What OEKO-TEX® does

OEKO-TEX® is a Zurich-headquartered, privately held Swiss certification and testing association for the textile and leather industry, operating as OEKO-TEX AG and supported by a network of 17 independent research and test institutes across Europe and Japan. Founded in 1992 as the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology, it develops and maintains a portfolio of seven certification standards — STANDARD 100, MADE IN GREEN, ORGANIC COTTON, LEATHER STANDARD, STeP, ECO PASSPORT, and RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS — that test finished products, raw materials, chemicals, and production facilities for harmful substances, sustainable operations, and social compliance. Its certified network exceeds 35,000 companies globally, with limit values for over 1,000 regulated substances updated at least annually and aligned with EU REACH, US CPSIA, and ECHA-SVHC regulations.

Revenue is generated through testing fees, production facility audits, certificate issuance (valid 12 months for products and 36 months for facilities), and licensing of the internationally protected OEKO-TEX® trademark for use on certified products and in advertising. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers apply through member institutes or via the myOEKO-TEX® online portal. Go-to-market is delivered through a decentralized model: the 17 member institutes handle local sales, testing, and auditing while OEKO-TEX AG centrally governs standards, trademarks, and regulatory alignment. Digital tools (Label Check, Buying Guide, Impact Calculator) extend engagement beyond testing into verification and traceability, supported by 501–1,000 direct OEKO-TEX employees and the broader institute network.

Name

OEKO-TEX®

Legal name

OEKO-TEX AG

Website

https://oeko-tex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

OEKO-TEX® is a Swiss certification association that tests textiles, leather, and chemicals for harmful substances and audits production facilities for sustainability, serving 35,000+ certified companies worldwide through 17 independent member institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Textile and Leather Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability Testing, Certification & Compliance (LCA, Recyclability/Compostability Testing, FSC/PEFC) (IMALAMAK)

Keywords

• Textile certification services
• Harmful substance testing
• Leather safety certification
• Sustainable textile standards
• Supply chain auditing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Testing Certification: OEKO-TEX® provides testing services for textile and leather products through approved Testing Institutes. Products are tested for harmful substances according to OEKO-TEX® Standards. Upon passing, certificates are issued authorizing the use of OEKO-TEX® Labels. Certificates for products are valid for a maximum of 12 calendar months.
2. Production Facility Auditing and Certification: OEKO-TEX® audits production facilities according to criteria of OEKO-TEX® Standards (such as STeP). Audits include both announced and unannounced visits. Certificates for production sites are valid for a maximum of 36 calendar months. The process involves on-site inspections of environmental protection, occupational safety, social working conditions, and preventive measures.
3. Label Licensing: OEKO-TEX® grants non-exclusive licenses to customers to use OEKO-TEX® Labels for certified products or operations. The license is tied to the validity of the corresponding Certificate. Licensing fees allow companies to affix OEKO-TEX® Labels to products and use OEKO-TEX® Brands in advertising.
4. ECO PASSPORT Certification for Chemicals: OEKO-TEX® evaluates and certifies chemicals, colorants, and auxiliaries used in textile and leather production through the ECO PASSPORT standard. Independent toxicologists assess ACPs (Active Chemical Products) for harmlessness to human health.
5. Status Reports: For certain OEKO-TEX® Standards, Status Reports are issued documenting company performance according to particular standards. Status Reports are valid for the reference date specified and cannot be renewed but must be reapplied for.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

OEKO-TEX® is a Swiss-founded certification and testing organization that develops standards for the textile and leather industry. It tests products for harmful substances, audits production facilities for sustainability and social compliance, and licenses certified labels to manufacturers, brands, retailers, and chemical suppliers through a network of 17 independent member institutes in Europe and Japan. Certificates are issued under seven distinct standards (STANDARD 100, MADE IN GREEN, ORGANIC COTTON, LEATHER STANDARD, STeP, ECO PASSPORT, RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS).

Product overview

OEKO-TEX® provides a modular system of certification standards for the textile and leather industry, enabling companies to have products tested and production facilities audited by 17 independent research institutes across Europe and Japan. The portfolio includes seven distinct certification products: STANDARD 100 (harmful substance testing for textiles), MADE IN GREEN (sustainability and traceability label launched in 2015), ORGANIC COTTON (organic fiber verification), LEATHER STANDARD (leather product safety), STeP (sustainable production facility certification), ECO PASSPORT (chemical ingredient certification), and RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS (supply chain due diligence). Supporting digital tools include the Label Check for product verification, the Buying Guide directory for certified products, the myOEKO-TEX® customer portal, and the Impact Calculator for environmental assessment. The system serves over 35,000 certified companies globally and issues certificates valid for 12 months for products or 36 months for production facilities, with process audits conducted at least every three years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN: A certification label identifying textiles and leather goods tested for harmful substances and manufactured under sustainable and socially responsible conditions.
• OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100
• OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON
• OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD
• OEKO-TEX® STeP
• OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT
• OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

