What Fortech does

Fortech is a privately held Costa Rican chemical manufacturing and special waste management company founded in 1995 and headquartered in Cartago. The company operates two main divisions: Fortech Química, which produces and sells specialized chemical products including high-purity solvents (IPA, ethanol, acetone, methanol, xylene, hexane, heptane at USP/ACS/Reagent Grade), sanitizers, disinfectants, and resells branded products (Kester soldering fluxes, Kyzen cleaning chemicals); and Fortech Circular, which provides comprehensive hazardous waste management services covering collection, transport, treatment, and transformation of electrical and electronic waste (RAEE), batteries (alkaline and lithium), fluorescent lamps, transformers, contaminated oils, and chemical packaging.

The company's underlying technology portfolio centers on proprietary recycling and material recovery processes. Its SIMEC (Sistema Modular de Extracción de Metales Críticos) system uses crushing in inert atmosphere and mechanical separation to extract critical metals from lithium batteries, validated by RWTH Aachen University in partnership with GIZ. The dielectric oil purification plant — the first in Central America, developed in consortium with Canada's Reddragon at a $600,000 investment — processes 700 liters per hour of contaminated transformer oil. Additional proprietary processes include mercury recovery from fluorescents achieving 99.9% purity and hydrometallurgical alkaline battery processing that recovers 100% of input as raw materials (ferrous metals, zinc/manganese, carbon). The FORTECH Circular cloud-based traceability platform integrates with the government's SIGREP hazardous waste system for regulatory compliance documentation.

Fortech's business model is B2B enterprise services with quote-based, multi-year contracts negotiated on waste volume, service type, and compliance requirements. Revenue streams include specialized chemical product sales, professional services for waste management and transformation, dielectric oil recovery and purification, lithium battery recycling, and physical-chemical laboratory analysis. The company serves zone franca export manufacturers, power generation companies, electronics importers subject to extended producer responsibility, and the general industrial sector, with a sales-led go-to-market supplemented by consumer-facing collection points via the Gollo/Grupo Unicomer retail partnership and mobile collection campaigns using a BYD T3 electric vehicle.

Name

Fortech

Legal name

Fortech

Website

https://fortech.cr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fortech is a Costa Rican chemical manufacturing and special waste management company founded in 1995, producing high-purity solvents, sanitizers, and laboratory reagents while operating proprietary recycling technologies for dielectric oil, lithium batteries, and electronic waste, serving zone franca manufacturers, power generation companies, and electronics importers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Chemical Manufacturing & Waste Management Services

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (325199)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Hazardous Waste Recycling & Recovery (Solvent Recovery, Oil Re-refining, Metals Recovery) (EUAIAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Used Oil & Oily Waste Management (Collection, Re-refining, Disposal) (BPALAFAI), Catalyst Recovery, Regeneration & Reclamation Services (IMAEAIAM), Process Residue & Catalyst Handling/Recycling (BPALAHAJ)

Keywords

• Industrial chemical manufacturing
• Hazardous waste management
• Electronic waste recycling
• Dielectric oil purification
• Lithium battery recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Cartago

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialized Chemical Products Sales: Sale of specialized chemical products including sanitizers, disinfectants, high-purity solvents (IPA, ethanol, acetone, methanol, xylene, hexane, heptane), soldering fluxes (Kester), and specialized cleaning products (Kyzen). Products supplied to zone franca export sector and general industrial sector.
2. Waste Management and Transformation Services: Comprehensive waste management services including collection, transport, treatment, and transformation of special management waste. Services cover hazardous waste, RAEE (electrical and electronic equipment waste), batteries, fluorescent lamps, transformers, cables, metallic waste, and contaminated packaging.
3. Dielectric Oil Recovery and Purification: Extraction of contaminated dielectric oil from transformers, purification process, and regeneration of refined oil meeting international standards for reuse. First service of its kind in Central America.
4. Lithium Battery Recycling: Complete lifecycle management of lithium batteries including deactivation, safe transport, disassembly, storage, life cycle evaluation, useful life extension, and eco-friendly recycling. SIMEC system extracts critical metals for new battery production.
5. Laboratory Analysis Services: Physical-chemical laboratory analysis services for conformity determination including dielectric oil testing, PCB analysis in dielectric oil, organic solvents, laboratory reagents, disinfectant effectiveness testing, elemental analysis, waste characterization, and impurity/contaminant detection in liquid and solid matrices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fortech manufactures and distributes specialized industrial chemicals (sanitizers, high-purity solvents, soldering fluxes, cleaning products) through its Fortech Química division, and delivers hazardous and special waste management, e-waste and battery recycling, dielectric oil purification, and physical-chemical laboratory analysis services through its Fortech Circular division. The company operates proprietary recycling technologies including the SIMEC lithium battery recycling system and a dielectric oil purification plant developed in consortium with Canadian firm Reddragon, the first such facility in Central America.

