What Hydrachem does

Hydrachem Limited is a UK-incorporated specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1975 (per company-sourced material) and headquartered in Billingshurst, West Sussex, with 101–250 employees. The company produces effervescent chlorine tablets based on sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) technology, applied across water purification, surface disinfection, baby bottle sterilisation, food safety, and agricultural biosecurity. Its product portfolio comprises the proprietary brands Oasis (water purification and sterilising tablets and disposable bags), Biospot (infection control and detergent sanitiser tablets), Foodsaf (salad wash tablets), Agrichlor (agricultural disinfection tablets), Hyzyme (septic tank treatment), and Cert (multi-surface spray).

The business operates a hybrid revenue model: direct sales of own-brand products through a global distributor network spanning 60 countries, direct enterprise sales to humanitarian organisations and the NHS, and contract manufacturing of chlorine tablets for unnamed prominent professional hygiene brands. Customers include Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), UNICEF, and the NHS, with the company positioning itself as a supplier to humanitarian emergencies, healthcare institutions, and agricultural operations. Manufacturing carries ISO 9001, BRCGS, NSF/ANSI, GMP Directive 91/356/EEC, and SGS certifications, which are the primary entry barriers in regulated end markets. No AI, software, or digital platform capabilities are evident; the company's competitive position rests on chemical formulation, tableting technology, regulatory compliance, and institutional brand trust built over five decades.

Name

Hydrachem

Legal name

Hydrachem Limited

Website

https://hydrachem.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hydrachem is a UK-based specialty chemicals manufacturer that produces NaDCC effervescent chlorine tablets for water purification, surface disinfection, and sterilisation, supplying humanitarian organisations (MSF, UNICEF), the NHS, agricultural businesses, and consumer markets across 60 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment and Disinfection Chemicals

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Disinfection & Oxidation (Chlorine/Chloramine, UV, Ozone, AOP) (EUANABAD)

Keywords

• Water purification tablets
• Chlorine disinfection products
• Effervescent chemical manufacturing
• Humanitarian water treatment
• Contract tablet manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Billingshurst

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Own Brand Product Sales: Sale of proprietary branded products including Oasis water purification tablets, Biospot disinfectant tablets, Agrichlor agricultural products, Foodsaf salad wash, and Cert surface spray. Products sold through distributors and direct to organisations.
2. Contract Manufacturing: Contract manufacture of chlorine tablets for some of the world's most prominent companies in professional hygiene. Expert tableting technology producing own-label products for third parties.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hydrachem manufactures and sells effervescent chlorine (NaDCC) tablets used for water purification, surface disinfection, baby bottle sterilisation, food preparation, and agricultural biosecurity. The company distributes its products globally under proprietary brands (Oasis, Biospot, Foodsaf, Agrichlor, Hyzyme, Cert) and provides contract manufacturing of chlorine tablets for other professional hygiene brands. Customers include humanitarian organisations (MSF, UNICEF), healthcare institutions (NHS), farms and food producers, and consumer channels in over 60 countries.

Product overview

Hydrachem is a world-leading manufacturer of effervescent chlorine (NaDCC) tablets operating across 60 countries. The company's product portfolio centres on three main product families: Oasis (water purification and baby bottle sterilisation tablets and bags), Biospot (effervescent chlorine tablets for surface disinfection and infection control), and Foodsaf/Agrichlor (food safety and agricultural disinfection products). Hydrachem also offers contract manufacturing services for chlorine tablet production. The products are sold under the company's own brands and through distributors, with select contract manufacturing for other prominent hygiene brands. The portfolio is unified by NaDCC (sodium dichloroisocyanurate) tablet technology, which provides controlled chlorine release for water treatment, sterilisation, and surface disinfection across humanitarian aid, healthcare, food production, and domestic use cases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oasis: Water purification and sterilising tablets for making water safe to drink and sterilising baby bottles
• Biospot
• Foodsaf
• Agrichlor
• Hyzyme
• Cert

