Oleon
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1835
- HeadquartersErtvelde, Belgium
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Oleon does
Oleon is a Belgian-headquartered oleochemical producer that converts natural fats and oils — including palm, soybean, rapeseed, tallow and castor feedstocks — into fatty acids, glycerine, esters, dimer acids, technical oils, specialty oleochemicals and biodiesel. The company sells a broad portfolio under sub-brands including Radialube (bio-based lubricant esters), Lecico (lecithins/phospholipids), Radiastar (Guerbet alcohols for cosmetics) and Qloe (plant-based dielectric fluids for data center immersion cooling), addressing end-markets from food, feed and cosmetics to lubricants, coatings, polyurethanes, crop protection and AI infrastructure cooling.
Its core technology is the splitting, purification and recombination of natural fats into derivatives, supported by proprietary processes refined since 1835 and certified across global sites (ISO 9001/14001/50001/22000/45001, FSSC 22000, GMP+, BRC, RSPO, ISCC, RTRS, Non-GMO, GMP Pharma, EcoVadis Platinum 85/100). Nine production facilities in Belgium, Germany, France, the UK, Malaysia, the US and Brazil — including recent additions in Conroe (Texas, 2023) and Itupeva (Brazil, 2024) — together with regional sales entities in the Americas and Asia-Pacific, supply industrial customers in 100+ countries directly and via distributors.
Oleon generates revenue through B2B sale of oleochemical products on quote-based contracts, delivered in liquid (drums, tankers, ships) or solid (powder, flakes, bags) form. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of French agri-food conglomerate Avril Group, operating under Avril's 'Serving the Earth' mission, and has financed growth through acquisition and parent-backed capital rather than external equity.
Oleon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oleon
- Legal name
- Oleon NV
- Website
- https://oleon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1835
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oleon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oleochemicals
- NAICS
- Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)
- SIC
- Fats & Oils (2070), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fats, Oils & Lipid Ingredients (Specialty Oils, MCTs, Structured Lipids) (CRADAOAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Omega-3 & Specialty Lipids (Fish/Algal Oils, EPA/DHA, MCTs, CLA, Phospholipids) (AFAJAKAC), High-Oleic & Specialty Oilseed Oils (AFAJALAC), Mono- & Diglycerides (E471) & Derivatives (DATEM, SSL/CSL, Lactylates) (AFAJACAB)
Keywords
Where Oleon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ertvelde
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices10 records
Markets served
Oleon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Oleochemical Product Sales: Oleon generates revenue through the sale of oleochemical products derived from natural fats and oils. Products include fatty acids, glycerine, esters, dimers, technical oils, specialty oleochemicals and biodiesel sold to industrial customers across multiple markets.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Oleon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Oleon converts natural fats and oils into a broad portfolio of oleochemical products — fatty acids, glycerine, esters, dimers, technical oils, specialty oleochemicals, propylene glycol and biodiesel — sold in liquid form (drums, tankers, ships) or solid form (powder, flakes in bags). Branded lines include Radialube bio-based ester lubricants, Qloe plant-based dielectric fluids for data center immersion cooling, Lecico lecithin/phospholipid products, and food-grade emulsifiers, lecithins and Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT). Products are supplied to industrial B2B customers in food, cosmetics, lubricants, coatings, polyurethanes, crop protection, feed, oil & gas, polymers and server immersion cooling.
Product overview
Oleon is a leading producer of oleochemicals that converts natural fats and oils into a broad portfolio of products including fatty acids, glycerine, esters, dimers, technical oils, specialty oleochemicals, and biodiesel. The company operates across distinct product lines: base oleochemicals (fatty acids, glycerine, dimers) serve as building blocks for industrial customers; Radialube is the branded bio-based ester product line for high-performance lubricants and fuel additives; Qloe is the plant-based dielectric fluid brand for data center immersion cooling; and food-grade products include emulsifiers, lecithins, and Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT). Oleon's oleochemical products are sold across markets including food, cosmetics, lubricants, coatings, crop protection, drilling solutions, feed, homecare, industrial formulations, oil & gas, polymers, polyurethanes, and server immersion cooling.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Qloe: Plant-based dielectric liquids for data center immersion cooling, developed by Oleon. Biobased, biodegradable, zero global warming potential.
