Kobo Products, Inc.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersSouth Plainfield, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Kobo Products, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kobo Products, Inc.
- Legal name
- Kobo Products, Inc.
- Website
- https://koboproductsinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kobo Products, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cosmetic Raw Materials
- NAICS
- All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (325998)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ)
Keywords
Where Kobo Products, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- South Plainfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Kobo Products, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Raw Materials for Cosmetic Industry: Kobo Products supplies innovative raw materials to the cosmetic industry, including Surface Treated Pigments, Microspheres, Suncare and Color Dispersions, Silicone Fluids, Specialties, Natural Ingredients, Effect Pigments, Boron Nitride and Delivery Systems. Products are sold for industrial use to cosmetics manufacturers and formulators.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kobo Products, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kobo Products manufactures and supplies specialty raw materials to the cosmetic and personal care industry, organized across categories including surface-treated pigments, microspheres and microsphere complexes, suncare and pigmentary dispersions, silicone fluids, film formers, effect pigments, fillers (including boron nitride), esters, fibers, and delivery systems. Products are sold for industrial use to cosmetics manufacturers and formulators worldwide through direct regional sales contacts and a network of independent agents.
Product overview
Kobo Products, Inc. is a raw materials supplier to the cosmetic and personal care industry, founded in 1987. The company offers an extensive portfolio of powder and dispersion specialty ingredients organized across 15 product categories including Sunscreen Technologies (TiO2 and ZnO dispersions), Actives and Delivery Systems (Glycospheres, Softspheres), Film Formers (KOBOGUARD brand), Microspheres and Microsphere Complexes, Treated Pigments & Powders, Pigmentary Grade Dispersions (KOBOTINT, KoboGel), Effect Pigments (KTZ brand), Fillers (CARESS Boron Nitride, KoboMica, KOBOFILLER NATURAL), Esters (Plandool, Lusplan, Neosolue, Ikeda Esters), Fibers, Colored Concentrates, Pigmentary TiO2, Natural Origin Products, and COSMOS/ECOCERT Approved Products. The company operates globally with six locations (USA, Brazil, UK, France, Asia Pacific, and Japan) and provides customers access to a library of cosmetic formulations using their ingredients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sunscreen Technologies Category of UV protection raw materials supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, including TiO2 and ZnO dispersions in nano and non-nano formats and sunscreen boosters.
- Actives and Delivery Systems Category of active cosmetic ingredients and delivery technologies supplied to formulators, including Glycospheres and Softspheres systems for enhanced skin delivery and stability of actives.
- Film Formers Category of film-forming polymers and rheology modifiers supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, including the KOBOGUARD brand range for long-wear and transfer-resistant formulations.
- Microspheres Category of spherical particles and microsphere complexes supplied to cosmetic formulators, including composite microspheres and optical enhancers for texture and soft-focus effects.
- Specialties Category of specialty ingredients supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, including BTD-V Series non-nano pigmentary TiO2, ZnO-PCC, natural scrubbing beads, charcoal powder, and fumed silica gellants.
- Treated Pigments and Powders Category of surface-treated pigments supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, including hybrid, lipophilic, silicone/silane, and fluorinated treatments for enhanced dispersibility and performance.
- Pigmentary Grade Dispersions Category of pre-dispersed color concentrates supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, including KOBOTINT and KoboGel products for easy incorporation into formulations.
- Effect Pigments Category of pearlescent, interference, and special effect pigments supplied to color cosmetic manufacturers, including the KTZ brand range of visual effect pigments.
- Colored Concentrates Category of pre-dispersed color concentrate products supplied for industrial and cosmetic applications.
- Pigmentary TiO2 Category of pigmentary grade titanium dioxide supplied to cosmetic manufacturers for opacity and coverage in cosmetic formulations.
- Fibers Category of cosmetic fibers supplied to personal care manufacturers for volume enhancement in mascaras and related applications.
- Fillers Category of functional fillers supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, including CARESS Boron Nitride, KoboMica, sericite, barium sulfate, starch, and effect fillers such as KOBOFILLER NATURAL.
- Esters Category of 100% plant-derived esters supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, including Plandool and Lusplan as lanolin alternatives, Neosolue penetration enhancers, and Ikeda Esters.
- Natural Origin Products Category of naturally-derived cosmetic ingredients spanning sunscreens, surface treatments, pigmentary dispersions, microspheres, and specialties for cosmetic manufacturers.
- COSMOS/ECOCERT Approved Products Category of cosmetic raw materials certified compliant with ECOCERT and COSMOS natural and organic cosmetic standards, supplied to manufacturers for use in certified finished products.
- KOBOGUARD Branded line of film former products supplied to cosmetic manufacturers for long-wear and transfer-resistant formulations, including KOBOGUARD NATURAL 3000 (oil soluble), KOBOGUARD NATURAL PXF (water soluble), KOBOGUARD 50AMP-G (water phase), KOBOGUARD 5400 series (oil soluble), and KOBOGUARD MQ silicone resins.
- CARESS Boron Nitride Branded line of high purity Boron Nitride fillers supplied to cosmetic manufacturers in various particle sizes and crystal morphologies, delivering soft, silky touch and excellent skin adherence with matte to shiny appearance effects.
- KoboMica Branded line of mica-based fillers supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, offering high slip, excellent skin adhesion, and good pressability through strict particle size control.
- Plandool Branded 100% plant-derived ester supplied to cosmetic manufacturers as a lanolin alternative providing unique moisture retention and richness.
