Azelis
Azelis is a Belgian-listed global specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor connecting 2,800+ principals with 65,000+ customers across 64 countries via 70+ application laboratories, generating EUR 4.1bn in FY2025 revenue across Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals verticals.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Azelis does
Azelis is a Belgian-headquartered, Euronext Brussels-listed (ticker AZE) specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor operating as an innovation service provider. The company connects more than 2,800 principals (manufacturers) with 65,000+ customers across 64 countries, organized around two divisions — Life Sciences (Animal Nutrition, Flavours & Fragrances, Nutraceuticals, Food & Nutrition, Home Care & Industrial Cleaning, Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Agricultural & Environmental Solutions) and Industrial Chemicals (CASE, Electronics, Essential Chemicals, Fine Chemicals, Lubricants & Metalworking Fluids, Oilfield, Advanced Materials & Additives, Textiles/Leather/Paper). Revenue is generated through transaction-fee distribution, with FY2025 revenue of EUR 4.1 billion (Life Sciences EUR 2.6bn; Industrial Chemicals EUR 1.5bn).
The company's core differentiator is its network of 70+ application laboratories, each dedicated to a single market segment, which provide formulation development, product testing, REACH and regulatory compliance support, and sampling services. Azelis supplements this physical infrastructure with a digital Customer Portal (Explore.Azelis.com) providing 24/7 access to formulations, technical documentation, ordering, and sample requests. The technology stack is operational rather than AI-native — no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or developer platforms are disclosed.
The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales teams, regional managing directors, application-laboratory-led technical selling, and self-serve portal access for the long tail. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Growth is driven by a sustained programmatic M&A engine (four acquisitions completed in 2025 alone, adding EUR 110M+ in combined prior-year revenue) and by principal mandate wins across geographies. The company holds leadership-tier ESG credentials (CDP A-, EcoVadis Gold, MSCI AA, Sustainalytics Low Risk, SBTi-approved targets) and operates under its Impact 2030 sustainability programme. EQT VIII completed full exit in February 2026 after a seven-year hold, and the company refinanced EUR 400M of senior notes at 4.125% due 2031 in the same month. Leverage stood at 3.3x with EUR 442M free cash flow and 106% cash conversion for FY2025.
Azelis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Azelis
- Legal name
- Azelis Corporate Services NV/SA
- Website
- https://azelis.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Azelis is a Belgian-listed global specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor connecting 2,800+ principals with 65,000+ customers across 64 countries via 70+ application laboratories, generating EUR 4.1bn in FY2025 revenue across Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Azelis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Chemicals and Food Ingredients Distribution
- NAICS
- Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (42469), Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (3259)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Ingredients, Additives & Industrial Food Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Food-Grade Chemicals & Processing Aids Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAJ), Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO), Ingredients, Spices & Culinary Supplies Distribution (CRAOABAK)
Keywords
Where Azelis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Azelis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Specialty Chemicals Distribution: Azelis distributes specialty chemicals across multiple industrial segments including CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers), electronics, essential chemicals, fine chemicals, lubricants, oilfield, and advanced materials. The company operates as an intermediary between global principals and local manufacturers.
- Food Ingredients Distribution: Distribution of food ingredients and nutraceuticals to food and nutrition manufacturers, leveraging an extensive product range and customer relationships built over decades.
- Life Sciences Distribution: Distribution of ingredients and solutions across pharmaceutical, healthcare, personal care, flavors, fragrances, animal nutrition, and agricultural sectors.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Azelis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Azelis distributes specialty chemicals and food ingredients sourced from 2,800+ global principals to 65,000+ industrial customers across 64 countries, organized into Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals divisions covering 15 market segments. The company complements distribution with 70+ application laboratories providing custom formulation, product testing, and regulatory compliance support, and operates the Explore.Azelis.com digital customer portal for 24/7 ordering and technical documentation access.
