WertelOberfell
WertelOberfell is a boutique industrial and computational design studio designing consumer products, furniture, and lighting for global brands (Braun, Gillette, Siemens, Philips), family businesses, and start-ups from its Munich and Berlin studios.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WertelOberfell does
WertelOberfell GbR is an industrial design studio founded in 2007 in London by Gernot Oberfell and Jan Wertel, both graduates of the State Academy of Arts Stuttgart, and now operating from Munich and Berlin. The studio designs consumer products, furniture, and lighting for three client categories — global brands (Braun, Gillette, Oral-B, Siemens, Bosch, Philips, Panasonic, Sony, Bulthaup, Neff, Nowy Styl Group, Huawei), family-owned businesses, and start-ups — with notable shipped products including the Braun Silk Epil 5 and Series 5-7 shavers, Gillette Venus Platinum and Razor Maker, Oral-B Clic, Neff Eggwave, Philips Entity 3D-printed Hue lamps, and Sigma Sport cycling lights.
The studio's technical differentiator is the integration of computational design — parametric design, scripted modelling, and additive manufacturing — to produce complex organic geometries such as fractal growth patterns, and to bridge digital form-finding with mass-production economics. Work has been admitted to the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, and since 2025 the partnership has held the German government's BSFZ seal as a certified innovative research company. Self-initiated "WO" branded projects in furniture, lighting, accessories, and applied research (4D-printed cycling gloves, noise-absorbing patterns, auxetic materials) run alongside paid client commissions, including speculative design collaborations with EU-funded research groups and additive manufacturing platforms such as Stratasys, Materialise (MGX), and Reflow.
WertelOberfell operates as a privately held German civil-law partnership (GbR) with two named shareholders (the co-founders), no external investors, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Revenue is generated through project-based design consultancy fees, with go-to-market driven by portfolio exhibitions at industry events (Salone del Mobile, Orgatec, Light + Building, Photokina), museum placements, and direct enterprise relationships. The team comprises seven people — two co-founders, three industrial designers, and two design interns — and pricing is quote-driven and not publicly disclosed.
WertelOberfell firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WertelOberfell
- Legal name
- WertelOberfell GbR
- Website
- https://werteloberfell.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WertelOberfell is a boutique industrial and computational design studio designing consumer products, furniture, and lighting for global brands (Braun, Gillette, Siemens, Philips), family businesses, and start-ups from its Munich and Berlin studios.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WertelOberfell industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Design Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (541420), Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing (33721), Custom Architectural Woodwork and Millwork Manufacturing (337212)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590), Office Furniture (2520), Household Furniture (2510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
Keywords
Where WertelOberfell is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
WertelOberfell business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Industrial Design Services: Project-based design consultancy fees for consumer products, furniture, and lighting design. Projects range from specific component design to comprehensive product development, typically on a per-project or retainer basis with enterprise clients.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
WertelOberfell product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WertelOberfell is an industrial design studio that designs consumer products, furniture, lighting, and speculative research concepts for global brands, family-owned businesses, and start-ups. The studio combines industrial design craftsmanship with computational design, parametric modelling, and additive manufacturing/3D printing to deliver products that bridge digital design tools with mass-production economics. It also produces its own WO branded line of furniture, lighting, accessories, and apparel items.
Product overview
WertelOberfell is an industrial design studio that designs consumer products, furniture and lighting for start-ups, family businesses and global brands. The studio offers two types of offerings: (1) WO branded products and research projects including furniture (Kontinuum, Ottantina, African Table), accessories (Flat Hat, Twiggy), lighting (Atomic Light, Triblade, Panel Light), and research (Auxetic Wear, Noise Absorbing Patterns, ReClip, Print On X); and (2) Client work for major brands including Oral-B, Gillette, Siemens, Bosch, Braun, Neff, Bulthaup, Panasonic, Philips, Snom, Sigma Sport, Koleksiyon, Iker, Nowy Styl Group, Vinidesign, Stilnest, MGX by Materialise, Lofelt, Occhio, Prestige, Stratasys, Reflow, Refream, NeXR, Voxelworld, Shapeways, Stiliamo, and Yamagiwa. The studio specializes in computational design, parametric design, and additive manufacturing/3D printing technologies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Industrial Design Services Project-based industrial design services covering consumer product form, surface, texture, and ergonomics. Delivered for enterprise clients such as Braun, Gillette, Oral-B, Siemens, Bosch, Panasonic, Sony, Philips, Snom, and Neff. Engagements range from specific component or surface design (e.g., grip texture, fluid surfaces, grip patterns) to full product systems.
