Kandelium

What Kandelium does

Kandelium is a German-headquartered specialty chemicals manufacturer producing technical-grade barium carbonate, strontium carbonate, sodium percarbonate, calcium and magnesium peroxides, and sulfur and sulfide compounds for industrial applications. Its core end-markets include ceramics, glass, displays, electronics, ferrite magnets, bricks and tiles, tires, leather, detergents, personal care, disinfectants, mining, water treatment, and food processing. The company traces operational heritage to 1890 in Bad Hönningen, Germany, and was reconstituted in 2021 as an independent entity under private equity owner Latour Capital, following the 2020 carve-out from the Solvay group. Kandelium employs approximately 500 people across three production sites in Germany, Spain, and Mexico and ships products to over 65 countries.

Kandelium's technical differentiators include its status as the only manufacturer worldwide using the crystallization process to refine sodium percarbonate—an energy- and emissions-efficient alternative to spray-drying—and a proprietary celestite concentration process at its Escázar, Spain facility that produces the highest-quality and most homogeneous raw material globally. All sodium percarbonate products are coated with a soluble inorganic protective layer for safety and stability, and barium and strontium carbonates are produced as calcined granules with high flowability and low dust generation. The portfolio is commercialized under three product platforms—barium and strontium solutions, OXYPER® sodium percarbonate, and IXPER® calcium and magnesium peroxides.

Kandelium runs a B2B direct sales model in which a sales force segmented by product line (Susanne Friedel for Barium Strontium, Joël Geny for Kandelium Care, Raimund Reichenberg for Peroxides) provides customized formulations, individualized technical support, and just-in-time delivery to manufacturers worldwide. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The management team comprises CEO Daniel Meyer, COO Dr. Marita Paasch, CFO Thomas Dr. Riegler, and CCO Julien Guiu. Operating practices are anchored by ISO 50001-certified energy management since 2012, a publicly stated climate-neutral production target by 2042, and ongoing implementation of the CSRD reporting directive.

Name

Kandelium

Legal name

Kandelium Group GmbH

Website

https://kandelium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kandelium manufactures technical-grade barium carbonate, strontium carbonate, sodium percarbonate, and peroxide compounds for industrial manufacturers in ceramics, glass, detergents, electronics, and water treatment. The PE-backed company, with 130 years of heritage, operates integrated production in Germany, Spain, and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing (325180), Kaolin, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining (212323), Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Inorganic Commodity Chemicals (Acids, Alkalis, Salts) (IMAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commodity Surfactants & Detergent Base Chemicals (IMAEAAAI)

Keywords

• Industrial chemicals
• Barium carbonate
• Strontium carbonate
• Sodium percarbonate
• Specialty chemical manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Hönningen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Product Sales: Kandelium generates revenue through manufacturing and selling chemical products including barium carbonate, strontium carbonate, sodium percarbonate, peroxides (IXPER), sulfur, and sulfides to industrial customers worldwide. The company operates on a B2B model providing customized solutions to manufacturers across diverse industries including ceramics, electronics, glass, water treatment, and detergents.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kandelium manufactures and sells technical-grade barium carbonate, strontium carbonate, sodium percarbonate (OXYPER®), calcium and magnesium peroxides (IXPER®), and sulfur/sulfide compounds. Products are produced as calcined granules and various powder grades, supplied as raw materials and customized chemical solutions to industrial manufacturers across ceramics, glass, electronics, magnets, water treatment, detergents, mining, leather, and textile industries worldwide.

Product overview

Kandelium is a global leader in technical-grade chemical products, operating as a single unified portfolio organized around three core product lines: Barium and Strontium Solutions (including barium carbonate, strontium carbonate, strontium nitrate, and coproducts sulfur and sulfides), Percarbonate (branded as OXYPER®), and Peroxides (branded as IXPER®). The company positions itself as a full end-to-end solution provider, offering not just standard products but also custom-formulated solutions tailored to specific customer requirements, with technical support and R&D collaboration. The product portfolio serves diverse industries including ceramics, glass, electronics, magnets, water treatment, detergents, agriculture, and food processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OXYPER®: Brand name for Kandelium's sodium percarbonate products used in laundry detergents, personal care products, disinfectants, and water treatment solutions.
• IXPER®

Products and services

• Barium and Strontium Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• Crystallization process produces lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional spray-drying process
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• LANXESS AG: German specialty chemicals company with activities in inorganic pigments, material protection, and industrial intermediates. Comparable as a European broad specialty chemicals peer with potential overlap in inorganic chemistry and a similar heritage of carved-out business units.
• Honeywell International Inc. US-listed industrial conglomerate with a Performance Materials and Technologies segment that includes catalysts, adsorbents, and process chemicals. Comparable as a large diversified chemicals peer with adjacent industrial chemistry exposure and global reach.
• Arkema S.A. French specialty chemicals group with a broad portfolio spanning adhesives, advanced materials, coating solutions, and industrial intermediates. Comparable as a European specialty chemicals peer with overlap in industrial inorganic chemistries and a similar B2B sales model.
• Kemira Oyj: Finnish specialty chemicals company focused on water-intensive industries including water treatment and pulp & paper. Comparable as a European mid-cap specialty chemicals peer with overlap in water treatment chemistry that Kandelium addresses through barium carbonate and IXPER peroxides.
• Wacker Chemie AG: German specialty chemicals company producing silicones, polysilicon, and biosolutions. Comparable as a European specialty chemicals peer of similar heritage and size band, with overlap in industrial inorganic chemistry applications and a similar German mid-cap profile.
• Solvay S.A. Belgian global chemical group and Kandelium's former parent (held the operations from 1959 until the 2020 Latour Capital carve-out). Continues to operate in adjacent peroxides, soda ash, and specialty inorganic chemistries with material overlap in Kandelium's core product space.

Direct peers

• INEOS Group: Global chemical manufacturer and owner of Niacet, a North American producer of sodium percarbonate and specialty acetate products. Directly competes with Kandelium's OXYPER line in detergent and cleaning applications across the Americas and Europe.
• Evonik Industries AG: German specialty chemicals major with leading positions in hydrogen peroxide and active oxygen products, directly competing with Kandelium's OXYPER sodium percarbonate and IXPER peroxide lines in detergent, personal care, and environmental applications.
• Nouryon: Dutch specialty chemicals company (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) producing peroxides, salt specialties, and performance chemicals. Direct competitor in hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, and broader industrial inorganic chemistry serving overlapping end-markets.
• Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Japanese chemical manufacturer producing barium carbonate, strontium carbonate, and related inorganic compounds. Direct competitor in the Asian barium/strontium carbonate market and a useful comparable for the ceramics, electronics, and displays end-use segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Kandelium