Miele takes over Otto Wilde

The Miele Group acquires over 70 percent of the start-up Otto Wilde. An expanded portfolio and expansion are planned for the future.

Germans hold barbecuing sacred, as the start-up Otto Wilde knows: it has been offering barbecuing appliances for six years and is named after its founder of the same name. The Miele Group has now acquired 75.1 percent of the Düsseldorf-based start-up.

"With its outstanding technical expertise in the field of premium built-in appliances for the kitchen, Miele can make important contributions to the expansion of our portfolio," says Nils Wilde, one of the managing directors of Otto Wilde and son of the founder. The start-up and its 30 employees will be taken over. Last year, Otto Wilde delivered orders in the double-digit millions, according to Start-up scene. In June, the start-up raised 4.5 million euros in a crowdfunding campaign.

There were other parties interested in investing alongside Miele. But Otto Wilde opted for the Gütersloh-based company, which has big plans for the collaboration: "We are looking forward to getting started and putting our joint innovation and growth plans into practice," says Gernot Trettenbrein. He works for the newly launched New Growth Factory, which identifies new growth areas for Miele outside of its core business. In February 2021, for example, Miele acquired 50 percent of the recipe app Kptncook.

The aim of the collaboration is to expand the product range and expand into other countries.