Products and services

• Oasis Water Purification Tablets
• Oasis Sterilising Tablets Baby bottle sterilising tablets that effectively sterilise baby bottles and feeding equipment in 30 minutes. Targeted at parents, caregivers, and healthcare institutions.
• Oasis Disposable Sterilising Bags Disposable bags for sterilising baby bottles and feeding equipment on the go. Targeted at parents and caregivers needing portable sterilisation.
• Biospot Effervescent Chlorine Tablets Highly effective infection control tablets that destroy 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores. Used for surface disinfection in healthcare, commercial, and consumer settings.
• Biospot Detergent Sanitiser Tablets Detergent-based sanitiser tablets for infection control applications, combining cleaning and disinfection in a single effervescent tablet format.
• Foodsaf Salad Wash Trusted globally for safe disinfection and sanitisation of fruit, vegetables and catering facilities. Targeted at food service, catering, and food processing operators.
• Agrichlor Effervescent Chlorine Tablets Complete virus and bacteria disinfection for farms, veterinary practices and agricultural businesses. Aimed at reducing contamination risks across the food production chain.
• Hyzyme Septic Tank Treatment Treatment product for septic tank maintenance and operation, supporting wastewater hygiene in domestic and small commercial settings.
• Cert Multi Surface Spray Hard surface disinfectant spray that destroys viruses including COVID-19 and 99.99% of bacteria on hard surfaces. Targeted at healthcare, commercial, and consumer infection control.
• Chlorine Tablet Contract Manufacturing Contract manufacturing of chlorine tablets for some of the world's most prominent companies in professional hygiene, leveraging Hydrachem's expert tableting technology to produce own-label and OEM products for third-party brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9% effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHydrachem supplies MSF with Oasis water purification tablets and granules for Ebola response efforts in Central Africa. The partnership involves providing practical water purification solutions suitable for real-world emergency conditions including storage, transport, and consistent use under pressure.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHydrachem supplies UNICEF with Oasis water purification tablets and granules for Ebola response efforts in Central Africa. UNICEF relies on Hydrachem's compact, stable NaDCC tablet and granule formats for humanitarian water treatment needs.
• NHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NHS as a market-leading healthcare institution customer, using Hydrachem's water treatment and disinfection solutions for infection control protocols.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Medentech: Ireland-based manufacturer of NaDCC-based water purification tablets under the Aquatabs brand, directly competing with Hydrachem's Oasis products in humanitarian and household water treatment markets globally. Closest product-for-product competitor given shared NaDCC chemistry and overlapping humanitarian customer base.
• Kersia: French specialty chemical group focused on food safety, biosecurity, and animal health, with significant overlap to Hydrachem's Agrichlor and Foodsaf product lines and shared institutional customer base in food processing and agriculture.
• Quat-Chem Ltd: UK-based chemical disinfection and hygiene product manufacturer serving industrial, agricultural, and food safety markets with overlapping product categories to Hydrachem's Biospot and Agrichlor lines and similar UK manufacturing footprint.
• Accepta: UK-based specialty water treatment chemical manufacturer serving industrial and commercial customers, with comparable product portfolio to Hydrachem's water purification and treatment offering and similar geographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions serving healthcare, food service, hospitality, and industrial markets with extensive sanitizer and disinfectant product lines that overlap with Hydrachem's portfolio but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Diversey: Global cleaning, sanitation, and hygiene solutions provider with a broad institutional customer base and disinfectant products that compete with Hydrachem's surface disinfection range, particularly in healthcare and food service segments.
• Solenis: Global specialty chemical manufacturer providing water treatment and process chemistries to industrial and institutional markets, with overlapping customer segments and water hygiene products that compete with Hydrachem's commercial channels.
• Lonza: Swiss chemical and biotechnology company with a hygiene and preservation business producing disinfection chemicals and specialty biocides for industrial and institutional applications, with overlap to Hydrachem's chlorine chemistry expertise but at vastly greater scale.

Others

• Halma plc: UK-listed group of safety and environmental technology companies, including water quality monitoring businesses adjacent to Hydrachem's water purification offering but operating in monitoring technology rather than disinfection chemistry.
• Veolia: Global water and waste management services company providing industrial and municipal water treatment solutions, adjacent to Hydrachem's chemical-based water purification approach through complementary service offerings rather than direct product competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hydrachemuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hydrachem-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hydrachem