LEVACO Chemicals

What LEVACO Chemicals does

LEVACO Chemicals GmbH is a privately held German specialty chemicals manufacturer headquartered at the Chempark industrial site in Leverkusen (Johannes-Kepler-Str. 20, 51377 Leverkusen). The company produces a portfolio of process additives organized across six business units: Agro Solutions (adjuvants and additives for agrochemical formulations), Antifoam & Food Solutions (defoamers for food, beverage, sugar, and starch processing), Cable Solutions (superabsorbent polymers for wire and cable), Coating Solutions (dispersants, emulsifiers, and wetting agents for coatings and printing inks), Paper Solutions (defoamers, flocculants, cleaners, and calcium-hydroxide suspensions for paper and wastewater treatment), and Chemical Solutions & Contract Manufacturing (custom toll manufacturing). Core technologies include proprietary formulation IP under families such as DEFOSPUM®, DEFOFLOC®, DEFOCLEAN®, DEFOKALK®, LUCRACHEM®, and the DEFOTEST dH PLUS online measurement instrument for pH, water hardness, and organic-acid monitoring in paper production.

The company's go-to-market is a technical, sales-led B2B model targeting industrial formulators and processors. Distribution is operated through wholly owned regional subsidiaries in Austria (Vienna), Brazil (Vinhedo / São Paulo), and Hong Kong, with the German HQ coordinating global accounts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; sales are quote-driven via a contact-form funnel with regional contact persons. Revenue is generated primarily from one-time product sales of specialty additives, complemented by professional-services revenue from contract manufacturing and toll processing at the Leverkusen site. Key certifications — ISO 9001/14001/45001/50001, EcoVadis 2025, Responsible Care, AEO, HALAL, KLBD, BIO, RSPO membership, and UN Global Compact participation since 2016 — qualify products for food-grade, sustainability-mandated, and international supply chains.

LEVACO is part of the LEVACO Chemicals Group holding structure and is led by Managing Directors Marius J. L. Mühlenberg and Jens Becker. The Paper Solutions business was historically operated under DEFOTEC Entschäumer Vertriebs-GmbH before being integrated into the GmbH. Customer concentration is not publicly disclosed and no named enterprise logos are referenced in source materials; the company serves diversified industrial end-markets spanning agrochemicals, paper production, food processing, paints and coatings, and cable manufacturing across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Name

LEVACO Chemicals

Legal name

LEVACO Chemicals GmbH

Website

https://levaco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LEVACO Chemicals GmbH is a privately held German specialty chemicals manufacturer based in Leverkusen that produces defoamers, dispersants, emulsifiers, wetting agents, flocculants, cleaners, and custom contract-manufactured formulations for industrial customers in agrochemicals, paper, food processing, coatings, and cable manufacturing globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins (325991)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Surfactants & Performance Additives (IMAEABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adjuvant & Tank-Mix Additive Manufacturing (surfactants, oils, drift control) (AFABAIAE), Custom Synthesis & Technical Active Ingredient (AI) Manufacturing (intermediates, actives) (AFABAIAI), Textile, Leather & Paper Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAM), Regulatory, Quality & EHS Compliance Services for Toll Manufacturing (QA/QC, SDS, REACH/EPA support) (AFABAIAK)

Keywords

• Specialty chemical additives
• Defoamers dispersants
• Paper process chemicals
• Agrochemical adjuvants
• Contract manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Leverkusen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Chemical Products: Sale of proprietary chemical additives including defoamers, dispersants, emulsifiers, wetting agents, and process auxiliaries for industrial applications in agrochemicals, paper, food processing, and coatings.
2. Contract Manufacturing: Custom chemical manufacturing and toll processing services at the Leverkusen production site, including specialty chemicals tailored to customer specifications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LEVACO Chemicals manufactures and sells specialty chemical additives — including defoamers, dispersants, emulsifiers, and wetting agents — for industrial applications in agrochemicals, paper production, food processing, paints and coatings, and the cable industry. Products are developed and produced at the Chempark Leverkusen production site in Germany and distributed globally through wholly owned subsidiaries in Austria, Brazil, and Hong Kong. The company also provides contract manufacturing (toll processing) of customized specialty chemicals at the Leverkusen facility.

Product overview

LEVACO Chemicals is a specialty chemicals manufacturer offering a portfolio of six business units: Agro Solutions, Antifoam & Food Solutions, Cable Solutions, Coating Solutions, Paper Solutions, and Chemical Solutions & Contract Manufacturing. Core products include dispersants, emulsifiers, wetting agents, and defoamers (DEFOSPUM®), flocculants (DEFOFLOC®), industrial cleaners (DEFOCLEAN®), calcium hydroxide suspensions (DEFOKALK®), and specialty additives. Production is based at the Chempark Leverkusen facility in Germany, with subsidiaries in Austria, Brazil, and Hong Kong. The company operates in agrochemicals, paper production, food processing, and coatings markets globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Agro Solutions: Specialty chemicals and adjuvants for agrochemical formulations serving agriculture
• Antifoam & Food Solutions
• Cable Solutions
• Coating Solutions
• Paper Solutions
• Chemical Solutions & Contract Manufacturing

