Micro Powders
Micro Powders is a privately held specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1971 that develops micronized waxes, wax dispersions, and fine powder additives for industrial coatings, printing inks, agricultural, and personal care applications. The company sells globally through direct sales and a distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersTarrytown, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Micro Powders does
Micro Powders, Inc. is a privately held specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1971 and headquartered in Tarrytown, New York. The company develops and produces micronized waxes, wax dispersions, emulsions, and fine powder additives that serve as functional ingredients in paints and coatings, printing inks, personal care products, agricultural seed coatings and fertilizers, and a range of niche industrial markets. Its portfolio of more than 200 products is anchored by proprietary nanocomposite technology that combines polyethylene (HDPE/LDPE) with 300 nm aluminum oxide nanoparticles to deliver scratch, scuff, and abrasion resistance, alongside a broad lineup of natural and biodegradable additives derived from carnauba wax, rice bran wax, hydrogenated castor oil, and cellulose. The company has been repositioning aggressively away from PTFE in response to regulatory pressure, securing multinational approvals and food contact compliance for PTFE-free alternatives since 2019 and announcing a full PTFE market exit by the end of 2025.
The company's underlying technology differentiates it across three reinforcing vectors: PTFE-free and PFAS-free replacement chemistries (MicroTex 950/580, NyloTex series, PolyGlide, PolyTuf), nanocomposite additive platforms (Superslip 6515AL, MPP-611AL, MPP-123AL, MicroKlear 418AL), and sustainable natural and biodegradable offerings (Naturebead, NatureMatte, NatureTex, NatureFine). It is a founder/family-led organization led by President Gary Strauss and CEO Deena Strauss, with a lean named leadership team that includes a VP of Sales and newly appointed strategic account and industrial sales roles.
Micro Powders sells B2B through a hybrid go-to-market model that combines a dedicated direct sales team for enterprise accounts (CASE, AgroScience, Industrial) with a global distributor network that includes exclusive regional partnerships such as Azelis for agricultural sciences in EMEA and Denge Kimya for Turkey. Marketing is anchored by a content-rich website with a product finder tool, sample request workflow, and active participation in industry events including the European Coatings Show and Paintistanbul. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company sells formulated specialty ingredients under one-time purchase terms, with no subscription, licensing, or SaaS revenue model in evidence.
Micro Powders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Micro Powders
- Legal name
- Micro Powders, Inc.
- Website
- https://micropowders.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Micro Powders is a privately held specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1971 that develops micronized waxes, wax dispersions, and fine powder additives for industrial coatings, printing inks, agricultural, and personal care applications. The company sells globally through direct sales and a distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Micro Powders industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Wax Additives
- NAICS
- Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)
- SIC
- Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Powder Coatings (IMAEAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ)
Keywords
Where Micro Powders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tarrytown
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Micro Powders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Specialty Wax and Fine Powder Additives: Micro Powders generates revenue through the sale of specialty waxes, micronized powders, nanocomposite additives, dispersions, and emulsions to industrial manufacturers in coatings, inks, agricultural, and personal care sectors. Products are sold directly and through distributors globally.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Micro Powders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Micro Powders manufactures and sells micronized waxes, synthetic waxes, wax dispersions, and wax emulsions that function as performance additives in paints, coatings, inks, personal care products, agricultural formulations, and other industrial applications. Products are sold as functional ingredients to industrial formulators and brand owners worldwide, with chemistry options including polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE, carnauba, and proprietary composite/hybrid wax blends.
Product overview
Micro Powders is a specialty wax and fine powder additive company with over 50 years of expertise, offering a diverse portfolio of over 200 natural and synthetic powders, composites, dispersions, and emulsions. The company provides additives for paints and coatings, printing inks, personal care, agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals applications. Key product categories include PTFE replacement additives (MicroTex® 950, MicroTex® 580, NyloTex series), nanocomposite additives reinforced with aluminum oxide (Superslip 6515AL, MPP-611AL, MPP-123AL, MicroKlear series), natural and biodegradable additives (NatureMatte®, NatureTex®, NatureFine®, MicroKlear 418), and water-based dispersions (Microspersion® series). The company announced exiting the PTFE market by end of 2025, focusing on sustainable, PFAS-free solutions. Products serve markets including powder coatings, can/container coatings, wood coatings, industrial coatings, personal care (cosmetics, skincare, toiletries), graphic arts, and agricultural seed coatings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Naturebead®: Natural spherical exfoliant products for personal care applications
- Spherex™
- MicroTex®
- MicroKlear®
- Superslip®
- Polysilk®
- NyloTex®
- PolyGlide®
- PolyTuf®
- PropylMatte®
- PropylTex®
- NatureMatte®
- NatureTex®
- NatureFine®
- Microspersion®
Products and services
- MicroTex micronized polyethylene waxes Micronized polyethylene wax powders sold as functional additives for paints, coatings, inks, personal care, and industrial applications where matting, slip, scratch resistance, and texture control are required. Used by industrial formulators.
- MicroTex 950 Newly launched micronized polyethylene wax grade added to the MicroTex family for industrial coating and ink applications requiring consistent particle size and performance.
- Polyfluo micronized PTFE-modified waxes Micronized PTFE-modified wax additives providing slip, abrasion resistance, and surface lubrication in coatings, inks, and specialty industrial formulations. For industrial formulators.
- PropylMatte micronized polypropylene waxes Micronized polypropylene wax additives providing matting efficiency, slip, and surface feel control in coatings, inks, and personal care formulations.
- AquaBead wax dispersions Pre-dispersed wax additives for water-based coatings and ink systems, allowing formulators to incorporate wax performance without in-house grinding.
- AquaWax wax emulsions Water-based wax emulsions that deliver wax performance in aqueous coatings, inks, and personal care systems without the need for solvent carriers.
