1st Mould

What 1st Mould does

1st Mould GmbH, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Pirna, Saxony, is a German plastics prototyping and small-series production supplier serving industrial OEMs. Its offering spans the full pre-production chain: CAD-based mould engineering, CNC-manufactured prototype tooling, and injection moulding of plastic parts in lot sizes appropriate for validation and market launch. The technical differentiation sits in specialised moulding processes — two-component (2K), insert, and micro injection moulding — that address parts not easily handled by high-volume moulders.

The company runs an integrated in-house process combining 16 CNC machines and 7 injection moulding machines under one roof, with quality inspection, enabling short lead times for prototypes and rapid iterations on small series. Customers are drawn from four regulated or quality-sensitive verticals — medical technology, electrical engineering, automotive, and appliance technology — and engagement is project-based, with individually quoted tooling and per-part pricing rather than framework subscription contracts.

The business is currently in a professionalization phase: leadership was renewed in 2023–2024 with two new managing directors, ISO 9001 certification was achieved in 2025, and the CrefoZert creditworthiness certificate followed in 2026. Go-to-market combines direct sales with presence at major industry fairs (formnext, Fakuma, MedTecLIVE), a recent bilingual LinkedIn channel, and showcase projects such as the ISEI Leipzig / NASA Moonbuggy collaboration to build reference visibility beyond the Saxony region.

Name

1st Mould

Legal name

1st Mould GmbH

Website

https://1st-mould.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

1st Mould GmbH is a German plastics prototyping and small-series injection moulding supplier based in Pirna, Saxony, serving medical, electrical, automotive, and appliance customers with 2K, insert, and micro moulding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Industrial Mold Manufacturing (333511)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs) (IMANAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Precision & Micro Injection Molding (IMANAFAH), Industrial & Machinery Injection Molded Components (Gears, Wear Parts) (IMANAFAF)

Keywords

• Plastic injection moulding
• Rapid prototyping services
• Pre-series production
• Small series manufacturing
• Micro injection moulding

Headquarters

HQ city

Pirna

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Prototype injection moulding services: The company produces custom plastic prototypes and small series using injection moulding. They offer complete services from design consultation through construction, tooling, injection moulding and quality control. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for custom manufacturing services.
2. Pre-series and small series production: Production of pre-series and small series plastic parts as alternatives to series tooling. Services include bridging tools and backup tools with guaranteed minimum tool stability of 20,000 pieces, often reaching 100,000 parts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

1st Mould GmbH provides custom plastic injection moulding services, producing prototypes, pre-series, and small series parts from original engineering plastics. Services span the full project lifecycle from data transfer and design consulting, through in-house CNC milling, tool and mould making, injection moulding, and documented quality control. Operations are conducted at a single Pirna, Germany facility with 16 CNC machining centers and 7 injection moulding machines.

Product overview

1st Mould is a rapid tooling and injection moulding services provider offering a comprehensive suite of manufacturing services from prototype development through small series production. The core portfolio centers on injection moulding services (Spritzguss) and prototype manufacturing (Prototypen), supported by in-house capabilities including CNC milling (CNC Fräsen), tool and mould making (Werkzeug- und Formenbau), and quality control (Qualitätskontrolle). The company extends its services through specialized modules including 2-component moulding (2K-Spritzguss), insert moulding (Insert-Spritzguss), and micro moulding (Mikro-Spritzguss) for particularly small or complex parts. Additional offerings include pre-series and small series production (Vor- und Kleinserien) using original materials, serving industries including medical technology, electrical engineering, automotive, and appliance technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Tool stability of minimum 20,000 pieces guaranteed, often exceeding 100,000 parts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Space Education Institute (ISEI) LeipzigminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting NASA Moonbuggy competitions. 1st Mould developed and manufactured high-quality plastic parts for gearboxes and non-pneumatic wheel segments (2-component polycarbonate and TPE) for lunar rover vehicles.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Röders GmbH: German manufacturer of high-precision CNC milling machines used for tool and mould making, serving customers across DACH. Adjacent competitor for high-precision mould-making capacity and a regional reference point for technical capabilities similar to 1st Mould's precision positioning.

Broad incumbents

• ENGEL Austria: Leading injection moulding machine manufacturer with in-house customer service offerings including prototype and small-series production via its injectLIVE and similar programs. Competes in adjacent customer relationships across DACH for prototyping and series production contracts.
• ARBURG: Major German injection moulding machine manufacturer that also offers customer-specific production services including prototyping. Acts as both a supplier (1st Mould runs ARBURG Allrounders) and a broader service incumbent competing for prototyping and small-series contracts across Europe.
• Sumitomo (SHI) Demag: Major injection moulding machine manufacturer with strong European presence and prototyping services. Competes for the same DACH customer base as 1st Mould, particularly for technical parts in medical and automotive segments.

Direct peers

• Xometry: Online manufacturing marketplace offering instant quotes for injection moulding, CNC machining, and 3D printing. Competes with 1st Mould for digitally native industrial buyers seeking rapid turnaround, particularly in prototyping and small-batch production.
• Protolabs: Global leader in rapid prototyping and on-demand injection moulding with automated quoting and short lead times. Most direct competitor to 1st Mould's rapid tooling and prototype injection moulding services, though Protolabs operates at vastly greater scale with multiple geographies.

Others

• HASCO Hasenclever Sohn: Leading international supplier of standard mould components, hot runner systems, and sensor technology for injection moulding tooling. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem partner to 1st Mould's mould-making operations rather than a service competitor.
• Meusburger: Austrian manufacturer of standardized mould frames, components, and hot runner systems serving the injection moulding industry. Compares to 1st Mould as an upstream tooling supplier and ecosystem participant rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1st-mould-gmbh/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/1st_mould

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 1st Mould