Kyowa Chemical Industry

What Kyowa Chemical Industry does

Kyowa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (協和化学工業株式会社) is a Japan-based specialty inorganic chemical manufacturer founded in 1947 and incorporated in 1952, headquartered in Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture. The company produces magnesium and aluminum-based inorganic compounds, primarily using magnesium extracted from seawater drawn from the Seto Inland Sea as its core raw material. Its product portfolio is organized into two segments: industrial products including non-halogen flame retardants (KISUMA series), PVC heat stabilizers (ALCAMIZER/MAGCELER), halogen scavengers (DHT series), acid acceptors (Kyowamag), thermal conductive fillers (PYROKISUMA), and adsorbents (KYOWAAD); and pharmaceutical and food additive products including magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, and synthetic hydrotalcite-based excipients and antacids (ALCAMAC). In 1970, Kyowa achieved the world's first industrial synthesis of hydrotalcite (a layered double hydroxide), establishing a long-standing technical lead that underpins its high global market share in synthetic hydrotalcite for resin additives.

The company operates through a wholly-owned subsidiary distribution network spanning Japan, the Netherlands (Kisuma Chemicals B.V., since 1999), China (Kisuma Dandong since 2009 and Kisuma Chemical Trading Shanghai since 2016), Singapore (2014), and the United States (Kisuma Americas Inc., 2014). Since October 2022, Kyowa Chemical Industry has operated as a 100%-owned subsidiary of SETOLAS Holdings, Inc., alongside group companies Magmitt Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and SETOLAS Foodtech Co., Ltd. The company sells B2B to industrial manufacturers (cables, electronics, resin products, packaging films), pharmaceutical companies, and food additive manufacturers in over 40 countries, with go-to-market executed through direct enterprise sales, regional sales offices in Japan, and the international Kisuma subsidiary network.

The business model is straightforward B2B chemical sales with pricing negotiated privately per inquiry and no public pricing. Revenue mechanics rely on long-term customer relationships and product qualification cycles in customer formulations. The company employs 355 people as of March 31, 2025, holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications at its Japanese plants, and maintains registered trademarks across multiple jurisdictions. In October 2025 the company announced KISUMA X, a next-generation flame retardant, as a product line extension to its flagship KISUMA series.

Name

Kyowa Chemical Industry

Legal name

協和化学工業株式会社（Kyowa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.）

Website

https://kyowa-chem.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kyowa Chemical Industry is a Japan-based specialty inorganic chemical manufacturer producing magnesium and aluminum compounds from seawater, supplying non-halogen flame retardants, PVC heat stabilizers, halogen scavengers, pharmaceutical ingredients, and food additives to industrial and pharmaceutical manufacturers in over 40 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sakaide

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

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. Industrial Chemical Products: Sale of inorganic chemical ingredients including magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, synthetic hydrotalcite, adsorbents, and flame retardants for use in cables, smartphones, resin products, packaging films, and various industrial applications.
2. Pharmaceutical Ingredients: Manufacturing and sale of pharmaceutical raw materials including magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, and hydrotalcite for antacids, laxatives, excipients, and pharmaceutical tablet production (main ingredient for Magmitt® Tablets).
3. Food Additives: Production and sale of food-grade magnesium compounds including magnesium oxide and magnesium carbonate.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kyowa Chemical Industry manufactures magnesium and aluminum-based inorganic compounds using seawater from the Seto Inland Sea as the primary raw material. The company produces industrial chemical ingredients (non-halogen flame retardants, PVC heat stabilizers, halogen scavengers, acid acceptors, adsorbents, and thermal conductive fillers) for use in cables, electronics, resin products, and packaging films. It also supplies pharmaceutical raw materials (magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, synthetic hydrotalcite) used as antacids, laxatives, and tablet excipients, along with food-grade magnesium compounds.

