Equilex

What Equilex does

Equilex B.V. is a privately held international chemical distribution and trading group, registered in Schiedam, Netherlands, and operationally headquartered in Rotterdam. The company connects chemical producers with industrial buyers across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, with branch offices in France and Brazil and active commercial engagement in markets including Japan, China, and the Czech Republic. Equilex distributes intermediate chemicals and solvents organized into 16+ chemical families — including Alkyl Benzenes, Alkyl Phenols, Ethanolamines, Glycols & Glycerine, Higher Olefins, Linear Alpha Olefins, Performance Intermediates, Renewable Feedstocks, Aromatic Solvents, GTL Solvents, Hydrocarbon Solvents, and Organic Solvents — with named products such as DMEA, MIBC, MIBK, and Isopentane.

The business model is asset-light distribution and trading: Equilex sources chemicals from leading producers and resells to industrial manufacturers, formulators, water treatment operators, and process chemical operators across 19+ end-industries (adhesives, agrochemicals, paints & coatings, plastics, mining, healthcare, cosmetics, etc.). The company provides bulk and isotank logistics with just-in-time delivery, technical support for product selection and reformulation, and regulatory compliance documentation (REACH, SDS, TDS, COA, ADR/RID/IMDG). Revenue is generated through transactional margins on chemical sales, with quote-based pricing and no public fee schedule.

The company is family-influenced (Brigitte Elie, Patrick Elie, and Victor Elie appear in leadership and event representation), with no disclosed external funding, no M&A activity, and no parent company. The management team combines trading experience (Sergio de Sola, Business Director) with technical depth (David Wei, PhD Chemical Engineering, ex-Glencore). Customer acquisition is driven by direct B2B field sales, industry trade show participation (EPCA, APIC, Chemspec, MSV), and a comprehensive product catalog website. Equilex is positioned as a mid-sized, relationship-driven specialty chemical distributor competing in a market dominated by larger global players.

Name

Equilex

Legal name

Equilex B.V.

Website

https://equilex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Equilex is a privately held Netherlands-based international chemical distribution and trading group that connects producers with industrial buyers across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, supplying intermediate chemicals and solvents across 16+ chemical families to manufacturers, formulators, and process operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (42469)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Commodity Organic Chemicals (Solvents & Intermediates) (IMAEAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aromatics (BTX: Benzene, Toluene, Xylenes) (EUALAHAC)

Keywords

• Chemical distribution
• Intermediate chemicals
• Industrial solvents
• Bulk chemicals
• Chemical sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Schiedam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Distribution and Trading: Equilex generates revenue through the distribution and trading of intermediate chemicals and solvents to manufacturers and industries. The company connects producers with buyers across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, providing reliable supply, competitive pricing, and tailored logistics solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Equilex is a global distributor and trader of intermediate chemicals and solvents, connecting chemical producers with industrial manufacturers across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The company supplies a comprehensive portfolio organized into chemical families including alkyl benzenes, alkyl phenols, ethanolamines, glycols, higher olefins, aromatic solvents, hydrocarbon solvents, and renewable feedstocks, with tailored logistics solutions such as bulk and isotank delivery.

