The Customization Group Acquires ORWO Net Out of Insolvency – Industrial Heritage Meets Future Technology

The Customization Group (TCG, Picanova GmbH), one of the world's leading providers of personalised print-on-demand products with brands including MEINFOTO and merchOne, has successfully completed the acquisition of the main assets of ORWO Net GmbH. With the integration of this heritage-rich company, TCG significantly expands its production capacity in Europe and sends a strong signal for growth, job preservation, and technological transformation at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen site.

TCG Commits to Sustainable Transformation of a Historic Site

ORWO Net GmbH, a successor of the historic ORWO brand ("Original Wolfen"), has been a key player in photo products for over a century. Following ORWO Net's filing for insolvency in March 2025, TCG has now acquired all essential assets of the company, secured the continuation of operations at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen production site, and retained the majority of the workforce. Employment relationships not taken over will be terminated within the insolvency process with the utmost social responsibility.

“With ORWO, we gain not only a storied brand name but also a strong team and an excellent production base,” said Philipp Mühlbauer, CEO & Co-Founder of TCG. “Our goal is to develop this site into a European flagship for photo lab products through targeted investment and technological integration.”

New Standards in the Growing Print-On-Demand Market

The global market for photo printing and merchandise is projected to exceed USD 25 billion in 2025, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% through 2035. With the acquisition of ORWO Net, TCG is strategically positioned in this future-oriented market: the group now operates five international production sites with a daily output capacity of over 2.5 million personalized products.

End customers and existing business partners will benefit from an expanded product portfolio and industry-leading quality in paper-based photo products. The successful partnership between ORWO and Rossmann within the "Fotowelt" offering will continue seamlessly, and the online shop orwo.de will remain active.

“We’re excited about this next phase of development, where we can scale ORWO’s photo lab strengths in a targeted way,” emphasized Dr. Björn Schwarzbach, designated site manager. “Production in Bitterfeld-Wolfen will become a cornerstone of TCG’s Europe-wide fulfillment strategy, focusing on quality, delivery speed, and sustainability.”

Strategic Milestone and Growth Driver for TCG

The acquisition of ORWO Net is part of TCG’s M&A-driven platform strategy. By combining industrial print expertise with digital infrastructure and AI-based process automation, the company aims to set new standards in the print-on-demand space.

With this acquisition, TCG reinforces its ambition to remain a global technology leader in mass customization and to continue expanding its market position through technological excellence, sustainable on-demand production, and operational efficiency. The new site and expanded product offering will fuel growth across all three business models: in the D2C segment with end-customer brands like meinfoto.de and ORWO, in the B2B space through merchOne.com with fulfillment services for large clients and resellers, and in B2B2C through integrated white-label solutions for retailers.

About The Customization Group (TCG)

Born from the innovative spirit of Picanova, which began in a modest garage in Cologne in 2006, The Customization Group (TCG) has grown into one of the world’s leading mass customization companies. TCG operates across various business sectors and serves millions of customers globally with tailored solutions powered by innovation and cutting-edge technology. Following the acquisition, the group operates six production sites in the USA and Europe, with a daily capacity of over 2,500,000 custom products shipped to over 170 countries worldwide.

About ORWO Net GmbH

ORWO (“Original Wolfen”) has stood for innovation in photographic and film chemistry for over a century. ORWO Net GmbH was founded in 2002 and became one of Germany’s leading photo service providers. Under TCG’s umbrella, the Bitterfeld-Wolfen site will be developed into a European flagship for photo lab products.