Natex Prozesstechnologie GesmbH

What Natex Prozesstechnologie GesmbH does

Natex Prozesstechnologie GesmbH is an Austrian privately held industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in supercritical CO2 extraction and processing systems. Founded in 1993 via a management buyout from the Schoeller-Bleckmann Prozesstechnologie Division, the company designs and builds plants that operate CO2 above its critical point (typically up to 1,000 bar) as a solvent for extraction of solid raw materials, processing of liquid raw materials, impregnation and particle formation via PGSS/CPF powder generation. The product range spans compact R&D extraction units (2L to 10L at 550-1,000 bar) through multi-purpose industrial plants (100-600L extractors) up to the world's largest commercial installations it has delivered, including a 20 m³ pharmaceutical CO2 extraction plant (England, 2020) and an 8x4,500L hops extraction plant processing roughly 10,000 tons of raw hops per year (Germany, 2022).

The company serves four primary verticals: food and nutraceuticals (e.g., Lavazza coffee decaffeination, Hopfenveredelung hops, Plant Lipids spice extraction in India), pharmaceuticals (cGMP/GAMP 5/EMA/FDA/MHRA/WHO-compliant API extraction, degreasing and drug-delivery particle formation), cosmetics (essential oils and natural extracts) and special applications including Diam Bouchage cork TCA cleaning and Superwood wood impregnation. It also provides internal R&D and pilot testing services, engineering and improvement services for existing plants and after-sales service (training, spare parts, safety inspections).

The revenue model is project-based, enterprise direct sales: one-time equipment supply priced per quote for each custom-engineered plant, supplemented by recurring services revenue from R&D testing, engineering upgrades and after-sales support. Projects are managed end-to-end with no intermediary channels - from feasibility testing on Natex's own pilot machines through engineering, high-pressure vessel fabrication (in partnership with Innoweld Metallverarbeitung GmbH), installation, commissioning and lifecycle service. Geographically the company has installed equipment across at least 14 countries in Europe, South Asia, East Asia and Oceania.

Name

Natex Prozesstechnologie GesmbH

Legal name

Natex Prozesstechnologie GesmbH

Website

https://natex.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Natex Prozesstechnologie GesmbH is an Austrian industrial equipment manufacturer designing and building supercritical CO2 extraction, impregnation, fractionation and powder-generation plants for the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and specialty industries worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ternitz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Supply: Design, engineering, manufacturing, and supply of supercritical CO2 extraction plants ranging from compact R&D units to massive industrial-scale facilities. Equipment includes extractors, separators, heat exchangers, pumps, and complete turnkey extraction systems.
2. Research & Pilot Testing Services: R&D and pilot testing services using internal machines to generate data and develop best solutions for clients. Experiments and scale-up tests conducted on internal equipment.
3. Engineering and Improvement: Engineering services for new projects and optimization/improvement of existing plants. Includes process optimization, equipment upgrades, and modernization projects.
4. After Sales Service: Training in operation and maintenance, spare parts supply, regular safety inspections, optimizations and improvements, and ongoing customer support and consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Natex designs, engineers, manufactures, and commissions custom supercritical CO2 extraction and processing plants for industrial clients. Its portfolio spans compact 2L/550 bar R&D units through multi-purpose 100-600L extraction plants up to large-scale industrial systems with 20m³ extractors and 10,000 tons/year processing capacity. The company also provides R&D and pilot testing, engineering optimization, and after-sales services including training, spare parts, safety inspections, and consulting.