- Lusplan Branded 100% plant-derived liquid esters supplied to cosmetic manufacturers as alternatives to lanolin and polyisobutene, providing gloss and moisturization.
- Neosolue Branded line of oil and water soluble esters supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, including Neosolue Aqulio (enhanced penetration), Neosolue DiSM (low viscosity moisture), and Neosolue AquaS (multi-functional water-soluble ester).
- KOBOFILLER NATURAL Branded natural origin effect filler supplied to cosmetic manufacturers, providing high coverage, soft focus, and highlighting/brightening properties.
- KTZ Effect Pigments Branded line of special effect pigments supplied to color cosmetic manufacturers, including white and silver, white interference, colored interference, multicolor, earth tones, magnetic, long color travel/OVP, and holographic effects.
- Cosmetic Formulations Library Publicly accessible formulation resource provided by Kobo to customers and the industry, offering over 100 formulation recipes across categories including sunscreens, foundations, blush, lipsticks, lip gloss, loose/pressed powders, eyeliners, eyeshadows, mascaras, eyebrow care, body/face care, nail care, and tinted moisturizers.
Companies that use Kobo Products, Inc.
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kobo Products, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Kobo Products, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ECOCERTcoreECOCERT is an inspection and certification body established in France in 1991. Kobo Products works with ECOCERT for raw material validation as part of the natural and organic certification process according to ECOCERT and COSMOS standards. Kobo offers COSMOS/ECOCERT approved products that meet these strict requirements.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kobo Products, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Daito Kasei Kogyo: Japanese specialty manufacturer of surface-treated pigments, microspheres, and pigment dispersions for cosmetics. Direct head-to-head competitor to Kobo in treated pigments and color dispersions serving similar global cosmetic brand customers.
- Miyoshi Kasei: Japanese producer of surface-treated pigments and specialty cosmetic powders with strong silicone and amino-acid treatment capabilities. Closely overlaps with Kobo's treated pigments, fillers, and microspheres franchises for cosmetic formulators worldwide.
- Sensient Cosmetic Technologies: Division of Sensient Technologies supplying pigments, color dispersions, and specialty ingredients for color cosmetics and skin care. Directly comparable in product mix (effect pigments, treated pigments, dispersions) and customer base (global cosmetic brands).
- Grant Industries: US specialty manufacturer of silicone-based raw materials, elastomers, and film formers for personal care. Directly comparable in film former technology (KOBOGUARD line), silicone fluids, and texture-enhancing specialties serving cosmetic formulators.
Broad incumbents
- Merck KGaA (Surface Solutions): Global science and technology company whose Surface Solutions unit supplies Iriodin effect pigments, Ronaflux effect pigments, and cosmetic raw materials. Overlaps with Kobo's effect pigments (KTZ line), UV dispersions, and pearlescent pigments at a much larger scale.
- Sun Chemical (DIC Corporation): World's largest pigment producer (part of DIC) supplying cosmetic-grade pigments, pearlescents, and effect pigments. Comparable in treated pigments and effect pigments, with a much broader industrial pigment portfolio and global reach.
- BASF Personal Care: Global giant in personal care ingredients including UV filters (Tinosorb), pigments, emollients, actives, and conditioning agents. Directly comparable in sunscreen dispersions and effect pigments, with vastly greater R&D scale and breadth.
- Croda International: UK-listed specialty chemicals company with a large Personal Care division supplying actives, UV filters, esters, and delivery systems. Comparable in esters (lanolin alternatives), UV protection, and actives/delivery systems at much greater scale and global reach.
- Evonik Industries (Personal Care): German specialty chemicals major supplying silica-based ingredients, specialty silicones, and actives to the personal care industry. Directly comparable in silica microspheres, silicone fluids, and specialty cosmetic ingredients at much larger scale.
- Clariant (Personal Care): Swiss specialty chemicals company supplying personal care and cosmetic ingredients including UV filters, pigments, and natural origin actives. Comparable in UV protection technologies and natural origin cosmetic ingredients, with broader portfolio and larger commercial footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kobo Products, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceKobo Products, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Kobo Products, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kobo Products, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kobo Products, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Kobo Products, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kobo Products, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kobo Products, Inc.
What does Kobo Products, Inc. do?
Kobo Products manufactures and supplies specialty raw materials to the cosmetic and personal care industry, organized across categories including surface-treated pigments, microspheres and microsphere complexes, suncare and pigmentary dispersions, silicone fluids, film formers, effect pigments, fillers (including boron nitride), esters, fibers, and delivery systems. Products are sold for industrial use to cosmetics manufacturers and formulators worldwide through direct regional sales contacts and a network of independent agents.
Is Kobo Products, Inc. a public or private company?
Kobo Products, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kobo Products, Inc. founded?
Kobo Products, Inc. was founded in 1987. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kobo Products, Inc. based?
Kobo Products, Inc. is headquartered in South Plainfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kobo Products, Inc. make money?
One revenue line is on record: raw Materials for Cosmetic Industry.
Who are Kobo Products, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Daito Kasei Kogyo, Miyoshi Kasei, Sensient Cosmetic Technologies and Grant Industries. Broad incumbents are Merck KGaA (Surface Solutions), Sun Chemical (DIC Corporation), BASF Personal Care, Croda International, Evonik Industries (Personal Care) and Clariant (Personal Care).
Does Kobo Products, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kobo Products, Inc..
What industry is Kobo Products, Inc. in?
Kobo Products, Inc.'s product category is Cosmetic Raw Materials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEABAJ, Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients. Its NAICS code is 325998 and its SIC code is 2844.