Product overview

Kyowa Chemical Industry is a chemical manufacturer producing magnesium and aluminum-based inorganic compounds extracted from seawater. The product portfolio comprises two main segments: Industrial products (non-halogen flame retardants, PVC heat stabilizers, acid acceptors, polymer stabilizers, adsorbents, and thermal conductive fillers) and Pharmaceutical/Food additive products (antacids, laxatives, tablet stabilizers, and excipients). Key industrial brands include KISUMA® series (flame retardants), ALCAMIZER®/MAGCELER® (PVC stabilizers), DHT® series (halogen scavengers), KYOWAAD™ series (adsorbents), and Kyowamag™/PYROKISUMA™ (magnesium oxides). Pharmaceutical products include magnesium oxide, hydroxide, carbonate, and ALCAMAC™ (hydrotalcite). The company operates as a member of SETOLAS Holdings group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kyowamag™: Lightly calcined magnesium oxide brand for industrial applications including vulcanizing agents, acid acceptors, and adhesive formulations
• ALCAMIZER®
• MAGCELER®
• DHT®
• KISUMA®
• KYOWAAD®
• PYROKISUMA™
• MAGMIC™
• MAGSARAT™
• KYOWASUIMAG™
• ALCAMAC™

Products and services

• Kyowamag™ Lightly calcined magnesium oxide (MgO) used as acid acceptor, vulcanizing agent for synthetic rubber, and adhesive formulation additive for industrial applications.
• Kyowamag™ MF High purity magnesium oxide with sharp particle size distribution and fine particle size, used as additive, metal salt raw material, and for resin dispersion.
• PYROKISUMA™ Magnesium oxide with improved moisture absorbency and low reactivity, used as thermal conductive filler in synthetic resins and rubbers.
• KISUMA® 5 Non-halogen flame retardant based on magnesium hydroxide, featuring high dispersibility and mechanical property retention in polymers.
• KISUMA® 8 Magnesium hydroxide flame retardant with larger particle size, developed for epoxy resins and special resin formulations.
• ALCAMIZER®/MAGCELER® Synthetic hydrotalcite-based PVC heat stabilizers that capture chlorine liberated during thermal degradation of PVC.
• DHT®-4A Halogen scavenger and resin stabilizer for polyolefins and synthetic rubber, also used as infrared light absorber for agricultural film insulation.
• DHT®-4A-2/DHT®-4C High-temperature resin stabilizers for engineering plastics and synthetic rubbers with high processing temperatures.
• KYOWAAD™ series Inorganic synthesis adsorbents (KYOWAAD™ 200, 500, 600, 700, KW-2000) for removal of catalyst residues, unreacted impurities from polyols, surfactants, and plasticizers.
• MAGMIC™ Magnesium oxide used as thickening agent for unsaturated polyester in FRP (fiberglass-reinforced plastic) applications.
• MAGSARAT™ Surface-treated magnesium oxide grade for enhanced compatibility in polymer applications.
• Magnesium Oxide (Pharmaceutical) Magnesium oxide meeting Japanese and international pharmacopeia standards, used as antacid, laxative, tablet stabilizer, and desiccant.
• Magnesium Hydroxide (Pharmaceutical) Magnesium hydroxide used as digestive medicine raw material, antacid, and laxative.
• Magnesium Carbonate (Pharmaceutical) Magnesium carbonate used as antacid, laxative, and excipient in pharmaceutical formulations.
• ALCAMAC™ Synthetic hydrotalcite (Aluminum Magnesium based) with fast acid neutralizing capacity, gastric mucosal protection, and anti-pepsin effects for pharmaceutical applications.
• Magnesium Oxide (Food Additive) Food additive grade magnesium oxide for various food applications.
• Magnesium Carbonate (Food Additive) Food additive grade magnesium carbonate.
• KISUMA™ X Next-generation non-halogen flame retardant product announced for world debut in October 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• Long-term business relationships with customers from more than 40 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SETOLAS Holdings, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Parent holding company established in October 2022 following organizational restructuring. Kyowa Chemical Industry became a 100% owned subsidiary. SETOLAS Holdings also owns Magmitt Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and SETOLAS Foodtech Co., Ltd.
• Magmitt Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Group pharmaceutical company producing and selling Magmitt® Tablets. Kyowa Chemical Industry supplies the main ingredients for these pharmaceutical products. Both companies are 100% owned by SETOLAS Holdings.
