What Virax does

Virax S.A.S. is a French specialty manufacturer of professional pipe-working tools, founded in 1920 in Epernay and operating as a subsidiary of the German conglomerate ROTHENBERGER AG. The company designs, manufactures, and markets equipment for the installation and maintenance of liquid and gas transport pipe systems, serving professional tradespeople — plumbers, HVAC technicians, refrigeration specialists, and heating installers — primarily through a network of physical distributors and online merchants across more than 50 countries, supplemented by direct e-commerce via its multilingual website.

The product portfolio spans more than 2,500 catalog items and over 6,000 manufactured SKUs, covering radial and axial crimping tools (VIPER M2X/L2X, P25, i26+), electric and hydraulic bending machines (MINISTEM, EUROSTEM III), plastic tube welding systems (VULCA PRO, Viwel+), pipe freezing units, inspection cameras, thermal cameras, and threading, cutting, and grooving equipment. Core technical differentiators include the VIR-APP Bluetooth-connected mobile application for crimping machine telemetry, integration with the Cordless Alliance System (CAS) shared battery platform spanning 40+ manufacturers and 400+ machines, a 5-year warranty on flagship products, and over 70% in-house production at the 20,000 m² Champagne-region facility. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications and is currently pursuing ECO Vadis ESG rating.

The business operates a hardware-sales revenue model with no publicly disclosed pricing, monetizing through distributor wholesale, online merchant channels, and direct website purchases. Local marketing is led by Marketing Director Michael Bachelet, with operations managed by COO Nigel McCracken and publication oversight by Christèle Rouland. There is no disclosed funding, no external investment structure, and no publicly traded equity — the company is wholly owned within the ROTHENBERGER Group.

Name

Virax

Legal name

VIRAX S.A.S.

Website

https://virax.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Virax S.A.S. is a French specialty manufacturer of professional pipe-working tools — crimping, bending, cutting, threading, and welding equipment — serving plumbers, HVAC, refrigeration, and heating installers across 50+ countries via distributors, e-commerce, and a CAS-shared cordless platform, as a subsidiary of ROTHENBERGER AG.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Epernay

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Tool Hardware Sales: Virax generates revenue primarily through the sale of professional-grade pipe working tools and equipment. The product range includes tube cutters, crimping tools (radial and axial), bending machines, threading tools, pipe wrenches, drain cleaners, inspection cameras, freezing units, and related accessories. Products are sold through distributor networks, e-commerce, and point-of-sale locations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Virax SAS designs, manufactures and markets a comprehensive catalog of professional pipe working tools and equipment. Its range covers crimping tools, pipe cutters, bending machines, threading machines, drainage cleaning equipment, and accessories used by installers in plumbing, heating, refrigeration, and gas systems.

Product overview

Virax is a professional tool manufacturer specializing in equipment for pipe installation and maintenance in plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration, and heating applications. The product portfolio includes over 2,500 catalog items and more than 6,000 manufactured products. Core offerings encompass radial and axial crimping tools (VIPER M2X/L2X, P25, i26+), bending machines (MINISTEM, EUROSTEM III), plastic tube welding systems (VULCA PRO BASIC/CNC, VULCA D160, Viwel+), pipe freezing equipment, inspection cameras, and thermal cameras (Thermo Visioval). The product range also covers pipe cutting, threading, grooving, leak testing, core drilling, and pipe cleaning equipment. Virax offers the VIR-APP mobile application that connects via Bluetooth to crimping machines for tracking crimping data, creating work reports, and searching product compatibility. The company operates the CAS (Cordless Alliance System) battery platform for cordless tools, and provides a 5-year warranty on selected products including M2X, L2X, P25, i26+, MINISTEM, EUROSTEM, and VIRAFAL.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional pipe working tools (crimping, cutting, bending, threading, drainage) In-house designed and manufactured catalog of professional-grade pipe working tools (crimping tools, pipe cutters, bending machines, threading machines, drainage cleaning equipment) for installers in plumbing, heating, refrigeration and gas trades.
• VIR-APP mobile application Companion mobile application from Virax that pairs with and supports the company's professional cordless tools, providing digital services around the hardware offering for plumbing and HVAC installers.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cordless Alliance System (CAS)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Virax joined the Cordless Alliance System (CAS), a shared battery platform shared by over 40 manufacturers and 400 machines. This partnership enables Virax's M2X and L2X crimping tools and Eurostem III bending machine to use a common battery system, providing users with cross-manufacturer battery compatibility and reduced equipment costs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rothenberger: German-based parent company of Virax and itself a major manufacturer of professional pipe tools (bending, threading, crimping, testing). Directly comparable product range and customer base; competes with Virax in many markets.
• Ridgid: Emerson-owned US brand offering professional pipe working tools including threading machines, drain cleaners, pressing tools, and pipe cutters. Closest direct US/EU peer to Virax in product mix and trade customer base.
• REMS: German specialist in pipe working tools — threading, cutting, bending, pressing, and drain cleaning equipment. Same niche as Virax, with strong overlap in plumbing/heating installer customer base across Europe.
• Cembre: Italian manufacturer of electrical and piping tooling including professional crimping tools, cutters, and presses. Overlaps directly with Virax on mechanical and electrical crimping product lines.
• Klauke: German/Emerson-owned specialist in professional crimping tools for cable and pipe applications. Directly comparable on crimping technology and the same professional trades customer base.

Emerging players

• Milwaukee Tool: US-based premium power tool brand expanding aggressively into plumbing/HVAC specialty tools (press jaws, pipe wrenches, M12/M18 cordless platforms). Partial overlap with Virax's cordless crimping and bending range targeting the same trade.
• Knipex: German premium hand-tool maker (pliers, wrenches, pipe wrenches) widely specified by European professional installers. Competes with Virax's hand-tool side (clés serre-tube, Stillson, Sanicrom) in the same trade channel.
• Hilmor: US-based brand focused on HVAC/R specialty tools (benders, flaring, torque wrenches, recovery machines). Niche overlap with Virax's refrigeration and HVAC tooling and similar installer customer persona.

Broad incumbents

• Hilti: Global construction tools and services incumbent. Overlaps with Virax where mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installers use Hilti cordless platforms, though Virax is more specialist on pipe-specific tooling.

Others

• Geberit: Swiss plumbing systems manufacturer (piping, sanitary, installation systems). Not a tool competitor but a downstream buyer/influencer in the same European installer channel, making it a useful channel and demand-side comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ViraxOfficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@virax
• Facebookfacebook.com/Virax
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/virax
• Instagraminstagram.com/virax_official

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Virax