- Computational Design Services Design services using parametric design, scripted modelling, and additive manufacturing to generate complex organic geometries, fractal patterns, and digitally fabricated forms. Applied for clients including MGX by Materialise (Fractal.MGX, Module.MGX) and Stilnest (Isobody, Dizzy), and showcased in permanent museum collections.
- Furniture and Lighting Design Services Bespoke furniture collections, modular kitchen/furniture systems, and lighting families for family-owned manufacturers. Confirmed projects include Iker (Maple, Cell, Mannequin, Cheri, Flower Table), Bulthaup Campus, Nowy Styl Group (eRange, Play&Work, Levitate), Koleksiyon (Dilim, Companion Trolley), Yamagiwa Aurelia, and MGX by Materialise lighting.
- Applied Research and Speculative Design Services Applied design research on ecological products, smarter material use, and future-oriented concepts, conducted with international research groups. Includes EU-funded projects (e.g., Refream Ignotum, ESUB Tracks Helmet) and noise absorbing patterns with BSFZ certification. Recognized by the German government as a certified innovative research company (BSFZ seal) since 2025.
- WO Branded Products and Research Projects Self-initiated branded products and speculative research projects under the WO label, including 3D printed furniture (Kontinuum, Ottantina, African Table), accessories (Twiggy wall clock, Atomic Light pendant, Flat Hat, Triblade), and apparel/experimental products (in/shape 4D printed sports bra, FyraMorph 4D printed cycling gloves, +/- elbow braces).
Quantifiable outcome
- Products shipped with major appliance brands worldwide (e.g., Eggwave with Neff fridges)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WertelOberfell
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
WertelOberfell technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
WertelOberfell partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
WertelOberfell competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pentagram: Multidisciplinary design partnership with strong product, brand, and environmental design practices. Comparable partner-structure model and enterprise client base.
- Map Project Office: London-based industrial design studio producing furniture, consumer products, and lighting with a research-led approach. Direct match in product categories and museum-grade ambition.
- IDEO: Global industrial design and innovation consultancy serving multinational brands across consumer products, furniture, and technology. Direct competitor for premium enterprise design engagements.
- Barber Osgerby: Two-founder product design studio (Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby) producing furniture, lighting, and consumer products with parallel museum recognition. Closest peer in studio structure and creative pedigree.
- Ammunition Group: Product and brand design studio working across consumer electronics, wearables, and furniture for premium brands. Similar boutique scale and computational-design orientation.
- Universal Design Studio: London-based design consultancy with parallel practices in product, furniture, and brand environments. Comparable client roster and project-based enterprise model.
- Frog Design: Industrial design and strategy firm with deep roots in consumer electronics and product design for global brands. Comparable in client profile (Philips, Siemens, Braun-adjacent OEMs) and project scope.
Emerging players
- Layer Design: London-based product design studio focused on furniture, consumer electronics, and digital-physical product innovation. Comparable scale and computational-design orientation.
Broad incumbents
- Designworks (BMW Group): In-house design studio of BMW Group that also serves external clients across mobility, consumer, and lifestyle. Larger, broader incumbent with overlapping computational design capabilities.
Regional players
- Neri&Hu: Shanghai-based architectural and design research office working across product, furniture, and interiors for global brands. Comparable in design-research positioning but primarily serves from an Asia base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WertelOberfell social profiles
Digital presenceWertelOberfell compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
WertelOberfell financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WertelOberfell leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
WertelOberfell funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WertelOberfell 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 WertelOberfell
What does WertelOberfell do?
WertelOberfell is an industrial design studio that designs consumer products, furniture, lighting, and speculative research concepts for global brands, family-owned businesses, and start-ups. The studio combines industrial design craftsmanship with computational design, parametric modelling, and additive manufacturing/3D printing to deliver products that bridge digital design tools with mass-production economics. It also produces its own WO branded line of furniture, lighting, accessories, and apparel items.
Is WertelOberfell a public or private company?
WertelOberfell is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was WertelOberfell founded?
WertelOberfell was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WertelOberfell based?
WertelOberfell is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does WertelOberfell make money?
One revenue line is on record: industrial Design Services.
Who are WertelOberfell's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pentagram, Map Project Office, IDEO, Barber Osgerby, Ammunition Group, Universal Design Studio and Frog Design. Layer Design is listed as an emerging player. Designworks (BMW Group) is listed as a broad incumbent. Neri&Hu is listed as a regional player.
Does WertelOberfell have an API?
No public API is recorded for WertelOberfell.
What industry is WertelOberfell in?
WertelOberfell's product category is Industrial Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design. Its NAICS code is 541420 and its SIC code is 2590.