Chemica
Chemica manufactures heat transfer films, printable PU media, and accessories for textile personalization, serving sportswear brands, corporate workwear, event decorators, and fashion labels across 85 countries. Founded 1983 in Saint-Étienne, France, it is the foundation company of Flexdev Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersSaint Etienne, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Chemica does
Chemica S.A.S. is a French manufacturer of heat transfer films and printable media for textile personalization, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Saint-Étienne, France. The company produces cutting flex, flock, heat transfer vinyl (HTV), printable PU media compatible with solvent, eco-solvent, latex, UV, and sublimation inks, plus accessories such as application tapes, weeding tools, and DTF PET films. Its portfolio spans more than 43 references across decorative finishes (glitter, velvet, metallic, holographic, puff), technical substrates (anti-sublimation SIR films, reflective, outdoor, nylon-specific), and a premium Tex'Touch sub-brand built around FAB'TWILL twill technology for sportswear and fashion. Differentiated chemistry includes the proprietary Sublok/Sublok Revolution ink-migration barrier and the water-based QuickFlex Revolution film.
Chemica operates a dual go-to-market combining direct e-commerce on chemica.fr — multilingual in English, French, Spanish, and German — with a global distributor network spanning 85 countries and serving approximately 500 customers, supported by wholly-owned subsidiaries in the United States, Hong Kong, and China. Named enterprise references include Chelsea FC, Manchester United, UEFA, the English FA, the Irish FA, ACM, and the NFL, but the bulk of revenue comes from a long tail of SMB and mid-market decorators in sportswear, corporate workwear, events/promotions, and fashion. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; payment terms are advance payment for new clients and net-30 for established accounts. Chemica is the foundation company of Flexdev Group, a privately held conglomerate of six European textile-personalization businesses (Stilscreen, Sefa, Transfer ID, Sporting ID, Elms), and benefits from OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 Class I and Class II, OEKO-TEX GREEN, and REACH certifications.
Chemica firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chemica
- Legal name
- Chemica S.A.S.
- Website
- https://chemica.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Chemica manufactures heat transfer films, printable PU media, and accessories for textile personalization, serving sportswear brands, corporate workwear, event decorators, and fashion labels across 85 countries. Founded 1983 in Saint-Étienne, France, it is the foundation company of Flexdev Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chemica industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heat Transfer Films and Printable Media for Textile Personalization
- NAICS
- Adhesive Manufacturing (32552)
- SIC
- Adhesives & Sealants (2891), Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tapes, Labels & Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives (IMAEAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Chemica is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Etienne
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chemica business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Heat Transfer Films: Chemica generates revenue through manufacturing and selling heat transfer films for textile personalization. The company offers a full range of products including cutting flex, printable media, and accessories sold directly to customers and through distributors.
- Printable Media: Printable media products compatible with various ink types (solvent, eco-solvent, latex, UV, and sublimation) for textile decoration applications.
- Accessories: Accessories including application tapes, hooks, tweezers, and squeegees that complement the transfer film product lines.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard B2B pricing for heat transfer products |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Chemica product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chemica manufactures heat adhesive films (also called cutting flex, flock, or heat transfer vinyl/HTV) for cutting plotters, along with printable media compatible with solvent, eco-solvent, latex, UV, and sublimation inks. The company sells a full range of heat transfer films, printable media, and accessories (application tapes, weeding tools, DTF PET films) that allow customization of cotton, polyester, nylon, leather, and technical textiles via heat press or domestic iron. Products are organized across best-sellers, technical ranges (nylon, sublimation-blocking, reflective, outdoor), decorative ranges (glitter, metallic, holographic, puff, 3D), and the Tex'Touch premium FAB'TWILL line.
Product overview
Chemica is a manufacturer of heat transfer films and printable media for textile personalization. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into three main product categories: Transfer Films (also called flex, flock, or heat transfer vinyl), Printable Media (PU films printable with various ink types), and Accessories (application tapes, tools, and DTF products). The Transfer Films range includes over 43 references spanning Best-sellers (QuickFlex Revolution, Hotmark Revolution, Firstmark, Winmark, Upperflock), Technical Products (Allmark for nylon, Hotmark SIR for sublimated polyester, Sublok Revolution for ink migration blocking, Sunmark for outdoor, and Reflex reflective films), and Decorative Products (Bling-Bling series with mirror/glossy/star/trend effects, Holograflex holographic, Metallic Deco, Trends patterns, Galaxy, and Fashion Collection). The Printable Media includes Best-sellers (Hotmarkprint Revolution, Hotmarkprint, Easyprint, Clearprint), Technical Products (FAB'TWILL premium twill series under the Tex'Touch brand, Sublitex, Subliflok for sublimation, Nylon variants, SIR blockers, Sunmarkprint for outdoor), and Decorative Products (Winprint, Glitterprint, Metalprint, Flokprint, Alljet Dark, Newjet for inkjet). The Tex'Touch premium sub-brand features FAB'TWILL, FAB'TWILL Satin, FAB'TWILL SIR, FAB'TWILL Direct, and FAB'TWILL XL products. Accessories include four application tapes (ATT 450, 490, 495, 500) with various tack levels, tools (tweezers, hooks, squeegees), and DTF PET films (5900, 5901). All products are manufactured in France since 1983 and are certified Oeko-Tex.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tex'Touch: Premium range product line for textile personalisation, specifically designed for sport and fashion applications, featuring sublimation and twill products.
