DACH+HOLZ 2026: 30 start-ups solving problems on the construction site

At DACH+HOLZ Stuttgart 2024 we saw robots cutting beams with millimeter precision. At Cologne 2026 I'll see a carpenter putting on a mountain bike show in the hall and others writing the story of their trade on leather. Something has definitely changed between the two editions.

What it was like in Stuttgart in 2024

Two years ago DACH+HOLZ surprised me. I spent days in the halls in Stuttgart noticing things I couldn't find in the technical specifications. I talked to Weinmann's Stefan Bockel on utilije building entire houses in the factory, I saw Hundegger compact robot working live, I understand from specialists how to restore wood attacked by fungi and insects.

Each hall had its own theme. We focused on those dedicated to timber construction. We also discussed with Pietro Gheller on SCM systems for precision industrial machining, but also with Wolfgang Schafitel on the craftsmanship of German tradition, on how to become a master carpenter in Germany - a process that takes several years, with rigorous theoretical and practical exams.

What impressed me then was not just the machines, but the conversations. People who have been doing their jobs for decades explaining to you why a certain technical solution works or doesn't work in reality, beyond what it says in the catalog. And that's also when we announced the partnership between Essetre and Weinig.

What organizers announce for 2026

Holzbau Deutschland (Association of German Carpenters) and ZVDH (Central Association of German Roofers) are changing the formula. Instead of classic stands with leaflets, they are creating three interactive workspaces and dedicating an entire area for 30 start-up companies.

Robert Schuster, from the organizers, says: “The roofing and timber construction industry is well positioned and the expectation for a real meeting is huge. We create spaces for innovation, exchange and business, but also for the experiences and emotions that make the trade unique.”

Future Workspace (Hall 6) concentrates lectures, demonstrations and debates on sustainability, AI, digitalization, human resources. Daily program developed with exhibitors. In the evening, the same space becomes a networking area with music and drinks. On February 26 the “Start-up & Innovation Award” will be presented here.

Retention Roof Workspace (Hall 8) addresses water retention, green roofs, urban climate. Forum with specialized presentations, practical examples, discussion areas. A central place for carpenters and builders working on sustainable system solutions.

Plumbing Trade Workspace - The Würzburg School of Carpenters runs a living workshop. Modern craftsmanship and restoration techniques demonstrated in real time in an authentic working environment with machine and material sponsorships.

On the outdoor grounds, Florian Hemmersbach from Cologne is creating an open community area - “We want to show everyone how cool the job is” - a modern space for exchanging ideas, employer branding, live content.

Start-ups that speak the language of craftspeople

The start-up zone brings 30 businesses to Hall 9. They don't come with gadgets, but solutions to real problems. The jury will judge the projects on February 26 for the innovation prize.

Handly - founded by Bastian Mayer, a carpenter who runs a roofing company in Berlin. His father could have taken over the company where he'd apprenticed, but gave up because of administrative business processes, not a lack of technical competence. That inspired Mayer to create a complete outsourced service: sales, marketing, customer finding and employee recruitment, administrative tasks, office automation and digitization. The company remains 100% in the owner's hands.

“We support independent carpenters as shadow partners,” they explain. “We develop software with AI for everything - from calculating bids to subcontractor statements. Owners can focus on their real construction and business management expertise.”

Opportunity: if you run a small business and bureaucracy is choking you, you can talk to Mayer directly about his model. See how it works in practice, how much it costs, what processes can be automated.

LeiKoSi - ladder safety system developed by Udo Heyl, a carpenter specializing in roofing, after falling twice. He looked at all the systems on the market and none satisfied him. “It's absurd that a safety system forces you to climb the ladder first to secure it.”

His solution: a ladder-top safety device that mounts in seconds and hooks onto the gutter, flat roof flashing or parapet before you climb up. When the ladder needs to be moved, you simply push it to the ground without undoing the device. Authorized DGUV (German accident insurance label).

Opportunity: if you work on roofs, you can test the system at the fair and talk to Heyl about specific configurations for the types of buildings you have in your projects.

GREIF (ILS-tech) - Automatic hook for lifting prefabricated components. Closing and opening mechanism that allows the load to be released without employees being in the danger zone. Opens by a rope pulled from a safe distance. Fully independent mechanical solution, secures independently with specified load capacity.

