Melco
Melco is a privately held company founded in 1972 that develops embroidery machines, digital garment printers, and embroidery digitizing software, serving textile decoration and apparel customization businesses primarily in German-speaking markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- Headquarters—
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Melco does
Melco is a privately held, for-profit company founded in 1972 that develops and sells embroidery machines, digital garment printers, embroidery digitizing software, and related training and support services. The company's product portfolio spans three categories: hardware (embroidery machines and digital garment printers), proprietary software (embroidery digitizing tools), and recurring service revenue (training and support), positioning it as a vertically integrated provider in the textile decoration and apparel customization market.
The company website domain (melco-stickmaschine.com — "Stickmaschine" being German for "embroidery machine") and a German-language site variant (melco.com/de/) indicate a primary commercial footprint in German-speaking markets, though the full geographic scope, distribution channels, and customer segments are not documented in the available data. The 52-plus years of continuous operation suggest an established installed base, but specific scale indicators (headcount, unit shipments, revenue, active dealers) are not disclosed.
No financial figures, ownership details, management team, partnerships, or recent strategic transactions are present in the source material reviewed. One corroborating source block returned only a loading/verification placeholder with no substantive company information. As a result, the company's current scale, pricing model, go-to-market mechanics, and growth trajectory cannot be substantiated beyond the product categories and founding year listed.
Melco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Melco
- Website
- https://melco-stickmaschine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Short description
- Melco is a privately held company founded in 1972 that develops embroidery machines, digital garment printers, and embroidery digitizing software, serving textile decoration and apparel customization businesses primarily in German-speaking markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Melco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Embroidery and Garment Decoration Equipment
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (54143), Apparel Manufacturing (315)
- SIC
- Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Printing Operations (Rotary/Flat/Digital/Sublimation) (IMAOACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Needlepoint & Embroidery Shops (CRALADAE), Fashion & Textile Arts (Sewing, Patternmaking, Knitting, Crochet) (EDAAAGAK), Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)
Keywords
Melco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Melco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Melco develops and supplies embroidery machines, digital garment printers, and embroidery digitizing software for converting artwork into stitch instructions. The company also provides related training and support services to commercial users in the garment decoration industry. Its offering is aimed at professional embroidery shops and apparel decorators rather than hobbyist consumers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Embroidery machines Commercial embroidery machines used by professional embroidery shops and apparel decorators to produce embroidered garments and textile goods.
- Digital garment printers Digital direct-to-garment printers used by commercial garment decoration businesses to print designs onto apparel.
- Embroidery digitizing software Software that converts artwork into stitch instructions (digitizing) for use with Melco embroidery machines, used by commercial embroidery operators.
- Training and support services Training and after-sales support services accompanying Melco embroidery machines, digital garment printers, and digitizing software for commercial customers.
Companies that use Melco
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Melco technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Melco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tajima Industries: Tajima is the global market leader in commercial embroidery machines, directly competing with Melco across multi-head and single-head embroidery systems as well as digitizing software workflows used by apparel decorators.
- Barudan: Barudan is a long-established Japanese manufacturer of industrial embroidery machines and related digitizing software, serving the same commercial embroidery shops and garment decorators as Melco.
- ZSK Stickmaschinen: ZSK is a German-headquartered manufacturer of industrial embroidery machines with a strong European footprint — the same geography where Melco maintains a localized German-language channel (melco-stickmaschine.com) — making it a particularly direct peer in the EMEA market.
- HappyJapan: HappyJapan is a Japanese manufacturer of multi-head and single-head embroidery machines competing directly with Melco in commercial embroidery shops worldwide.
- SWF Embroidery Machines: SWF is a China-based embroidery machine manufacturer offering competitively priced commercial embroidery systems that overlap directly with Melco's small and mid-sized shop target segment.
- Ricoma: Ricoma is a value-positioned embroidery machine maker, particularly strong in North America, selling single and multi-head commercial embroidery machines to the same small-business customers Melco targets.
- Kornit Digital: Kornit Digital is a leading manufacturer of industrial direct-to-garment (DTG) digital printers and integrated workflow software for on-demand apparel production — directly comparable to Melco's digital garment printer and software offering.
Broad incumbents
- Brother International: Brother is a diversified printing and sewing equipment incumbent that sells commercial embroidery machines, garment printers, and digitizing software across a much broader product portfolio — overlapping Melco's core categories but as part of a wider office and industrial sewing franchise.
- Epson: Epson produces industrial digital printing hardware, including garment and textile printers, as part of a much larger printing and imaging portfolio — overlapping with Melco's digital garment printer line.
Emerging players
- ColDesi / DTG Digital Printers: ColDesi markets DTG digital garment printers and finishing equipment aimed at small and mid-sized apparel decorators, representing a more focused and emerging alternative to Melco's digital printing offering.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Melco social profiles
Digital presenceMelco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Melco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Melco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Melco 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 Melco
What does Melco do?
Melco develops and supplies embroidery machines, digital garment printers, and embroidery digitizing software for converting artwork into stitch instructions. The company also provides related training and support services to commercial users in the garment decoration industry. Its offering is aimed at professional embroidery shops and apparel decorators rather than hobbyist consumers.
When was Melco founded?
Melco was founded in 1972.
Who are Melco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tajima Industries, Barudan, ZSK Stickmaschinen, HappyJapan, SWF Embroidery Machines, Ricoma and Kornit Digital. Broad incumbents are Brother International and Epson. ColDesi / DTG Digital Printers is listed as an emerging player.
Does Melco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Melco.
What industry is Melco in?
Melco's product category is Embroidery and Garment Decoration Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOACAC, Printing Operations (Rotary/Flat/Digital/Sublimation), with a secondary code of CRALADAE, Needlepoint & Embroidery Shops. Its NAICS code is 54143 and its SIC code is 3470.