What Relement does

Relement is a Dutch green chemistry company founded mid-2020 as a spin-off from TNO, developing specialty biobased aromatic chemical ingredients from non-food biomass for industrial applications. The company's proprietary furfural-based Diels-Alder platform technology converts agricultural waste streams into performance aromatics that replace fossil-based phthalic anhydride in coatings, adhesives, composites, and polyurethane foams. Its launching product, Bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride), features a uniquely positioned methyl group accessible only from biomass that improves crosslink density, lowers viscosity, and enhances hardness, drying speed, and gloss in coating formulations. The platform supports a future pipeline including Bio HMA and Bio MHHPA ingredients.

Relement serves enterprise B2B customers across the coatings value chain — resin manufacturers, coating formulators, and paint producers — with primary applications in architectural and industrial coatings and secondary applications in ACE equipment coatings, adhesives, composites, and rigid insulation foams. The company operates an asset-light contract manufacturing model through Weylchem-Allessa GmbH in Germany, with first ton-scale industrial production scheduled for late 2025/2026. Technical validation includes a May 2023 pilot plant run at Solvay's Lyon facility (now Syensqo) and concept-product showcases including BIOmotion70 paint with Royal Van Wijhe Verf at 70% biobased content.

Relement's revenue model combines direct sales of bio MPA samples (1-5 kg lab and >25 kg pilot volumes) with multi-year offtake agreements for ton-scale commercial production, supplemented by technical sales support services. The company employs a direct enterprise sales motion led by its CCO and Business Development & Sales Manager, complemented by partnerships with resin manufacturers who integrate bio MPA into their formulations before downstream distribution. Headquartered in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands, Relement operates with a small management team (CEO, CTO, CCO, CFO plus commercial and technical sales staff) and closed a EUR 5.4 million seed round in January 2026 with KIKK Capital, Yield Lab Europe, BOM, TNO Ventures, and Relement Management.

Name

Relement

Legal name

Relement BV

Website

https://relement.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Relement is a Dutch green chemistry company that converts non-food biomass into biobased aromatic chemical ingredients, primarily Bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride), for coatings, adhesives, composites, and polyurethane foam manufacturers seeking renewable replacements for fossil-based phthalic anhydride.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biobased Aromatic Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodegradable Additives & Masterbatches (pro-oxidant-free, bio-based modifiers) (IMAEAOAD)

Keywords

• Biobased aromatic chemicals
• Renewable chemistry ingredients
• Furfural-based chemistry
• Bio-based performance ingredients
• Specialty chemical manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen Op Zoom

HQ country

Netherlands

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. Bio MPA Product Sales: Relement generates revenue through direct sales of their bio-based chemical ingredients, primarily bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride). They offer sample materials (1-5 kg lab samples, >25 kg pilot samples) and ton-scale commercial volumes through offtake agreements.
2. Offtake Agreements: Long-term supply agreements with customers like Worlée Chemie securing fixed volumes of bio MPA for commercial production. This provides revenue visibility as customers commit to purchasing production volumes.
3. Technical Support Services: Relement provides technical sales support and application assistance through their Senior Technical Sales Support Manager to help customers integrate bio MPA into their formulations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Relement BV produces specialty biobased aromatic chemical ingredients, primarily Bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride), made from non-food biomass (furfural) using its proprietary furfural-based Diels-Alder platform technology. These ingredients are sold B2B to resin manufacturers, coating formulators, and industrial coating producers for use in alkyd coatings, adhesives, composite materials, and PUR/PIR rigid insulation foams. Industrial-scale production is delivered via contract manufacturer Weylchem-Allessa GmbH in Germany.

