Ketjen

What Ketjen does

Ketjen is a Houston-headquartered provider of advanced refining catalysts and the related technical services that help petroleum refineries convert crude and renewable feedstocks into high-value transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks. Its portfolio is organized around three solution families: Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalysts and additives (including Max Gasoline, Max Propylene, Max Butylene, Max LCO, bottoms cracking, co-processing, and feed-contamination grades); Clean Fuels Technology / Hydroprocessing catalysts (naphtha, kerosene, diesel/LCO hydrotreating, FCC pre- and post-treat, hydrocracking pretreat, resid hydrotreating, SAF/renewable diesel, and waste plastic oil upgrading); and Renewable Fuels & Circular Plastics Solutions (SAF, renewable diesel, and plastics recycling). Underpinning the portfolio are branded proprietary platforms—PULSAR, QUASAR, STARS, ReNewFine, ReNewFCC, SaFeGuard, DENALI ACTION, and Celestia (co-developed with ExxonMobil)—along with the Ketjen Accessibility Index (KAI) diagnostic tool and the Equilibrium Catalyst Program.

The company generates revenue primarily through the direct sale of catalyst products to refinery operators, with pricing structured per quote and supported by technical service teams and bundled technical-support offerings. A secondary, smaller stream comes from paid training through the Ketjen Catalysts Academy, with course pricing of $1,700–$1,950 per participant across nearly 700 courses delivered to date. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales to global refiners—major integrated oil companies (ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco), national oil companies (Petrobras), independents (SK Energy, Marathon Petroleum)—reached through a direct sales and technical-service model supported by manufacturing sites in Houston (Bayport), Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam, and Minato (Japan), and regional offices across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. Following KPS Capital Partners' March 2026 acquisition of a 51% controlling stake from Albemarle, Ketjen is operating as an independent, PE-backed specialty chemical company accelerating investment in advanced catalysts and AI-driven refinery analytics (via the May 2026 Imubit partnership).

Name

Ketjen

Legal name

Ketjen Corporation

Website

https://ketjen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ketjen is a Houston-based, PE-backed (KPS Capital Partners) provider of advanced refining catalysts—FCC, hydroprocessing, and renewable-fuels/SAF catalysts—sold directly to global petroleum refiners, with co-development programs for major oil companies and supporting technical services and training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refining Catalysts

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Petrochemical Manufacturing (325110), Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (3259)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Petroleum Refining Catalysts (IMAEAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Petrochemical & Polymerization Catalysts (IMAEAIAB), Oilfield & Refining Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAI), Deep Conversion & Resid Upgrading (Delayed Coking, Visbreaking, Solvent Deasphalting) (EUALAGAC)

Keywords

• Refining catalysts
• FCC catalysts
• Hydroprocessing catalysts
• Renewable fuels catalysts
• Petrochemical catalysts

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refining Catalyst Sales: Ketjen generates revenue primarily through the sale of specialized catalysts to global refinery operators. The product portfolio includes FCC catalysts, hydrotreating catalysts, hydrocracking catalysts, and renewable fuels catalysts. Products are sold directly to refiners with technical support and services bundled alongside.
2. Technical Services and Training: Revenue generated from technical training programs through the Ketjen Catalysts Academy, including open enrollment and customized onsite courses covering FCC, hydroprocessing, operator training, and troubleshooting. Programs delivered in multiple global locations with course fees ranging from $1,700 to $1,950 per participant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ketjen develops, manufactures, and sells advanced catalyst products for petroleum refineries, including Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalysts, hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalysts, and catalysts for renewable fuels and circular plastics processing. The company also provides technical services such as the Ketjen Catalysts Academy training program, Global Technical Service, Modeling & Simulation, Custom Synthesis, Reactor Internals, and Digital Services (including AI-driven real-time catalyst intelligence via Imubit). Products are sold directly to refinery operators in 25 global markets, supported by manufacturing facilities in Houston, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam, and Japan.

