ALTEO

What ALTEO does

ALTEO is a French industrial manufacturer specializing in non-metallurgical and specialty aluminas, headquartered in Gardanne near Marseille at a site with continuous alumina operations since 1893. The company produces a diversified portfolio of specialty alumina grades organized across branded product lines—SEPAL for lithium-ion battery separator coatings, TIMAL for thermal dissipation, HYCal® for advanced ceramics, REal® for refractories, plus products for glass, tiles, flame retardants, and polishing—alongside the Bauxaline® circular-economy by-product derived from bauxite residue. Core technology centers on proprietary calcination, grinding, and surface-treatment processes, supported by a world-first CO2-injection water treatment system (developed with Air Liquide) and a biological wastewater treatment facility (with Veolia), plus a high-purity alumina unit with capacity exceeding 1,000 tonnes per year targeting microelectronics.

The company operates a B2B industrial model selling directly to manufacturers across ceramics, batteries, refractories, glass, and electronics applications via a global network of 17 sales, engineering, and JV offices across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, with more than 70% of revenue generated from export markets. Strategic commercial positioning includes the W-Scope partnership supplying aluminas for what is described as the largest European Li-ion battery separator plant, the Alteo-Ginet (Suzhou) joint venture serving the Chinese EV battery market, and dedicated application laboratories in France and Qingdao, China. Ownership is private following the January 2021 acquisition by United Mining Supply (UMS) Group out of judicial rehabilitation, with Hungarian MOL Group holding a nearly 40% minority stake as of April 2022; headcount exceeds 470 employees.

Name

ALTEO

Legal name

ALTEO Holding

Website

https://alteo-alumina.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ALTEO is a French private industrial manufacturer of specialty and non-metallurgical aluminas, producing branded grades for lithium-ion battery separators (SEPAL), advanced ceramics (HYCal®), refractories (REal®), thermal dissipation (TIMAL), and other applications, serving global industrial customers through 17 offices across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Alumina Manufacturing

NAICS

Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing (33131), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Alumina Refining (Bayer Process) (IMAKACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Catalyst Supports & Carriers (Alumina/Ceramics/Monoliths) (IMAEAIAL)

Keywords

• Specialty alumina production
• Lithium-ion battery materials
• Advanced ceramics alumina
• Refractory materials manufacturing
• Thermal dissipation materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Gardanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Alumina Products: ALTEO manufactures and sells specialty aluminas for diverse industrial applications including advanced ceramics, lithium-ion batteries, refractories, glass, thermal dissipation, flame retardants, and polishing. The company operates as a B2B industrial manufacturer with global sales through its international office network.
2. Alumina for Battery Markets: Specialty alumina products for lithium-ion battery separator coatings (SEPAL brand) serving the growing electric vehicle and energy storage markets, with partnerships including W-Scope for European separator production.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ALTEO manufactures and sells specialty alumina products for diverse industrial applications including lithium-ion battery separators (SEPAL), thermal dissipation materials for electronics (TIMAL), advanced ceramics (HYCal®), refractories (REal®), glass, flame retardant fillers, polishing compounds, and standard ceramics. The company also produces Bauxaline®, a circular-economy by-product from bauxite residue used in construction and environmental remediation. Manufacturing is centered at the Gardanne facility in France (the historic birthplace of the Bayer process since 1893) with global distribution through 17 sales offices.

Product overview

ALTEO is a global leader in specialty alumina production, offering a diversified portfolio of products organized across multiple product lines: SEPAL for lithium-ion battery separators, TIMAL for thermal dissipation, HYCal® for advanced ceramics, REal® for refractories, standard ceramics and tiles, glass, flame retardant fillers, and polishing applications. The company also produces Bauxaline®, a circular economy by-product from bauxite residue used in construction and environmental remediation. ALTEO's offerings range from commodity-grade aluminas to high-purity, high-performance specialized products for advanced technology applications including microelectronics, electric vehicles, and industrial manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HYCal®: High-quality alumina solutions for advanced ceramics, launched October 2023.
• REal®
• SEPAL
• TIMAL
• Alteo Fused Alumina
• Bauxaline®