Products and services

• OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Globally standardized product label certifying that all types of textiles, from yarns to finished products, have been tested for harmful substances. Tests over 1,000 regulated substances and covers four product classes based on skin sensitivity and intended use. Certificates are valid for a maximum of 12 calendar months.
• OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN Product label identifying textiles and leather goods tested for harmful substances and manufactured under sustainable and socially responsible conditions. Provides supply chain traceability via unique product ID or QR code, tracking production factories, product stages, and production countries.
• OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON Certification offering verification from farm to product, testing for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and harmful substances in organic cotton products.
• OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD Certification tailored to leather articles tested for harmful substances, awarded for leather semi-finished products, finished leather, leather fibre materials up to finished articles and accessories.
• OEKO-TEX® STeP Certification for production facilities manufacturing textile and leather articles under sustainable production conditions, including environmental protection, chemical management, and social responsibility modules. Audits include both announced and unannounced visits. Certificates for production sites are valid for a maximum of 36 calendar months.
• OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT Certification identifying chemicals, colourants, and auxiliaries used in textile and leather production which are not harmful to health and are environmentally friendly. Independent toxicologists assess Active Chemical Products (ACPs) for harmlessness to human health.
• OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS Certification supporting companies in preventing or mitigating negative impacts of business operations within their own activities, supply chains, and wider business relationships, aligned with UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• OEKO-TEX® Label Check Online verification tool allowing users to check the validity of OEKO-TEX® certified products by entering the label number or scanning the QR code, providing traceability information about production facilities and countries.
• OEKO-TEX® Buying Guide Online directory for certified products, manufacturers, and brands. Certified companies can present their OEKO-TEX® labelled range, and end consumers can find brands with certified products.
• myOEKO-TEX® Portal Self-service customer portal providing access to the MySTeP database, certificate management, MADE IN GREEN label creation, and OEKO-TEX® account services for managing certifications online.

Quantifiable outcome

• OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN has been certified 'trustworthy' in the Greenpeace Label Guide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• TextileGenesisnotableTechnology or IntegrationOEKO-TEX® partnered with TextileGenesis to advance digital traceability for organic cotton. This collaboration enables enhanced supply chain transparency and traceability verification for organic cotton certification, leveraging blockchain and digital technologies to track materials from farm to product.
• OEKO-TEX® Association (International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOEKO-TEX® consists of OEKO-TEX® Service GmbH and the Testing Institutes approved by it, forming the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology. The association works together to continually develop test methods and define limit values for the textile and leather industry.
• OEKO-TEX® Testing Institutes NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OEKO-TEX® network comprises 17 independent research and test institutes in Europe and Japan: AITEX (Spain), Centexbel (Belgium), Centrocot (Italy), CITEVE (Portugal), DTI (Denmark), FILK (Germany), Hohenstein (Germany), IFTH (France), INNOVATEXT (Hungary), Lukasiewicz (Poland), MIRTEC (Greece), Nissenken (Japan), OETI (Austria), RISE (Sweden), Shirley (UK), Testex (Switzerland), and VUTCH (Slovakia). These institutes perform testing, auditing, and certification services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ZDHC Foundation: Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals initiative, focused on chemical management in textile/leather manufacturing. Comparable to OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT and STeP, with overlapping chemical supplier and brand customers.
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): Leading processing standard for organic textiles, covering ecological and social criteria across the supply chain. Directly comparable to OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON and MADE IN GREEN, often evaluated by brands as a substitute or complementary scheme.
• Better Cotton Initiative (BCI): Largest cotton sustainability program, working with retailers and brands on responsible cotton sourcing. Comparable to OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON and STeP at the raw-material and farming stages of the textile supply chain.
• Control Union: Global certification body active in organic, sustainable, and textile supply-chain certification (including organic cotton). Directly comparable to OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON and supply-chain transparency services.
• Bluesign Technologies: Swiss-based certification of chemicals, materials, and finished textile products for resource efficiency and chemical safety. Closely comparable to OEKO-TEX®'s ECO PASSPORT and STANDARD 100, serving overlapping brands, mills, and chemical suppliers with a similar regulatory-aligned testing model.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company. Offers textile testing, chemical compliance, and supply-chain audits that overlap with OEKO-TEX®'s service portfolio, though as part of a much broader multi-industry TIC offering.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC firm providing textile and leather testing, social audits, and sustainability assurance. Comparable to OEKO-TEX® STeP and STANDARD 100 as a one-stop TIC alternative for large brand and retailer customers.
• Intertek: Global quality assurance provider offering textile testing, chemical compliance, and softlines supply-chain services. A broad incumbent alternative for brands that might otherwise route testing through OEKO-TEX® member institutes.
• TÜV SÜD: International testing and certification body providing textile/leather testing, chemical compliance, and product safety certification. Overlaps with OEKO-TEX®'s testing and certification services, particularly for European brands.

Emerging players

• Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute: Multi-attribute product certification covering material health, reuse, renewable energy, water, and social fairness. Competes for the same brand-level sustainability budget as OEKO-TEX®, though with a broader scope beyond textiles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_-bhw9VfSpdN78lyu4iBZA
• Facebookfacebook.com/oekotex
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/oeko-tex-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/oeko_tex
• TikToktiktok.com/@oekotex_official
• Xx.com/OEKO_TEX_Int

Compliance3 records

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 OEKO-TEX®