What Retsch does

Retsch GmbH is a German manufacturer of laboratory sample preparation and particle size analysis equipment, headquartered in Haan, Germany, and founded in 1915. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary within the Verder Scientific division of the Verder Group, alongside sister companies Carbolite (heat treatment), ELTRA (elemental analysis), QATM (materialography and hardness testing) and Microtrac (particle characterization). Retsch sells a catalog of more than 50 capital instruments organized into three families: milling equipment (jaw crushers BB 50-600, rotor/cutting/knife/disc/ball mills including the Emax high-energy mill, planetary ball mills PM 100-400, CryoMill operating at -196°C, and drum mills TM 300/500); sieving equipment (AS-series sieve shakers, test sieves, the Easysieve evaluation software, and integrated air-jet sieving AS 200 jet pro/pharma); and assisting equipment (PT/RT series sample dividers, TG 200 dryers, DR 100 feeders, PP 40 pellet presses, and a laboratory cleaner).

Differentiation rests on mechanical performance and longevity rather than software: planetary ball mills deliver sub-micron grinding under reproducible conditions; the Emax achieves finer particle sizes in shorter times than conventional ball mills via novel grinding mechanics; the CryoMill handles elastic and temperature-sensitive materials; and the pharma-compliant AS 200 jet pro/pharma integrates weighing and sieving in a single unit. An in-house application laboratory performs test grindings and supports application consultations, while the website is localized into 18 languages and supported by webinars, industry events, and a customer magazine.

The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) capital-equipment sales to research institutions, analytical laboratories, and industrial manufacturers; (2) professional services including preventive maintenance, repairs, calibration, qualification/validation, training, and installation; and (3) recurring service contracts, launched in 2025, that bundle annual maintenance, extended warranty, priority handling, and discounted spare parts and training. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales executed directly plus a network of 70+ distributors worldwide, augmented by online product demonstrations, lab visits, and on-site visits. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Name

Retsch

Legal name

Retsch GmbH

Website

https://retsch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Retsch, founded 1915 in Haan, Germany, manufactures laboratory mills, jaw crushers and sieve shakers for sample preparation and particle size analysis, selling through direct sales and 70+ global distributors to research institutions and industrial QC laboratories across pharma, food, mining and construction materials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Haan

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Equipment Sales: Sale of laboratory mills, crushers, sieve shakers, and assisting equipment to research institutions, analytical laboratories, and manufacturing companies
2. Technical Service and Support: Technical service including preventive maintenance, repairs, calibration, qualification/validation services, training and installation
3. Service Contracts: Annual service plans with preventive maintenance, extended warranty, priority handling, and discounted spare parts and training

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Retsch GmbH manufactures and sells laboratory mills, jaw crushers, and sieve shakers used for sample preparation and particle size analysis. Its portfolio spans jaw crushers, rotor mills, cutting mills, knife mills, mortar grinders, disc mills, ball mills (including planetary ball mills and cryogenic mills), and analytical sieve shakers, complemented by sample dividers, feeders, dryers, pellet presses, and the Easysieve evaluation software. The company also offers technical service, calibration, qualification, training, and annual service plans.

