Vorwerk

What they do

Vorwerk makes and sells the Thermomix multifunctional kitchen appliance and the Kobold range of vacuum and floor cleaners, sold as Bimby and Folletto in Italy. It also owns akf bank, which finances medium-sized companies, and invests in start-ups through Vorwerk Ventures. Carl and Adolf Vorwerk founded the business in 1883 as a carpet factory in Wuppertal, where it is still based.

Why it matters

Vorwerk's distinctive feature is how it sells. Rather than relying on shops, it uses a large network of independent advisers who demonstrate products in customers' homes, a model that has drawn comparisons with multilevel marketing. The approach made the Kobold vacuum cleaner a fixture of German households from the 1930s onward and turned the Thermomix, first sold as the VM 2000 in 1971, into a global phenomenon. With guided cooking on a touchscreen and an online recipe platform, the Thermomix became one of the earliest mass-market connected kitchen devices.

Products to know

• Thermomix: the heating food processor; the TM7 followed the TM6 in 2025.
• Kobold: vacuum cleaners, robot cleaners and floor care.
• akf bank: financing for small and mid-sized businesses.

The German angle

Wuppertal was once one of Germany's great textile towns, and Vorwerk's shift from carpets to appliances mirrors the industrial transformation of the Bergisches Land. The company has stayed in family hands for more than 140 years and the Thermomix is its largest source of revenue. It is an example of a German firm whose competitive edge lies as much in its sales system and customer loyalty as in its engineering.