What Caelo does

Caelo (legal name Caesar & Loretz GmbH) is a German pharmaceutical raw materials and compounding products company founded in 1893 and headquartered in Hilden, with a secondary production site in Bonn. The company supplies high-quality APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients), excipients, semi-solid bases, medicinal herbs, essential oils, and packaging materials that meet GMP, Ph.Eur., and DAC/NRF pharmacopoeial standards, manufactured in two Class D clean rooms with on-site purified water production. Caelo also markets a portfolio of more than 130 finished OTC and standard-authorization (Standardzulassung) products, including Dronabinol concentrates, hydrogen peroxide solution, and the Aluminiumchlorid roll-on, alongside toll manufacturing (Lohnherstellung) services for the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries.

The company's primary customers are German community and hospital pharmacies that use Caelo materials for individual prescription compounding (Rezeptur) and batch production (Defektur), with secondary industrial and end-consumer channels. Distribution runs through pharmaceutical wholesale and direct sales, with professional pricing and detailed product information gated behind a DocCheck-authenticated B2B portal. Caelo monetizes through one-time product sales and contract manufacturing; education (Caelo Campus webinars, the Rezeptursymposium, Rezepturtage) and the Rezepturforum community platform are free, serving as loyalty/retention layers and demand-generation levers.

Caelo differentiates itself through 130+ years of regulatory expertise, integrated batch-specific analysis certificate retrieval via the Dr. Lennartz laboratory software (with 2D code product tracking), the Rezeptur-Hotline, and continuing education programs that are accredited for pharmacy professional development points. The company is privately held by the von der Linde family, with Asiye Dogan appointed Managing Director in September 2023 alongside managing partner Ulrich von der Linde. It has no external PE/VC backing, no public listing, and no M&A or funding activity disclosed in the available data.

Name

Caelo

Legal name

Caesar & Loretz GmbH

Website

https://caelo.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Caelo (Caesar & Loretz GmbH) is a 130+ year-old German pharmaceutical raw materials and compounding products manufacturer that supplies APIs, excipients, semi-solid bases, and finished OTC products to community and hospital pharmacies, plus industrial customers, primarily in Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Raw Materials

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423450)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Preservatives & Antimicrobials (Sorbates, Benzoates, Natamycin, Cultured Dextrose) (CRADAOAF)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical raw materials
• Compounding substances
• Semi-solid bases
• Essential oils
• Pharmacy products

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Raw Materials (API, Rezeptursubstanzen): Sale of pharmaceutical starting materials including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), excipients, base formulations, and essential oils to pharmacies for prescription compounding.
2. Finished Products (HV-Produkte, Standardzulassungen): Sale of ready-to-use products including standard formulations, OTC products, herbal teas, essential oils, honey, and cosmetic products under Caelo brand.
3. Toll Manufacturing (Lohnherstellung): Contract manufacturing services for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industry customers.
4. Training and Education (Caelo Campus): Free webinars and in-person seminars providing continuing education for pharmacy staff, accredited for professional development points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Caelo (Caesar & Loretz GmbH) manufactures and distributes high-quality pharmaceutical raw materials and finished compounding products for German community and hospital pharmacies, the pharmaceutical/food/cosmetics industries, and selected end consumers. Its portfolio spans active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), compounding substances, semi-solid bases, medicinal herbs, essential oils, OTC products, and finished medicinal products such as Dronabinol concentrate, complemented by toll manufacturing and pharmacist training services.

Product overview

Caelo (Caesar & Loretz GmbH) is a German pharmaceutical raw materials company serving approximately 130 years, acting as a partner to community and hospital pharmacies, the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries, and end consumers. Its product portfolio is organized into two main categories: (1) Rezeptur-Produkte (compounding products) — encompassing pharmaceutical APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients), compounding substances, semi-solid bases (Halbfeste Grundlagen), medicinal herbs and animal products, essential oils (including the Profuma sub-brand), and packaging materials; and (2) HV-Produkte (OTC/pharmacy-sale products) — including teas, essential oils, spices, honey, herbal medicines, cosmetics, and finished medicinal products such as Dronabinol concentrates, hydrogen peroxide solution 3%, the aluminium chloride hexahydrate roll-on, and suspension bases. Caelo differentiates itself through integrated services including a Caelo Campus continuing education platform (free accredited webinars and seminars), the annual Rezeptursymposium, in-person Rezepturtage training events, a compounding hotline, the Rezepturforum community platform, and a Dr. Lennartz Laborprogramm integration for certificate access. The company operates new cleanroom production facilities and a GDP-compliant warehouse in Hilden, Germany, and maintains a second production site in Bonn.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ProFuma: Essential oils product line for aromatherapy and DIY cosmetics, featuring natural fragrances for personal care products.
• Caelo Campus