Products and services
- QuickFlex Revolution
Quantifiable outcome
- Durable textile personalizations maintaining quality through repeated washing cycles
Companies that use Chemica
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Chemica technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Chemica partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Flexdev GroupcoreChemica is the foundation company of Flexdev Group, which comprises five other companies across Europe: Stilscreen, Sefa, Transfer ID, Sporting ID, and Elms. Each operates in complementary fields of textile personalization.
- ID UnlimitedcoreID Unlimited is part of the Flexdev ecosystem, operating as an ecosystem/parent company structure alongside Chemica.
- Transfer IDcoreE-commerce platform for creative craft activities, part of the Flexdev Group ecosystem serving the textile personalization market.
- StilscreencoreManufacturing partner with 40+ years of experience producing heat transfers for fabric decoration and embellishment, based in France.
- SefacoreFrench designer and manufacturer of hot transfer presses, providing complementary equipment for Chemica's transfer film products.
- ElmscoreUK-based specialist in textile personalization operating within the Flexdev Group ecosystem.
- Sporting IDcoreSpecialist in ready-to-use screen printing transfers, operating as part of the Flexdev Group ecosystem.
- FESPAminorInternational federation of screen printing associations. Chemica participates in FESPA exhibitions for industry visibility and B2B networking.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Chemica competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Poli-Tape: Poli-Tape is a German manufacturer of heat transfer films, flock, and printable media for textile finishing. It is one of Chemica's closest direct competitors in the European HTV and printable flex market.
- Stahls' (Stahls' Hotronix / Transfer Express): Stahls' is a leading US-based manufacturer and distributor of heat transfer materials, vinyl, and custom heat-applied graphics serving apparel decorators and sportswear markets. It is a direct peer to Chemica in heat transfer vinyl, flock, and application tapes for textile personalization.
- Dae Ha International: Dae Ha is a Korean manufacturer of heat transfer films (HTV) and PU films for textile decoration. It is a direct competitor in the global cutting flex and printable media market, with a strong presence across Asia.
- Siser: Siser is one of the world's largest manufacturers of heat transfer vinyl (HTV) for textile decoration, headquartered in Italy. It directly competes with Chemica across cutting flex, printable media, and specialty finishes for the same sportswear, fashion, and workwear customer base.
Broad incumbents
- 3M: 3M is a diversified global manufacturer with adhesives, coatings, and specialty films including products for textile and apparel applications. It does not focus on textile personalization as a primary market but overlaps with Chemica in adhesive film technology and chemical compliance expertise.
- Avery Dennison: Avery Dennison is a global incumbent in pressure-sensitive adhesives, labels, and specialty materials. Its apparel-solutions portfolio includes heat transfer and labeling products for textiles, placing it as a broad incumbent that overlaps Chemica in adhesive-film technology for apparel.
- Seiren: Seiren is a major Japanese textile manufacturer with capabilities in functional coatings, dye-sublimation printing, and specialty textile finishing. As a broad incumbent in technical textiles, it represents both a customer-adjacent supplier and a competitor in coated/finished textile films.
- Chemica USA / Hexis (heat transfer division): Hexis is a French manufacturer of self-adhesive films for signmaking, vehicle wraps, and industrial applications, with adjacent heat transfer and printable media offerings. It competes broadly with Chemica in specialty coated/adhesive films but its core focus is outside textile personalization.
Emerging players
- Roland DG: Roland DG is a global manufacturer of digital printers (UV, eco-solvent, sublimation) and printable consumables for textile decoration and personalization. It competes with Chemica's printable media products via integrated printer-and-ink ecosystems that can substitute for HTV workflows.
- Kiian Digital (JK Group): Kiian Digital is an Italian-based manufacturer of sublimation and digital printing inks for textile transfer applications. It is an emerging/adjacent player whose digital-print technology competes with Chemica's printable heat transfer media in on-demand textile decoration workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chemica social profiles
Digital presenceChemica compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Chemica financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chemica leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Chemica subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Chemica funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chemica M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chemica
What does Chemica do?
Chemica manufactures heat adhesive films (also called cutting flex, flock, or heat transfer vinyl/HTV) for cutting plotters, along with printable media compatible with solvent, eco-solvent, latex, UV, and sublimation inks. The company sells a full range of heat transfer films, printable media, and accessories (application tapes, weeding tools, DTF PET films) that allow customization of cotton, polyester, nylon, leather, and technical textiles via heat press or domestic iron. Products are organized across best-sellers, technical ranges (nylon, sublimation-blocking, reflective, outdoor), decorative ranges (glitter, metallic, holographic, puff, 3D), and the Tex'Touch premium FAB'TWILL line.
Is Chemica a public or private company?
Chemica is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Chemica founded?
Chemica was founded in 1983. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Chemica based?
Chemica is headquartered in Saint Etienne, France, in the Europe region.
How does Chemica make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Heat Transfer Films are the primary driver. The others are printable Media and accessories.
Who are Chemica's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Poli-Tape, Stahls' (Stahls' Hotronix / Transfer Express), Dae Ha International and Siser. Broad incumbents are 3M, Avery Dennison, Seiren and Chemica USA / Hexis (heat transfer division). Emerging players are Roland DG and Kiian Digital (JK Group).
Does Chemica have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chemica.
What industry is Chemica in?
Chemica's product category is Heat Transfer Films and Printable Media for Textile Personalization. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAGAJ, Tapes, Labels & Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives. Its NAICS code is 32552 and its SIC code is 2891.