concept H and Range LE200, sports cars like RUF Bergmeister and Porsche Dakar customization, autonomous vehicles like RUMBA and DLR U-Shift), product design (German Bionic Apogee exoskeleton, Makara Works Kraken Pro storage system), and interface design (Porsche digital brand identity since 2015, Automobili Pininfarina Pura Vision UI, BLANCO UNIT App, Hexagon scanner interfaces, Unity HMI demonstrator). The studio also conducts research projects including KARLI for adaptive driving assistance and FEV LUNET for AI-supported automotive design. With a team of 30 in Stuttgart and 20 in Shanghai, the studio serves global clients in automotive, robotics, consumer products, and technology sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mobility Design Holistic vehicle design services including exterior and interior design, color and material (CMF) development, and full design development for automotive manufacturers and mobility startups. Targets OEMs and emerging mobility companies seeking design differentiation for production vehicles and concepts.
- Product Design Product design capturing social trends, translating visionary concepts into tangible product experiences with focus on CMF, digital form-finding, and model building. Serves consumer product, technology, and industrial equipment manufacturers requiring human-centered product design.
- UI | UX Design User experience and interface design services connecting real and virtual worlds, developing interaction concepts, screen design, and interactive prototypes for products and automobiles. Targets automotive OEMs, technology companies, and consumer product manufacturers needing digital interface design.
Quantifiable outcome
- CES 2023 world premiere for German Bionic Apogee exoskeleton
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use studiokurbos®
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
studiokurbos® technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
studiokurbos® partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Makara WorkscoreProduct design collaboration for Kraken Pro storage system. Shanghai studio led the design development combining precise German engineering with luxurious materials.
- German Bionic Systems GmbHcoreCollaboration on Apogee exoskeleton design - world premiere at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. Studiokurbos designed the exoskeleton focusing on user-centered functionality and intuitive operation.
- Unity TechnologiesminorCollaboration for HMI-Demonstrator project at CIIE 2022. Studiokurbos designed virtual showcar and participated in HMI design tasks led by Unity HMI team.
- RUMBA Research Consortium (Audi AG, Bosch, Universities)coreRUMBA is a research funding project (2021-2024) focused on redesigning interior and driving experience for fully automated driving. Partners include Audi AG, MAN Truck & Bus SE, Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH, CanControls GmbH, OHP GmbH, Spiegel Institut Mannheim GmbH, Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart, Universität Stuttgart, Würzburger Institut für Verkehrswissenschaften GmbH, and CARIAD SE. Studiokurbos is responsible for vehicle concept design, interior design, and UI design.
- KARLI Research Project ConsortiumcoreKARLI project with Ford, Audi, Continental, and Fraunhofer Institutes researching human-machine interaction in cars. Funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Studiokurbos contributed UX/UI design expertise for level-compliant driver behavior research.
- DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt)coreDesign development for U-Shift modular vehicle concept - autonomous, driverless, electric vehicle with modular design separating drive module from transport capsule.
- R+V Allgemeine Versicherung AGminorProfessional liability insurance provider with territorial application in EU and EEA states.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
studiokurbos® competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RKS Design: US-based industrial design consultancy with deep automotive, consumer products, and medical device practice. Comparable as an independent multi-disciplinary design firm combining industrial design, UX, and brand identity for similar enterprise client profiles.
- FEV Group: German-headquartered mobility engineering and design services firm with deep OEM relationships (FEV is itself a studiokurbos customer for the LUNET concept). Comparable independent services provider combining vehicle design, powertrain, and digital development for premium and Chinese OEMs.
- EDAG Engineering: Germany-based engineering services provider with full vehicle development capability including design, simulation, and prototyping. Comparable as a Stuttgart-region independent supplier to German premium OEMs competing for similar outsourced design-and-engineering scopes.
- IAV Automotive Engineering: German automotive engineering services company offering vehicle development, powertrain, and increasingly design and UX services. Comparable as a major independent engineering/design services provider serving German premium OEMs in overlapping mobility and digitalization scopes.
- Kiska Design: Austrian product and mobility design studio offering design strategy, industrial design, and UX services. Comparable as a mid-size European independent design boutique working across consumer products and mobility with a similar holistic methodology.
- Italdesign Giugiaro: Italian automotive design and engineering house offering exterior/interior design, prototyping, and production engineering for major OEMs. Highly comparable independent design services firm with a similar combination of mobility design, product design, and engineering services for premium automakers.
- Bertrandt: German automotive engineering and design services firm providing mobility, product, and digital development to OEMs. Direct peer in the Stuttgart engineering-services ecosystem competing for similar OEM design and development mandates.
- Icona Design Group: Italian-Chinese automotive design house with studios in Turin and Shanghai offering vehicle, product, and UX design. Closely comparable as a mid-size independent design firm operating a dual European-Chinese footprint targeting similar OEM clients and Chinese EV entrants.
- Pininfarina (design house): Iconic Italian automotive design house providing exterior/interior styling and UX services to global OEMs. Directly comparable as a premium independent design studio serving the same luxury and EV customer set (Pininfarina even appears as a studiokurbos customer via Automobili Pininfarina).
Broad incumbents
- Magna International: World's largest automotive supplier with a Magna Steyr design and contract-manufacturing unit serving global OEMs. A broad incumbent with overlapping vehicle design and engineering capability but with vastly greater scale and integrated manufacturing rather than boutique design focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
studiokurbos® social profiles
Digital presencestudiokurbos® compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
studiokurbos® financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
studiokurbos® leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
studiokurbos® funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
studiokurbos® M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about studiokurbos®
What does studiokurbos® do?
studiokurbos is an independent, owner-managed international design studio offering Mobility Design (automotive exterior/interior design, CMF development, Class A surfaces), Product Design (industrial design, model building), and UI/UX Design (interaction concepts, screen design, interactive prototypes) for physical and digital products. The studio delivers these services through direct B2B project engagements with automotive OEMs, eVTOL startups, and technology companies, working from studios in Stuttgart and Shanghai.
Is studiokurbos® a public or private company?
studiokurbos® is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was studiokurbos® founded?
studiokurbos® was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is studiokurbos® based?
studiokurbos® is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does studiokurbos® make money?
One revenue line is on record: design Services.
Who are studiokurbos®'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RKS Design, FEV Group, EDAG Engineering, IAV Automotive Engineering, Kiska Design, Italdesign Giugiaro, Bertrandt, Icona Design Group and Pininfarina (design house). Magna International is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does studiokurbos® have an API?
No public API is recorded for studiokurbos®.
What industry is studiokurbos® in?
studiokurbos®'s product category is Industrial Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAI, B2B/ABM Creative Agencies. Its NAICS code is 54142.