What H.C. Starck does

H.C. Starck Tungsten Powders is a global producer and developer of metallic and ceramic powders, primarily tungsten and tungsten compound powders, serving industrial B2B customers across hardmetal manufacturing, oil and gas exploration, aerospace, automotive, chemical processing, medical technology, and battery sectors. Founded in Berlin in 1920 by Hermann C. Starck and now headquartered in Goslar, Germany, the company operates three production sites in Germany (Goslar), Canada (Sarnia), and China (Ganzhou, via joint venture with Jiangxi Rare Earth & Rare Metals Tungsten Group), with additional sales offices in Japan (Tokyo) and China (Shanghai). The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Materials Corporation following the December 2024 acquisition from Masan High-Tech Materials, and employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people globally.

The core product portfolio comprises tungsten chemicals (ammonium paratungstate, ammonium metatungstate, tungstic acid, tungsten oxides, sodium tungstate), tungsten metal powders (grain sizes from ~0.4 µm to >50 µm), tungsten carbide powders (ultrafine to ~70 µm), and tantalum/niobium carbides. Two branded sub-lines address adjacent markets: starck2print® supplies tungsten metal powders qualified for Laser Powder Bed Fusion and Electron Beam Melting additive manufacturing processes, and starck2charge® delivers tungsten chemicals tailored for lithium-ion battery cathode and anode materials. Production relies on proprietary hydrogen reduction of tungsten oxides, vertically integrated processing from raw materials through APT to finished carbides, and a closed-loop recycling capability that allows the majority of raw materials to be sourced from secondary streams and end-of-life tungsten-containing products. The €60M AREBAM black-mass battery recycling initiative and the USE-G graphite processing partnership (2026-2029) extend the technology platform toward battery materials circularity.

The business model is direct enterprise B2B sales with quote-based pricing on multi-year contracts and embedded technical application engineering. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of powders and chemicals across five horizontal customer segments — hardmetal industry (primary), oil and gas exploration tools, heavy metal applications, chemical applications, and battery technology. The company differentiates through 100+ years of metallurgical expertise, world-leading tungsten recycling capacity, RMAP/EMAS/ISO certifications that satisfy EU Conflict Minerals Regulation and OEM ESG procurement requirements, and emerging battery-materials technology positions. No public funding rounds or public revenue disclosures exist; revenue is inferred to be in the mid-to-high hundreds of millions of USD range based on headcount, footprint, and parent-company scale signals.

Name

H.C. Starck

Legal name

H.C. Starck Tungsten GmbH

Website

http://www.hcstarck.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

H.C. Starck Tungsten Powders is a German-based global producer of tungsten and tungsten compound powders serving industrial customers in hardmetal, oil and gas, aerospace, automotive, chemical, and battery sectors through production sites in Germany, Canada, and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refractory Metal Powders

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (331410)

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Powders (LPBF/DMLS/EBM) (IMAAABAE)

Keywords

• Tungsten metal powders
• Tungsten carbide powders
• Tungsten chemicals
• Refractory metal powders
• Battery materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Euclid

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tungsten Powder Products: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling tungsten metal powders, tungsten carbide powders, tungsten chemicals (ammonium paratungstate, ammonium metatungstate, tungstic acid, tungsten oxides, sodium tungstate), and tantalum/niobium carbide powders. Products sold in various grades from ultrafine to coarse grain sizes for different industrial applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

H.C. Starck develops, produces, and markets high-purity metallic and ceramic powders — primarily tungsten metal, tungsten carbide, tungsten chemicals (APT, AMT, tungstic acid, tungsten oxides, sodium tungstate), and tantalum/niobium carbide — across ultrafine to coarse grain sizes. The portfolio includes specialized sub-brands for battery-grade chemicals (starck2charge®) and additive-manufacturing metal powders (starck2print®), supplied to hardmetal, oil & gas, aerospace, automotive, medical, chemical, and battery industries via direct B2B industrial sales.

