Manz AG is a publicly listed German advanced-equipment maker that started in display and solar equipment and has since expanded into battery electrode coating and assembly equipment. ※ Important Correction (updated 2026-09-23): On February 24, 2025, the Stuttgart District Court opened insolvency proceedings against Manz AG, after which its core businesses were sold off separately to multiple buyers. The business-status descriptions below reflect the situation prior to that sale; see the corrections in sections 2, 4, and 6 for the current status (Source: Manz AG official insolvency proceedings page, ess-news.com, 2025-02-28).
1. Company Overview
- Company Name: Manz AG
- Business: Advanced production equipment for battery (electrode coating/assembly), display, and solar (CIGS)
- Overseas sites: Slovakia (Manz Slovakia, 2008), Italy (2014, acquired the machinery division of the former Kemet Electronics Italy), Suzhou, China (plant established 2012), and others
- Founded: 1987 (founder Dieter Manz) / Headquarters: Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany / Listed: 2006 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FWB: M5Z)
- FY2023 revenue EUR 249 million, net loss of EUR 2.4 million, 1,435 employees (per Wikipedia)
2. History and Workforce
The company absorbed Intech Machines, then a leading Taiwanese firm in display wet-chemical process technology, and in 2010 established a vacuum coating technology development center (Manz Coating GmbH) in Karlstein, Germany. In 2012 it established Manz CIGS Technology GmbH in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, and opened a production facility in Suzhou, China. In 2014 it acquired the machinery division of Kemet Electronics Italy (formerly Arcotronics), expanding its battery business and establishing Manz Italy, and in 2015 it acquired KLEO, a laser direct imaging (LDI) specialist, from the ZEISS Group.
The company operates a business portfolio spanning multiple advanced industries including display, solar, and battery. Detailed workforce composition is (undisclosed). However, on February 24, 2025, the Stuttgart District Court opened insolvency proceedings against Manz AG, with attorney Martin Mucha appointed as insolvency administrator. The business was subsequently sold off in pieces: the production facility and assets in Reutlingen, Germany were acquired by Tesla Automation GmbH effective March 1, 2025 (about 300 employees transferred), the Slovak subsidiary (Manz Slovakia s.r.o.) was transferred to Malaysia’s Greatech Technology Berhad effective March 17, 2025 (about 240 employees transferred), and the Asian subsidiary group in China and Taiwan was contracted for a local management buy-out (MBO, led by Robert Lin) on February 28, 2025. The final disposition of the Italian and U.S. subsidiaries is not separately addressed on the official insolvency page, so it is treated as (verification needed) (Source: manz.com/insolvenzverfahren, ess-news.com 2025-02-28).
3. Core Technology and Key Equipment
The company holds a range of precision process technologies, including battery electrode coating and cell assembly equipment, laser direct imaging (LDI), and vacuum coating (for CIGS thin-film solar cells).
- Battery electrode coating and assembly equipment (built on the former Kemet Italy acquisition)
- Laser direct imaging (LDI) equipment (via the KLEO acquisition)
- CIGS thin-film solar cell vacuum coating equipment
- Display wet-chemical process equipment
4. Production Infrastructure and Quality Assurance
The company operates production and technology development sites across multiple countries, including Germany, Slovakia, Italy, and China (Suzhou). Detailed factory floor area and capacity figures are (undisclosed). However, following the 2025 insolvency-related sale, ownership of the Reutlingen site transferred to Tesla Automation GmbH and the Slovakia site transferred to Greatech Technology Berhad. In other words, most of the production sites mentioned in this section no longer belong to Manz AG (Source: manz.com/insolvenzverfahren).
5. Delivery Track Record and Partnerships
The company is reported to supply equipment to customers across multiple industries including display, solar, and battery, though individual customer names are (undisclosed).
6. Financial Status and Roadmap
Although publicly listed, this profile does not arbitrarily present individual revenue or profit figures that have not been confirmed. Manz AG was reported to have entered insolvency proceedings on February 24, 2025, following accumulated financial difficulties including a FY2023 net loss (EUR -2.4 million, per Wikipedia). As a result, the Manz AG legal entity can no longer be considered to independently maintain its former business portfolio, and the business status described in sections 3, 4, and 5 of this profile reflects the period prior to the sale (Source: ess-news.com 2025-02-28; manz.com/insolvenzverfahren).
The company has a history of continuously expanding its technology portfolio through mergers and acquisitions across multiple advanced industries including battery, solar, and display.
This profile was compiled based on publicly available sources including Wikipedia (English). Unverified figures and undisclosed information have not been arbitrarily included.