Products and services

• SEPAL Specialty aluminas for lithium-ion battery separator coatings enabling high-performance energy storage solutions for EV and energy storage markets.
• TIMAL Aluminas dedicated to thermal dissipation (Thermal Interface Materials), helping manage heat in electronic devices, power electronics, and industrial equipment.
• HYCal® Premium alumina solutions specifically designed for advanced technical ceramics, offering high quality, elevated mechanical and dielectric performances, and customized solutions for aerospace, defense, and electronics applications.
• REal® Range of aluminas for refractory applications supporting high-performance industrial furnace and kiln linings in steel, cement, glass, and petrochemical industries.
• Carrelage & Céramiques (Tiles & Standard Ceramics) Aluminas for floor tiles, wall tiles, and sanitaryware production in standard ceramic construction applications.
• Verre (Glass) Alumina products for specialty glass, container glass, and fibreglass production with specific quality and purity requirements.
• Ignifugation (Flame Retardants) Alumina-based flame retardant filler products for fire safety applications in plastics, textiles, and construction materials.
• Polissage (Polishing) Fine alumina powders for precision polishing applications in optics, semiconductors, and precision component manufacturing.
• Bauxaline® Bauxite residue by-product from alumina production used for construction materials, water and soil depollution, and steel industry applications as part of circular economy initiatives.
• Alteo Fused Alumina Fused alumina products from the acquired Niche Fused Alumina business, providing fused alumina solutions for industrial applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved >50% reduction in CO2 emissions through Industrial Transformation Project 2021/2022
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Pôle Européen de la CéramiquecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Strategic collaboration to strengthen position in key sectors including aerospace, defense, and electronics. The partnership provides access to the European ceramic industry's ecosystem and collaborative R&D opportunities.
• W-ScopeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2022Strategic agreement for construction of the largest separator production site in Europe. ALTEO will supply specialty aluminas while W-Scope operates the manufacturing facility, serving the rapidly growing electric vehicle battery market.
• VeoliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2020Partnership for design, construction, operation, and maintenance of biological water treatment facility. Veolia designed and built the 300 m³/hour capacity treatment unit and provides ongoing operations with two on-site agents for three years. Project required investment of nearly 6 million euros, achieving 100% regulatory compliance for wastewater discharge.
• Air LiquidecoreTechnology or Integration · 22 March 2019Partnership for CO2 injection water treatment technology. Air Liquide provides the CO2 gas used in ALTEO's innovative treatment process that transforms dissolved metals into solid form, achieving regulatory compliance for pH and metal concentrations.
• Ginet GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2019Joint venture Alteo-Ginet (Suzhou) Lithium Battery Material Technology Co., Ltd. headquartered in Suzhou, China. ALTEO contributes super-fine alumina expertise for battery separator coatings while Ginet provides industrial grinding capacity to process alumina from the Gardanne facility, targeting the Chinese electric vehicle market.
• ENGIE CofelycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2018Partnership for high-energy-performance cogeneration unit that produces simultaneously thermal energy and electricity. The system provides 10% of ALTEO's steam needs for industrial processes and injects electricity equivalent to a city of 20,000 residents into the RTE grid. The unit achieves 20% higher energy performance compared to separate production.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Almatis: Almatis is the world's other leading specialty alumina producer (tabular, calcined, reactive, and boehmite aluminas) serving refractories, ceramics, and battery applications. It is the most directly comparable competitor to ALTEO across the same product categories and end markets.
• Baikowski: French specialty alumina producer (also headquartered in France) serving technical ceramics, polishing, and high-purity applications. Geographic and product overlap makes Baikowski a strong direct peer, though it is smaller than ALTEO.

Broad incumbents

• Hindalco Industries (Aditya Birla Group): Hindalco operates the world's largest single-location specialty alumina plants in India alongside primary aluminum, directly competing with ALTEO in calcined, reactive, and specialty grades for ceramics, refractories, and battery separator coatings globally.
• Norsk Hydro: Norsk Hydro is a global aluminum major with alumina refining and extrusion operations across Europe and Latin America; its specialty alumina and bauxite products compete in similar end-use markets as ALTEO, though it is much larger and more diversified.
• Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco): Chalco is China's largest state-owned alumina and aluminum producer with growing specialty chemical offerings; it competes head-on with ALTEO in Asian markets and increasingly in battery-grade aluminas, though at vastly larger scale.
• Honeywell Specialty Chemicals (now Honeywell Performance Materials): Honeywell produces high-purity alumina for LED phosphors, sapphire, and lithium-ion battery separators — overlapping with ALTEO's HPA microelectronics push and SEPAL battery separator franchise.
• Rio Tinto Alcan: Rio Tinto Alcan operates large metallurgical alumina refineries and chemical-grade alumina lines globally; though primarily metallurgical, its specialty/chemical alumina grades compete with ALTEO in glass, refractories, and ceramics applications.
• RUSAL: RUSAL is one of the world's largest aluminum producers with growing specialty/chemical alumina offerings for refractories, ceramics, and emerging battery applications; competes with ALTEO on price and scale in commoditized specialty grades.

Emerging players

• Nippon Light Metal Holdings: Nippon Light Metal operates alumina refining in Japan and produces high-purity aluminas for electronics, catalysts, and ceramics — directly comparable application overlap with ALTEO's HYCal® and high-purity grades in Asia.
• Sumitomo Chemical: Sumitomo Chemical produces high-purity alumina for separators and electronics in Japan and Asia, directly comparable to ALTEO's HPA and SEPAL product positioning, particularly in Japanese/Korean battery OEM supply chains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCryGHMWGbNEcpH-ehQNyGwQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alteo-alumina

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 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 ALTEO