Product overview

Retsch is a leading manufacturer of laboratory mills, jaw crushers, and sieve shakers offering a comprehensive portfolio of sample preparation and particle size analysis equipment. The product portfolio is organized into three main categories: Milling (including Jaw Crushers BB 50-600, Rotor Mills ZM 300/TWISTER/SR 300/SK 300/HM 200, Cutting Mills SM 50/SM 100/SM 200/SM 300, Knife Mills GM 200/GM 300, Mortar Grinders RM 200, Disc Mills RS 200/RS 300/DM 200, and Ball Mills including Emax, Mixer Mills MM 400/500 series, CryoMill, Planetary Ball Mills PM 100/200/300/400, and Drum Mills TM 300/TM 500), Sieving (Sieve Shakers AS 200 series/AS 300/AS 400/AS 450, Test Sieves, and Easysieve evaluation software), and Assisting products (Sample Dividers PT/RT series, Dryers TG 200, Feeders DR 100, Pellet Presses PP 40, and Cleaners). Retsch also offers complementary Microtrac particle analyzers for dynamic light scattering. With over 100 years of experience, Retsch develops innovative solutions for neutral-to-analysis sample preparation and particle size analysis, trusted by researchers and quality control laboratories worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jaw Crushers (BB 50, BB 200, BB 250, BB 300, BB 400, BB 500, BB 600) Robust jaw crushers designed for sample preparation in laboratories, available in multiple sizes with throughput up to 300 kg/h for hard, brittle, and tough materials. Used by research institutions and industrial quality control laboratories for crushing and pre-crushing operations.
• Rotor Mills (ZM 300, TWISTER, SR 300, SK 300, HM 200) Rotor mills including ultra centrifugal, cyclone, rotor beater, cross beater, and hammer mills for coarse and fine size reduction with adjustable speed. The TWISTER is specifically designed for food and feed sample preparation for NIR analysis.
• Cutting Mills (SM 50, SM 100, SM 200, SM 300) Cutting mills for efficient preliminary size reduction of a huge variety of materials, with the SM 300 providing high torque and RES technology for tough jobs. The SM 50 offers up to 100% sample recovery for small quantities without contamination.
• Knife Mills (GM 200, GM 300) Knife mills (Grindomix GM 200 and GM 300) ideal for grinding and homogenizing foods and feeds with minimum standard deviation. The GM 300 features autoclavable parts for professional food sample preparation.
• Mortar Grinder RM 200 Mortar grinder for accurate and reproducible sample preparation to analytical fineness for various materials, designed for easy cleaning.
• Disc Mills (RS 200, RS 300, DM 200) Vibratory disc mills for pulverization of various materials to analytical fineness with fast and reproducible results. The DM 200 is designed for rough conditions in laboratories and pilot plants.
• Ball Mills - Mixer Mills (MM 400, MM 500 control, MM 500 nano, MM 500 vario) High-energy laboratory ball mills for dry, wet, and cryogenic grinding of small sample amounts. The MM 500 series offers frequency up to 30 Hz and temperature range from -100 to 100°C, with the MM 500 nano specially developed for grinding up to 2 x 45 ml sample material within seconds.
• Emax High Energy Ball Mill An entirely new type of ball mill for high energy milling that delivers faster and finer grinding and extremely fine particles in a short time compared to conventional ball mills.
• CryoMill Ball mill tailored for cryogenic grinding of sensitive and elastic substances at a temperature of -196°C with highest efficiency and safety.
• Planetary Ball Mills (PM 100, PM 200, PM 300, PM 400) Planetary ball mills used for grinding with highest fineness, high pulverization energy, short grinding times, and reproducible results. The PM 300 handles up to 500 ml jars with dual stations; PM 400 achieves the highest degree of fineness.
• XRD-Mill McCrone Ball mill specially developed for preparation of samples for subsequent X-Ray diffraction that preserves the crystal lattice structure.
• Drum Mills (TM 300, TM 500) Drum mills for preparation of granules and powders for dry and wet grinding, with grinding drums from 5 to 43.4 L. The TM 500 grinds large sample volumes up to 35 L, achieving grind sizes down to 15 µm by friction and impact.
• Sieve Shakers (AS 200 series, AS 300 control, AS 400 control, AS 450 series, AS 200 tap) Analytical vibratory sieve shakers for dry and wet sieving with short sieving times, high efficiency, and accuracy. The AS 200 jet pro/pharma combines sieving and weighing in one device with internal balance and touch display, designed for pharmaceutical compliance. The AS 450 control handles up to 25 kg of load with three-dimensional sieving motion.
• AS 200 jet pro / pharma Air Jet Sieving Machine Air jet sieving machine that combines sieving and weighing in one device with an internal balance and touch display for intuitive system control and result evaluation. Eliminates the need for additional mechanical sieving aids. The pharma variant is designed for pharmaceutical compliance.
• Easysieve Evaluation Software Retsch's particle size evaluation software with automatic data recording and analysis for sieve analysis results.
• Sample Dividers (PT 100, PT 200, PT 300, PT 600, RT 6.5-RT 75, RT 100) Sample dividers and splitters for representative and reproducible results with high division accuracy for powdered or granular bulk materials. The PT series offers rotating tube dividers with adjustable dividing ratio; RT series provides manual splitting per DIN 51701.
• TG 200 Fluid Bed Dryer Fluid bed dryer for the gentle drying of different bulk materials for sample preparation with short drying times and easy handling.
• DR 100 Vibratory Feeder Vibratory feeder for uniform, continuous feeding and conveyance of pourable bulk materials and fine powders with reproducibly exact results.
• PP 40 Pellet Press Pellet press for pelletizing samples for subsequent analytical analysis such as XRF.
• Laboratory Cleaner Equipment for cleaning test sieves and grinding tools easily with low maintenance and long lifespan, saving time and cost.
• GrindControl Pressure and temperature measuring system for ball mills that helps understand the processes occurring during grinding.
• Annual Service Plans Annual service plans including preventive maintenance, extended warranty, priority handling, and discounted spare parts and training, designed to maximize equipment uptime and performance for laboratory customers.
• Technical Service and Support Professional technical service including preventive maintenance, repairs, calibration, qualification/validation services, training, and installation support for Retsch laboratory equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ installed products worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Verder ScientificcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetsch is part of the Verder Scientific division of the Verder Group, which sets standards in high-tech equipment for quality control, research and development. Verder Scientific companies serve research institutions, analytical laboratories, and manufacturing companies.
• MicrotraccoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrotrac provides particle characterization solutions including dynamic light scattering analyzers. Products are integrated under Retsch's sieving product line for comprehensive particle analysis solutions.
• CarboliteminorOthersPart of Verder Scientific, Carbolite specializes in heat treatment equipment. Sister companies within the Verder Group serving complementary laboratory needs.
• ELTRAminorOthersPart of Verder Scientific, ELTRA specializes in elemental analysis equipment. Sister company within the Verder Group serving complementary laboratory needs.
• QATMminorOthersPart of Verder Scientific, QATM specializes in materialography and hardness testing equipment. Sister company within the Verder Group serving complementary laboratory needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IKA: German laboratory equipment maker with overlapping offerings in laboratory mills, dispersers, and sample preparation; serves the same analytical and QC laboratory buyers globally with comparable hardware-and-service revenue model.
• Glen Mills: Supplies laboratory grinding mills, mixers, and sample preparation equipment across pharmaceutical, food, and materials science applications; a head-to-head competitor in the same product categories as Retsch's mill lineup.
• Fritsch: German manufacturer of laboratory mills, jaw crushers, and sieve shakers with a product portfolio that overlaps almost one-to-one with Retsch's milling and sieving ranges; same German Mittelstand heritage and same customer base of research and QC labs.
• SPEX SamplePrep: US-based manufacturer of laboratory mills, crushers, and grinders (including cryogenic and high-energy ball mills) competing directly for analytical sample preparation customers in pharma, food, and academic labs.
• Union Process: US manufacturer of laboratory and production-size attrition and stirred ball mills; a focused competitor in high-energy milling for advanced materials and analytical sample preparation.

