Hidden Champion #8 – GKD Group

This time, our “hidden champion” isn’t a startup, but a family-owned business that’s over 100 years old. Founded in 1925 as a small wire weaving mill, GKD now employs more than 800 people, operates six production sites on four continents, and generated revenue of 126 million euros in 2025. A technological leader and virtually invisible outside its markets—a textbook example of a “hidden champion.”

Wind and solar power do not reliably provide energy exactly when we need it. Power-to-gas technology makes it possible to store excess electricity: an electrolyzer converts it into hydrogen. This hydrogen can be used directly or further processed with CO₂ to produce synthetic methane—a gas that can be stored long-term, transported, and utilized via existing infrastructure. At the beginning of this chain is a component that hardly anyone sees: a high-precision metal mesh.

GKD manufactures technical fabrics that are used in electrolyzers as electrode material, current distributors, spacers, and contact media. They distribute current, dissipate gases, and withstand aggressive chemical conditions. Mesh size, surface properties, conductivity, and porosity must interact precisely. In tests conducted by the company, a nickel-coated TELA fabric increased efficiency by up to 25 percent compared to other coated substrate materials. Approximately 1,000 square meters of electrode material are required for five megawatts of electrolysis capacity, and about 200,000 square meters for one gigawatt.

GKD collaborates with leading electrolyzer manufacturers. The focus is on alkaline electrolysis; the fabrics are also used in AEM and high-temperature electrolyzers. Rather than starting from scratch, GKD is applying a century of material expertise to a new industry.

Nickel plays a central role in alkaline electrolysis. PEM electrolysers require, among other materials, titanium, platinum, and iridium. High-temperature electrolyzers often contain yttrium and zirconium; GKD fabrics made of nickel alloys serve as current distributors and contact media in these systems. The same applies to power-to-gas: The technology is new, and it relies on commodities whose availability is by no means guaranteed.

For over 100 years, GKD has been weaving metal—today for systems that convert electricity into storable gas. The grand promises of the energy transition sometimes begin with surprisingly small meshes.