Product overview

Fortech operates two main divisions: Fortech Química (sustainable chemical products) and Fortech Circular (waste management and transformation). Fortech Química provides specialized cleaning, sanitization, and high-purity solvent products alongside resale brands KESTER and Kyzen, with free recycling of residues and packaging. Fortech Circular offers a cloud-based traceability platform integrating with government compliance systems (SIGREP), covering hazardous waste, RAEE, special handling waste, and dielectric oil regeneration. The company also operates SIMEC, a modular critical metals extraction system for lithium batteries, and provides physical-chemical laboratory analysis services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sanitizers and Disinfectants Specialized sanitization and disinfection product line including isopropyl alcohol 70% USP, ethyl alcohol 70% USP, antiseptic alcohol gel 70%, antibacterial liquid soap, and general surface disinfectant cleaner for industrial and institutional buyers.
• High-Purity Solvents High-purity solvents available in USP, ACS, and Reagent Grade, including isopropyl alcohol 99.8%, ethanol (190 and 200 proof), acetone 99.8%, methanol 99.8%, xylene 99.8%, hexane 99.8%, and heptane 99.8% for laboratory and industrial applications.
• KESTER Soldering Flux Products (Resale) Resale of KESTER brand soldering fluxes (FLUX) for specialized electronic soldering applications in electronics manufacturing.
• Kyzen Specialized Cleaning Products (Resale) Resale of Kyzen brand specialized cleaning chemical products for industrial applications.
• Hazardous Waste Management Service Comprehensive management of hazardous waste including transformers and components, small and medium electronic devices, rechargeable batteries (zinc-carbon, alkaline, lithium), and fluorescent and LED lamps, covering collection, transport, treatment, and transformation.
• RAEE (Electronic and Electrical Waste) Management Service Management of electrical and electronic waste (RAEE) including metallic scrap, non-ferrous metal waste, metal shavings, electrical cable waste, plastic and metal containers impregnated with chemicals, and absorbent materials with special substances, with compliance documentation for MINAE regulations.
• Special Handling Waste Management Service Management of special handling waste including solvents, dielectric and lubricating oils, inks, acidic or basic aqueous residues, laboratory reagents, and out-of-specification products.
• Dielectric Oil Recovery and Regeneration Service Extraction of contaminated dielectric oil from transformers, purification, and regeneration of refined oil meeting international standards for reuse. First service of its kind in Central America, processing 700 liters per hour.
• SIMEC Lithium Battery Recycling Service Modular and scalable SIMEC (Sistema Modular de Extracción de Metales Críticos) service for eco-friendly extraction and use of all components of lithium batteries, using crushing in inert atmosphere and high-technology mechanical separation to recover critical metals for new battery production in a closed loop.
• Physical-Chemical Laboratory Analysis Service Medium and high complexity physical-chemical laboratory analysis for conformity determination including dielectric oil testing, PCB analysis in dielectric oil, organic solvents, laboratory reagents, disinfectant effectiveness testing, elemental analysis, waste characterization, and impurity/contaminant detection in liquid and solid matrices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9% mercury purity recovery from fluorescent lamps
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GIZ (Cooperación Alemana para el Desarrollo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Joint implementation of 3-month pilot plan (launched November 24, 2022) for permanent lithium battery collection ecosystem. Campaign 'Un Millón de Baterías' involving repair shops, electronics retailers, authorized managers, municipalities, and educational institutions as collection points.
• Grupo Unicomer Costa Rica (Gollo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2022E-waste collection campaign partnership using BYD T3 electric vehicle for mobile collection. Gollo stores serve as collection points for free device recycling at Fortech facilities. Pilot campaign executed February 24-25, 2022 at 8 Gollo locations across Costa Rica.
• Instituto Tecnológico de Costa RicaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Public-private collaboration partner in e-waste collection campaign, contributing to electric vehicle logistics and route planning for collection operations.
• GIZ (Cooperación Alemana para el Desarrollo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership for SIMEC (Sistema Modular de Extracción de Metales Críticos) development for lithium battery recycling. Technology validated by RWTH Aachen University. Implemented under DeveloPPP program on behalf of German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Joint efforts for regulatory framework strengthening and establishing permanent lithium battery collection system.
• ReddragoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2014Canadian technology partner in consortium for development of dielectric oil purification plant. Reddragon provided technical advice and training for nine high-technology equipment units and decontamination machines. Joint plans to open new plant in Costa Rica for manufacturing specialized equipment for treating various contaminated oils, serving both local and international markets.
• Parque TecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncubation program partner selected by GIZ for climate projects in transportation sector, providing mentorship sessions in various areas for selected projects.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Li-Cycle: Lithium-ion battery recycling company using a spoke-hub model to process end-of-life batteries into critical battery materials. Directly comparable to Fortech's SIMEC lithium battery recycling service in technology focus and end-market, though operating globally and at much larger scale.
• Safety-Kleen: North American leader in parts cleaning and used oil recycling with environmental services. Comparable in used oil recovery and industrial chemical/waste services to Fortech, though at much greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Heritage-Crystal Clean: U.S. provider of used oil re-refining, parts cleaning, and hazardous waste services to industrial customers. Directly comparable to Fortech's dielectric oil regeneration service and industrial waste management offering, with a similar model of combining specialized recycling with chemical products.
• Redwood Materials: U.S.-based battery recycling and materials company focused on lithium-ion and EV battery end-of-life recovery. Directly comparable to Fortech's SIMEC lithium battery recycling technology and ambition, though operating with substantially more capital and partnerships with global OEMs.

