Epolin Inc /Nj/

What Epolin Inc /Nj/ does

Epolin Inc /NJ/ (legal entity Epolin, LLC) is a Newark, New Jersey-based specialty chemical manufacturer founded in 1984 by organic chemist Murray S. Cohen, now operating as a division of Chroma Color Corporation. The company develops and produces UV, visible, and near-infrared (NIR) absorbing dyes, dye blends, and compounded thermoplastic pellets, with a portfolio of 70+ Epolight® dye products spanning wavelengths from 200nm to 3000nm and the Luminate™ line of ready-to-mold pellets. Core capabilities include custom dye synthesis, computer-modeled dye blend formulation matched nearly to the nanometer, in-house compounding extrusion, and laboratory analysis using UV/VIS/NIR spectrophotometry, FTIR, SEM-EDS, and UV-Xenon arc testing. The business sells across at least seven application segments - laser and welding eye protection, security inks, automotive/ADAS sensor optimization, defense and night vision, medical devices and diagnostics, consumer eyewear, and electronics/AR - and reaches customers in over 45 countries via direct sales in North America and international distributors (AAKO BV in Europe, S.N. Consultant and Nippon Intermediate in Japan, Sun & Bright Industrial in China).

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sales of dye powders, dye inks and coatings, and compounded Luminate pellets, supplemented by custom formulation and rapid prototyping services from concept through commercialization. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with quotes available down to a 1-gram minimum order quantity to facilitate customer testing. The go-to-market combines direct technical sales in North America with distributor-led channel coverage in Europe, Japan, and China, supported by content marketing, technical documentation, and presence at industry events such as SPIE Photonics West, CES, AutoSense Detroit, and Vision Expo NYC. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification (achieved June 2024) and produces welding eye protection formulations compliant with ISO 16321.

Name

Epolin Inc /Nj/

Legal name

Epolin, LLC

Website

https://www.epolin.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Epolin is a Newark, NJ-based specialty chemical manufacturer (founded 1984, division of Chroma Color Corporation) that develops UV, visible, and near-infrared absorbing dyes and compounded thermoplastic pellets for safety eyewear, automotive sensors, security inks, defense, medical, and electronics applications across 45+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Dyes and Optical Materials

NAICS

Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Additive Compounds (UV/Antioxidant/Slip/Antiblock/Processing Aids) (IMANABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conductive/ESD & EMI-Shielding Compounds (IMANABAH)

Keywords

• Near-infrared absorbing dyes
• Specialty chemical manufacturing
• Thermoplastic compounds
• Optical dye blends
• Light filtration materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dye Sales: Sale of UV, Visible, and NIR absorbing dyes in powder form for thermoplastics and solvent coatings
2. Luminate Thermoplastic Pellets: Ready-to-mold compounded pellets containing dyes for injection molding and extrusion applications
3. Dye Inks and Coatings: Dyes formulated for solvent-borne coating applications including inks and flow coats
4. Custom Formulation Services: Technical support and custom formulation development from concept through commercialization

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Epolin develops and manufactures UV, Visible, and Near-Infrared (NIR) absorbing dyes, dye blends, inks, and ready-to-mold thermoplastic pellet compounds. Its products optimize IR light absorbance and visible light transmittance in injection molded plastic parts, film extrusions, laminates, pressure sensitive adhesives, and solvent-borne coatings across polymeric materials including polycarbonate, acrylic, polyamide, polystyrene, PVC, COC, and polyurethane. The company also provides custom formulation and rapid prototyping services supported by computer modeling.

Product overview

Epolin is a specialty chemical manufacturer that develops and produces UV, Visible, and Near-Infrared (NIR) absorbing dyes, thermoplastic compounds, and related formulations. The product portfolio centers on two main brands: Epolight™ dyes (individual dyes and dye blends for thermoplastics and solvent-borne coatings) and Luminate™ ready-to-mold thermoplastic pellets compounded with Epolight dyes. Additional offerings include Visible Opaque (VOIRT) materials for IR-transmitting/visible-blocking applications, sun lens dyes, laser absorbing compounds, HEV light absorbers, and welding/arc flash protection dyes. The company also provides technical services including custom formulation, computer modeling, and product development support from concept through commercialization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Epolight: Brand name for Epolin's dyes and dye formulations, including Epolight dyes for thermoplastics, solvent-borne coatings, and various dye blends
• Luminate