- Radialube
- Radiastar 1436
- Lecico
Products and services
- Qloe Plant-Based Dielectric Immersion Cooling Fluids Qloe is Oleon's branded range of plant-based dielectric liquids for single-phase and two-phase data center immersion cooling. The fluids are biodegradable, non-toxic, have zero global warming potential, high flashpoints, low viscosity and good dielectric / heat-transfer properties, and are qualified for use with leading immersion cooling OEMs (Submer, MIDAS, Iceotope, Airsys, GRC). A variant Qloe X is offered for the Airsys LiquidRack spray liquid cooling system.
- Radialube Bio-Based Ester Lubricants Radialube is Oleon's portfolio of premium bio-based ester base oils and additives for high-performance automotive and industrial lubricants, including Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs). The esters deliver friction reduction, improved fuel efficiency and wear protection, helping formulators meet tightening environmental regulations.
- Radiastar 1436 Natural Guerbet Alcohol Radiastar 1436 is a natural Guerbet alcohol used for films and sensory effects in health and beauty (personal care) applications, supplied as a renewable, bio-based specialty ingredient.
- Fatty Acids Oleon's fatty acids are produced from natural fats and oils and serve as base oleochemical building blocks for downstream industrial applications including soaps, detergents, plastics, lubricants and personal care products.
- Glycerine / Glycerol Refined vegetable glycerine produced from natural fats and oils, supplied to food, pharmaceutical, personal care, cosmetics and industrial formulation customers (food-grade and pharmaceutical GMP compliant at Venette).
- Esters Specialty fatty acid esters made from natural raw materials, sold across cosmetics, food, lubricants and industrial formulation markets (liquid, powder or flakes).
- Dimers / Dimer Acids Dimer acids used as bio-based building blocks for coatings, adhesives, hot-melt adhesives and polyamide resins, plus dimer acid polyester polyols providing water repellency, hydrolytic resistance, flexibility and elongation for polyurethane applications.
- Technical Oils Technical oils derived from natural fats and oils for industrial applications.
- Specialty Oleochemicals Specialty oleochemical products including specialty fatty acid esters and customised chemical solutions tailored to specific industrial customer needs.
- Biodiesel Biodiesel produced at Oleon's dedicated plant in Ertvelde, Belgium, as part of the company's renewable fuel portfolio.
- Propylene Glycol Propylene glycol produced by catalytic hydrogenation and distillation, delivered in bulk for home care, detergents and personal care products.
- Emulsifiers Vegetable oil-based emulsifiers for food manufacturing, part of Oleon's portfolio of multifunctional, sustainable food ingredients.
- Lecithins Lecithin products sourced and produced by Oleon, used as emulsifiers and functional ingredients in food, feed and personal care applications.
- Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) High-quality Medium Chain Triglycerides sourced from vegetable oils, sold as part of Oleon's food and nutrition ingredient portfolio.
Quantifiable outcome
- Top 1% in EcoVadis sustainability assessment with Platinum medal and 85/100 score (+10 points vs 2024)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Oleon
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Oleon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature3 records
Oleon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- GreifminorLow-carbon steel drum pilot project where Greif supplies steel drums manufactured through innovative processes generating significantly lower CO₂ emissions (around 60% reduction) for Oleon's industrial packaging.
- IceotopecoreStrategic collaboration combining Oleon's QLOE renewable dielectric fluids with Iceotope's precision liquid cooling technology for high-density computing infrastructure including AI, HPC and edge computing.
- MIDAScoreOleon's Qloe fluids officially approved for use in MIDAS' plug & play immersion cooling systems for data centers. Collaboration addresses rising demand for AI, HPC and crypto workloads with sustainable cooling solutions.
- AirsyscoreOleon's Qloe dielectric fluid approved for use in Airsys' award-winning LiquidRack spray liquid cooling system following comprehensive testing. Partnership addresses cooling needs for high-performance computing, AI and edge applications.
- SubmercoreSubmer is a key leader in datacenter liquid cooling market. Their immersion cooling technology uses Oleon's Qloe dielectric fluids for sustainable data center cooling solutions.
- AI Green BytescoreNorwegian innovator delivering sustainable GPU-as-a-Service using Oleon's Qloe plant-based immersion cooling fluid. Data center in Paris, France uses Oleon's cooling technology.
- MULTIPLY Consortium (Horizon Europe)coreEU-funded project (17 partners) developing microalgae-based solutions for five industrial sectors. Oleon's R&D team investigating algae oil as raw material for cosmetics and lubricants applications over 4 years.
