What ystral does

ystral gmbh maschinenbau + processtechnik is a German mechanical and industrial engineering company, founded in 1959/1960, headquartered in Ballrechten-Dottingen (Baden region), that designs and builds custom mixing, dispersing, and powder-wetting machines and process systems for fluid mechanical engineering. Its core technology centres on proprietary vacuum-based powder dispersion, in which powders are inducted and de-agglomerated under vacuum inside a single inline machine, eliminating separate mixing vessels and agglomeration. The product portfolio spans five inline dispersers (Conti-TDS, Batt-TDS, Z-Inline-Disperser, PiloTec/PiloTec-Plant, Coflow), three batch dispersers (Dispermix, X-Batch, Multipurpose), two mixers (Jetstream, TDS-Induction), a laboratory series, and fully integrated process plants covering powder handling, liquid handling, and automation. The company serves six verticals — chemicals (adhesives, coatings, resins, sealants), paints/coatings/inks, food, pharmaceuticals, home care/cosmetics, and batteries — applying experience with over 5,000 processed materials and installing roughly 480 machines and systems per year worldwide.

The business model is project-based capital equipment sales: customers purchase configured machines and process systems at custom quotation pricing, supported by application engineering, a trial center for pre-investment testing, and a recurring service motion (maintenance, spare parts, renovation, YSTRAL EYE remote/AR service). Distribution is direct enterprise field sales through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Germany, China, India, and Singapore, plus a global agency network. Headcount stands at 280+ employees, and the firm is owner-managed by three Managing Directors (David Manke, Peter Manke, Karl Prem) with no external private equity or venture capital investors. Recent capacity expansion includes a new Bangalore facility (announced December 2025) to serve as an Asian regional service hub with local manufacturing and software development, and ATEX, CIP, and 3-A sanitary certifications support deployment into regulated industries.

Name

ystral

Legal name

ystral gmbh maschinenbau + processtechnik

Website

https://ystral.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ystral is a German mechanical and industrial engineering company, founded in 1959, that designs and builds custom mixing, dispersing, and powder-wetting machines and process systems for chemicals, paints/coatings, food, pharmaceutical, home care/cosmetics, and battery manufacturers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ballrechten

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Mixing and Dispersing Machines: Sale of specialized mechanical equipment including inline dispersers (Conti-TDS, Batt-TDS, Z-Inline, PiloTec), dispersers (Dispermix, X-Batch), mixers (Jetstream, TDS-Induction), and laboratory equipment. These are capital equipment purchases with custom configuration.
2. Custom Process Systems and Plant Engineering: Design, engineering and installation of custom process plants including powder handling, liquid handling, and automation systems. Project-based revenue with custom engineering specifications.
3. Service, Maintenance and Spare Parts: Maintenance services, repairs, renovation/upgrade services, spare parts supply, and remote solutions (YSTRAL EYE) for existing machine installations.
4. Process Development and Consulting: Application engineering, process development, trial center services, and technical consultation to optimize customer production processes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ystral designs and manufactures custom mixing, dispersing, and powder-wetting machines and process systems for fluid mechanical engineering. Its portfolio includes inline dispersers, batch dispersers, mixers, laboratory equipment, and full custom process plants for industries such as chemicals, paints and coatings, food, pharmaceuticals, home care and cosmetics, and batteries. The company also provides application engineering, trial center testing, and post-sale service including remote maintenance.