Products and services

• Epolight® Dyes for Thermoplastics Near-infrared and visible light absorbing dyes designed for solubility and stability in amorphous thermoplastics such as polycarbonate, acrylic, and polystyrene; stable at high temperatures for compounding, extrusion, and molding applications.
• Epolight® Dyes for Solvent-Borne Coatings Dyes with solubility in organic solvents, ideal for inks, spin coats, flow coats, and other coating applications that dissolve at the molecular level for high transmission and clarity.
• Visible Opaque (VOIRT) Materials Near-infrared cut-on filters that block UV and visible light while transmitting NIR light, used to hide electronics aesthetically while improving device functionality with signal-to-noise ratio improvements of up to 90%.
• Luminate™ Formulated Dye Pellets Ready-to-mold or extrude thermoplastic pellets custom compounded with Epolight dye blends to meet specific optical density and light transmission requirements, reducing supply chain complexity for downstream manufacturers.
• Sun Lens Dyes Dyes optimized for sunglass and sports goggle applications, providing UV, visible, and NIR protection with color balancing capabilities.
• Laser Absorbing Compounds Specialized compounds for laser eye protection applications that absorb specific laser wavelengths while maintaining optical clarity.
• HEV Light Absorbers High-energy visible light absorbing dyes for blue light filtering applications in eyewear and electronic displays.
• Welding and Arc Flash Dyes

Quantifiable outcome

• Signal-to-noise ratio improvement of up to 90% using visible opaque materials
• +1 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AAKO BVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean distributor for Epolin products, located in Leusden, Netherlands. Handles sales and distribution across Europe with dedicated contact information and local support.
• S.N. ConsultantcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese distributor representing Epolin in Japan, located in Osaka. Provides local sales support and customer service for Japanese market.
• Sun & Bright Industrial Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese distributor located in Nanjing, handling sales and distribution of Epolin products throughout China.
• Nippon Intermediate Co.,Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional Japanese distributor based in Osaka providing coverage for the Japanese market alongside S.N. Consultant.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Clariant: Swiss specialty chemical major producing dyes, pigments, and additive masterbatches for plastics, coatings, and packaging — overlaps with Epolin's dye and compounded pellet offering at a much larger scale.
• Sensient Technologies: Global supplier of specialty dyes, pigments, and colorants for industrial, cosmetic, and food applications — competes with Epolin in functional and security colorants with a much wider customer footprint.
• Avient: Specialty polymer materials and color/additive masterbatch supplier serving plastics converters worldwide, comparable to Epolin's Luminate compounded pellets and additive offerings.
• DIC Corporation: Japanese chemicals conglomerate producing pigments, dyes, and functional materials for printing, coatings, and plastics — overlaps with Epolin's dye and security ink product areas with a much broader portfolio.
• BASF (Performance Chemicals / Care Chemicals): Global chemical major offering the Tinuvin line of UV absorbers and light stabilizers for polymers, plus NIR/IR management chemistries — competes with Epolin in functional additives for plastics from a much broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Yamada Chemical Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of specialty dyes and colorants including NIR and UV absorbers, competing with Epolin in Asia on similar polymer-dye formulations.
• H.W. Sands Corp. Specialty chemical supplier of UV absorbers, fluorescent dyes, and photochromic/color-shifting materials serving security, ophthalmic, and plastics markets — a close functional comparable to Epolin's dye blends.
• Organica Feinchemie GmbH: German specialty fine chemicals producer focused on functional dyes and intermediates for photonics, life sciences, and electronic materials — comparable to Epolin's custom NIR/UV dye synthesis.
• QCR Solutions Corp: Producer of NIR/IR absorbing dyes and pigment dispersions for plastics, coatings, and laser/medical applications, overlapping with Epolin's NIR dye product line.
• Exciton: Ohio-based specialty organic dye manufacturer focused on visible and NIR absorbing dyes for photonics, laser, and optical filter applications — the closest pure-play comparable to Epolin's Epolight dye portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 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&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Epolin Inc /Nj/