Products and services

• Pharmazeutische Ausgangsstoffe (Pharmaceutical Raw Materials / APIs) High-quality active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical starting materials for compounding in pharmacies, compliant with DAC, NRF, Ph.Eur., and GMP standards.
• Rezeptursubstanzen (Compounding Substances) Substances for individual prescription preparation (Rezeptur) in pharmacies, including powdered and bulk forms.
• Halbfeste Grundlagen (Semi-Solid Bases) Ready-to-use semi-solid bases for topical preparations, including hydrophilic creams, washable ointment bases, and specialized bases such as the Abwaschbare Salbengrundlage (NRF S.31.) and Lotio zinci oxidati SR.
• Heilkräuter & Tierische Produkte (Medicinal Herbs & Animal Products) Medicinal herbs, herbal drugs, and animal-derived products for pharmaceutical compounding and teas.
• Profuma Ätherische Öle (Essential Oils) Sub-brand of essential oils for aromatherapy and DIY cosmetics, enabling do-it-yourself cosmetic production including body oils, nail oils, and lip care products without microplastics or unwanted ingredients.
• Wasserstoffperoxid-Lösung 3% (Hydrogen Peroxide Solution 3%) Hydrogen peroxide solution 3% as a standard-authorization (Standardzulassung) finished medicinal product for wound cleaning, mouth disinfection, and gargling, available in 100ml, 200ml, 500ml, and 1L formats.
• Aluminiumchlorid Hexahydrat 20% Roll-On Ready-to-use cosmetic antiperspirant roll-on containing 20% aluminium chloride hexahydrate in a viscous solution, designed for pharmacy sale without compounding effort.
• Caelo Dronabinol-Konzentrat 125 mg/ml High-concentration (125 mg/ml) Dronabinol concentrate enabling simplified pharmacy compounding of oil-based THC drops per NRF 22.8.
• Isopropanol 70% Biozidprodukte (Isopropanol 70% Biocidal Products) Two biocidal products containing Isopropanol 70% for hand disinfection.
• Grundlage für Suspensionen zum Einnehmen DAC (Oral Suspension Base DAC) Ready-to-use viscous carrier solution for oral suspensions, DAC-compliant, suitable for pediatric patients including infants under 2 years, and patients with swallowing difficulties; free of flavors, fructose, and buffering substances.
• Inertgas Argon (Inert Argon Gas) Inert argon gas in a 1L pressure gas cylinder (12 gas liters) with a reusable valve, used for layering sensitive, oxidation-prone, hydrolysis-sensitive, or hygroscopic substances in pharmacies to ensure shelf life until the printed expiry date.
• HV-Produkte (Over-the-Counter / Pharmacy-Sale Products) Wide range of OTC and pharmacy-sale products including teas, essential oils, spices, honey, herbal medicines, and cosmetics in pharmacy-ready packaging, relieving pharmacies of testing and documentation obligations.
• Lohnherstellung (Toll Manufacturing) Contract manufacturing services for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industry customers, leveraging Caelo's cleanroom production, purified water plant, and packaging infrastructure.
• Caelo Campus Fortbildungen (Caelo Campus Continuing Education) Free, accredited continuing education platform for pharmacy staff (pharmacists, PTAs), offering webinars and in-person seminars covering compounding (Rezeptur) topics, analytical methods, and regulatory updates; webinars last 60-90 minutes and award accreditation points.
• Rezeptursymposium Annual continuing education symposium for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians organized jointly with WEPA Apothekenbedarf, featuring plenary lectures and hands-on workshops; awards 8 accreditation points.
• Rezepturtage In-person practical training events at Caelo's Hilden facility covering compounding and analytics, with hands-on workshops on topics such as suspensions, plausibility checks, identity testing, and ApBetrO updates.
• Analysenzertifikate (Analysis Certificates) Service Batch-specific analysis certificates for all Caelo products, accessible via the Dr. Lennartz Laboratory Program with PZN and batch number lookup, and via 2D barcode scanning; certificates are automatically archived in the pharmacy's test protocol.
• Caelo Rezepturhotline (Compounding Hotline) Telephone hotline providing pharmacy staff with guidance on concrete questions about individual compounding preparations; available Monday-Friday, 09:00-12:00 and 16:00-18:00.
• Cannabidiol DAC, API DAC-compliant synthetic Cannabidiol in API quality, added to Caelo's API assortment for pharmacy compounding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 167 tonnes CO2 savings per year through photovoltaic installation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WEPA ApothekenbedarfcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2026Strategic partnership for co-hosting the annual Rezeptursymposium educational event. The 6th edition is scheduled for November 7, 2026 in Leipzig under the motto 'Efficient and safe in compounding daily work'. WEPA and Caelo collaborate on program development, workshops, and participant engagement for pharmacy professionals.
• DAC/NRF (Deutscher Arzneimittelcodex/Nationales Formularium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference standards organization whose formulations and guidelines Caelo follows for product development. DAC/NRF experts serve as speakers at Caelo educational events including Rezeptursymposium and Rezepturtage.
• Dr. Lennartz LaborprogrammcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for integrated certificate management system. Caelo supported development of new certificate server within the Dr. Lennartz laboratory program, enabling automated retrieval and comparison of batch-specific analysis certificates. Caelo is gradually equipping products with 2D codes for scanner integration.
• pharma4uminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTraining and education provider contributing workshops to the Rezeptursymposium event program.
• AVOXAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for cosmetic DIY workshop 'Rezeptur Kosmetik - DIY-Kosmetikprodukte in Apothekenqualität selber herstellen' offered at inspirationLab during trade shows.
• Healthy EntrepreneursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise initiative in Eastern Africa (Kenya, Uganda); Caelo supports healthcare access through CSR engagement and quarterly reports shared on website.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Inresa Arzneimittel: German pharmaceutical company distributing specialty and compounding-relevant products in Germany. Regional peer operating in the same German pharmacy distribution ecosystem as Caelo.

