What Stüwer GmbH & Co. KG does

Stüwer GmbH & Co. KG is a German family-owned manufacturer and full-service operator of customized vending machine systems, headquartered in Heroldstatt, Baden-Württemberg, and founded by Gerhold Stüwer in 1977. The company designs, produces, services and (in many cases) operates vending machines for 24/7 unattended retail across three primary verticals: direct marketing of regional fresh food (farmers, butchers, bakers, wineries, village shops), corporate catering and food-service (offices, hospitals, universities, public facilities), and industrial tool/material dispensing (manufacturing, logistics). Its flagship proprietary platform is the REGIOMAT — a PC-controlled touchscreen impulse-purchase vending machine with more than 5,000 units installed — complemented by the SEN Tiefkühlautomat (deep-freeze to -21°C), the CFresh Kombi-Automat (warm meals with integrated microwave and patent-pending reusable-container return), and vertical-specific SKUs such as Hotelmat, Weinomat, Blümchenbox, Waschbox and the Eis-Automat.

Stüwer operates a vertically integrated stack spanning in-house hardware manufacturing ("Stüwer Automaten-Manufaktur"), proprietary software, integrated payments (cash, NFC, Apple Pay, Google Pay, MyKey/Mifare), and a cloud-based Telemetrie monitoring subscription. The company monetizes through hardware sales, managed full-service operating contracts with daily restocking within a 50km radius of Heroldstatt, recurring telemetry subscriptions, and ongoing professional service and maintenance — the latter delivered by approximately 30 nationwide field service technicians. Go-to-market combines direct field sales across Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria with trade-show lead generation (EuroShop, Internorga, Intergastra, UNITI Expo) and a regional distribution partner in South Tyrol.

The customer base exceeds 20,000 businesses and schools plus 1,500+ corporate catering installations, spanning SMB direct marketers and named enterprise accounts including Liebherr Produktion Ehingen, Uni-Klinik Ulm, E-Ladepark Merklingen (259 stations), MANOAH Markt, foodji and Marktplatz TWENTY47. Ownership remains with the Stüwer family; the leadership team transitioned in April 2025 when Giorgio Di Bartolo succeeded Karl Ogger as Managing Director alongside owner Stefan Stüwer. The company received the Deutscher Vendingpreis 2022 from the BDV, opened a new sustainable timber-construction headquarters in November 2022, and announced the sVenT car-wash smart-infrastructure platform for 2026.

Name

Stüwer GmbH & Co. KG

Legal name

Stüwer GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://stuewer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Stüwer GmbH & Co. KG is a German family-owned manufacturer and full-service operator of customized vending machines — including the REGIOMAT, SEN deep-freeze and CFresh combo systems — serving farmers, butchers, corporate caterers, and industrial buyers across Europe with hardware, telemetry subscriptions, payment integration and nationwide service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Heroldstatt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vending Machine Sales: Sale of customized vending machines including REGIOMAT, SEN deep-freeze, CFresh combo, tool dispensers, beverage machines, and industry-specific systems. Individual configuration and branding available.
2. Full Operating & Restocking: Full-service operating with restocking service, including cleaning, maintenance, and repair. Delivery of fresh products daily within 50km radius of Heroldstatt headquarters.
3. Payment Systems: Integrated payment solutions including coin changers, banknote readers, NFC terminals, mobile payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay), and employee card/chip systems.
4. Telemetrie Subscription: Real-time cloud-based monitoring and analytics service for inventory management, sales statistics, and route planning with subscription contracts.
5. Service & Maintenance: Technical support including installation, commissioning, maintenance, repair, and software installation services performed by approximately 30 service technicians nationwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stüwer designs, manufactures, and services customized vending machine systems for 24/7 automated sale of food, beverages, fresh produce, frozen goods, and industrial materials. The portfolio includes the proprietary REGIOMAT direct-marketing machine, the SEN deep-freeze vending unit, the CFresh combination catering machine, fresh-food and beverage machines, industrial tool dispensers, and vertical-specific machines for hotels, wineries, flower shops, and car washes. The company also delivers cloud-based Telemetrie monitoring, integrated payment systems, and nationwide maintenance and restocking services.