Product overview

H.C. Starck Tungsten Powders is a leading global producer and developer of tungsten and tungsten compound powders, organized as a portfolio of distinct product lines. The core offering comprises tungsten chemicals (Wolframchemikalien), tungsten metal (Wolframmetall), tungsten carbide (Wolframcarbid), and tantalum/niobium carbide powders. Two specialized sub-brands extend the portfolio: starck2charge® delivers battery-specific tungsten chemicals for lithium-ion battery applications, while starck2print® provides additive manufacturing metal powders. Products range from ultrafine to coarse grain sizes and serve industries including hardmetals, oil/gas exploration, aerospace, medical technology, automotive, and chemical catalysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tungsten chemicals (Wolframchemikalien) High-performance tungsten chemicals including ammonium paratungstate (APT), ammonium metatungstate (AMT), tungstic acid, tungsten oxides (blue and yellow), and sodium tungstate. Used as precursors for catalysts, pigments, and intermediate products by chemical industry customers.
• Tungsten metal (Wolframmetall) High-quality tungsten metal powders with FSSS grain sizes from approximately 0.4 µm to greater than 50 µm. Used in heavy metal alloys, semi-finished products, superalloys, and oil and gas exploration applications such as counterweights, vibration damping parts, and radiation shielding.
• Tungsten carbide (Wolframcarbid) Tungsten carbide (WC) powders ranging from ultrafine grades (less than 0.5 µm) to very coarse qualities (approximately 70 µm). Used in cutting tools, wear parts, mining equipment, and oil and gas exploration tools by hardmetal industry manufacturers.
• Tantalum and niobium carbide Tantalum carbide (TaC), niobium carbide (NbC), and mixed carbides (Ta,Nb)C with narrow grain-size distribution of 0.7-1.3 µm. Used as additives in hardmetals for steel processing and as grain growth inhibitors.
• starck2charge® Registered brand of tungsten chemicals specifically developed for the lithium-ion battery sector to enhance performance, safety, and extend battery life. Includes AMT, blue and yellow tungsten oxide, tungstic acid, sodium tungstate, and APT variants for use in cathode and anode materials.
• starck2print® Registered brand of tungsten metal powders qualified for additive manufacturing methods including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (starck2print® W35T) and Electron Beam Melting (starck2print® W75T). Features high purity and excellent flow properties produced via hydrogen reduction for consistent 3D printing quality.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 90% lower CO2 emissions in battery recycling with AREBAM technology
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Graphite CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Three-year R&D partnership (USE-G program, 2026-2029) to develop cleaner European graphite processing technology independent of Chinese supply chains for lithium-ion battery anodes. Northern Graphite supplies natural graphite from Canada and Namibia; H.C. Starck contributes proprietary black mass recycling technology. Total budget 1.7 million euros with 1.14 million euros from German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
• Friedrich-Schiller-Universität JenacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Academic partner in USE-G research program developing chlorine-gas based purification methods for graphite that are cleaner than conventional hydrofluoric acid treatment and less energy-intensive than high-temperature thermal purification.
• Rain Carbon Germany GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Project partner in USE-G program developing new carbon coating materials and sustainable coating processes based on carbon raw materials that offer better alternatives to traditional coal tar pitches in terms of future availability and environmental impact.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for additive manufacturing technology development and staying current with advanced manufacturing methods.
• Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for early identification of battery market trends and product optimization for high-performance battery materials.
• Jiangxi Rare Earth & Rare Metals Tungsten Group (JXTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner for H.C. Starck Jiangwu Tungsten Specialities (Ganzhou) Co. in Jiangxi province, China. Consolidates tungsten business in China for the high-end Chinese market.
• Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)coreOthersIndustry association member participating in Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) for regular verification of tungsten processing locations. One of few companies continuously certified since program inception.
• ITRI Tin Supply Chain Initiative (iTSCi)coreOthersIndustry initiative member that has developed a recognized system for transparent procurement of raw materials from conflict regions and regularly audits member implementation.
• Tungsten Industry-Conflict Minerals Council (TI-CMC)coreOthersFounding member supporting state and private initiatives for development and building of conflict-free raw material supply chains.
• REWIMET e.V.minorOthersRecycling cluster for economically strategic metals. Network of scientifically active institutions and regional authorities with approximately 46,000 employees and 9.5 billion euros in annual sales. H.C. Starck provides a management board member.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation: Japanese nonferrous metals producer that acquired H.C. Starck's Tantalum & Niobium division in 2018. Competes in refractory metals, sputtering targets, and battery materials with overlapping Asian customer base.
• Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. Direct competitor in tungsten metal and tungsten carbide powders, serving the same hardmetal, oil & gas, and industrial markets. Both companies compete on APT-based production routes and recycling capabilities for nonferrous refractory metal powders.
• Ceratizit S.A. Luxembourg-based tungsten carbide hardmetal producer with vertically integrated powder manufacturing. Competes head-to-head with H.C. Starck in cutting tool, wear part, and mining grade tungsten carbide powders across Europe and globally.
• Plansee Group: Austrian refractory metals specialist producing tungsten, molybdenum, and tantalum powders and components. Direct comparable in tungsten powder metallurgy, heavy metal alloys, and sputtering targets for semiconductor applications.
• Masan High-Tech Materials: Vietnamese tungsten and fluorspar producer that owned H.C. Starck from 2020 to 2024 and continues to be a sister operation. Directly comparable tungsten mine-to-powder integration and primary tungsten chemical production.

Broad incumbents

• Kennametal Inc. Large US-based hardmetal and tooling company that consumes tungsten carbide powder but also produces certain powder grades internally. Comparable customer overlap in metal cutting, mining, and oil & gas drilling tools.
• Sandvik AB: Swedish engineering conglomerate with major hardmetal and metal cutting divisions. Competes with H.C. Starck in tungsten carbide tool inserts, mining tooling, and wear parts while also sourcing tungsten powders from the merchant market.
• Höganäs AB: Swedish metal powder giant specializing in iron and stainless steel powders but with adjacent tungsten-related offerings. Acquired H.C. Starck's STC (surface treatment and ceramic powders) division in 2018, indicating portfolio overlap.
• Umicore SA: Belgian specialty materials company with cobalt, nickel, and tungsten-based catalysts and chemicals. Comparable in tungsten chemicals for catalysts, recycling capabilities, and supply chain due diligence leadership in conflict minerals.

Others

• Tungsten Industry-Conflict Minerals Council (TI-CMC) Members: Industry consortium of tungsten processors with shared responsible sourcing standards. While not a single peer, several member smelters and processors (e.g., Wolfram Bergbau, Masan, Global Tungsten & Powders) are direct competitors in the conflict-free tungsten supply chain that H.C. Starck operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/h.c.-starck

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about H.C. Starck