What Cosphatec does

Cosphatec GmbH is a Hamburg, Germany-based B2B supplier of natural and sustainable raw materials for the cosmetics and personal care industry, founded in 2004 and operating under the sub-brands Cosphaderm and Cosphagard. The company specializes in stabilization solutions for modern cosmetic formulations, supplying ingredients across seven functional categories: active substances, antioxidants, preservative blends (paraben-free), multifunctionals, natural emulsifiers and emollients, natural multifunctionals, and natural thickeners and gel formers. Notable product families include Cosphaderm SB-75H (high-purity hydrogenated sunflower lecithin with >70% phosphatidylcholine), Cosphaderm Sodium LAAS (a water-free antimicrobial blend of sodium levulinate and sodium anisate), Cosphaderm Tocopharin (a study-proven antioxidant blend), and the newly launched Cosphaderm HAP nature-identical antimicrobial active (November 2025). The company also offers formulation support services including preservative challenge testing (Konservierungsbelastungstest) and certification assistance.

Cosphatec serves cosmetics and personal care manufacturers across skincare, haircare, bodycare, cleansing, sun care, and color cosmetics applications through a B2B sales-led distribution model. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of proprietary ingredient formulations sold via a global network of authorized distributors and direct subsidiaries, with pricing handled through confidential distributor price lists rather than public channels. New customers transact on advance payment for the first three orders, transitioning to standard 30-day net terms thereafter; the company reserves the right to mid-year price adjustments and to reprice orders with delivery lead times exceeding four months. Direct international presence is anchored by wholly-owned subsidiaries Cosphatec Paris SAS (established September 2023, Colombes, France) and Cosphatec (Shanghai) Co., LTD. (Pudong, China), serving the European and Asian markets respectively.

Marketing and customer engagement combine a corporate website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and a YouTube channel featuring formulation tutorials and formulation-hack videos, with mid-funnel engagement via a Brevo-powered newsletter, Zoom-hosted educational webinars (e.g., 'Glass Skin' trend translation), and industry events, plus a protected distributor partner portal for bottom-of-funnel support. The Managing Director is Frank Brauns (Geschäftsführer). The company is privately held, self-financed with no disclosed external funding rounds, sits within the 11-50 employee band, and holds a Climate Neutral Website certification through a partnership with Climate Partner.

Name

Cosphatec

Legal name

Cosphatec GmbH

Website

https://cosphatec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cosphatec is a Hamburg-based B2B supplier of natural and sustainable raw materials, selling the Cosphaderm and Cosphagard ingredient brands (preservation systems, antioxidants, emulsifiers, multifunctionals, thickeners, actives) to cosmetics and personal care manufacturers globally through distributors and subsidiaries in France and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cosmetic Raw Materials / Specialty Ingredients

NAICS

Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydrocolloids, Thickeners & Gelling Agents (Pectin, Xanthan, Carrageenan, Gelatin) (CRADAOAD), Mono- & Diglycerides (E471) & Derivatives (DATEM, SSL/CSL, Lactylates) (AFAJACAB)

Keywords

• Natural cosmetic ingredients
• Cosmetic preservation systems
• Natural emulsifiers emollients
• Cosmetic antioxidant blends
• Skincare formulation raw materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cosmetic Raw Material Sales: B2B sale of proprietary ingredient formulations (Cosphaderm and Cosphagard product lines) to cosmetics and personal care manufacturers. Products include preservation systems, antioxidants, emulsifiers, emollients, multifunctionals, thickeners, and active substances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cosphatec manufactures and supplies natural, sustainable, and skin-friendly raw materials for the modern cosmetics industry under the Cosphaderm® and Cosphagard® sub-brands. Its portfolio covers active substances, antioxidants, preservative blends, multifunctionals, natural emulsifiers/emollients, and natural thickeners/gel formers used by cosmetics and personal-care manufacturers in skincare, haircare, bodycare, cleansing, sun care, and color cosmetics. The company sells these B2B ingredient formulations through a global network of authorized distributors and its own subsidiaries in Germany, France, and China.

