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The VELUX Group
Velux makes roof windows and skylights that let light and fresh air into homes through the roof.
Velux makes the windows that go in roofs. If you have ever been in a house with a slanted ceiling and a window you crank open to let in air, or a skylight that brightens a dark upstairs room, there is a good chance Velux made it. The company is the world's best-known maker of roof windows and skylights, and it sells them to homeowners, builders, and contractors, mostly in Europe but increasingly around the world.
The business is simple at its core: Velux designs and manufactures the window, sells it through building-supply dealers and installers, and then makes money again on the extras that go with it. That means blinds, remote-control openers, insect screens, and sun tunnels that pipe daylight into rooms with no window at all. A roof window is fiddly to install and easy to get wrong, so customers lean on the brand that has been doing it for decades and comes with a warranty and a local installer network. Competitors exist, including big building-products players like Fakro (private) in Poland and various regional makers, but Velux's scale and reputation give it an edge in the premium end of the market. The company is owned by the Villum Foundation and the Kann Rasmussen family, both rooted in Denmark, where Velux is headquartered. That ownership structure matters: profits largely flow back into the foundation's charitable work and into the company itself, rather than to public shareholders. Velux has used that money to expand into related areas — flat-roof windows, smart-home controls, and even modular skylights for commercial buildings — while pushing its "Active House" pitch that good daylight and ventilation make healthier homes. The company has also invested heavily in energy-efficient glass and in solar-powered blinds that run without wiring, which fits its marketing story that a window should save energy, not waste it. One wrinkle worth knowing is that Velux is genuinely exposed to the housing market. When people renovate or build, they buy roof windows; when rates rise and construction slows, demand softens. The company also faces pressure from cheaper rivals in Eastern Europe and from the long, slow shift toward tighter building codes that demand better insulation. Still, it has a rare thing in building products: a name homeowners actually recognize and ask for by name, which is why installers keep stocking it.
A fun bit of history explains the brand. The company was founded in 1941 by Villum Kann Rasmussen, an engineer who wanted to bring more daylight into Danish homes during a time of rationing and dark winters. He started with roof windows for farms and gradually built a business around the idea that a window in the roof could transform a cramped attic into a bright, usable room. That single insight — that light from above changes how a space feels — is still the pitch today, and it is why the brand shows up in home-improvement shows and renovation videos far more often than its revenue would suggest.
Saved answer · last researched 10 Nov 2026