Inquiba

What Inquiba does

Inquiba, S.A. is a privately-held Spanish chemical manufacturer founded in 1970 and headquartered in Guareña, Badajoz, that designs, industrializes, and produces liquid detergents, fabric softeners, hand dishwashers, household cleaners, detergent and dishwasher capsules, and personal care products (bath gels, hand soaps, shampoos). The company operates three product lines under the INQUIBA, ICAP, and IBELL Cosmetics sub-brands, the latter two created in 2020. Its technology base is vertically integrated and centered on in-house formulation design and industrialization, manufacture of Esterquat (the key raw material for fabric softeners) at the Tecnoquímica facility inaugurated in 1999, in-house blowing of PET and HDPE containers, and final packaging, with ongoing sensorization and real-time data capture to optimize production.

The company functions as a B2B supplier to large retail chains across the Iberian Peninsula and Europe and as a contract manufacturer (copacker) for leading consumer brands such as Unilever and Beiersdorf since 2012. Named customers include Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, Tesco, ALDI Nord, ALDI Sud, Auchan, Eroski, Continente, Dia, Ahorramas, and Grupo Ifa, primarily for private label laundry care and household cleaning products. The company self-identifies as a leader in the Iberian liquid detergent and softener market.

Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; Inquiba publishes non-financial information statements for 2021-2023. Capital intensity is high, with cumulative modernization capex exceeding €51M (€18M 2009-2012 and €33M 2017-2020), a 2.7 MWp rooftop photovoltaic plant, and material government and EU co-financing across innovation, energy efficiency, environmental protection, and productive capacity projects. The company holds ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 50001, 22716, and 27001 certifications alongside sector-specific accreditations (IFS HPC, RSPO, AISE, AENOR Plastico 50, AENOR Gender Equality 2025-2029), which are effectively gating requirements for serving its tier-1 retail and brand-owner customers.

Name

Inquiba

Legal name

INQUIBA, SA

Website

https://inquiba.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Inquiba is a privately-held Spanish chemical manufacturer founded in 1970 that designs, formulates, and produces liquid detergents, softeners, capsules, and personal care products for large retail chains and brand owners across the Iberian market and Europe. It operates as both a private label supplier and a copacker, with vertically integrated Esterquat and PET/HDPE container production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Household Cleaning Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing (325611)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Fabric Softeners & Conditioners (Liquid, Sheets, Beads) (CRADAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eco-Friendly Laundry Care (Detergents, Boosters, Stain Removers) (CRAJAOAC), Produce Wash & Food-Contact Surface Dish Cleaning Solutions (CRAJABAI)

Keywords

• Household cleaning manufacturing
• Liquid detergent production
• Fabric softener manufacturing
• Private label copacking
• Personal care products

Headquarters

HQ city

Guareña

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

INQUIBA, SA manufactures liquid detergents, fabric softeners, household cleaning products, and personal hygiene items, including detergent capsules under the ICAP sub-brand and personal care products under IBELL COSMETICS. The company operates as a private-label manufacturer and copacker for major European retail chains and consumer goods brands such as Mercadona, Carrefour, Unilever, Lidl, Tesco, ALDI, Beiersdorf, Auchan, and Eroski.

Product overview

Inquiba is a Spanish chemical manufacturing company that operates three distinct product lines under sub-brands: INQUIBA for home and clothing care (liquid detergents, softeners, hand dishwashers, household cleaners), ICAP for liquid detergent and dishwasher capsules, and IBELL COSMETICS for personal care products (bath gels, hand soaps, shampoos). The company serves major retailers across Europe including Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, and others, functioning primarily as a contract manufacturer and copacker for leading brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICAP: Liquid detergent and dishwasher capsules brand. Specialist manufacturer of detergent and dishwasher capsules. Website: www.icap.es
• IBELL COSMETICS

Products and services

• INQUIBA Home and Clothing Care Liquid detergents and fabric softeners for home and clothing care, manufactured and supplied as private-label and copacked products for large European retail chains and consumer goods brands.
• ICAP Liquid Detergent Capsules Liquid detergent capsules sold as part of INQUIBA's product range, serving the same retail and FMCG private-label customers.
• IBELL COSMETICS Personal Care Personal hygiene and personal care products manufactured under the IBELL COSMETICS sub-brand of INQUIBA, supplied to retail chains and consumer goods brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Leaders in Iberian Market for Liquid Detergents and Softeners
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supportive.

• Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism (Spain)supportiveOthersGovernment ministry providing subsidies for innovation projects in processes (€30,433), energy saving measures (€95,160 + €60,000), and environmental protection (€103,125) as part of Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funded by European Union Next Generation EU.
• Ministry of Economy, Finance and Digital Schedule (Extremadura)supportiveOthersRegional government providing subsidies for productive capacity increase (€269,100), water reduction and reuse projects (€168,420), and disinfectant products during COVID-19 (€600,000 + €599,760).
• Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism (Spain)supportiveOthersGovernment ministry providing multiple Reindus (Reindustrialization and Industrial Competitiveness) subsidies across years 2013-2020 for productivity improvements and capacity expansion.
• European Union (Next Generation EU)supportiveOthersEU funding program supporting rooftop photovoltaic plant installation (2.7 MWp) and other sustainability investments through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
• European Regional Development Fund (ERDF/FEDER)supportiveOthersEU structural fund co-financing regional incentive projects and productivity investments, including new capital goods and capacity expansion.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Sustainable Development (Extremadura)supportiveOthersRegional ministry supporting the 2.7 MWp rooftop photovoltaic plant project for renewable energy generation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Unilever: Global CPG major with home care and personal care (Skip, Comfort, Dove, Lux). Comparable broad incumbent; also a customer of Inquiba as a copacker partner, making it both a peer and a counterparty.
• Procter & Gamble: Global CPG major with laundry, cleaning, and personal care portfolios (Ariel, Fairy, Lenor, Head & Shoulders). Comparable broad incumbent whose brands compete with private-label products Inquiba manufactures.
• Diversey Holdings: Global B2B cleaning, hygiene, and infection-prevention solutions provider. Comparable broad incumbent with an institutional and private-label-style cleaning portfolio overlapping with Inquiba's household cleaners segment.
• Henkel AG & Co. KGaA: Global leader in laundry & home care (Persil, Vernel, Somat) and adhesives. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating across the same product categories, though brand-led and globally scaled versus Inquiba's private-label focus.
• Reckitt Benckiser Group: Global consumer health, hygiene, and home care group (Calgon, Finish, Vanish). Comparable broad incumbent in household cleaning and hygiene categories, with much larger scale and brand ownership.

Direct peers

• Bolton Group: Italian family-owned CPG group with home care (WC Net, Omino Bianco) and personal care portfolios. Comparable to Inquiba as a Southern European multi-brand household/personal care manufacturer supplying major retailers.
• Werner & Mertz GmbH: German manufacturer of sustainable cleaning products (Frosch, Ecover brands) with strong retail relationships across Europe. Comparable as a European cleaning-products manufacturer with sustainability-led positioning and private-label capabilities.
• McBride plc: UK-listed European leader in private-label household cleaning and personal care products, supplying discounters and brand owners across multiple countries. Closest direct comparable to Inquiba's private-label/copacker model in laundry and home care.
• Colep (Rieke Packaging Systems parent / Colep Consumer Products): Portuguese-headquartered contract manufacturer for personal care, home care, and aerosols. Comparable as an Iberian-based B2B contract manufacturer serving global CPG brand owners with a similar product portfolio overlap.

Regional players

• Kandelium (formerly Solvay's chemical operations / Kandelium specialty chemicals): Spanish/European specialty chemical and cleaning-ingredient manufacturer serving detergents, home care, and industrial cleaning. Comparable as a regional chemical player in the cleaning value chain overlapping with Inquiba's vertical integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Inquiba