What RAS AG does

HeiQ RAS AG is a Germany-based innovation services and material technology company, founded in 1995 in Regensburg as 'Rent A Scientist' by three chemists, and operating today as a wholly-owned subsidiary of HeiQ Materials AG (LSE: HEIQ) following the company's 2021 acquisition by the HeiQ Group. The firm functions as HeiQ's central innovation center in Germany, combining contract research and development, innovation services (joint material development, funding and grant support, innovation networks, and material testing), and technology transfer with the development and commercialization of advanced material technologies. Operations are anchored at the BioPark Regensburg campus in the Bavarian Life-Sciences cluster, with close ties to the University of Regensburg providing access to scientific talent and application-oriented research infrastructure.

The company's technology portfolio spans multiple proprietary platforms: HeiQ IoniX (programmable ionic liquids as replacements for hazardous industrial chemicals), HeiQ GrapheneX (highly porous graphene membranes claimed to double battery energy density), HeiQ Xpectra (transparent multispectral coatings for thermal and electromagnetic signature management, winner of the German Sustainability Prize 2026), and HeiQ Synbio (synbiotic systems for cleaning, personal care, water, and textile applications). Antimicrobial offerings include silver-based products (HeiQ Sanpure with 99.999% efficacy, HeiQ HyProtecht) and plant-based options (HeiQ Life Natural on peppermint basis), supplied as additives, surface coatings, and integrated extruded fibers. The product line further extends across textile technologies (Cool, Fresh, Mint, Pure, Serica, Skin Care, Smart Temp, X-Repell, Allergen Tech, Clean Dye), probiotic water treatment (VivoTech), and the AeoniQ joint-venture product line for sustainable textile fibers developed with Altri Group.

The business model combines three revenue streams: licensing and commercialization of proprietary material technologies across multiple industries (textiles, healthcare, construction, electronics, cleaning, defense, water treatment, cosmetics, animal care, and industrial chemicals); professional services revenue from contract R&D, innovation consulting, and technology transfer; and product sales through a global distribution network of regional channel partners covering Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Australasia, and the Middle East. The company also pursues a horizontal segmentation strategy, targeting the same material problems (microbial growth, thermal management, chemical hazard reduction, energy density) across diverse end markets. Governance is led by Dr. Oliver Zech (EVP Innovation Services and Chairman of the Executive Board of HeiQ RAS AG), with supervisory oversight from Xaver Hangartner (Chairman) and Carlo Centonze (HeiQ Co-founder and CEO).

Name

RAS AG

Legal name

HeiQ RAS AG

Website

https://ras-ag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HeiQ RAS AG, founded in 1995 as Rent A Scientist, operates as the German innovation center of publicly listed HeiQ Group, providing contract research, innovation services, and technology transfer while developing and commercializing proprietary advanced material technologies (antimicrobials, graphene, ionic liquids, synbiotics, multispectral coatings) across textiles, healthcare, construction, electronics, and cleaning industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Material Technologies

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Advanced material technologies
• Antimicrobial coatings
• Contract research services
• Innovation services
• Specialty chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Regensburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Material Technology Licensing and Commercialization: HeiQ develops advanced material technologies and licenses or commercializes them across industries including textiles, healthcare, construction, electronics, and cleaning. Technologies span antimicrobial coatings, temperature regulation, synbiotic systems, and specialty chemicals.
2. Contract Research and Development Services: HeiQ RAS provides contract research, development, innovation services, and technology transfer. Services include joint material development, funding and grant support, innovation networks, and material testing.
3. Product Sales through Distribution Network: Products sold through a global network of distribution partners across multiple regions including Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Australasia.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HeiQ RAS AG operates as HeiQ's innovation center in Germany, combining contract research and development, innovation services, and technology transfer with the development and commercialization of advanced material technologies. The company develops and pilots proprietary platforms spanning antimicrobial coatings, thermoregulation, synbiotic systems, graphene membranes, ionic liquids, and transparent multispectral coatings for industrial customers across textiles, healthcare, construction, electronics, and cleaning.

Product overview

RAS AG (now HeiQ RAS) is an innovation services company that operates as HeiQ's innovation center in Germany. Originally founded in 1995 as 'Rent A Scientist' (RAS AG), it joined the HeiQ Group in 2021. The company specializes in contract research and development, innovation services, and technology transfer, combining these with the development and commercialization of advanced material technologies. HeiQ RAS serves as a central hub for joint material innovation within the entire HeiQ Group. The company offers a broad portfolio of technology-driven products across diverse industries including biotechnology (probiotic and synbiotic solutions), advanced textiles (cooling, freshness, skin care, temperature regulation), antimicrobial coatings and polymers (surface coatings, plastic additives, extruded fibers), water treatment, cosmetics and personal care, animal care, industrial chemicals, and building & construction. Key technology platforms include HeiQ IoniX (ionic liquids), HeiQ GrapheneX (porous graphene materials), HeiQ Xpectra (multispectral coatings), and HeiQ Synbio (synbiotic systems). Innovation services encompass joint material development, funding and grant support, innovation networks, and material testing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rent A Scientist: Original company name under which RAS AG was founded in 1995, offering on-demand scientific expertise to companies.