Emerging players

• Call2Recycle: North American battery collection and recycling stewardship organization running producer-responsibility programs. Comparable to Fortech's 'Un Millón de Baterías' lithium battery collection pilot in model and purpose, though focused on consumer battery streams rather than industrial/EV.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia: Global environmental services leader operating hazardous waste, water treatment, and circular economy businesses worldwide including Latin America. Comparable to Fortech Circular's waste management and chemical recovery offerings, but as a broad incumbent across many environmental verticals.
• Umicore: Global materials technology and recycling group with a major closed-loop battery materials and precious metals recycling business. Comparable to Fortech's SIMEC and hydrometallurgical recovery processes, but with substantially greater scale, R&D resources, and global customer reach.
• Stericycle: Large North American hazardous waste management company offering regulated waste collection, treatment, and disposal. Comparable to Fortech Circular's hazardous waste services and SIGREP-style compliance documentation model, but operating at vastly greater scale and broader geography.
• Clean Harbors: North American provider of environmental, energy, and industrial services including hazardous waste management and oil recycling. Comparable in service breadth (hazardous waste, used oil, parts cleaning) but with significantly larger scale and broader industrial customer base than Fortech.
• BASF: Global specialty and basic chemicals company with broad solvent, sanitizer, and industrial chemical portfolios. Comparable to Fortech Química's specialty chemical product line (solvents, sanitizers, reagents) as a broad incumbent with vastly greater product breadth and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLGeL_ccTMfFi0jk8WkGHrQ?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/fortech.cr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fortech-cr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Fortech