What Buse does

BUSE (legally BUSE KSW GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Bad Hönningen, Germany) is a European specialty and industrial gas supplier founded in 1875. The company manufactures and distributes a portfolio that spans industrial gases, high-purity specialty gases, custom gas mixtures, medical gases, fire-extinguishing gases, dry ice, CO2 freezing plants, storage tanks and transport containers, valves and distribution network components, plus cylinder examination and overhaul services. Underlying technology is centered on proprietary CO2 and dry ice production equipment, a self-developed REGULATOR+ quick-fit regulator with integrated valve, configurable cylinder bundles (e.g., 9x80L, 12x50L, 16x50L), and biogas storage containers built for the Dutch Sustainable Fuel Chain pilot.

The company serves six vertical markets — food & beverage, healthcare, pharmaceutical/biotech, industry/trade, offshore/marine, and chemical/petrochemical — across five European countries (Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Greece, and North Macedonia) via wholly-owned subsidiaries and a network of 29 authorized agents. BUSE generates revenue through four streams: gas product sales (specialty, industrial, medical, fire-extinguishing, food-grade CO2), equipment and systems sales (CO2 plants, dry ice equipment, storage and transport containers, valves, installation), recurring testing and overhaul services for gas cylinders and pressure vessels, and engineering/installation work for complete gas distribution systems. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. GTM combines direct enterprise field sales with a regional channel partner network and strategically located warehouses for rapid European delivery. The company also holds minority stakes (30-33%) in Gerolsteiner Brunnen and ASCO Kohlensäure AG and operates a hydrogen joint venture (BUSE HyGear Ltd.) in the UK.

Name

Buse

Legal name

BUSE KSW GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://buse-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BUSE is a European specialty and industrial gas supplier founded in 1875, producing industrial, medical, fire-extinguishing, and specialty gases plus custom mixtures and related equipment for the food, healthcare, pharma, industrial, offshore, and chemical sectors across Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Greece, and North Macedonia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Hönningen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Gas Product Sales: Sale of specialty gases, industrial gases, medical gases, fire-extinguishing gases, and custom gas mixtures. Products are delivered quickly, flexibly and reliably from strategically located warehouses.
2. Equipment & Systems: Sale of storage tanks, transport containers, valves, distribution network equipment, CO2 plants, and dry ice production equipment. Includes engineering and installation services.
3. Testing & Overhaul Services: Examination and testing of gas cylinders and pressure vessels. BUSE UK gained approval for independent cylinder testing in 2019.
4. Food-Grade CO2 Supply: Supply of food-grade CO2 to beverage and food industries, including recent contract for food-grade CO2 purchase.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BUSE is a German industrial gas producer and distributor that manufactures and supplies industrial gases, specialty gases, medical gases, fire-extinguishing gases, and dry ice to commercial and industrial buyers. The company complements its gas portfolio with engineered equipment including CO2 production plants, storage tanks, cylinders, regulators, and welding gas systems. Customers span food and beverage, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, offshore, chemical, and petrochemical sectors across Europe.

Product overview

BUSE Gas Solutions operates as a diversified gas solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio centered around industrial and specialty gases, fire extinguishing systems, and related equipment. The core product range includes Fire-Extinguishing Gases, Specialty Gases (with extensive custom mixtures), Medical Gases, and Industrial Gases, complemented by supporting services including cylinder Examination & Overhaul, Storage Tanks & Transport Containers, and Engineering & Installation of gas distribution systems. The company also operates CO2 Plants & Dry Ice production for independent on-site capability. BUSE's portfolio includes proprietary products such as REGULATOR+ (integrated valve regulator), specialized welding gas formulations (Aluweld, Ferroweld, Specweld, Stainweld, Staintig, Lazemix, Plasmix, Dupeweld, Formgas), food-grade CO2, cylinder bundles, and Freshmix for food preservation. The company positions itself as a full-service provider spanning gas supply, equipment, testing services, and system installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BUSE: Core company brand for industrial and specialty gas solutions, fire-extinguishing systems, medical gases, and related equipment.
• REGULATORplus