Product overview

ystral is a German mechanical and industrial engineering company offering a comprehensive portfolio of mixing, dispersing, and powder wetting technologies. The product portfolio consists of multiple product lines: Inline Dispersers (Conti-TDS, Batt-TDS, Z-Inline-Disperser, PiloTec/PiloTec-Plant, Coflow) for continuous powder wetting and dispersion; Batch Dispersers (Dispermix, X-Batch Disperser, Multipurpose) for batch mixing operations; Mixers (Jetstream Mixer, TDS-Induction Mixer); and Laboratory Equipment (Laboratory Series X10/X40) for testing and scale-up. These machines form the core of custom process systems for industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, paints/coatings, home care/cosmetics, and batteries. The company also provides complete process engineering solutions including powder handling, liquid handling, and automation systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conti-TDS Inline disperser that performs dust-free container emptying, powder transport and addition, wetting and dispersion up to complete de-agglomeration in a single machine. Powders are dispersed in liquid under vacuum to avoid agglomeration, targeting industrial processors of chemicals, coatings, food, pharma and cosmetics.
• Batt-TDS Inline powder wetting and dispersing machine that inducts powders dust-free under vacuum into a liquid stream with independent control of flow and shear rates, providing optimal continuous dispersion conditions for industrial process manufacturers.
• Z-Inline-Disperser Inline disperser designed for continuous powder wetting and dispersion processes, serving industrial customers requiring steady-state production of powder-in-liquid mixtures.
• PiloTec / PiloTec-Plant Multifunctional process equipment enabling established production processes on laboratory and pilot scale, based on Conti-TDS technology with a modular design including powder handling, liquid handling, measurement technology, sensors, CIP and hygienic design options for R&D and scale-up teams.
• Coflow Continuously operating inline powder wetting and dispersing machine for dispersion production. Powders are continuously mixed, homogenized and dispersed in liquids proportional to quantity, with high throughput and low energy consumption, for industrial producers (e.g., pharmaceutical penicillin production).
• Dispermix Batch disperser providing effective micro and macro mixing of complete container contents without air ingress, for industrial customers requiring batch-mode dispersion with full-container homogeneity.
• X-Batch Disperser Batch disperser for industrial mixing and dispersing applications where batch operation and flexibility are required.
• Multipurpose High-flexibility disperser and mixer with exchangeable shafts and tools, enabling multi-functionality across different industrial mixing and dispersing applications.
• Jetstream Mixer High circulation capacity mixer based on the rotor-stator principle, achieving extreme fine distribution of solids (suspensions) and liquids (emulsions) for industrial processors.
• TDS-Induction Mixer Low-dust induction mixer for suspending and dissolving powders in liquids, drawing powder, liquids or gases below their level into the liquid while homogenizing container contents.
• Laboratory Series Laboratory-scale mixing and dispersing equipment (Series X10 and X40) for testing and process development prior to production scale-up, used by industrial customers' R&D and application laboratories.
• Custom Process Systems Customer-focused engineered process solutions ranging from lab equipment to manufacturing machinery and systems, with concepts and implementations for individual industrial customer applications across chemicals, pharma, food, coatings, home care/cosmetics and batteries.
• Powder Handling Systems Engineered systems for handling and processing powders in industrial manufacturing processes, integrated within ystral's custom process plants for sectors including chemicals, food and pharmaceuticals.
• Liquid Handling Systems Engineered systems for handling and processing liquids in industrial manufacturing processes, integrated within ystral's custom process plants.
• Automation Systems Automation solutions for process systems and manufacturing operations, integrated into ystral's custom plants to enable fully automatic system operation with reduced personnel requirements.
• YSTRAL EYE Remote Solutions Augmented-reality and remote maintenance service for ystral's installed machines, providing digital service offerings including trials, maintenance, repair, FAT, SAT, troubleshooting, training and production monitoring to existing customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% time and energy savings in paint production by high-intensity dispersion technology under vacuum (ETCC 2026 lecture)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• DHBW (Duale Hochschule Baden-Wurttemberg)minorOthersEducational partnership with Baden-Wurttemberg Cooperative State University for dual study programs. ystral provides apprenticeship and dual study opportunities including industrial management, mechanical engineering, and process engineering programs. Supports student tuition fees and provides practical training integration.
• VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau)minorOthersMember of the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association, indicating participation in industry advocacy and standards development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sulzer: Swiss-headquartered industrial engineering group with mixing and agitation technology across chemical, water and food end markets. Comparable in industrial mixing equipment but operates at much greater scale across multiple process technologies.
• SPX FLOW: US-based provider of process equipment including mixing, blending, drying and separation for food, beverage, dairy and industrial markets. Overlaps with ystral in industrial fluid processing and powder-liquid mixing but operates a much broader portfolio.
• GEA Group: Large German industrial conglomerate supplying process technology for food, dairy, pharma and chemicals, including mixing, homogenization and separation equipment. Competes with ystral as a broad-line process equipment incumbent rather than a specialist.

Direct peers

• FrymaKoruma (ProXES): German-based manufacturer of process equipment for wet-milling, mixing, kneading and dispersing in food, pharma, cosmetics and chemicals. Highly comparable engineering heritage, German manufacturing base, and overlapping application focus.
• IKA: Germany-based manufacturer of laboratory and industrial mixing, dispersing, homogenizing and stirring equipment. Directly comparable product portfolio and target customers in chemicals, pharma, food and cosmetics, with similar custom-engineering model.
• Netzsch Feinmahltechnik: German specialist in wet and dry grinding, dispersing, de-agglomeration and mixing equipment. Comparable in rotor-stator and dispersion technology for chemical, paint, ceramic and battery applications, with similar custom-engineering approach.
• Charles Ross & Son Company: US-based manufacturer of industrial mixers, blenders, dispersers and high-shear rotor-stator equipment. Closely comparable in custom-engineered industrial mixing equipment for chemicals, coatings, food and pharma, with similar project-based sales model.
• Silverson Machines: UK-headquartered specialist in high-shear rotor-stator mixers used for emulsification, homogenization and powder wet-out. Overlaps directly with ystral's Jetstream, Conti-TDS and Batt-TDS product lines across cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical applications.

Emerging players

• Hosokawa Micron: Japanese-rooted powder and particle processing equipment manufacturer with strong European (German) operations. Closely aligned with ystral in powder handling, dispersion and de-agglomeration for chemicals, food and battery applications.
• Admix: US-based manufacturer of high-shear mixers and powder-induction equipment for food, beverage, pharma and chemical markets. Smaller-scale, specialist competitor with overlapping product concept in inline powder wet-out and dispersion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ystral-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/ystral_gmbh_ausbildung
• Facebookfacebook.com/ystral

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 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 ystral