Product overview
Azelis is a global specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor operating as an innovation service provider. The company distributes products across 15 markets organized into two divisions: Life Sciences (Animal Nutrition, Flavours & Fragrances, Nutraceuticals, Food & Nutrition, Home Care & Industrial Cleaning, Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Agricultural & Environmental Solutions) and Industrial Chemicals (CASE, Electronics, Essential Chemicals, Fine Chemicals, Lubricants & Metalworking Fluids, Oilfield, Other Applications, Advanced Materials & Additives, Textiles, Leather & Paper). Azelis operates as a platform combining product distribution with over 70 application laboratories offering formulation development, testing, and regulatory compliance services. The company also maintains a digital Customer Portal (Explore.Azelis.com) enabling 24/7 ordering, sample requests, and product documentation access. Recent acquisitions include ACEF (Italy), Solchem Nature (Spain), S. Amit Group (India), Distona (Switzerland), CPS Chemicals (South Africa), and Hortimex (Poland), expanding geographic footprint and market capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Life Sciences: Market segment including Animal Nutrition, Flavours & Fragrances, Nutraceuticals, Food & Nutrition, Home Care & Industrial Cleaning, Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, and Agricultural & Environmental Solutions
- Industrial Chemicals
- Impact 2030
- Azelis Customer Portal
Products and services
- Specialty Chemicals Distribution Distribution of specialty chemicals across 15 markets including CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, Elastomers), Electronics, Essential Chemicals, Fine Chemicals, Lubricants & Metalworking Fluids, Oilfield, Advanced Materials & Additives, and Textiles, Leather & Paper, serving industrial manufacturers from 2,800+ global principals.
- Food Ingredients Distribution Distribution of food ingredients and nutrition products to food and beverage manufacturers across the Food & Nutrition, Nutraceuticals, Flavours & Fragrances, and Animal Nutrition segments.
- Life Sciences Distribution Distribution of specialty ingredients across Animal Nutrition, Flavours & Fragrances, Nutraceuticals, Food & Nutrition, Home Care & Industrial Cleaning, Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, and Agricultural & Environmental Solutions markets.
- Application Laboratory Services Over 70 application laboratories worldwide, each dedicated to a single market segment, developing custom formulations, conducting product testing, and providing regulatory compliance support for industrial customers.
- Azelis Customer Portal (Explore.Azelis.com) Digital platform providing 24/7 access to trends, formulations, product documentation, sample ordering, quote requests, and reordering for registered Azelis customers.
- International Supply Chain Services Global logistics and supply chain management services enabling international distribution of specialty chemicals and food ingredients across 64 countries.
- Sampling and Evaluation Services Technical sampling and product evaluation services enabling customers to test and assess specialty chemical and food ingredient products before purchase.
- REACH Compliance Management Regulatory compliance services helping customers navigate REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) requirements in Europe.
- Portfolio Sustainability Assessment Assessment service segmenting Azelis's product portfolio on sustainability criteria, supporting customers requiring reformulations to meet sustainability standards.
Quantifiable outcome
- Revenue of EUR 4.1bn in 2025 across 64 countries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Azelis
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments16 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Azelis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Azelis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Chemetall (BASF)coreAzelis and Chemetall (surface treatment global business unit of BASF) expanded their distribution partnership across North America, covering the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Azelis distributes Chemetall's surface treatment solutions for general industrial applications. The partnership provides customers with 24/7 access to technical documentation, ordering, and sample requests through Azelis's digital platforms.
- Lactalis Ingredients PharmacoreAzelis entered a new distribution partnership with Lactalis for the Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare market in India. Azelis will distribute the Lactalpha pharmaceutical lactose range across India, strengthening its portfolio for oral solid dosage formulations. The Lactalpha range includes milled and sieved low-nitrite lactose suitable for wet and dry granulation, compliant with Ph. Eur., USP-NF, and JP standards.
- ArxadacoreAzelis expanded its partnership with Arxada to distribute their portfolio of industrial biocides and coating additives in France. The agreement extends the existing collaboration into industrial market segments, covering CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants and Elastomers) and Chemicals. The partnership builds on successful collaboration across DACH, Benelux, UK and Ireland, Greece, and Ukraine.
- Chemetall CanadacoreAzelis expanded its distribution partnership with Chemetall to cover surface treatment technologies for general industrial applications across Canada, effective April 1, 2026. The collaboration leverages Azelis's digital platforms to provide customers with 24/7 access to product documentation, safety information, ordering, and sample requests.