Products and services

• Industrial Gases Bulk industrial gases supplied to manufacturers, processors, and industrial operators across Europe for production, fabrication, and processing applications.
• Specialty Gases High-purity and customized gas mixtures for laboratory, analytical, and process applications requiring tight specifications.
• Medical Gases Certified medical-grade gases (including oxygen) supplied to hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers under regulated quality and documentation requirements.
• Fire-Extinguishing Gases Specialized fire-suppression gases supplied to industrial, offshore, and safety-critical facilities for fire protection systems.
• Dry Ice Solid CO2 (dry ice) supplied for cold-chain logistics, food transport, cleaning, and industrial cooling applications.
• Welding Gases Shielding and fuel gas mixtures supplied to metal fabrication, welding, and cutting operations.
• CO2 Production Plants Turnkey CO2 production plants engineered and supplied to industrial customers for on-site or dedicated CO2 generation.
• Storage Tanks Bulk gas storage tanks supplied for on-site storage of industrial, medical, and specialty gases at customer facilities.
• Gas Cylinders Gas cylinders provided for pressurized gas containment, transport, and dispensing across industrial and medical uses.
• Regulators Pressure regulators and gas handling accessories supplied to control and dispense gases safely at customer sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Biogas pilot project reduced nitrogen emissions to just a few percent of legally permitted levels with near-zero particulate emissions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Drayton Welding and Tool Connections Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 October 202129th authorized agent for BUSE Group in the UK market. Drayton Welding supplies welding equipment and tools to the engineering industry in and around Sleaford, Lincolnshire, and expands BUSE's coverage in the East of England.
• GashouderscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2020Joint development of the 'De duurzame Brandstofketen' (Sustainable Fuel Chain) pilot project. Gashouders collects surplus biogas from wastewater treatment plants and converts it to climate-neutral fuel (Bio-CNG). BUSE Gas B.V. developed the biogas storage containers for the project. The pilot project demonstrated significant environmental benefits with nitrogen emissions reduced to just a few percent of permitted levels.
• Koninklijke van TwistcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2020Partner in the Sustainable Fuel Chain pilot project. Koninklijke van Twist supplies the gas engine for hybrid generators that operate on locally produced biogas, enabling emissions-free power generation at construction sites.
• HAN University of Applied Sciences (HAN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2020Research partner in the Sustainable Fuel Chain pilot project. HAN conducts environmental impact analyses and measurements to quantify the positive environmental effects of the sustainable fuel chain, providing scientific validation of outcomes.
• GMB (Contractor)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2020Construction contractor partner in the Sustainable Fuel Chain pilot project. GMB receives the converted biogas fuel for use at regional construction projects, replacing diesel-powered equipment with cleaner biogas-powered generators.
• Wasserverband Vallei en Veluwe (Renkum Wastewater Treatment Plant)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2020Source partner in the Sustainable Fuel Chain pilot project. The Renkum wastewater treatment plant produces surplus biogas during the water purification process, which was previously flared but is now converted to usable fuel.
• European Regional Development FundminorOthers · 31 July 2020Provides financial support for the Sustainable Fuel Chain pilot project through the European Union's regional development fund, enabling the pilot phase running until 2023.
• GCT (Gerolsteiner Container- und Transportgesellschaft)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Acquisition of BUSE GASTEK GmbH & Co. KG completed, now part of the GCT family business in Dachwig, Germany.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Iwatani Corporation: Industrial and specialty gas distributor with a focused hydrogen and energy-transition vertical. Comparable in specialty gas mix and especially relevant peer for BUSE's HyGear hydrogen JV activities.
• Nippon Gases (formerly Praxair Europe): European specialty/industrial gas platform originally carved out from Praxair with major European presence. Comparable to BUSE in product categories and verticals served, but operates at substantially greater scale with broader geographic reach.
• Linde (industrial gases): Global tier-1 industrial and specialty gas major with extensive European operations in the same verticals BUSE serves (health, food, electronics, manufacturing). Largest competitor for high-volume and multinational accounts.
• Air Liquide: Tier-1 industrial gas major with deep specialty, medical, and electronics gas franchises in Germany and across Europe. Competes with BUSE head-to-head for the same German mid-market healthcare, food, and specialty accounts.

Direct peers

• SOL Group: Italian specialty and medical gas producer with European operations in homecare, industrial, and specialty gases. Comparable to BUSE's mix of medical and specialty gases, multi-country European presence, and engineered solutions offering.
• Westfalen AG: German family-owned industrial gas, specialty gas, and gas-technology distributor serving food, medical, lab, and industrial customers across Europe. Materially comparable to BUSE on geography, vertical mix, and family-controlled go-to-market via depots and subsidiaries.
• Messer Group: Privately held German industrial and specialty gas producer/distributor with strong European footprint. Closest large-scale parallel to BUSE: family-controlled mid-size European specialty gas supplier competing with the tier-1 majors across pharma, food, and industrial gases.

Emerging players

• Chart Industries: Specialty gas equipment, cryogenic systems, and hydrogen infrastructure supplier. Overlaps with BUSE's equipment, CO2 plant, and engineering/installation businesses, especially relevant as a peer on the hydrogen side of BUSE's portfolio.
• Praxair Surface Technologies equivalent — Gas Innovations: U.S.-headquartered specialty gas blender focused on custom mixtures and small-pack delivery. Comparable to BUSE's specialty gas / custom mixture / disposable can business model serving similar end-customer profiles in regulated applications.

Others

• BASF / Evonik industrial gases operations: Large German chemical producers with captive industrial and specialty gas operations and on-site supply contracts. Adjacent ecosystem peer: BUSE serves these chemical/petrochemical customers as a downstream supplier rather than as a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries11 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 Buse