Kerax
Kerax is a UK-based wax manufacturer, founded in 1962, producing candle waxes, industrial waxes, pharmaceutical-grade waxes, and personal care products. It sells directly through its e-commerce platform to candle makers, industrial manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies across 29 European countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1962
- HeadquartersChorley, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kerax does
Kerax is a UK-based wax manufacturer established in 1962, operating from the Lancashire area (Chorley/Leyland) with 101-250 employees. The company manufactures and distributes a broad portfolio of waxes and related products across four divisions: Candle Wax (soy, coconut, hybrid, olive, rapeseed, and paraffin blends marketed under sub-brands EcoSoya, KeraSoy, and EcoCoco), Industrial Wax (paper and packaging, textile coatings, surface treatments, rubber and plastic processing, hot melt adhesives, defeathering, and toll manufacturing services), Pharmaceutical and Personal Care (petroleum jelly, white oil/liquid paraffin, microcrystalline waxes, emulsifying wax, CS alcohol), and Oil and Fats (base oil). Core technology centers on wax compounding and blending with an in-house team of dedicated chemists supporting custom formulations and toll manufacturing for customers with proprietary recipes.
The business operates primarily through direct-to-customer B2B channels via a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront at kerax.com, with global shipping across 29 European country storefronts, free UK delivery on selected products, and 24-hour chat support. Pricing ranges from £88 to over £4,000 per unit depending on product and volume, with industrial and pharmaceutical products frequently requiring quote-based transactions on multi-year contracts. Revenue mechanics combine one-time product sales with service-based revenue from toll manufacturing. Customer segments span candle manufacturers (hobbyist and commercial), pharmaceutical and personal care producers, industrial manufacturers, and food packaging companies—both SMB and enterprise buyers.
Kerax is privately held with no disclosed parent company, investors, funding rounds, or institutional ownership. The company holds ISO certification, an EcoVadis Silver rating (2023), and memberships in the British Candlemakers Federation and European Candle Manufacturers Association. Its competitive positioning rests on 60+ years of formulation expertise, a wide product portfolio, in-house chemistry capabilities, and a shift toward plant-based sustainable alternatives addressing ESG-driven demand in candle and personal care end markets.
Kerax firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kerax
- Legal name
- Kerax Limited
- Website
- https://kerax.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1962
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kerax is a UK-based wax manufacturer, founded in 1962, producing candle waxes, industrial waxes, pharmaceutical-grade waxes, and personal care products. It sells directly through its e-commerce platform to candle makers, industrial manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies across 29 European countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kerax industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Wax Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)
- SIC
- Fats & Oils (2070)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scented Candles & Wax Melts (Home Fragrance) (CRAJAEAD)
Keywords
Where Kerax is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chorley
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kerax business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wax Product Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling wax products including candle waxes, industrial waxes, pharmaceutical waxes, and petroleum jelly products. Products sold through e-commerce storefront with pricing ranging from £88 to over £3,700 per unit depending on product type and volume.
- Toll Manufacturing Services: Providing extended manufacturing capacity to customers who need additional production capabilities for their own wax formulations, generating service-based revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard E-commerce Products |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Industrial and Pharmaceutical Products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kerax product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kerax manufactures and sells specialty wax products including candle waxes (soy, coconut, hybrid, olive, rapeseed, paraffin), industrial waxes for paper/packaging, textiles, surface treatments, rubber/plastic processing and hot melt adhesives, pharmaceutical waxes such as petroleum jelly, microcrystalline waxes and emulsifying waxes, and toll manufacturing services. The company sells to candle makers, industrial users, pharmaceutical companies and personal care manufacturers via its own e-commerce storefront with global shipping.