- Oleon Americas DistributorscoreDistributor partnership announced to expand distribution reach in the Americas region for Oleon's oleochemical products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Oleon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Emery Oleochemicals: Malaysia-headquartered global oleochemicals producer manufacturing fatty acids, glycerine, esters and bio-based specialties from natural oils. Directly comparable to Oleon in product portfolio, feedstock base (palm/soy/tallow) and end-market exposure across lubricants, personal care and polymers.
- IOI Oleochemicals: Palm-oil-based integrated oleochemicals manufacturer producing fatty acids, fatty alcohols, esters and glycerine with global distribution. Closely matches Oleon's process technology and downstream B2B customer set across food, lubricants and personal care.
- KLK OLEO: Oleochemicals division of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad producing fatty alcohols, esters, acids and specialty derivatives from palm and lauric oils. Direct competitor in bio-based ester lubricants and personal-care specialty oleochemicals, comparable scale.
- Croda International: UK-listed specialty chemical company with a major oleochemicals and bio-based esters business serving personal care, lubricants, coatings and polymer customers. Comparable product mix and customer overlap with Oleon, especially in bio-based polyols and polymer additives.
- Stepan Company: US-listed specialty chemicals producer with significant oleochemistry operations in surfactants, polymers and food ingredients. Overlaps with Oleon's fatty acid ester and specialty oleochemicals portfolios for personal care, agricultural and industrial customers.
Broad incumbents
- Evonik Industries: Large German specialty chemicals group with bio-based specialties, amino acids, and oleochemicals-adjacent product lines serving cosmetics, coating and lubrication markets. Overlaps at the specialty intermediates level and competes for premium customer accounts.
- BASF: Global chemical conglomerate with a personal-care and nutrition ingredients portfolio competing with Oleon's emollients, esters and MCT oils. Broad incumbent providing formulation alternatives and competing for the same branded consumer-goods manufacturer accounts.
- Cargill BioIndustrial: Diversified agribusiness with a bioindustrial division producing vegetable-oil-based ingredients, including competing dielectric fluids (Envirotemp FR3) and bio-based lubricant esters. Overlaps with both Oleon's traditional oleochemicals portfolio and the emerging data-center cooling opportunity.
Emerging players
- Shell (immersion cooling fluids): Major oil major actively developing synthetic and bio-based dielectric fluids for AI/HPC immersion cooling applications (e.g., Shell S5 immersion, partnership programs with hyperscalers). Closest large-capitalization competitor to Oleon's Qloe in the data-center cooling battleground.
Others
- Avril Group: Oleon's parent company — French agri-food conglomerate with vegetable-oil crushing, biodiesel and downstream oleochemical activities. As parent, Avril provides feedstock integration and capital, and its broader portfolio (including Sofiprotéol/Sofiane biofuel/feed chains) shares customer touchpoints with Oleon's oleochemicals businesses.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Oleon social profiles
Digital presenceOleon compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance46 records
Oleon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oleon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Oleon subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Oleon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Oleon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Oleon
What does Oleon do?
Oleon converts natural fats and oils into a broad portfolio of oleochemical products — fatty acids, glycerine, esters, dimers, technical oils, specialty oleochemicals, propylene glycol and biodiesel — sold in liquid form (drums, tankers, ships) or solid form (powder, flakes in bags). Branded lines include Radialube bio-based ester lubricants, Qloe plant-based dielectric fluids for data center immersion cooling, Lecico lecithin/phospholipid products, and food-grade emulsifiers, lecithins and Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT). Products are supplied to industrial B2B customers in food, cosmetics, lubricants, coatings, polyurethanes, crop protection, feed, oil & gas, polymers and server immersion cooling.
Is Oleon a public or private company?
Oleon is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Oleon founded?
Oleon was founded in 1835. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Oleon based?
Oleon is headquartered in Ertvelde, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Oleon make money?
One revenue line is on record: oleochemical Product Sales.
Who are Oleon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Emery Oleochemicals, IOI Oleochemicals, KLK OLEO, Croda International and Stepan Company. Broad incumbents are Evonik Industries, BASF and Cargill BioIndustrial. Shell (immersion cooling fluids) is listed as an emerging player. Avril Group is listed as an others.
Does Oleon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Oleon.
What industry is Oleon in?
Oleon's product category is Oleochemicals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAOAL, Fats, Oils & Lipid Ingredients (Specialty Oils, MCTs, Structured Lipids), with a secondary code of AFAJAKAC, Omega-3 & Specialty Lipids (Fish/Algal Oils, EPA/DHA, MCTs, CLA, Phospholipids). Its NAICS code is 311225 and its SIC code is 2070.