intelligent fluids GmbH

What intelligent fluids GmbH does

intelligent fluids GmbH is a Leipzig-based DeepTech company founded in 2006 that develops proprietary, environmentally friendly industrial cleaning chemistries designed to replace hazardous solvents such as acetone, NMP, TMAH, and DMSO in high-precision manufacturing processes. Most of the company's products are not classified as hazardous, and the technology is positioned to support 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications underpinning quality and environmental management. Customer outcomes documented in the input include approximately 30% efficiency improvements in technical cleaning (WISAG) and cleaner µm-structure metal lift-off compared with DMSO (AP&S International).

The company operates a three-product portfolio — AEM (Advanced Electronics Manufacturing) for microelectronics, IIC (Industrial and Institutional Cleaning) for sectors such as oil & gas, printing, and maintenance, and B2B2C/white-label solutions for OEM brands — and serves named enterprise customers including Infineon Technologies AG, ams OSRAM, Qualcomm, Philips, Würth, TDK, Tianma, Innolux, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, HKC, Biesterfeld, TELTEC Europa, AP&S International, WISAG, and ProSys. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales with the ProSys channel partnership covering Europe and Asia, and the white-label motion broadens reach into adjacent industries. The semiconductor and microelectronics segment appears to be the primary commercial anchor, with industrial cleaning and OEM white-label serving as diversification lines.

Commercially, intelligent fluids is a privately held German GmbH co-founded and led by Christian Romlein (CEO) and Dirk Schumann (CSO). The company has raised approximately €14.3M cumulatively across six funding rounds from 2006 through May 2023, with a €10M Series B in March 2023 led by US-based WAVE Equity Partners explicitly directed at establishing manufacturing and sales operations in the USA, India, MENA, and Taiwan — marking a transition from a European HQ-anchored specialty chemical company to a globally distributed industrial cleaning supplier.

Name

intelligent fluids GmbH

Legal name

intelligent fluids GmbH

Website

https://intelligent-fluids.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

intelligent fluids GmbH is a German DeepTech company developing proprietary, non-hazardous industrial cleaning chemistry that replaces harmful solvents like NMP and acetone. It serves semiconductor manufacturers, electronics companies, and industrial enterprises across Europe and globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Cleaning Chemistry

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing (3256)

SIC

Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Institutional (I&I) Cleaning Chemicals (IMAEABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Laboratory & Cleanroom Cleaning (IMAIADAD)

Keywords

• Industrial cleaning fluids
• Semiconductor cleaning chemistry
• Sustainable cleaning solutions
• Electronics manufacturing cleaning
• Solvent replacement chemistry

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Cleaning Solutions Sales: Sale of sustainable industrial cleaning fluids to manufacturing enterprises. The company sells directly to industrial customers and through white-label/B2B2C arrangements. Products target sectors including microelectronics, industrial cleaning, and manufacturing maintenance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

intelligent fluids GmbH develops and sells proprietary, sustainable industrial cleaning fluids that combine high cleaning performance with environmental friendliness. The products are designed to replace hazardous solvents such as acetone, NMP, and TMAH in advanced electronics manufacturing, general industrial cleaning, and white-label applications. Most formulations are non-hazardous, certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and supported by direct enterprise sales plus B2B2C/white-label and distribution partnerships.