- AquaKot agricultural wax additives Wax additives for agricultural applications including seed coatings, fertilizer coatings, and crop protection formulations requiring flow, anti-caking, dust-off, and water resistance.
- Synthetic waxes Synthetic wax additives (non-PTFE, non-PE/PP) for industrial applications requiring specific melting, hardness, or compatibility profiles.
- Composite / hybrid wax additives Proprietary composite and hybrid wax blends that combine multiple wax chemistries (e.g., PE/PTFE, carnauba/synthetic) to deliver combined performance attributes in a single additive.
- Natural waxes (carnauba-based) Natural carnauba wax and natural wax products for industrial coatings, personal care, and specialty applications.
- Personal care specialty wax additives Specialty wax additives (including Naturalis, Propyzome, and EcoSmooth lines) formulated for cosmetics, skin care, hair care, and color cosmetics applications requiring texture, slip, structuring, and sensory feel.
Quantifiable outcome
- PTFE-free alternatives deliver performance equal to or better than PTFE-containing counterparts, often at lower cost
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Micro Powders
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Micro Powders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Micro Powders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Azelis ItalycoreExclusive distribution partnership for agricultural sciences products across the EMEA region. Azelis, as a leader in agricultural and environmental solutions, distributes Micro Powders specialty wax additives for seed coatings, seed treatments, fertilizers, and adjuvants. The partnership leverages Azelis's deep practical and scientific agronomical expertise combined with Micro Powders' additive powder and dispersion technology.
- Denge KimyaminorDistributor for Turkey region. Denge Kimya represents Micro Powders at Paintistanbul 2026 trade show, showcasing newest products from Micro Powders' portfolio at their booth.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Micro Powders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BYK-Chemie (Altana): BYK is the leading global supplier of coatings and inks additives, including wax-based surface additives, slip and matting agents, and rheology modifiers that overlap with Micro Powders' portfolio. As a division of specialty chemicals group Altana, BYK has far broader scale, technical service, and global reach.
- Clariant (now part of SABIC specialty portfolio): Clariant's Industrial Coatings and Additives business supplies wax-based additives, matting agents, and pigment dispersions to coatings and personal care markets. A large multinational comparable to Micro Powders on product category though with far broader portfolio and geographic reach.
- Evonik Industries: Evonik's Specialty Additives division supplies silica, matting agents, wax additives, and surface modifiers for coatings, inks, and personal care. A major multinational with overlapping product categories and customer base as Micro Powders.
- Croda International: Croda supplies specialty ingredients for personal care, coatings, and crop care, including natural and bio-based alternatives comparable to Micro Powders' Naturebead, NatureMatte, and NatureFine product families. A large public specialty chemicals peer with strong sustainability positioning.
- Lubrizol (Berkshire Hathaway): Lubrizol is a large specialty chemicals producer with coatings additives, personal care ingredients, and polymer technologies that overlap several of Micro Powders' end markets. Far greater scale and global manufacturing footprint as part of Berkshire Hathaway.
- Honeywell Specialty Additives: Honeywell's specialty additives portfolio includes high-performance wax modifiers and rheology modifiers for paints, coatings, and inks. A diversified industrial conglomerate with overlapping offerings in micronized wax and surface additive categories.
Direct peers
- Münzing Chemie: Münzing manufactures specialty wax additives, defoamers, and dispersing agents for paints, coatings, and inks. Comparable mid-sized specialty additive manufacturer serving overlapping industrial coatings and graphic arts customers.
- Shamrock Technologies: Shamrock Technologies is a direct competitor producing micronized waxes, PTFE-containing and PTFE-free additives, and dispersions for the same coatings, inks, and personal care markets served by Micro Powders. Highly comparable product portfolios and customer base make this the closest peer.
- Baerlocher: Baerlocher produces specialty wax additives, including micronized polyethylene and natural waxes, for coatings, inks, and plastics applications. Comparable product breadth across synthetic and natural wax platforms serving similar industrial customers.
Emerging players
- Deuteron GmbH: Deuteron specializes in wax-based matting agents, texturing additives, and PTFE-free alternatives for coatings, closely overlapping Micro Powders' MicroTex and NyloTex product lines. A focused European competitor with strong R&D in sustainable additive technologies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Micro Powders social profiles
Digital presenceMicro Powders compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Micro Powders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Micro Powders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Micro Powders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Micro Powders M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Micro Powders
What does Micro Powders do?
Micro Powders manufactures and sells micronized waxes, synthetic waxes, wax dispersions, and wax emulsions that function as performance additives in paints, coatings, inks, personal care products, agricultural formulations, and other industrial applications. Products are sold as functional ingredients to industrial formulators and brand owners worldwide, with chemistry options including polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE, carnauba, and proprietary composite/hybrid wax blends.
Is Micro Powders a public or private company?
Micro Powders is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Micro Powders founded?
Micro Powders was founded in 1971. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Micro Powders based?
Micro Powders is headquartered in Tarrytown, United States, in the North America region.
How does Micro Powders make money?
One revenue line is on record: specialty Wax and Fine Powder Additives.
Who are Micro Powders's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BYK-Chemie (Altana), Clariant (now part of SABIC specialty portfolio), Evonik Industries, Croda International, Lubrizol (Berkshire Hathaway) and Honeywell Specialty Additives. Direct peers are Münzing Chemie, Shamrock Technologies and Baerlocher. Deuteron GmbH is listed as an emerging player.
Does Micro Powders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Micro Powders.
What industry is Micro Powders in?
Micro Powders's product category is Specialty Wax Additives. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAGAE, Powder Coatings, with a secondary code of IMAEABAJ, Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients. Its NAICS code is 325510 and its SIC code is 2851.