What Schott does

SCHOTT AG, founded in 1884 and headquartered in Mainz, Germany, is a privately held specialty glass and glass-ceramics technology group wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation. It develops and manufactures advanced materials — including proprietary brands ZERODUR (zero-thermal-expansion glass-ceramic for telescopes and space optics), FIOLAX (Type I borosilicate glass tubing for pharmaceutical packaging), CERAN (glass-ceramic cooktop surfaces), NEXTERION (coated substrates for diagnostic microarrays), TOPPAC (sterile polymer cartridges for biologics), and geometric reflective waveguides for AR — across 11 end-markets: architecture, automotive, aviation/astro/space, consumer electronics, health, home & living, industrial & energy, optics, retail & gastronomy, security & defense, and semiconductor & datacom. Its components are qualified into mission-critical applications such as laser glass at the National Ignition Facility, ZnS windows on HENSOLDT sighting systems for Leopard 2 and Puma IFV platforms, and ZERODUR mirror substrates for the Extremely Large Telescope.

The company's business model is B2B and predominantly hardware-sales driven, generating EUR 2.83 billion in FY 2024/2025 revenue across at least six core revenue streams: pharmaceutical packaging (SCHOTT Pharma ~USD 1.1B in 2025), optical coatings/filter glass, semiconductor materials (carrier wafers, glass panels, high-purity quartz), consumer electronics components (ultra-thin glass, AR waveguides), home & living products, and aerospace & defense. Pricing is quote-based on multi-year enterprise contracts; the company sells directly through regional offices in Germany, the U.S., Japan, Korea, Singapore, and China, supplemented by branded e-commerce shops (Advanced Optics, Pharma, Tubing) and channel partners such as Edmund Optics. Production is globally distributed across facilities in Mainz, Müllheim, Ilmenau, Switzerland (Yverdon-les-Bains), the U.S. (Lebanon County PA, Duryea PA, Rye Brook NY), China (Suzhou), and Malaysia, with recent investments including a tripled Lebanon County capacity and a new AR waveguide factory.

Customers are predominantly large institutional and enterprise buyers — Meta (Ray-Ban Display waveguides), HENSOLDT (defense optics), SHL Medical (autoinjector integration), AZUR SPACE (satellite solar cells), Samsung supply chain, and global pharma OEMs — together with research customers such as the German Cancer Research Center and the National Ignition Facility. Marketing combines trade shows (Photonics West, Semicon Taiwan, Pharmapack), educational programs (Academy of Optics, FIOLAX Academy, Pharmaversity), the SCHOTT Solutions Magazine, multiple online shops, and LinkedIn/social engagement.

Name

Schott

Legal name

SCHOTT AG

Website

https://schott.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

SCHOTT AG is a 140-year-old German specialty glass and glass-ceramics technology group serving pharmaceutical packaging, optics, semiconductor, aerospace/defense, and consumer electronics customers with proprietary materials such as FIOLAX, ZERODUR, and geometric reflective AR waveguides.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Glass and Glass-Ceramics Manufacturing

NAICS

Glass Container Manufacturing (327213), Other Pressed and Blown Glass and Glassware Manufacturing (327212), Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing (3272)

SIC

Glass Containers (3221), Glass & Glassware, Pressed Or Blown (3220), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Pharmaceutical & Medical Glass Packaging (Vials, Ampoules, Syringes) (IMALAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Colored & UV-Protective Glass Packaging (Amber, Green, UV-Blocking) (IMALAEAH), Cosmetics & Perfumery Glass Packaging (Fragrance Bottles, Cosmetic Jars) (IMALAEAC)

Keywords

• Specialty glass manufacturing
• Glass-ceramic materials
• Pharmaceutical glass packaging
• Precision optical components
• Semiconductor glass substrates

Headquarters

HQ city

Mainz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Packaging: SCHOTT Pharma produces drug containment solutions including FIOLAX® borosilicate glass vials, syringes, cartridges, and specialty containers for injectable drugs. Revenue approximately $1.1 billion in 2025.
2. Optical Coatings and Filter Glass: SCHOTT Advanced Optics supplies optical filter glasses, coatings, NIR cut filters, and precision optical components for imaging, defense, and consumer electronics applications.
3. Semiconductor Materials: High-performance specialty glass for semiconductor packaging including carrier wafers, glass panels, and high-purity quartz materials. Growing demand driven by AI chip applications.
4. Consumer Electronics Components: Ultra-thin glass, waveguides for AR glasses, cover glass, and specialty glass components for mobile devices, wearables, and consumer electronics.
5. Home and Living Products: Glass-ceramic cooktop surfaces (CERAN®), fireplace glass, bathroom glass, and kitchen specialty glass products.
6. Aerospace and Defense: High-performance glass-ceramic materials (ZERODUR®) for telescope mirrors, ZnS protective windows for defense systems, and solar cell cover glass for satellites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SCHOTT AG manufactures and sells specialty glass, glass-ceramics, and polymer materials for industrial and scientific applications. Core offerings include pharmaceutical primary packaging (FIOLAX® borosilicate vials, EVERIC® vials, TOPPAC® polymer cartridges), precision optical components (filter glass, lenses, prisms, laser glass, infrared materials), semiconductor glass solutions (carrier wafers, quartz glass for chip packaging), glass-ceramic substrates for telescopes and space (ZERODUR®), geometric reflective waveguides for augmented reality glasses, and specialty products such as CERAN® cooktop glass and radiation shielding glass. Products are sold via direct enterprise sales, branded online shops, OEM partnerships, and channel distributors to customers in pharma, optics, semiconductor, defense, aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics industries.