Broad incumbents

• NETZSCH Grinding & Dispersing: German maker of wet and dry grinding mills including laboratory stirred media mills; comparable to Retsch's ball mills and serves overlapping fine-grinding applications in chemicals, ceramics, and pharma R&D.
• Anton Paar: Austrian analytical instruments and lab equipment major with portfolio breadth spanning rheometry, particle sizing, and sample preparation; competes with Retsch in selected milling and particle characterization workflows while serving broader measurement needs.
• Hosokawa Alpine: Manufacturer of powder and particle processing equipment including laboratory-scale mills and classifiers; a broader industrial player that overlaps with Retsch in fine-grinding and particle sizing applications.
• Bühler Group: Swiss industrial process technology group with milling and grinding solutions that scale from laboratory to production; competes with Retsch primarily in food/feed sample prep and analytical milling.

Others

• Verder Scientific sister companies (Microtrac, Carbolite, ELTRA, QATM): Sibling brands under the Verder Group covering particle characterization (Microtrac), heat treatment (Carbolite), elemental analysis (ELTRA), and materialography (QATM); adjacent rather than competitive — relevant because of the integrated bundle opportunity across sample prep.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RetschHQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retsch-gmbh
• Xx.com/retschuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/Retsch-Solutions-in-Milling-and-Sieving-259786110714903

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Retsch