Opportunity: for construction sites or workshops where you work with prefabricated components at height, see live demonstrations and calculate safety and time savings.

Roofing membrane grabber (Körner+Körner) - Ludger Körner, a carpenter with more than 70 years of family tradition in the Bonn-based company, was renovating flat roofs and wondered why he had to cut bitumen membranes into small pieces for the exhaust. Lost time, many people, many cuts.

His device can be lifted by crane and removes membranes directly from the roof in sizes from 150 x 300 up to 600 cm. On 100-120 sq.m you save up to ten hours with only two employees. Made of CE-marked hot-dip galvanized steel, it debuts at DACH+HOLZ 2026.

Opportunity: see the device in operation, calculate time savings for your specific projects, discuss compatibility with the crane you use.

Fixpod (Sascha Müller, Switzerland) - patented connecting element for the transition of plumbing pipes between prefabricated wooden elements without the need for revisions. The funnel shape allows easy pulling of cables and compensates for tolerances up to eight millimeters.

As an expert in timber construction, Müller has developed this “quick-sleeve” (fix-pod) compatible with all standard electrical installation pipes. Assembles without tools, can be recycled after use. Process and cost optimization of approx. 80% over the entire flow.

Opportunity: if you work with prefab, see how it works in combination with your current systems, understand the limitations and integration possibilities.

Businesses rewriting processes

X-fix wood connector GmbH (Austria) - the Schilcher family, a four-generation company. Josef Schilcher invented a wood-wood connection system based on the double swallowtail. Zero metal elements. You insert two tapered wooden elements into the already prepared spaces, tap them with a rubber mallet, the geometry of the connectors pulls the components together by itself.

We spoke to Markus Schilcher (son of Josef) at BAU München 2025. “On the construction site you only need a hammer. No screws. The structure can be completely disassembled and reused. The high degree of prefabrication and ease of use saves up to 301TPTP3T of assembly time and reduces tool and material costs.”

New processing technology ensures the structure can be dismantled and recycled - important for the circular economy.

Opportunity: see live demonstrations, talk to Markus about specific projects where traditional techniques are made economically relevant by modern technology.

Stexon - Precise prefabrication process from the hall straight to the construction site. Fast connection technology combined with digital workflow: precise measurement and assembly technology. Important addition: easy-to-use outriggers that allow prefabricated components to be moved with millimetric precision and safety.

The range now comprises twelve different connectors, with solutions for every typical application - from panelized and CLT construction to multi-storey residential construction. New connectors, approved from January 2026, will be showcased at the fair.

Opportunity: see the entire digital workflow at work - from measuring to lifting - and understand how it integrates into your current prefabrication processes.

Wacker Bauprodukte - Ultra-light aluminum loading beams for lifting prefabricated wooden walls and modules. Ideal for modern construction sites where two or four fixing points need to be distributed over a given length and width. Cross beams adjust to different lengths. The required width unfolds automatically under load.

Significantly lower weight compared to steel or H-beams. Precise, reliable and sustainable for positioning and connecting prefabricated timber construction elements. Combines perfectly with Stexon outriggers.

Opportunity: compare weights and configurations with the equipment you use now, calculate savings in effort and time.

Dachmusketier - Four generations of the Schuchardt family involved in roofing have generated a completely new approach. Specialized carpenters advising other carpenters from A to Z in a cooperative team.

Life on the construction site has changed: more documentation, more coordination, more clerical work, more digital demands - and at the same time less and less time. Dachmusketier focuses on a practical system that combines digital work processes with authentic craftsmen's experience.

Their specialized platform concentrates work processes, videos, checklists, expert knowledge and experience so they can be used directly on the job site or in the office. Help where it's needed most: bids, contracts, customer queries, quotes, documentation, administrative work that otherwise goes undone.

At the same time a new community is being formed where carpenters support each other. The system is being presented for the first time at DACH+HOLZ 2026.

Opportunity: see the platform working, talk to them about integration into your specific workflow, understand which processes can be moved into the system.

New materials and products

SWISS KRONO - MAGNUMBOARD® OSB classified REI 60-M. Proof for safe timber construction in building class 4. A milestone for multi-storey timber construction - the fire resistance standard required for large projects.