• KISUMA CHEMICAL TRADING (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Chinese trading subsidiary established in 2016, located in Shanghai. Handles sales and trading of Kyowa Chemical Industry products in China.
• KISUMA AMERICAS INC.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2014American sales subsidiary established in 2014, located in Houston, Texas. Handles sales and distribution of Kyowa Chemical Industry products in the Americas market.
• KISUMA ASIA SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2014Asian regional sales subsidiary established in 2014, located in Singapore. Handles sales and distribution of Kyowa Chemical Industry products throughout the Asian market.
• Kisuma (Dandong) Advanced Materials Tech. Co., Ltd.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2009Chinese manufacturing subsidiary (formerly Dandong Songyuan Chemicals Co., Ltd., renamed in 2021), located in Donggang City, Liaoning, China. Produces and distributes Kyowa Chemical Industry products in China. Participated in Chinaplas 2023 exhibition.
• Kisuma Chemicals B.V.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1999European manufacturing and sales subsidiary established in 1999, located in Veendam, Netherlands. Produces and distributes KISUMA™ flame retardant products for the European market. Also represents Kyowa Chemical Industry at major international trade shows including K 2022.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nabaltec AG: German specialty chemical company producing non-halogen flame retardants based on aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. Direct peer in the non-halogen polymer-additives segment Kyowa serves through KISUMA™.
• Tateho Chemical Industries: Japanese specialty chemical manufacturer of high-purity magnesium hydroxide and magnesium oxide for industrial and flame-retardant applications. Directly comparable to Kyowa as a domestic Mg-compound competitor sharing polymer additive and flame-retardant customers.
• Huber Engineered Materials: US-based manufacturer of magnesium hydroxide and specialty alumina products including flame retardants and smoke suppressants. Overlapping product portfolio with Kyowa's KISUMA™ flame retardant line and MAGCELER®/ALCAMIZER® stabilizers.
• Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Japanese specialty chemical manufacturer with inorganic chemical portfolio including barium, strontium, and magnesium compounds. Broader scope than Kyowa but overlapping inorganic chemistry positioning and customer base in Japanese polymer and electronics markets.
• Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties: US-based producer of magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, and magnesium carbonate for flame retardants, smoke suppression, and pharmaceutical/food applications. A close peer given Kyowa's parallel industrial-plus-pharma positioning.
• Konoshima Chemical Co., Ltd. Japanese producer of magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide for industrial, rubber, and pharmaceutical applications. Direct domestic competitor with overlapping magnesium compound lines and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Clariant AG: Swiss specialty chemicals group with a polymer additives business including non-halogen flame retardants and stabilizers. Overlaps with Kyowa in serving cable, electronics, and packaging polymer customers requiring non-halogen flame retardant solutions.
• Albemarle Corporation: US specialty chemicals company historically dominant in brominated flame retardants and increasingly active in lithium and bromine specialties. A broad incumbent with overlapping polymer-additive customers, though technology mix differs from Kyowa's Mg(OH)2-led portfolio.
• Lanxess AG: German specialty chemicals group with a broad additive and flame-retardant portfolio including brominated and non-halogen solutions. Operates across the same polymer-additive value chain as Kyowa but with a much wider product and geography footprint.
• ICL Group: Israeli specialty chemicals producer with leading bromine-based flame retardants and a growing non-halogen offering. Comparable as a broad incumbent addressing the same polymer-additive demand Kyowa serves, with overlap particularly in construction and electronics polymers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kyowa Chemical Industry