Products and services

• Chemical Solutions & Contract Manufacturing Toll processing and custom specialty chemical manufacturing service at LEVACO's Chempark Leverkusen production site in Germany. Designed for industrial customers requiring customized specialty chemical production to specification.
• DEFOKALK® 450 FD Highly efficient calcium hydroxide suspension for full sanitation of water cycles in paper production. Regulates pH and reduces water hardness and organic acids. For industrial paper mills.
• DEFOSPUM® PWW 74 Emulsion of fatty alcohols defoamer without silicone and mineral oil components for paper machine and wastewater treatment applications.
• DEFOSPUM® PWW 90 White emulsion defoamer for paper industry water circuits with excellent long-term effect.
• DEFOSPUM® PHT 110 Aqueous preparation of polyether polyols combined with natural fatty acids for defoaming and deaeration of water circuits in paper industry.
• DEFOSPUM® S 664 Liquid defoamer made from natural fats, fatty acids, alcohols, and emulsifiers without silicone, suitable for pulp and size press applications with food grade approvals.
• DEFOFLOC® CL series Cationic liquid flocculant based on polyacrylamide emulsion used as retention agent and dewatering accelerator on paper machines and wastewater treatment.
• DEFOFLOC® CP series Medium to high molecular weight polyelectrolyte based on cationic acrylamide derivative for retention and dewatering applications.
• DEFOBOND AL 6606 Medium to high molecular weight, low anionic polyelectrolyte based on acrylamide derivative functioning as synthetic dry strengthener for specialty paper production.
• DEFOFIX MCA 50 Highly cationic, cross-linked impurity fixing agent functioning as primary flocculant, compliant with BfR XXXVI recommendation.
• DEFOCLEAN® OT series Special formulation of detergents and emulsifiers for cleaning and odor control in paper machine circuits.
• DEFOCLEAN® 222 MOD 1 Industrial cleaner with water hazard class 1 approval for paper machine circuit cleaning.
• LUCRAMUL® EP VE01 Ethoxylated fatty acid volume booster for increasing specific volume of cardboard, board paper, and tissue through fiber structure expansion.
• LUCRACHEM® VLF 04 Component for elevating rinse aid formulations in food industry applications.
• DEFOSCALE® OK Advanced antiscaling solution for sugar production processes, extending campaign efficiency and saving energy and maintenance costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy consumption reduced by more than 20% through investments in more energy-efficient systems

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEVACO is a member of RSPO, which aims to make sustainable palm oil production and trade the norm. RSPO membership is a prerequisite for product certification. LEVACO undergoes certification audits where the entire supply chain is examined for sustainable palm oil use. Membership supports the organization's goals of stopping deforestation, fair treatment of communities, and environmental protection.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• LANXESS: German specialty chemicals company serving agrochemical, paper, and industrial process chemistry customers. Headquartered near Leverkusen with overlapping customer base and competitive overlap in additives and process chemicals.
• Clariant: Swiss-headquartered specialty chemicals producer with strong positions in surfactants, dispersants, and additives for coatings, paper, and personal care. Directly comparable product portfolio across LEVACO's core chemistries.
• Evonik Industries: Large German specialty chemicals company with additives and surfactants portfolios spanning coatings, paper, and agro applications. Comparable as a specialty additives competitor with substantially greater scale and broader product breadth.
• Solvay: Belgian specialty chemicals group with surfactants, specialty polymers, and process chemistry portfolios. Overlaps with LEVACO across agrochemical adjuvants, paper chemicals, and industrial additives applications.
• BASF: World's largest chemical company with extensive specialty additives for paper, agro, coatings, and food processing. Overlaps directly with LEVACO across multiple business units and represents the dominant pricing and supply competitor.

Direct peers

• Croda International: UK-listed specialty chemicals company focused on surfactants, emulsifiers, and performance additives for personal care, agro, coatings, and industrial markets. Closely comparable mid-to-large specialty additives peer with similar customer verticals.
• Ashland: US specialty chemicals company producing additives for coatings, personal care, and industrial applications including paper and process chemistry. Comparable as a focused specialty additives peer serving similar industrial end-markets.
• BYK (ALTANA): Specialty additives business of ALTANA focused on coatings and printing inks — including wetting agents, dispersants, and defoamers. Directly comparable to LEVACO's Coating Solutions business unit with overlapping product chemistries and customer base.
• Stepan Company: US-based specialty chemicals manufacturer of surfactants, polymers, and specialty products serving agricultural, cleaning, personal care, and industrial customers. Directly comparable specialty surfactant and performance additive producer.
• Elementis plc: UK-listed specialty chemicals company producing performance additives for coatings, personal care, and industrial applications. Comparable mid-cap specialty additives competitor with similar customer verticals and product types.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/levaco-chemicals-gmbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/Levaco-Chemicals-GmbH-103254274762393

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 LEVACO Chemicals