Product overview

Cosphatec is a B2B supplier of natural and sustainable raw materials for the modern cosmetics industry. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of cosmetic ingredients organized into seven product categories: (1) Aktive Substanzen (Active Substances) including antimicrobial agents, moisturizers, and specialized actives; (2) Antioxidantien (Antioxidants) featuring natural vitamin E mixtures; (3) Konservierungsblends (Preservative Blends) under the Cosphagard® brand providing paraben-free preservation; (4) Multifunctionals including multifunctional blends; (5) Natürliche Emulgatoren & Emollients (Natural Emulsifiers & Emollients) including lecithins and hydrogenated Lecithins; (6) Natürliche Multifunctionals (Natural Multifunctionals) based on natural compounds like LAAS, Sodium LAAS, and Zinc Lactate natural; and (7) Natürliche Verdicker & Gelbildner (Natural Thickeners & Gel Formers) featuring xanthan gum variants. The products are branded under the Cosphaderm® and Cosphagard® product lines. Cosphatec positions itself as a specialist in natural stability solutions for modern cosmetics, using exclusively sustainable and skin-friendly raw materials. The company operates internationally with subsidiary offices in France (Cosphatec Paris SAS) and China (Cosphatec Shanghai).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cosphaderm: Product brand for active substances, antioxidants, multifunctionals, emulsifiers, and thickeners for cosmetics formulations.
• Cosphagard

Products and services

• Cosphaderm® Sodium LAAS Natural, water-free blend of sodium levulinate and sodium anisate in white powder form; provides optimal microbiological stability for cosmetic formulations without classical preservatives while caring for the skin. Intended for cosmetics manufacturers seeking paraben-free / conventional-preservative-free stabilization for natural skincare, body care, cleansing, and related products.
• Cosphaderm® LAAS Natural multifunctional active ingredient with antimicrobial, moisturizing, and skin-regenerating effects; used as a key multifunctional in slow-ageing / longevity-inspired facial cream formulations for cosmetics and personal-care manufacturers.
• Cosphaderm® Tocopharin High-performance natural antioxidant blend that protects both the formulation and the skin; delivers study-proven protective effects with a color- and odor-neutral profile, suitable for a wide range of cosmetic applications.
• Cosphaderm® SB-75H High-purity hydrogenated sunflower lecithin in powder form (>70% phosphatidylcholine) delivering maximum oxidation stability and superior emulsifying and dispersing performance for modern cosmetic formulations.
• Cosphaderm® HAP Nature-identical antimicrobial ingredient for cosmetic products that also provides antioxidant activity and offers a neutral sensory profile; intended for cosmetics and personal-care manufacturers formulating modern, natural cosmetic products.
• Cosphaderm® Active Substances range Cosphaderm® active substance portfolio (AP, AS, Butiol natural, CHA, Dicapo/Dicapo natural, Heptiol natural, Hexiol/Hexiol natural, Magnolia Extract 98, Octiol/Octiol natural, PA ECONAT, PA-12, pAS natural, Pentiol GL, Pentiol natural, Propanediol natural variants, Sodium Hyaluronate variants, Sodium pAS natural, TOM, VBE, Zinc Lactate natural) — a range of antimicrobial agents, moisturizers, and specialized actives used as functional ingredients in natural cosmetic formulations across skincare, body care, sun care, and color cosmetics.
• Cosphaderm® Antioxidant range Cosphaderm® antioxidant ingredient line (E NGM natural, E-1000 NON GMO, E-1000 Sunflower, E-1000AC NON GMO, T-50 NON GMO ECO and CC, T-70 NON GMO variants, T-70 NON GMO Soy, and Tapmix) — natural vitamin E / tocopherol-based antioxidant mixtures for protecting cosmetic formulations and skin from oxidation.
• Cosphaderm® Multifunctional range Cosphaderm® multifunctional blends (Feel, GeMix, MultiMEG) — multi-purpose ingredient blends that combine several functions (e.g., skin-feel, stabilization, sensory profile) into a single raw material for cosmetic formulators.
• Cosphaderm® Natural Emulsifiers & Emollients range Cosphaderm® natural emulsifier and emollient portfolio (GS Connect, KG, LA-T, LA-T palm free, SB-75H, SB-75H NON GMO, SF-75H, and the Cosphaderm Lecithines sub-line) — natural lecithin-based emulsifiers and emollients for cosmetic formulations including oil- and water-phase applications.
• Cosphaderm® Natural Thickeners & Gel Formers range Cosphaderm® natural thickener and gel-former portfolio (GMCY, GMUD, X 24, X 34, X 7, X soft, and Cosphaderm Xanthan Gums) — natural thickeners (including xanthan-gum-based variants) and gel formers used to texture and stabilize modern cosmetic formulations.
• Cosphagard® Preservative Blends range Cosphagard® line of paraben-free preservative blends (Exact, Pol, SA natural) for cosmetic formulations, providing natural preservation options for paraben-free and conventional-preservative-free cosmetic product development.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Climate PartnerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Partner provides CO2 compensation services for Cosphatec's climate-neutral website initiative. The partnership supports the Virunga National Park project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, protecting forests and endangered mountain gorillas while providing hydroelectric power to local communities.
• Cosphatec Paris SAScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholly-owned subsidiary in France (Colombes) established September 2023, serving the French cosmetics market directly.
• Cosphatec (Shanghai) Co., LTD.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholly-owned subsidiary in China (Shanghai) serving the Asian market for cosmetics ingredients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CLR Berlin: Berlin-based manufacturer of natural cosmetic actives and functional ingredients with proprietary branded ranges (e.g., SyriCalm, MultiMoist). Most comparable mid-sized German peer with overlapping natural-preservation, antioxidant, and active-substance categories.
• Rahn Group: Swiss specialty chemicals company with a Cosmetics Actives division selling branded ingredients to cosmetic formulators across Europe. Closely comparable as a focused European B2B specialty ingredient supplier with similar customer segment and go-to-market profile.
• INOLEX: US-based specialty ingredients supplier focused on natural, sustainable, and plant-derived cosmetic ingredients across preservation, conditioning, and emulsion categories. Highly comparable in the natural-preservation and multifunctional-ingredient positioning.
• Gattefossé: French family-owned specialty ingredient company supplying lipid chemistry, emulsifiers, actives, and functional excipients to cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulators. Highly comparable as a private, focused European specialty ingredient manufacturer with similar customer base.
• Lucas Meyer Cosmetics (IFF): IFF's specialty cosmetic ingredients division (formerly Lucas Meyer) supplies phospholipids, actives, and emulsifiers to cosmetics brands. Comparable to Cosphatec on natural emulsifiers (lecithin analogues) and multifunctional actives, though now part of a much larger parent.

