What KIWO does

KIWO Inc. is the U.S. operating subsidiary of privately held German parent KISSEL + WOLF GmbH, headquartered in Seabrook, Texas. Founded in 1893, the parent group has operated in screen-printing chemistry for over 130 years, and KIWO Inc. manufactures chemical products for screen making — including SBQ photopolymer emulsions (POLYCOL line), dual-cure emulsions (KIWOCOL line), stencil hardeners, degreasers, frame adhesives (KIWOBOND), screen cleaners (KIWOCLEAN), specialty screen-printable and laminating adhesives (KIWOPRINT, MECOTHERM, KIWOTHERM), and Direct-to-Film products — alongside Computer-to-Screen (CTS) imaging hardware under the KIWO LX Series, which uses Texas Instruments DMD technology. KIWO also holds exclusive North American distribution rights for LÜSCHER (Switzerland) CTS laser imaging systems and distributes GRUNIG screen-printing equipment and DeFelsko measurement tools.

The company serves primarily two customer segments: (1) screen printers in textile and graphics applications (commercial shops producing apparel, signage, promotional products, and printed apparel), and (2) industrial adhesives users in automotive, electronics, and laminating (manufacturers of vehicle interiors, touch panels, decorative glass, and printed electronics). KIWO's go-to-market relies on an extensive authorized distributor network spanning the USA, Canada, Mexico, Central/South America, and the Caribbean, with direct inside-sales from the Seabrook headquarters for North American customers; international markets outside North America are served through affiliated Kissel + Wolf entities in Germany, Australia, Singapore, and Brazil. Revenue is generated through one-time chemical product sales (consumables in Quart to 55-gallon drum formats), hardware sales of CTS equipment, and wholesale margins from distributor reselling.

KIWO operates from an ISO 9001-certified, 100% wind-powered Seabrook facility with in-house laboratories, holds a "Safe with System" occupational safety certification, and markets itself as a mid-sized, internationally oriented specialist offering integrated solutions across the full screen-making workflow. The company has stated over 100,000 customers worldwide, positions its competitive differentiation on heritage, formulation IP, distribution breadth, and end-to-end workflow coverage, and has invested in new product launches across 2023–2026 including a renewed DTF product range and proprietary LX Series CTS equipment.

Name

KIWO

Legal name

KIWO Inc.

Website

https://kiwo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KIWO Inc. is a Seabrook, Texas-based manufacturer of chemical products for screen making — including photo-emulsions, cleaners, frame and specialty adhesives, and Direct-to-Film products — plus proprietary Computer-to-Screen imaging hardware. It serves commercial screen printers and industrial adhesives users across the Americas via an extensive distributor network, as the U.S. arm of Germany's Kissel + Wolf.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seabrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Product Sales: Direct sales of manufactured chemical products (photo-emulsions, screen cleaners, stencil removers, degreasers, frame adhesives, screen-printable adhesives, laminating adhesives, hardeners, blockouts, inkjet films and inks) sold in various container sizes (Quart, 1-gallon, 5-gallon, 55-gallon drums).
2. Distributor Wholesale Channel: Bulk sales to a large network of authorized distributors in the USA, Canada, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico, who then resell to end-user screen printers and industrial customers.
3. CTS Equipment Sales (KIWO LX Series): Sales of KIWO's proprietary Computer-to-Screen imaging equipment using Texas Instruments DMD technology, plus associated GRUNIG and LÜSCHER equipment that KIWO distributes in North America.
4. International Distribution through Parent Company Network: Sales outside North America handled through Kissel + Wolf GmbH (Germany), Kissel & Wolf Australia, Kissel + Wolf Singapore, and Kissel + Wolf Brazil affiliates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KIWO manufactures chemical products for screen making — photo-emulsions, screen cleaners, stencil removers, degreasers, frame adhesives, screen-printable adhesives, laminating adhesives, KIWOFILLER blockouts, stencil hardeners, and DTF (Direct-to-Film) films, inks and powders. The company also produces and distributes Computer-to-Screen (CTS) laser imaging equipment including its proprietary KIWO LX Series (using Texas Instruments DMD technology) and serves as the exclusive North American distributor for LÜSCHER and GRUNIG screen printing equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KIWOCOL: Line of dual-cure and diazo-photopolymer emulsions for textile and graphic screen printing.
• POLYCOL
• KIWOFILLER
• KIWOCLEAN
• KIWOMASK
• KIWOMAT
• KIWO LX SERIES
• KIWO ONYX
• KIWO CHRONOS
• KIWO ULTRACOAT
• KIWOBOND
• KIWOPRINT
• KIWOTHERM
• MECOTHERM / MECOCURE / MECOPLUS
• KIWOCOLOR