Also features MAGNUMBOARD® OSB // Evolution now approved for direct coating. Direct sheathing instead of additional cladding - drywall panels become unnecessary. Thinner wall structures, less effort, complete design freedom. New efficiency in timber construction.

Deutsche Rockwool - Woodrock Protect façade insulation panel. Maximum fire protection for timber construction. Mineral wool specially developed for timber construction, combines reliable protection with energy savings and perceptible healthy living.

Aluthermo - Roofreflex, the smart solution for energy efficient renovation. Energy efficient renovation without changing the roof structure. How the energy performance requirements can be met quickly and efficiently without changing the roof structure: 14 cm of insulation between the shingles and Aluthermo Roofreflex as an insulating basement membrane.

AGEPAN/Sonae Arauco - DWD fire X, fire protection panel for ventilated wall constructions. Fire protection meets sustainability: the first fire-retardant MDF - lightweight, environmentally friendly, efficient, ideal for modern timber construction.

Holzwerke van Roje - CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber) stairs. Robust, flexible, aesthetically refined. Cross-laminated timber stairs offer maximum stability during construction and transform into a high-quality interior staircase. Individually customizable, sustainable, finishable in any design - a modern solution for any project.

FHS Holzbau - CLT elements with exclusive surface finishes in many premium species: silver fir, larch, oak, stone pine, stone pine, Canadian maple, American walnut. Also available with integrated hydronic heating in the ceiling and/or built-in electric channels.

FHS Treppen - CLT stairs now also available with pre-assembled steel beams and handrails. Prefabricated cross laminated timber (wood instead of concrete) staircases are now offered with factory-assembled steel beams and handrails, including steel panel handrails. FHS stairs in steel, stainless steel, glass and all material combinations.

Mass Timber Solutions GmbH - partner for timber construction and joinery. “We love wood. And we want to contribute to its much wider use in construction than is the case today. Our vision: to make access to and planning with this building material as easy as possible for everyone.”

Weinig Vertrieb und Service - solutions for processing solid wood and wood-based materials. The Weinig Group is a globally recognized leading manufacturer of advanced machines and systems for the efficient processing of solid wood and wood-based panels.

What the fair looks like

Cologne Exhibition Center, February 24-27, 2026.

Hall 9 becomes the center for questions about the future: How can work processes be streamlined? How can roofing companies simplify administration and organization? What solutions increase safety on the construction site? Founders and innovative companies offer answers - from digital tools and connection technologies to safety solutions.

Outside, the open community area created by Florian Hemmersbach - a modern meeting place for exchange, employer branding and live content.

In Hall 8, booth 531, Niels Gehrke - specialized carpenter and mountain bike enthusiast - will present a spectacular daily freestyle show with jumps and tricks. He will sign autographs after the show. “Your Industry Tattoo” - collaboration with local tattoo artist Dennis. Visitors can get small tattoos representing the industry, selected by associations and exhibitors.

Promoting young talent is in the spotlight. At the Holzbau Deutschland stand (Hall 9, Stand 9.417), the three competence centers will present their educational programs. The highlight for visitors: the public training session of the German National Carpenters' Team at Stand 9.312 - insights into precision, endurance and teamwork under competitive conditions. The German National Roofing Team can also be seen live at work.

The program is complemented by the campaign “Dachdecker Dein Beruf” (Roofs - Your Job) for young people, with interactive VR experiences offering interesting perspectives from the roofs of Cologne Cathedral. Also: racing area with real racing simulators and fun activities like table tennis.

The event program starts with the opening ceremony. International Tuesday on February 24, the Associations evening on February 25, the reception for the Dachdeckermädelz (covering girls) on February 27.

Why Cologne in February

The 30-strong start-up zone in Hall 9 shows that the industry doesn't wait for solutions from tech giants or consultants, but creates them itself, from first-hand experience on the construction site.

I'm not sure if mountain bike shows or industry tattoos will attract young people into the trade. But it's clear that someone is trying something other than the usual “noble craft” and “centuries-old tradition” talk.

If you go to DACH+HOLZ just to see cars, you're probably missing half the event. If you go for conversations about real problems, field-tested solutions, new ideas that come from first-hand experience - then it's worth every hour you spend in Cologne.

DACH+HOLZ International 2026 // February 24-27 // Cologne Exhibition Center // // www.dach-holz.de