Product overview

SCHOTT is a global material technology group and one of the leading specialty glass companies, offering an extensive portfolio across optical components (Optical Filter Glass, NIR Cut Filters, Optical Coatings, Ceramic Laser Phosphor Converters, Optical Components, Laser Glasses, Aspherical Lenses, Infrared Glasses), pharmaceutical packaging (FIOLAX® borosilicate glass, EVERIC® vials, TOPPAC® polymer cartridges, Drug Delivery Systems), semiconductor solutions (carrier wafers, glass substrates for packaging), augmented reality components (Geometric Reflective Waveguides), and specialty glass-ceramics (ZERODUR® for telescopes, CERAN for cooktops). The company's offerings span over 11 market segments including Architecture, Automotive, Aviation/Astro/Space, Consumer Electronics, Health, Home and Living, Industrial/Energy, Optics, Retail/Gastronomy, Security/Defense, and Semiconductor/Datacom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEXTERION: Glass substrates for DNA, protein and cell applications including microarray and lab-on-chip diagnostics
• FIOLAX
• CERAN
• ZERODUR
• FIOLAX Pro
• EVERIC lyo
• TOPPAC
• SCHOTT Solar Glass exos

Products and services

• Optical Filter Glass

Quantifiable outcome

• First specialty vial to meet regulatory light transmission requirements across EU, U.S., and Japan simultaneously for light-sensitive ADCs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• QSIL GmbH Quarzschmelze IlmenaumajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025SCHOTT acquired QSIL GmbH Quarzschmelze Ilmenau in early 2025, strengthening its quartz glass capabilities for semiconductor manufacturing. QSIL brings modern production facility and 275 employees, relevant for chip and wafer production processes driven by AI applications.
• LumuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020SCHOTT partnered with Lumus in 2020 to develop geometric reflective waveguide technology for augmented reality glasses. SCHOTT completed a new factory and achieved serial production capability for these optical components, supplying waveguides for Meta's Ray-Ban Display glasses.
• HENSOLDTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCHOTT and HENSOLDT collaborated on development and qualification of high-performance zinc sulfide (ZnS) protective windows for stabilized periscope systems used in Puma IFV and Leopard 2 tanks. SCHOTT delivered fully assembled optical subsystems including precision polishing, coating, and testing.
• AZUR SPACE Solar PowermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCHOTT collaborated with AZUR SPACE Solar Power, supported by ESA funding, to develop SCHOTT Solar Glass exos - a high-performance cover glass for next-generation space solar cells with enhanced radiation resistance and optical stability.
• SHL MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCHOTT Pharma and SHL Medical conducted joint compatibility studies confirming TOPPAC® polymer cartridge platform compatibility with SHL's Maggie® large-volume autoinjector. First ISO-standardized ready-to-use polymer cartridge verified for this application.
• Edmund OpticsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership enables fast delivery of optical filter glass components based on SCHOTT materials in Europe and China. Provides customers with faster service, global presence, superior material and processing competence from prototypes to serial production.
• MetacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSCHOTT supplies waveguide optics for Meta's Ray-Ban Display glasses. Component orders increased 87.5% within six months of product launch, with SCHOTT ramping up production to meet volume targets for AR glasses expected to reach 32.11 million units by 2030.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Corning Incorporated: Corning is a direct peer across SCHOTT's specialty glass portfolio, competing in pharma glass packaging (Valor Glass), display cover glass, optical fiber, and advanced semiconductor glass substrates. Both companies supply precision optical and glass-ceramic materials to consumer electronics, defense, and life sciences customers.
• Gerresheimer AG: Gerresheimer is a direct peer in pharmaceutical glass packaging, producing vials, syringes, ampoules, and cartridges for injectable drugs. It overlaps most closely with SCHOTT Pharma's FIOLAX, EVERIC, and TOPPAC product lines in primary containment.
• Stevanato Group: Stevanato Group is a direct peer in pharmaceutical glass containers and drug delivery systems, competing with SCHOTT Pharma in vials, syringes, and integrated delivery platforms for biologics and injectable therapies.
• AGC Inc. (Asahi Glass): AGC is a direct peer as a global specialty glass manufacturer with overlapping product lines in display glass, automotive glass, semiconductor materials, and architectural glass. It competes with SCHOTT across multiple end markets including consumer electronics and optics.
• Nippon Electric Glass: Nippon Electric Glass is a direct peer in specialty glass for electronics, semiconductors, and display applications. It competes with SCHOTT in glass substrates, optical glass, and electronics-related specialty glass materials.
• West Pharmaceutical Services: West Pharmaceutical Services is a direct peer in primary packaging and drug delivery for injectables, producing elastomeric closures and syringe components. It complements and competes with SCHOTT Pharma's cartridge and vial platform offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Saint-Gobain: Saint-Gobain is a broad incumbent in glass and building materials with overlapping specialty glass products for construction, automotive, and industrial applications. It is a much larger conglomerate with broader exposure that touches some of SCHOTT's specialty glass end markets.
• Nippon Sheet Glass / Pilkington: NSG/Pilkington is a broad incumbent in flat glass and architectural glass with some specialty optical products. It overlaps with SCHOTT's architectural and automotive glazing businesses but does not focus on the same specialty/pharma niches.
• O-I Glass: O-I Glass is a broad incumbent in glass containers, primarily for food and beverage packaging. It overlaps with SCHOTT's container glass capabilities but focuses on commodity rather than specialty pharmaceutical packaging.

Emerging players

• Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD): BD is an emerging player in pharma drug delivery and prefillable syringe systems, intersecting with SCHOTT Pharma's syringe and cartridge business. It represents both a customer and adjacent competitor in injectable delivery platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schott_de
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCHOTTKarriere
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schott

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments5 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Schott