Products and services

• KIWO Direct Emulsions

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% faster reclaiming with new & improved POLYCOL CROSSOVER formula
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Kissel + Wolf GmbH (Germany)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKissel + Wolf GmbH is the parent company of KIWO Inc., founded in 1893 in Germany. KIWO Inc. was established as the North American arm and operates as part of the broader Kissel + Wolf global network. The Wiesloch, Germany HQ serves Europe, Near and Middle East; affiliated Kissel + Wolf entities serve Australia/Oceania (Kissel & Wolf Australia Pty. Ltd.), Asia (Kissel + Wolf Singapore), and South America (Kissel + Wolf Brazil). The relationship is bidirectional with shared product development, technology transfer, and shared customer support infrastructure.
• Lüscher Technologies AGcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKIWO is the exclusive distributor for LÜSCHER products in North America. LÜSCHER manufactures high-end Computer-to-Screen (CTS) laser imaging systems including JetScreen! CS (up to 1300 x 1450 mm format), MultiDX! flatbed imagesetter, and JetScreen! LT (formats up to 5500 x 3200 mm). KIWO contact for LÜSCHER products is Daniel Deskins ([email protected]).
• Grünig (Switzerland)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKIWO distributes GRUNIG screen printing equipment in North America for stretching, coating, washing, and drying processes. GRUNIG has over 50 years of experience in screen printing and aims to automate stencil production and standardize work processes. KIWO contact for GRUNIG is Daniel Deskins ([email protected]).
• Ulano CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUlano is featured on the KIWO homepage and KIWO markets co-branded products under the KIWO-ULANO label, including the complete DTF (Direct-to-Film) Product Range: ALL PEEL DTF FILM, DTF FILM PREMIUM, PREMIUM DTF INK, and EcoDB DTF POWDER. KIWO also markets Ulano-branded ONYX-E ink cartridge products (P400, 1400/1430, 4800/4880, 4900).
• SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGIA has granted KIWO permission to publish and distribute the SPTF (Screen Printing Technical Foundation) Troubleshooting Charts for capillary film, direct emulsion, graphic printing, textile printing, and textile registration troubleshooting. KIWO also presents at SGIA educational events.
• Grimco Inc.flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrimco is one of KIWO's largest USA distribution partners with locations across Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. Grimco regularly hosts open houses where KIWO participates (Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Orlando).
• Nazdar SourceOnecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNazdar SourceOne distributes KIWO products with locations in California (Garden Grove), Kansas (Shawnee), Texas (Grapevine), and El Salvador and Honduras internationally.
• T&J Printing Supply, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIllinois-based T&J Printing Supply distributes KIWO products and hosts the 'Print University' educational event where KIWO Technical Products Manager Dave Dennings presents on screen making techniques.
• One Stop Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichigan-based One Stop Inc. distributes KIWO products and hosts the One Stop Expo in Grand Rapids where KIWO exhibits.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Luscher Technologies AG: Luscher manufactures high-end CTS (Computer-to-Screen) laser imaging systems including JetScreen! CS, MultiDX!, and JetScreen! LT, and is distributed exclusively in North America by KIWO. Comparable because the partnership sits in the same premium CTS equipment market and the products directly support KIWO's POLYCOL LIGHT-SCRIBE LX chemistry.

Direct peers

• Nazdar SourceOne: Nazdar is both a KIWO distributor (per KIWO's own distributor page) and a manufacturer of screen-printing inks and specialty chemicals. It is comparable because it sits in the same screen-printing consumables value chain and overlaps on chemistry, ink, and stencil-making categories.
• Murakami Inc. Murakami Screen Printing Industries manufactures screen-printing emulsions, capillary films, and stencil-making chemicals globally. It overlaps with KIWO's POLYCOL emulsion range and serves the same screen-printer and printed-electronics customers.
• MacDermid Autotype (Element Solutions): MacDermid Autotype produces screen-printing chemicals, photopolymer films, and stencil-making consumables for graphics, textile, and industrial screen printers. It is a direct chemical-formulation competitor to KIWO with comparable end markets.
• Chromaline Screen Print Products: Chromaline manufactures direct emulsions, capillary films, blockouts, and screen-making chemicals for textile, graphic, and industrial screen printing. It competes head-to-head with KIWO's POLYCOL and KIWOCOL lines for the same screen-printer and industrial-adhesive accounts in North America.
• Ulano Corporation: Ulano is the most direct comparable to KIWO, manufacturing photo-emulsions, capillary films, and screen-printing chemicals for textile and graphic applications. Notably, Ulano is also co-marketed on KIWO's own homepage under the KIWO-ULANO label for DTF products and ONYX-E ink cartridges, confirming identical customer overlap.
• Grunig AG: Grunig manufactures screen-printing equipment for stretching, coating, washing, and drying, and is distributed in North America by KIWO itself. Comparable because Grunig sells into the same screen-printer accounts and competes with KIWO's own KIWOMAT coating machines and ULTRACOAT line.
• Marabu GmbH: Marabu manufactures screen-printing, pad-printing, and digital inks plus specialty inks for industrial and graphic applications. Comparable to KIWO because it supplies the same screen-printing customer base with consumable chemistry (inks, additives) and competes for the same textile and industrial print shops.

Broad incumbents

• Sefar Group: Sefar is a global leader in precision woven mesh for screen printing and filtration, with related screen-printing supplies. While broader and mesh-focused, Sefar competes with KIWO for share of wallet from screen printers that source both mesh and stencil chemistry from a single supplier.
• Saati S.p.A. Saati produces woven mesh, chemicals, and equipment for screen printing and filtration, with a broad industrial portfolio. It is comparable to KIWO as a screen-printing consumables and equipment supplier competing for the same end customers, though broader and mesh-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KiwoProductsUSA

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 KIWO