Product overview

Natex Prozesstechnologie GesmbH is an industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in supercritical CO2 extraction and processing systems. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio spanning compact R&D extraction units (2L to 10L capacity at 550-1000 bar) for research institutions, multi-purpose industrial plants (100-600L) for versatile raw material processing, and large-scale production systems including the world's largest hops extraction plant (8x4,500L). Their specialized product lines include decaffeination plants for coffee (10,000 tons/year) and tea (3,000 tons/year), spice and herb extraction systems, cork cleaning plants for TCA removal (Diam facilities), pharmaceutical-grade extraction systems meeting cGMP/EMA/FDA standards, wood impregnation equipment, rice treatment facilities, sesame oil extraction plants, and lipid extraction systems for maritime products. The product range also includes thin film extractor systems for viscous materials and powder generation plants using PGSS/CPF technology. All systems are supported by after-sales services including training, spare parts, and safety inspections. The company's engineering and improvement services support process optimization throughout the equipment lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Supercritical CO2 Extraction Systems Industrial-scale supercritical CO2 extraction equipment ranging from compact R&D units to large-scale production plants, designed for extracting valuable compounds from solid and liquid raw materials across food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and specialty industries.
• R&D Plants (2L / 550 bar) Compact research and development extraction unit processing 2L of material per batch, designed for universities and small research organizations exploring supercritical CO2 technology with standardized configuration and optional co-solvent pump integration.
• R&D Plants (5L & 10L / 1000 bar) Premium R&D units designed for full power CO2 research and development or small production of highly valuable products, operating up to ~900 bar with dead space free instruments for fast and reliable cleaning between batches.
• Thin Film Extractor Systems Combined CO2 extraction plants for solid raw materials with thin film extractor or packed column, allowing processing of both liquid raw materials in the column and solids from extractors using shared CO2 stream infrastructure.
• Multi-Purpose CO2 Extraction Plants Flexible extraction plants (100-600L, 1-3 extractors) for processing spices, herbs, medicinal plants, aromas, tea, and coffee across various international installations.
• Coffee Decaffeination Plants Industrial CO2 extraction systems for coffee decaffeination using isobaric process that preserves flavor and produces caffeine at ~95% purity for energy drinks and other applications.
• Tea Decaffeination Plants CO2 extraction systems for tea decaffeination (3,000 tons/year capacity) using isobaric process that preserves original flavor and aroma while enabling organic certification retention.
• Spice and Herb Extraction Plants Multi-purpose extraction plants with 3x300L extractors operating up to 500 bar for producing high-quality extracts from botanical materials including pepper, cardamom, ginger, vanilla, calendula, and hops.
• Wood Impregnation Plants Industrial CO2 extraction equipment for wood impregnation using supercritical CO2 to penetrate wood completely and carry dissolved biocides (Tebuconazole, Propiconazole, IPBC) for enhanced durability and resistance.
• Pharmaceutical CO2 Extraction Plants cGMP-compliant extraction systems for pharmaceutical applications including API extraction, degreasing, cleaning, and particle formation, meeting EMA, FDA, MHRA, and WHO requirements.
• Cork Cleaning Plants (Diam) Industrial supercritical CO2 systems for removing TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) from cork granulate below measurable limits (0.2 ng/l), installed at Diam facilities in Spain and France with energy recovery systems.
• Rice Treatment Plants CO2 extraction systems for treating rice (3x5,800L capacity) to remove plant-protective agents and contaminants, treating over 90 tons daily while improving taste, shelf life, and reducing cooking time.
• Sesame Oil Extraction Plants Industrial CO2 extraction systems (2x3,800L extractors) for oil extraction from roasted sesame, producing superior oils with higher antioxidant content (sesamol, tocopherol, phytosterols) and enhanced flavor.
• Special Lipid Extraction Plants Industrial CO2 extraction systems (4x850L, 550 bar) for extracting valuable lipids including Green lip mussel extract rich in Omega-3 fatty acids from maritime products, equipped with co-solvent system and ATEX protection.
• Hops Extraction Plants Large-scale extraction systems including the world's largest hops extraction plant (8x4,500L, 550 bar) processing approximately 10,000 tons of raw hops annually for the brewing industry.
• PGSS/CPF Powder Generation Plants Pilot plants for powder generation using Particles from Gas Saturated Solutions (PGSS) and Concentrated Powder Form (CPF) processes, capable of producing up to 300 kg/h product flow for various powder applications.
• After-Sales Service & Support Comprehensive post-sale services including operator training, spare parts supply, safety inspections, optimizations, improvements, and customer consulting for high-pressure CO2 extraction equipment.
• Research & Pilot Testing Services Internal R&D and pilot testing capabilities using proprietary equipment to collect data and validate process feasibility before industrial scale-up, supporting economic feasibility assessment.
• Engineering and Improvement Services Engineering services for new projects and optimization/improvement of existing plants, including process optimization, equipment upgrades, and modernization projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97-99% caffeine removal efficiency from coffee beans
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Innoweld Metallverarbeitung GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized manufacturer for high-pressure, high-temperature and corrosion-critical equipment. Innoweld complements Natex's process and plant construction know-how, providing manufacturing capabilities for pressure vessels and specialized equipment that form the core of CO2 extraction plants.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• thyssenkrupp Uhde: German engineering company with high-pressure technologies capabilities including supercritical fluid applications. Direct competitor in industrial-scale high-pressure process equipment serving chemical and process industries, with comparable engineering depth and project execution profile.
• Separex (Noritake Engineering): French specialist (now part of Noritake Group) that designs and manufactures supercritical CO2 extraction equipment for pharma, food, and cosmetics. Closest direct competitor to Natex in terms of technology focus, customer verticals, and project size.
• Waters Corporation (Thar Process): US analytical instrument leader that acquired Thar Process, a pioneer in supercritical fluid extraction and chromatography. Competes with Natex in SFE equipment for pharmaceutical and food applications, particularly for preparative and process-scale chromatography.
• Applied Separations: US-based manufacturer of supercritical CO2 extraction systems for laboratory, pilot, and small production scale. Smaller scale than Natex, but overlapping technology and customer base in food, pharma, and academic research markets.

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: Large German process equipment supplier serving food, dairy, and pharmaceutical industries with separation, homogenization, and extraction technologies. While not specialized in supercritical CO2, GEA's scale and customer relationships in pharma/food make it a potential competitor or partner as SCFE adoption broadens.
• Bühler Group: Swiss family-owned process equipment leader for food (grains, coffee, cocoa) and advanced materials. Relevant as a broad incumbent serving many of Natex's same end-customers in food processing, with substantially greater scale and balance sheet.
• Uhde High Pressure Technologies (legacy): Legacy high-pressure equipment business now part of thyssenkrupp engineering, with heritage in supercritical fluid processes including historical CO2 extraction plants. Provides overlapping capabilities as part of a much broader industrial portfolio.

Emerging players

• Teledyne Isco: US manufacturer of SFC/SFE pumps and modular extraction systems, primarily serving analytical and small preparative applications. Overlaps with Natex's R&D and pilot-scale product line (2L-10L units) in academic and pharma research markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natex-prozesstechnologie-gesmbh

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Natex Prozesstechnologie GesmbH