Product overview

intelligent fluids GmbH is a German DeepTech company that offers a portfolio of sustainable industrial cleaning solutions. The product portfolio consists of three main offerings: AEM (Advanced Electronics Manufacturing) products for microelectronics and electronics cleaning, IIC (Industrial and Institutional Cleaning) products for industrial applications, and B2B2C white-label solutions. The company's technology provides environmentally friendly chemistry products that combine high performance with sustainability, serving as a replacement for harmful aggressive solvents such as acetone, NMP, and TMAH. The company is headquartered in Leipzig, Germany, and has secured €10 million in Series B funding for global expansion including operations in the USA, India, MENA, and Taiwan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AEM (Advanced Electronics Manufacturing) Cleaning Fluids Sustainable, high-performance cleaning fluids designed for precision cleaning and stripping in advanced electronics manufacturing, including microelectronics and general electronics production. Sold to semiconductor fabs, display makers, and electronics OEMs seeking replacements for hazardous solvents such as NMP, acetone, TMAH, and DMSO.
• IIC (Industrial and Institutional Cleaning) Fluids Sustainable cleaning fluids for industrial and institutional cleaning processes, including oil and gas, printing, maintenance, and general industrial services. Designed for industrial maintenance providers and operators that need EHS-compliant replacements for traditional aggressive solvents.
• B2B2C and White-Label Cleaning Solutions B2B2C and white-label delivery of sustainable, high-performance cleaning fluids for companies that want to offer their own branded environmentally friendly cleaning products to their customers across various industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 30% efficiency improvement in technical cleaning operations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ProSyscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Europe and Asia markets, selling intelligent fluids' products including revolutionary EHS-compliant replacements for NMP, acetone, and other solvents for stripping and metal lift-off applications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KYZEN Corporation: KYZEN is a global specialty chemicals company that formulates precision cleaning chemistries for electronics and semiconductor manufacturing. It directly competes with intelligent fluids in aqueous and semi-aqueous cleaning fluids replacing solvents like NMP and acetone in advanced electronics cleaning (AEM).
• Zestron: Zestron (a division of Dr. O.K. Wack Chemie) develops cleaning agents for electronics manufacturing, including solvent replacements for PCB and semiconductor applications. It directly competes in the precision cleaning chemistry market that intelligent fluids targets with its AEM product line.
• Atotech (MKS Instruments): Atotech, now part of MKS Instruments, provides specialty chemistry for surface finishing, including cleaning and stripping chemistries used in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing. It competes directly with intelligent fluids' stripping and metal lift-off chemistries used by semiconductor and display manufacturers.
• Diversey (Solenis): Diversey, now part of Solenis, is a global provider of industrial and institutional cleaning and hygiene solutions. It directly competes with intelligent fluids' IIC (Industrial and Institutional Cleaning) segment across maintenance, manufacturing, and service-sector cleaning customers.

Broad incumbents

• Entegris: Entegris is a major US-listed supplier of specialty materials and fluids for semiconductor manufacturing, including cleaning chemistries and CMP slurries. As a large incumbent in semiconductor materials, it serves overlapping semiconductor cleaning customers though its portfolio extends well beyond intelligent fluids' chemistry focus.
• DuPont Electronics & Industrial: DuPont's Electronics & Industrial segment supplies specialty materials including cleaning chemistries and photoresist strippers to semiconductor and display customers. As a broad incumbent, it serves many of the same enterprise customers intelligent fluids targets but across a much wider materials portfolio.
• BASF: BASF is one of the world's largest chemical companies and supplies industrial cleaning, surface treatment, and process chemistries across many of the same end markets intelligent fluids serves. As a broad incumbent, it competes on scale, distribution, and incumbency in industrial cleaning chemistries.
• Merck KGaA (Performance Materials): Merck KGaA's Performance Materials and Electronics businesses (formerly Versum Materials) supply semiconductor materials including cleaning and stripping chemistries. As a broad incumbent, it overlaps with intelligent fluids' AEM portfolio at major semiconductor manufacturers.
• Element Solutions Inc: Element Solutions operates specialty chemical platforms including MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions, which supplies chemistries for electronics and surface finishing. It competes with intelligent fluids in semiconductor and electronics cleaning chemistries as part of a broader specialty chemicals portfolio.

Emerging players

• Avantor: Avantor supplies specialty chemicals and materials for semiconductor, electronics, and life science customers, including cleaning chemistries and process materials. It has meaningful overlap with intelligent fluids in advanced electronics cleaning while serving a much broader customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ScmSmartchem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intelligentfluids

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about intelligent fluids GmbH