Product overview
Kerax is a UK-based wax manufacturer established in 1962, offering a comprehensive portfolio of wax products and related solutions. The company operates across four main product divisions: Candle Waxes (including EcoSoya CB-Advanced, KeraSoy Pillar Wax 4120, KeraSoy Container Wax 4130, Soy Paraffin Pillar Blend, EcoCoco PillarBlend, and collections of Soy, Coconut, Olive, Rapeseed, and Paraffin waxes), Industrial Waxes (Paper & Packaging, Textile Coatings, Surface Treatment, Rubber & Plastic Processing, Hot Melt Adhesive, Defeathering, and Toll Manufacturing services), Pharma & Personal Care (Petroleum Jelly, White Oil/Liquid Paraffin, Microcrystalline, Paraffin, Natural Wax, CS Alcohol, and Emulsifying Wax), and Oil & Fats (Base Oil). The product portfolio ranges from plant-based sustainable alternatives to traditional petroleum-derived waxes, serving diverse industries including candle making, packaging, industrial manufacturing, and pharmaceutical/cosmetic formulations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EcoSoya: Plant-based soy wax products for candle making
- KeraSoy
- EcoCoco
Products and services
- EcoSoya CB-Advanced Container Wax
Companies that use Kerax
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kerax technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Kerax partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kerax competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Croda International: Global specialty chemicals company serving personal care, pharma, and industrial markets with emollients, wax-based ingredients, and formulated ingredients. Broad incumbent with overlapping personal care and pharma wax ranges.
- AAK: Swedish-Danish specialty oils and fats company supplying plant-based ingredients for personal care, food, and technical applications. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying bio-based specialty ingredients adjacent to Kerax's plant-based wax range.
- Sasol: Global integrated chemicals and energy company with a large specialty waxes business (Sasolwax) for candles, hot melt adhesives, and industrial applications. A much larger incumbent competing on scale and raw material integration.
- Cargill: Global agricultural commodity and ingredient company with plant-based oils (soy, coconut, rapeseed, palm) used as feedstock for natural waxes. A vertically integrated broad incumbent that competes with Kerax's plant-based wax range from the raw material side.
- BASF: World's largest chemical company with broad portfolio of waxes, surfactants, and personal care ingredients. Competes with Kerax across industrial and personal care wax applications as part of a vastly larger portfolio.
Direct peers
- Koster Keunen: Specialty wax blender focused on cosmetics, personal care, and candle applications with in-house chemist expertise. Highly comparable to Kerax in pharma/personal care emulsifying waxes and natural wax specialties.
- Paramelt: Dutch specialty wax manufacturer producing wax blends for candles, packaging, hot melt adhesives, and personal care. Closest like-for-like peer to Kerax in product mix (candle + industrial + pharma wax) and B2B go-to-market via toll blending.
- IGI (International Group Inc.): Specialty wax producer serving personal care, candles, and industrial applications with a global manufacturing footprint. Comparable product breadth and direct overlap in cosmetic and candle wax grades.
- Strahl & Pitsch: Refiner and blender of specialty natural and synthetic waxes serving cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and candles. Direct competitor in high-purity and natural wax segments that Kerax also addresses.
- Hansen & Rosenthal: German specialty wax and petroleum jelly producer serving pharmaceutical, personal care, and industrial markets. Direct peer in the pharma-grade petroleum jelly and white oil categories where Kerax competes.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kerax social profiles
Digital presenceKerax compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Kerax financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kerax leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kerax funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kerax 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 Kerax
What does Kerax do?
Kerax manufactures and sells specialty wax products including candle waxes (soy, coconut, hybrid, olive, rapeseed, paraffin), industrial waxes for paper/packaging, textiles, surface treatments, rubber/plastic processing and hot melt adhesives, pharmaceutical waxes such as petroleum jelly, microcrystalline waxes and emulsifying waxes, and toll manufacturing services. The company sells to candle makers, industrial users, pharmaceutical companies and personal care manufacturers via its own e-commerce storefront with global shipping.
Is Kerax a public or private company?
Kerax is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Kerax founded?
Kerax was founded in 1962. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kerax based?
Kerax is headquartered in Chorley, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Kerax make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Wax Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are toll Manufacturing Services.
Who are Kerax's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Croda International, AAK, Sasol, Cargill and BASF. Direct peers are Koster Keunen, Paramelt, IGI (International Group Inc.), Strahl & Pitsch and Hansen & Rosenthal.
Does Kerax have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kerax.
What industry is Kerax in?
Kerax's product category is Specialty Wax Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAJAEAD, Scented Candles & Wax Melts (Home Fragrance). Its NAICS code is 32561 and its SIC code is 2070.