Product overview

Ketjen is a leading provider of advanced catalyst solutions to the refining and petrochemical industries, operating under a multi-brand product architecture organized around three core solution areas: Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Solutions (including Max Gasoline, Max Propylene, Max Butylene, Max LCO, Bottoms Cracking, Co-Processing FCC, and FCC Additives), Clean Fuels Technology/Hydroprocessing (spanning hydrotreating, hydrocracking, resid processing, and renewable fuels applications), and Renewable Fuels & Circular Plastics Solutions (SAF, renewable diesel, and waste plastic recycling). Supporting the catalyst portfolio are specialized technology platforms including PULSAR® for distillate hydrotreating, QUASAR™ for high-pressure applications, STARS™ for broad-process reliability, ReNewFine™ for renewable feed processing, ReNewFCC™ for renewable co-processing, SaFeGuard™ for iron poisoning mitigation, and Celestia™ co-developed with ExxonMobil. Supporting services include Ketjen Academy (training), Digital Services, Global Technical Service, Custom Synthesis, Reactor Internals, Modeling & Simulation, and the Ketjen Accessibility Index diagnostic tool. The company operates manufacturing sites in Houston, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam, and Minato, Japan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ReNewFine: Specialized catalyst portfolio for hydroprocessing of renewable feeds, including bio-oils, waste-derived feedstocks, SAF production, and renewable diesel. Includes multiple series (100, 200, 300, 5000) for various hydroprocessing applications.
• ReNewFCC
• PULSAR
• QUASAR
• STARS
• RenewSTAX
• STAX
• SaFeGuard
• DENALI
• ACTION
• Celestia
• Ketjen Catalysts Academy
• Ketjen Accessibility Index (KAI)
• Ketjen Equilibrium Catalyst Program
• Ketjen Global Technical Service

Products and services

• Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Catalysts
• Clean Fuels Technology / Hydroprocessing Catalysts
• Renewable Fuels & Circular Plastics Solutions
• PULSAR® Hydrotreating Catalyst Platform
• QUASAR™ Catalyst Platform
• STARS™ Catalyst Technology
• ReNewFine™ Catalyst Portfolio
• ReNewFCC™ Catalyst
• SaFeGuard™ Catalyst Technology
• DENALI™ ACTION™ Catalyst Platform
• Celestia™ Ultra-High Activity Hydroprocessing Catalyst
• CORAL Prime™ Catalyst
• Ketjen Catalysts Academy
• Ketjen Global Technical Service
• Ketjen Accessibility Index (KAI™)
• Ketjen Equilibrium Catalyst Program
• Custom Synthesis Services
• Reactor Internals
• Modeling & Simulation
• Real-Time Catalyst Intelligence (Imubit Partnership)

Quantifiable outcome

• SaFeGuard demonstrated 77% improvement in KAI catalyst accessibility with 50% inventory changeout, with predictive modeling suggesting up to 130% at 100% changeout, and 2.3% increase in LPG production when processing iron-rich feedstocks.
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