Others

• AVOXA Mediengruppe: German pharmaceutical trade media and services provider partnering with Caelo on cosmetic compounding workshops. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but reflects adjacent professional pharmacy services.

Broad incumbents

• BASF Pharma Solutions: Global pharmaceutical excipients and API supplier from BASF, offering much broader portfolio of ingredients across pharma, food, and cosmetics. Overlaps with Caelo's industrial customer base but at significantly larger scale.
• Merck KGaA (Life Science / Sigma-Aldrich): Major global supplier of pharmaceutical and laboratory chemicals, APIs, and excipients. Competes in adjacent market segments serving industrial pharma customers, but not specialized in pharmacy compounding like Caelo.

Direct peers

• Medisca: Canadian pharmaceutical compounding supplier with global distribution of APIs, excipients, and bases to compounding pharmacies. Comparable in product mix and customer focus, with international reach that contrasts with Caelo's domestic-only footprint.
• PCCA (Professional Compounding Centers of America): US-based supplier of APIs, bases, and compounding support services to independent compounding pharmacies. Comparable business model focused on pharmacy compounding with strong educational/training programs analogous to Caelo Campus.
• Fagron: Belgian-based global leader in pharmaceutical compounding supplies, offering APIs, excipients, and semi-solid bases to pharmacies worldwide. Most direct international peer to Caelo with overlapping product portfolio and customer base.
• Spectrum Pharmacy Products: US division of Spectrum Chemical supplying compounding pharmacies with APIs and excipients. Comparable in regulatory-grade raw materials distribution to pharmacy compounders.
• Gallipot: US-based compounding supplies company providing APIs, bases, and equipment to compounding pharmacies. Closely analogous product portfolio targeting pharmacy compounders.
• LETCO Medical: US-based distributor of compounding chemicals, equipment, and supplies serving compounding pharmacies. Direct competitor in the raw materials-for-compounding niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/caelo.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caesar-loretz-gmbh

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 Caelo