- Chemetall Southeast AsiacoreAzelis and Chemetall extended their distribution partnership to include Thailand and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, for surface treatment solutions across Southeast Asia. Azelis will distribute Chemetall's solutions and supply aerospace technologies in the Philippines, while Chemetall plans to open a new application laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City.
- NATARAminorVigon International, an Azelis company, partnered with NATARA to offer customers high-quality sustainable flavor and fragrance ingredients. This partnership focuses on sustainable ingredients for the flavors and fragrances market.
- Ashapura AromascoreAzelis acquired a majority stake in Ashapura Aromas, an Indian flavors and fragrances distributor, to expand its platform in Asia Pacific. The acquisition aimed to strengthen Azelis's global F&F network and regional offerings.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Azelis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brenntag: Brenntag is the world's largest chemicals distributor and the closest direct competitor to Azelis, operating a similar specialty/life sciences and industrial chemicals distribution model across global markets with value-added services.
- IMCD: IMCD is a leading global specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor with a similar high-touch, application-focused model. It competes head-to-head with Azelis in Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals segments across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific.
- Univar Solutions: Univar Solutions is a major North American specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor with overlapping portfolios in CASE, food ingredients, and personal care — directly comparable to Azelis's Industrial Chemicals and Life Sciences segments.
- Barentz: Barentz is a European-headquartered specialty ingredients distributor focused on food, nutrition, and personal care. It is a direct peer in Azelis's Life Sciences segments and competes for principal mandates and customer accounts in overlapping regions.
- HELM AG: HELM is a privately held Hamburg-based chemicals and crop protection distributor with global reach, comparable to Azelis in industrial chemicals, fertilizers, and life sciences distribution models.
- Biesterfeld: Biesterfeld is a European specialty chemicals distributor with focused portfolios in industrial chemicals, personal care, and food — directly comparable to Azelis's mid-market specialty distribution activities.
- ICC Chemical: ICC Chemical is a privately held global specialty chemicals distributor, comparable to Azelis in industrial and specialty chemical distribution, particularly in emerging markets.
- TER Group: TER Group is a privately held European specialty chemicals distributor with strong positions in food, personal care, and CASE, comparable to Azelis's specialty life sciences and industrial chemicals business.
- Manuchar: Manuchar is a privately held global chemicals distribution and trading company with strong emerging-market presence, comparable to Azelis's Africa and Asia-Pacific distribution footprint.
Regional players
- DKSH Holding: DKSH is a market expansion services company with significant specialty chemicals and food ingredients distribution in Asia-Pacific — comparable to Azelis's APAC business built through Vigon, Ashapura, and S. Amit acquisitions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Azelis social profiles
Digital presenceAzelis compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
Azelis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Azelis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Azelis subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries12 records
Azelis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Azelis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A19 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Azelis
What does Azelis do?
Azelis distributes specialty chemicals and food ingredients sourced from 2,800+ global principals to 65,000+ industrial customers across 64 countries, organized into Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals divisions covering 15 market segments. The company complements distribution with 70+ application laboratories providing custom formulation, product testing, and regulatory compliance support, and operates the Explore.Azelis.com digital customer portal for 24/7 ordering and technical documentation access.
Is Azelis a public or private company?
Azelis is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Azelis founded?
Azelis was founded in 2018. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Azelis based?
Azelis is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Azelis make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Specialty Chemicals Distribution is the primary driver. The others are food Ingredients Distribution and life Sciences Distribution.
Who are Azelis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brenntag, IMCD, Univar Solutions, Barentz, HELM AG, Biesterfeld, ICC Chemical, TER Group and Manuchar. DKSH Holding is listed as a regional player.
Does Azelis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Azelis.
What industry is Azelis in?
Azelis's product category is Specialty Chemicals and Food Ingredients Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAAAL, Food Ingredients, Additives & Industrial Food Wholesale Distribution, with a secondary code of AFAIAKAJ, Food-Grade Chemicals & Processing Aids Trading/Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 4246 and its SIC code is 5160.