Product overview

Stüwer GmbH & Co. KG is a vending machine manufacturer and full-service provider offering comprehensive automation solutions. The core product portfolio includes the REGIOMAT (flagship direct marketing vending machine with PC-controlled touchscreen), SEN Tiefkühlautomat (deep freezer for -21°C to -24°C products), CFresh Kombi-Automat (combo machine for warm meals and snacks with integrated microwave), Getränke-Automaten (beverage machines for cold drinks and coffee), Werkzeug-Automat (industrial tool dispensing), and Frischwaren-Automaten (fresh food vending). The company also offers specialized sub-brands including Hotelmat (hotel vending), Blümchenbox (flower vending), Weinomat (wine dispensing), Waschbox (car wash vending), and Eis-Automat (ice cream). Services include Telemetrie (cloud-based real-time inventory monitoring), flexible Zahlungssysteme (payment solutions supporting cash, NFC contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay, employee cards), and comprehensive Kundenbetreuung (maintenance, repair, and filling services). The modular architecture allows products to be combined for comprehensive 24/7 vending solutions across food, beverage, and non-food applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• REGIOMAT Flagship PC-controlled vending machine for 24/7 sale of regional agricultural products. Touchscreen interface, multi-functional advertising display, combinable refrigerated and frozen compartments, with over 5,000 units in operation.
• SEN Tiefkühlautomat Deep-freeze vending machine maintaining constant temperatures of -21°C to -24°C, enabling 24/7 sale of frozen products such as ice cream, meat, sausages, and frozen meals.
• CFresh Kombi-Automat Modular combo vending machine for 24/7 food catering offering warm meals, snacks, and fresh produce with modular cooling/freezing compartments, integrated microwave module, and a sustainable multi-use container return system.
• Getränke-Automaten (SB1, SB3, SL3) Beverage vending machines for cold and hot drinks, including coffee automata (SB1, SB3) with tempered glass front, stainless steel housing, automatic rinsing, consistent brewing pressure, and cold beverage machines with individually controlled slots and thermostat-regulated cooling.
• Werkzeug-Automat Industrial tool and material dispensing machine with EDV-supported distribution, automatic access documentation, 6 drawers, 24-hour availability, individual system modules, and electronic inventory management for shop-floor supply.
• Hotelmat Hotel vending system for 24/7 guest supply of food, non-food, hygiene, technology, and merchandise products with optional microwave module, positioned as an economic alternative to the traditional minibar.
• Blümchenbox Flower vending machine with configurable compartment sizes for selling bouquets, potted plants, cut flowers, and arrangements 24/7. Features large viewing windows, integrated top refrigeration for extended plant freshness, and humidity monitoring.
• Weinomat Wine vending machine for direct marketing at vineyards, offering chilled wines contactless 24/7 with a lift system for gentle dispensing, digital age verification, adjustable temperature, and LED lighting.
• Waschbox Car wash vending machine for KFZ accessories, cleaning products, wash cards, beverages, and snacks, providing 24/7 availability beyond car wash operating hours with a modular system and optional lift system.
• Eis-Automat (SEN Ice Cream) Ice cream vending machine based on SEN technology for 24/7 sale of popsicles, cups, and waffles from popular ice cream brands, enabling extension of product range without additional staffing costs.
• Frischwaren-Automaten Fresh food vending machines for sale of fresh regional products including eggs, meat, milk, cheese, and bakery items, with frost protection, digital monitoring, 24/7 temperature control, and optional Metzgerbeleuchtung (meat lighting).
• Telemetrie Cloud-based telemetry service providing real-time inventory monitoring, sales statistics, route planning, and profitability analysis, consisting of a hardware unit connected to machines and cloud-based data analysis software accessible via PC or smartphone.
• Zahlungssysteme (Payment Systems) Flexible integrated payment solutions including cash (coin changers, banknote readers) and cashless options (NFC contactless terminals, Apple Pay, Google Pay, MyKey/Mifare employee cards).
• Kundenbetreuung (Full-Service Customer Support) Full-service customer support including cleaning, repair, filling, and maintenance, performed by approximately 30 nationwide service technicians with daily fresh-product delivery within a 50km radius of the Heroldstatt headquarters.
• REGIOMAT-K (Flap Vending Variant) Flap-type vending machine variant of the REGIOMAT system, designed for specific product categories requiring gentle product delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 REGIOMAT machines operating in 24/7 direct marketing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.

• Regional Distribution Partner South TyrolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Regional distribution partner covering South Tyrol market with approximately 20,000 agricultural businesses. Partner provides local sales and support for REGIOMAT direct marketing solutions.
• VR-RaiffeisenbankcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for contactless NFC payment processing including Giro and credit cards. Integration enables Apple Pay and Google Pay via smartphone and smartwatch.
• WaschboxminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCar wash vending solution using Stüwer technology for KFZ accessories, cleaning products, and car wash cards.
• foodjistrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI-powered ultra-fresh food vending solution provider. First Stüwer vending system with artificial intelligence for product selection optimization.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SandenVendo: Global vending machine manufacturer (part of Sanden Corporation) producing beverage, snack, and food vending equipment. Closely comparable product portfolio and international scale, though operating from a much larger corporate parent.
• Sielaff: German manufacturer of automatic vending machines for beverages, food, and non-food applications. A direct domestic competitor serving similar German SMB and corporate customers with comparable vending hardware and service models.
• Bianchi Industry: Italian manufacturer of professional espresso machines and HoReCa/OCS vending solutions. Comparable to Stüwer in serving European corporate catering and HoReCa customers with automated beverage and food service equipment.
• Azkoyen: Spanish manufacturer of vending machines, payment systems, and coffee machines for the HoReCa and OCS channels. Directly comparable as a European mid-sized vending manufacturer with overlapping product categories and payment technology capabilities.
• Evoca Group: Italian-headquartered European leader in professional vending machines (formerly N&W Global Vending). Offers a broad portfolio spanning coffee, snack, food, and HoReCa vending — directly comparable to Stüwer's food and corporate catering lines but at significantly larger scale.
• Jofemar: Spanish manufacturer of vending machines (coffee, snacks, cold drinks, food). Listed as a Stüwer technology partner, making it a directly comparable European vending machinery peer competing in similar food-service and direct-marketing categories.
• FAS International: Italian manufacturer of automated vending and dispensing systems for food, beverages, and non-food applications. Comparable to Stüwer's industrial vending (Werkzeug-Automat) and food vending lines with similar customization and direct-marketing use cases.

Others

• Nayax: Israeli provider of cashless payment and telemetry solutions for unattended retail, including vending. Comparable to Stüwer's Telemetrie and Zahlungssysteme service offerings and a potential partner or competitor in connected vending infrastructure.

Regional players

• Selecta Group: Europe's largest vending and unattended retail operator, running full-service vending including coffee, snack, and fresh food machines across multiple countries. Comparable to Stüwer's full-service operating model rather than its manufacturing side, but increasingly competing in the same end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Crane Merchandising Systems: U.S.-based division of Crane NXT producing vending machines, payment systems, and food service equipment at much larger scale. Comparable as an established broad incumbent in the global vending machinery space, with overlapping product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCB6BlR0zo7qzVsBfwiBcgQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/stuewergmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st%C3%BCwer-gmbh-automaten/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/stuewer_automaten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Stüwer GmbH & Co. KG