Product overview

Relement is a Dutch renewable chemistry company offering specialty biobased aromatic ingredients for coatings, adhesives, materials, and insulation applications. The core product is Bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride), a launching performance ingredient converted from non-edible biomass via a proprietary furfural-based Diels-Alder platform technology. Bio MPA serves as a drop-in replacement for fossil-based phthalic anhydride, providing improved crosslink density, lower viscosity (reduced VOC), faster drying, enhanced hardness, and superior gloss. Future pipeline includes Bio HMA and Bio MHHPA. End products incorporating Bio MPA include the BIOmotion70 concept paint (developed with Royal Van Wijhe Verf and Worlee Chemie) with 70% biobased content. Applications span alkyd coatings, industrial ACE coatings, and PUR/PIR insulation foams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride) Bio MPA is Relement's launching biobased aromatic performance ingredient, a 3-methylphthalic anhydride converted from non-food biomass via Relement's proprietary furfural-based Diels-Alder platform. Its uniquely positioned methyl group improves crosslink density, lowers viscosity (reducing solvent/VOC), and enhances hardness, drying speed, and gloss in alkyd coating formulations. It functions as a drop-in alternative to fossil-based phthalic anhydride for resin manufacturers, coating formulators, industrial paint producers, and adhesive/composite manufacturers. Sample materials are offered in 1-5 kg lab samples and >25 kg pilot samples, with commercial volumes contracted via offtake agreements.
• BIOmotion70 concept paint BIOmotion70 is a high-gloss exterior paint concept developed collaboratively by Relement, Royal Van Wijhe Verf, and Worlée Chemie that contains 70% biobased content (C14 method) and achieves an 85% reduction in fossil solvent content (only 4% remaining) and a 50% reduction in overall fossil content. Performance matches traditional alkyds in durability testing. It is intended for professional painters, real estate maintenance, and quality-conscious consumers as a sustainability benchmark for bio MPA-based coatings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% reduction in fossil solvent content (from 30% to 4%) in BIOmotion70 paint
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Royal Van Wijhe VerfflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Dutch paint company collaborating with Worlée Chemie and Relement to develop BIOmotion70 concept paint with 70% biobased content. Professional painter field validation conducted. Paint achieves 85% reduction in fossil solvent.
• Weylchem-Allessa GmbHcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2024Contract manufacturing organization contracted to produce bio MPA at industrial scale. First ton-scale production campaign planned for late 2025. Allessa (part of Weylchem Group) provides chemical contract manufacturing expertise ensuring efficient large-scale production while maintaining quality and sustainability standards.
• Worlée ChemiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Leading German chemical company. Formalized offtake agreement securing volumes of bio MPA from Relement's first industrial production launch in 2026. Joint development of alkyd resins with bio MPA over 4+ years. Worlée plans to introduce bio MPA-based alkyd resins to European coating formulators.
• Baril CoatingsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch industrial coatings company. Joint field test with Worlée Chemie created waterborne alkyd coating for ACE (Agricultural, Construction, Earthmoving) applications using bio MPA. Demonstrated dramatically reduced hazardous substances and low VOC emissions.
• Shipcoat B.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in field test collaboration for ACE application coatings. Metal pipes coated for use in Rotterdam marketplace.
• Brassto BVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in field test collaboration for ACE application coatings.
• TNOcoreTechnology or IntegrationTNO is the originating institution of Relement's technology. Relement spun off from TNO in mid-2020 from TNO managed program 'Biorizon' (since 2013). Relement holds exclusively licensed patent families from TNO.
• HOBUM OleochemicalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisplayed biobased composite door panel made with bio MPA at European Coatings Show 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Croda International: Croda is a UK-based specialty chemicals company with a strong bio-based ingredients portfolio serving personal care, coatings, and polymer markets. Broad incumbent competing in sustainable specialty ingredients with overlap in coatings and performance additives end-markets.
• BASF: BASF is the world's largest chemical company with extensive bio-based product lines including biomass-balanced coatings raw materials. Broad incumbent in the same end-markets (coatings, adhesives, performance materials) with significant R&D capacity to compete in bio-based aromatics.
• Syensqo: Syensqo (spun off from Solvay in 2023) is a global specialty chemicals company with broad bio-based aromatics and polymer portfolios. The same company's Lyon pilot plant hosted Relement's pilot run, indicating technology overlap and Syensqo's role as both a potential competitor and a manufacturing partner.
• Covestro: Covestro is a Germany-based polymer materials company with bio-based and recycled content product lines. Broad incumbent serving similar end-markets (coatings, adhesives, polyurethanes) with established customer relationships that could compete with Relement's bio-aromatic offering.

Direct peers

• Anellotech: Anellotech is a US-based company developing bio-based aromatic chemicals (BTX - benzene, toluene, xylene) from non-food biomass via catalytic fast pyrolysis. Direct peer in producing renewable aromatics for downstream chemical and material applications.
• BioBTX: BioBTX is a Netherlands-based company developing bio-based aromatics (BTX) from biomass feedstocks. Direct peer in the renewable aromatics space, sharing Relement's focus on converting non-food biomass into high-value aromatic chemical ingredients.

Emerging players

• Avantium: Avantium is a Netherlands-based renewable chemistry company developing bio-based furanics including FDCA and PEF. Adjacent competitor using different biomass-to-chemical pathways but operating in the same bio-based specialty chemicals space with overlap in furfural-derived chemistries.
• Corbion: Corbion is a Netherlands-based bio-based specialty chemicals company producing lactic acid, algae ingredients, and other bio-based products. Comparable in mission to deliver renewable alternatives to fossil-based chemicals, serving coatings, polymers, and specialty applications.
• Bloom Biorenewables: Bloom Biorenewables is a Swiss company developing bio-based specialty chemicals from plant-based feedstocks using a proprietary technology platform. Comparable emerging player in renewable chemistry with similar focus on sustainable alternatives to fossil-based specialty chemicals.
• Vertoro: Vertoro is a Netherlands-based company developing bio-based chemicals from lignin, a key non-food biomass feedstock. Emerging player in the renewable aromatic ingredients space with similar mission to Relement of converting biomass into high-performance chemical building blocks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/relement

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 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 Relement