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

• ImubitcoreTechnology or Integration · 12 May 2026Ketjen partnered with Imubit to introduce real-time catalyst intelligence for refinery operations, integrating Ketjen's catalyst expertise with Imubit's AI-driven digital platform. The collaboration aims to improve decision-making, stability, performance, and profitability in refining units through AI-powered process optimization.
• Saudi Aramco / SATC (Saudi Aramco Technologies Company)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Ketjen entered a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Saudi Aramco Technologies Company to co-develop, test, and deploy next-generation FCC catalysts and additives. The collaboration combines SATC's decades of innovation in refining catalysts with Ketjen's recognized FCC catalyst expertise and manufacturing excellence to elevate refinery performance, optimize product yields, and reduce environmental footprint across Aramco's global refineries.
• ExxonMobilflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKetjen and ExxonMobil co-developed Celestia, an ultra-high activity hydroprocessing catalyst representing a step-change in bulk metal oxide catalyst technology. The collaboration spans more than 15 years of co-developing bulk metal catalysts, from Nebula through Celestia. Celestia is deployed across 12 ExxonMobil units in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The technology enables refiners to eliminate feed tailoring, increase throughput, and generate $20-25 million/year per unit in net benefit.
• SK EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKetjen partnered with SK Energy to develop DENALI ACTION, a custom-engineered catalyst for SK's #1 RFCC unit in South Korea. The partnership involved economic modeling, lab testing at SK's R&D center, technical alignment, and structured commercial trial. DENALI ACTION delivered $0.79/bbl uplift through improved LPG yield, naphtha octane improvement, and favorable C4 olefin selectivity. Following the trial, SK adopted a flexible blend of DENALI and DENALI ACTION catalysts.
• Petrobras (Fábrica Carioca de Catalisadores joint venture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKetjen's joint venture with Petrobras, Fábrica Carioca de Catalisadores, developed ReNewFCC catalyst for co-processing cellulosic feedstocks in FCC units. The JV has catalytic pyrolysis technologies that improve pyrolysis oil quality by lowering boiling point distribution and increasing fractions suitable for steam cracking. ReNewFCC was tested at Petrobras' Rio Grande do Sul refinery, which became the first to produce fuels with cellulosic content in Brazil.
• BioBTXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKetjen collaborates with BioBTX on catalytic aromatization technologies that convert pyrolysis vapors into aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, xylene) key for the chemical industry. A 20 kt/y plant in the Netherlands is under development showcasing commercial potential of this approach for circular aromatics production from waste plastics.
• Axens SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder new agreements following Albemarle's divestiture, Ketjen sold its 50% stake in Eurecat SA to Axens while extending its collaboration with Eurecat on advanced catalyst technologies and services including regeneration, rejuvenation, ex-situ sulfiding, and spent catalyst processing. Axens assumes full ownership of Eurecat, which continues serving the entire catalyst market and all catalyst manufacturers.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Honeywell UOP: Honeywell's UOP division is the largest direct competitor to Ketjen, offering a comprehensive portfolio of FCC catalysts, hydroprocessing catalysts, and refining process technologies to global refiners. UOP competes head-to-head with Ketjen's PULSAR, QUASAR, and FCC platforms.
• W. R. Grace & Co. (Catalyst Technologies): Grace's Catalyst Technologies segment is the leading global supplier of FCC catalysts and additives, directly competing with Ketjen across the entire FCC portfolio including bottoms upgrading, propylene maximization, and feed contamination management.
• Topsoe: Topsoe (formerly Haldor Topsoe) is a leading hydroprocessing catalyst and process technology supplier, directly competing with Ketjen's PULSAR, QUASAR, and STARS hydrotreating platforms for ULSD and hydrocracker pretreat applications worldwide.
• Axens SA: Axens is both a hydroprocessing catalyst competitor and Ketjen's new partner; Axens acquired Eurecat from Ketjen/Albemarle while extending the collaboration on catalyst technologies. Axens competes in hydroprocessing and now controls spent catalyst regeneration services.

Broad incumbents

• Albemarle Corporation (Catalysts business): Albemarle is Ketjen's former parent and retains a ~49% minority stake plus 100% of the Performance Catalyst Solutions (Pasadena) plant. Albemarle sells competing catalyst products into overlapping refining customer accounts, creating both a governance and competitive overlap.
• BASF SE: BASF is a global chemical company with a refining and petrochemical catalyst portfolio competing with Ketjen across hydroprocessing and specialty refining applications. BASF's broader chemicals footprint makes it a broad incumbent rather than a focused specialist.
• Shell Catalysts & Technologies: Shell's catalysts division supplies hydroprocessing and specialty catalysts to refiners and petrochemical operators globally. While primarily serving integrated Shell operations, the unit also licenses technology and supplies catalysts to third-party refiners overlapping with Ketjen.
• Clariant AG (Catalysts business): Clariant's catalysts business supplies specialty catalysts to refining and petrochemical customers, including cracking and hydroprocessing catalysts that partially overlap Ketjen's portfolio. Clariant competes as a specialty catalyst incumbent with broader portfolio reach.

Emerging players

• Sinopec Catalyst Company: Sinopec Catalyst is a major Chinese catalyst manufacturer with growing FCC and hydroprocessing catalyst capabilities that increasingly compete with Ketjen across Asia-Pacific and emerging markets on price-sensitive volumes.

Regional players

• JGC Catalysts and Chemicals: JGC Catalysts and Chemicals is a Japanese specialty catalyst manufacturer with FCC and hydroprocessing offerings primarily serving Asia-Pacific refiners, providing regional competition to Ketjen's Minato operations and broader Asian footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ketjencorp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Ketjen