LIVOS

What LIVOS does

LIVOS Pflanzenchemie is a German manufacturer of plant-based paints, oils, lacquers, and cleaning products, founded in 1974 in Wrestedt, Lower Saxony. The company positions itself as the world's oldest industrial-scale producer of natural paints, using plant, earth, and mineral pigments rather than synthetic petrochemical inputs, and has published a full ingredient declaration (Volldeklaration) since 1984. Its portfolio spans nine product categories — interior wood, exterior wood, wall design, cleaning and care, odor-neutral lines for sensitive environments, hazardous-substance remediation, creative design (including children's toy paint and natural face paint), horse and rider nutritional supplements, and specialty products such as cold-pressed edible flaxseed oil — supported by sub-brands BODIOS, VIDA, COLONY, KALDET, DONNOS, SUNNO, SAMO, and STRUTIVOS.

The business model is direct-to-consumer and predominantly digital: LIVOS operates the livos.de e-commerce shop and an on-site factory outlet (Werk & Werksverkauf), with no visible distributor or wholesale channel. Customers — general consumers, craftsmen, and small industrial buyers — purchase one-time, pay-as-you-go units ranging from roughly €4 (small-format toy paint, edible oil) to €686 (30-liter exterior wood glaze), with downloadable technical data sheets, color charts, application videos, and phone-based expert consultation supporting self-service buying. The company reports a self-stated base of "over 10,000 satisfied customers" and operates with a micro headcount of 1-10 employees, focused on the DACH market with no disclosed international e-commerce footprint. Compliance with REACH, CLP, DIN EN 71 Part 3 (toy safety), and DIN 53 160 (saliva/sweat resistance), and explicit exclusion of isothiazolinones, microplastics, plasticizers, nanoparticles, fragrances, and biocides, underpins its positioning with allergy-sensitive and health-conscious buyers.

Name

LIVOS

Legal name

LIVOS Pflanzenchemie

Website

https://livos.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LIVOS is a German manufacturer (since 1974, Wrestedt) of plant-based natural paints, oils, lacquers, and cleaning products, selling direct-to-consumers, craftsmen, and small industrial buyers across the DACH region through its own e-commerce shop and factory outlet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wrestedt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: LIVOS generates revenue through direct sales of natural paints, oils, lacquers, cleaning and care products via their e-commerce online shop and factory sales location. Products are sold in various sizes with pricing ranging from approximately €4 to €686 depending on product type and volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LIVOS manufactures and sells poison-free, plant-based natural paints, oils, lacquers, and cleaning/care products for interior and exterior wood surfaces, walls, and specialty applications. The company also produces cold-pressed linseed oil for human consumption (Speiseleinöl), flaxseed oil and cake for horses and animal feed (COLONY line), toy paint (BODIOS), and natural face paint (VIDA). All products are formulated from natural and renewable raw materials using proprietary plant-based chemistry.

Product overview

LIVOS is a German natural paints and coatings company (since 1974) offering a comprehensive portfolio of plant-based natural paints, oils, lacquers, and cleaning/care products. The product portfolio is organized into main categories: Holz innen (interior wood: oils, sealants, lacquers, stains, waxes, care, cleaners), Holz außen (exterior wood: oils, stains, top lacquers, primer oils, cleaners, aftercare), Wandgestaltung (wall decoration: white paints, technique products, clay products, lime products, colored design, primers, crack fillers), Reinigung & Pflege (cleaning & care for various surfaces), Geruchsneutral (odor-neutral line for sensitive environments: floors, furniture, stone, thinners, barrier systems, paints, mold removers), Schadstoffsanierung (hazardous material remediation), Kreative Gestaltung (creative design: children's products like BODIOS toy paint and VIDA natural face paint), and Pferd & Reiter (horse & rider: COLONY flax supplements). The company also produces specialty products including edible flaxseed oil (Speiseleinöl Nr. 3000), flax oil for horses (COLONY Leinöl Nr. 4900), and flax cake for animal feed (COLONY Leinkuchen Nr. 4920). Sub-brands include BODIOS, VIDA, KALDET, DONNOS, SUNNO, SAMO, STRUTIVOS, and COLONY. All products are based on plant, earth, and mineral pigments without harmful substances or heavy metals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BODIOS: Toy paint product line, including BODIOS Spielzeugfarbe Nr. 343 for children's toys
• VIDA
• COLONY
• KALDET
• DONNOS
• SUNNO
• SAMO

Products and services

• BODIOS Spielzeugfarbe Nr. 343 (Toy Paint)

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ years of expertise and successful business

Named customers1 record

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Farrow & Ball: Premium British paint and wallpaper brand with strong heritage positioning and DTC model. Comparable to LIVOS in premium brand-building, content-led marketing, and curated product range, though uses traditional chemistries rather than plant-based.
• DAW (Deutsche Amphibolin-Werke, owner of Caparol): One of Germany's largest paint manufacturers (Caparol, Alpina brands) with growing presence in natural/eco-friendly lines. Represents the large incumbent competitive threat to LIVOS in the DACH paints market.

Direct peers

• KEIM Farben: German specialist in silicate/mineral paints and plasters for facades and interiors. Comparable to LIVOS in mineral-pigment chemistry and B2B/B2C distribution in the DACH eco-construction market.
• Kreidezeit Naturfarben: German natural paints and plasters specialist offering clay, lime, silicate, and plant-based coatings for interior and exterior surfaces. Direct comparable in product portfolio and target customer base.
• Biofa: German producer of natural paints, oils, and wood finishes for interior and exterior use. Closely comparable to LIVOS in plant-based chemistry approach and DACH focus.
• Beeck'sche Farbwerke: Historic German manufacturer of mineral silicate paints and natural coatings with over 125 years of history. Comparable to LIVOS in heritage, natural/raw-material positioning, and DACH market focus.
• AURO Pflanzenchemie: German manufacturer of natural paints, oils, waxes, and cleaning products based on plant and mineral raw materials. Most direct comparable to LIVOS in technology, product range, geography, and customer base (German-speaking eco-conscious consumers and craftsmen).
• Osmo Holz und Color: German manufacturer of wood finishes, oils, and waxes based on natural oils and waxes. Comparable to LIVOS in wood-coatings specialization, plant-based formulation, and DACH distribution.

Emerging players

• Earthborn paints: UK-based natural and eco-friendly paint brand offering clay, lime, and plant-based interior paints. Comparable in product positioning and natural-chemistry approach, but focused on the UK market rather than DACH.

Regional players

• Ecco Finish: Danish manufacturer of plant-based wood finishes and natural interior paints. Comparable to LIVOS in plant-based chemistry and small-scale specialty positioning, but focused on the Nordic region rather than DACH.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LIVOS.Pflanzen.Farben.Leben
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/livos-pflanzenchemie-forschungs-und-entwicklungs-gmbh-co-kg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 LIVOS