Broad incumbents

• Evonik (Care Solutions): Global specialty chemicals major with a Personal Care & Cosmetics platform offering emulsifiers, conditioners, actives, and preservation-adjacent systems. Overlaps with Cosphatec in emulsifier and skincare-active categories but operates at vastly broader scale and chemistry scope.
• BASF Personal Care: BASF's Care Chemicals division supplies surfactants, emulsifiers, UV filters, and cosmetic actives to major brand owners worldwide. Competes with Cosphatec at the upper end of cosmetic formulation accounts via broad portfolio, but does not focus exclusively on natural preservation.
• Symrise (Scent & Care): Major global supplier of fragrances, cosmetic ingredients, and functional actives through its Scent & Care segment. Overlaps with Cosphatec across cosmetic actives and functional ingredients, but at much larger scale and with a broader portfolio.
• Seppic (Air Liquide): Seppic, an Air Liquide subsidiary, supplies specialty cosmetic and pharmaceutical excipients, actives, and emulsifiers. Competes in adjacent ingredient categories (emulsifiers, actives) with similar B2B distributor-based sales model.
• Croda International: Global leader in specialty ingredients for personal care, with extensive portfolios in actives, emulsifiers, and formulation aids. Larger and broader than Cosphatec but relevant as a benchmark for the natural/clean beauty segment roadmap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cosphatecgmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cosphatec
• Instagraminstagram.com/cosphatec

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Cosphatec