Product overview

Equilex is a global distributor and trader of intermediate chemicals and solvents, operating as a single unified distribution platform. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of chemical products organized into chemical families: Alkyl Benzenes, Alkyl Phenols, Ethanolamines, Glycols & Glycerine, Higher Olefins, Linear Alpha Olefins, Performance Intermediates, Renewable Feedstocks, Aromatic Solvents, Dearomatised Hydrocarbons, Glycol Ether Solvents, GTL Solvents, Heavy Naphtha Solvents, Hydrocarbon Solvents, Organic Solvents, and Isoparaffinic Hydrocarbons. Key specific products include DMEA, MIBC, MIBK, and Isopentane. The company supplies to diverse industries including adhesives & sealants, agrochemicals, cleaners & surfactants, cosmetics, energy & fuels, feed, fibers, food, fragrances, healthcare, inks, lubricants, mining, paints & coatings, performance fluids, plastics, polymers & resins, process chemicals, rubbers & elastomers, and water treatment. Equilex provides technical expertise and regulatory documentation support including SDS, TDS, COA, and REACH compliance documentation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DMEA (Dimethylethanolamine) Industrial-grade DMEA (CAS 108-01-1) used as catalyst for epoxy and polyurethane resins, and as pH adjuster/neutralizing agent in water-based coatings, for industrial buyers.
• MIBC (Methylisobutylcarbinol) Industrial-grade MIBC (CAS 108-11-2) primarily used as a frother in mineral flotation processes for copper, zinc, lead, and phosphates, supplied to mining operators.
• MIBK (Methylisobutylketone) Industrial-grade MIBK (CAS 108-10-1) used as solvent in paints, coatings, printing inks, and adhesives, and for liquid-liquid extraction in pharmaceutical and metallurgical processes.
• Isopentane Industrial-grade isopentane (CAS 78-78-4) used as co-blowing agent with n-pentane in EPS/XPS foam production, as propellant in aerosol products, and as a low-boiling solvent.
• Alkyl Benzenes Chemical family including alkylbenzene products for various industrial applications, supplied to manufacturers requiring detergent intermediates and specialty chemistries.
• Alkyl Phenols Chemical family of alkylphenol compounds for industrial applications including surfactants, lubricant additives, and resin production.
• Ethanolamines Chemical family including DMEA and other ethanolamine compounds for chemical synthesis, coatings, and water treatment applications.
• Glycols & Glycerine Chemical family of glycol and glycerine products for various industrial uses including antifreeze, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical formulations.
• Higher Olefins Chemical family of higher olefin compounds for industrial applications including surfactants, lubricants, and specialty polymers.
• Linear Alpha Olefins Chemical family of linear alpha olefin products used as comonomers in polyethylene production and intermediates for detergents and lubricants.
• Performance Intermediates High-performance intermediate chemicals including dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and other specialty intermediates for resins, adhesives, and elastomer production.
• Renewable Feedstocks Bio-based and renewable chemical feedstocks including biomethanol for sustainable manufacturing applications.
• Aromatic Solvents Aromatic solvent products including solvent naphtha for industrial applications such as paints, coatings, and agrochemical formulations.
• Dearomatised Hydrocarbons Dearomatized hydrocarbon solvents for various industrial uses including printing inks, adhesives, and cleaning applications.
• Glycol Ether Solvents Glycol ether solvent products used as coalescing agents in coatings, solvents in cleaning products, and process fluids.
• GTL Solvents Gas-to-liquid solvents including GS 1927 for industrial applications requiring high purity and narrow boiling range characteristics.
• Heavy Naphtha Solvents Heavy aromatic naphtha solvent products for industrial process and formulation applications.
• Hydrocarbon Solvents Hydrocarbon solvent products including isopentane, n-hexane, and other petroleum-based solvents for industrial extraction and processing.
• Organic Solvents Organic solvent products including MIBK and MIBC for chemical synthesis, extraction, and industrial formulation applications.
• Isoparaffinic Hydrocarbons Isoparaffinic hydrocarbon products for industrial uses including cosmetics, cleaning products, and specialty applications.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Caldic: European specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor serving industrial formulators across adhesives, coatings, personal care and food. Closely comparable to Equilex in customer base, product breadth (solvents, intermediates, specialty ingredients), and European-headquartered B2B distribution model.
• Biesterfeld: Hamburg-based distributor of specialty chemicals, polymers and intermediates across Europe, with growing presence in Asia and the Americas. Directly comparable to Equilex in operating scope (industrial intermediate chemicals and solvents), distribution geography, and customer segments.
• TER Chemicals: German-headquartered distributor of specialty and intermediate chemicals including solvents, glycols and olefins. Closely comparable to Equilex as a mid-sized European chemicals distributor focused on industrial intermediate chemistry.
• Overlack: Mönchengladbach-based specialty chemicals distributor serving European industrial customers with solvents, intermediates and additives. Similar size and product profile to Equilex, with overlapping customer base in paints, coatings and adhesives.
• Häffner & Co: German specialty chemicals distributor (now part of CG Chemikalien) offering intermediates, solvents and performance chemicals to industrial formulators. Comparable to Equilex in product mix and customer base, with a similar European specialty distribution focus.
• Helm AG: Hamburg-based family-owned chemical distribution and trading company with global operations in intermediates, solvents and specialty chemicals. Directly comparable to Equilex in trading-led model, family ownership structure, product portfolio (intermediates and solvents), and European-rooted global reach.

Broad incumbents

• Azelis: Global specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor listed on Euronext Brussels. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating in the same specialty intermediate/solvent categories as Equilex, but at vastly greater scale, geographic reach, and digital platform maturity.
• IMCD: Global specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor listed on Euronext Amsterdam, headquartered in Rotterdam. Comparable as a Dutch-rooted broader incumbent serving industrial formulators across many of the same end-markets as Equilex, with substantially greater scale and proprietary formulation expertise.
• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distribution company, headquartered in Essen, Germany. Directly comparable as a chemical distributor of solvents and intermediates across Europe, the Americas and Asia, but operating at dramatically greater scale and with broader product coverage.
• Univar Solutions: North American-headquartered global chemical and ingredients distributor with significant European presence. Comparable to Equilex in distributing solvents and intermediates to industrial manufacturers across multiple geographies, but at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equilex-b-v

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Equilex