Products and services

• HeiQ Sanpure Ready-to-use silver-based antimicrobial surface coating demonstrating over 99.999% effectiveness against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as viruses, developed and manufactured in Germany for industrial surface protection applications.
• HeiQ Life Natural Plant-based antimicrobial additive on peppermint basis that inhibits microbial growth on coated surfaces, designed for integration into coating formulations and end products with full biocompatibility and chemical/abrasion resistance.
• HeiQ HyProTecht (Extruded Antimicrobial Fibers) Silver-based and synthetic organic antimicrobial additives integrated during fiber extrusion directly into synthetic materials, providing long-lasting freshness, hygiene, and product protection.
• HeiQ IoniX Programmable ionic liquids platform developed as a replacement for hazardous industrial chemicals, enabling customizable chemical properties for diverse industrial applications.
• HeiQ GrapheneX Highly porous graphene membrane technology that doubles the energy density limits of current battery designs at industrial scale for next-generation battery and electronics applications.
• HeiQ Xpectra Spectrally selective transparent coating platform for signature, energy and climate control that lowers thermal transmittance of walls by up to 25%, applicable in building, defense, and aerospace sectors.
• HeiQ Synbio Synbiotic systems technology platform introducing probiotic and prebiotic combinations into cleaning, personal care, water, and textile applications.
• HeiQ VivoTech Water Treatment Probiotic water treatment product that cleans industrial water systems by reducing sludge, odors, and buildup in industrial process and cooling water systems.
• HeiQ Cool Cooling textile technology providing thermoregulation functionality for clothing, footwear, and home textile applications.
• HeiQ Smart Temp Smart temperature regulation technology for textiles that dynamically responds to body and environmental temperature changes.
• HeiQ Innovation Services Service offering including joint material development, funding and grant support, innovation networks, and material testing, helping partners move from concept to validated material solutions.
• AeoniQ Joint venture product line between Altri Group and HeiQ focused on developing more sustainable textile fiber technologies to improve sustainability of textiles.

Quantifiable outcome

• HeiQ Xpectra transparent coating lowers thermal transmittance of walls by up to 25%
• +2 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, support and minor.

• HeiQ GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021HeiQ RAS (formerly RAS AG) joined the HeiQ Group in 2021 and now functions as HeiQ's innovation center in Germany. The company develops materials, transitions technologies to production, and prepares new solutions for market launch group-wide.
• BioPark RegensburgsupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeiQ RAS is part of an established Bavarian Life-Sciences cluster supported by BioPark Regensburg, providing access to scientific infrastructure and innovation ecosystem support.
• University of RegensburgsupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeiQ RAS maintains close ties to the University of Regensburg, providing access to highly qualified scientific professionals and application-oriented innovation capabilities.
• Altri Group (AeoniQ Joint Venture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAeoniQ is a joint venture between Altri Group and HeiQ, representing a key initiative to change the sustainability of textiles through the development of more sustainable textile fiber technologies.
• Service Key S.p.A. (Italy)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for HeiQ products in Italy. Located at Via Sangrio 15, 20132, Milan. Contact: +39 049 760716.
• Wöllner GmbH (DACH, Italy, Turkey)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for HeiQ products in DACH region, Italy, and Turkey. Located at Wöllnerstraße 26, 67065 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany.
• Synbio Concept (USA, Mexico, Canada)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for HeiQ products in USA, Mexico, and Canada. Located at 16920 Texas Ave Suite C-9, Webster, TX 77598.
• Design Cleaning (UK)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for HeiQ products in United Kingdom. Located at 45 Chase Court Gardens, Enfield, England, EN2 8DJ.
• Matex International Limited (Singapore, Malaysia)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for HeiQ products in Singapore and Malaysia. Located at 1003 Bukit Merah Central, #01-10 Inno Centre, Singapore 159836.
• INVENTeq Textile (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for HeiQ products in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Located at Ul. Barucha 5, Pabianice 95-200, Poland.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lonza Group AG: Swiss-based contract development and manufacturing organization with biotech and microbial-control offerings; comparable to HeiQ RAS as a European specialty chemistry and microbial innovation platform serving healthcare, personal care, and industrial customers.
• RPM International Inc. US specialty coatings and sealants conglomerate with multiple subsidiaries serving construction, industrial, and consumer markets; relevant peer because of its portfolio breadth in functional coatings, sealants, and surface treatments adjacent to HeiQ's coatings and polymer additives.
• AkzoNobel N.V. Global paints and coatings major with decorative, industrial, and specialty coating lines; relevant peer because AkzoNobel competes with HeiQ Xpectra in functional architectural coatings and serves many of the same construction and industrial customers.
• Croda International: Specialty chemicals incumbent focused on personal care, health care, and performance technologies; relevant peer through its biosurfactants, probiotic ingredients, and personal care active chemistries that overlap with HeiQ Synbio and HeiQ Skin Care product lines.
• PPG Industries: Major industrial and architectural coatings manufacturer with aerospace, automotive, and protective coatings; comparable to HeiQ RAS through its specialty additive, antimicrobial coating, and functional surface technologies portfolios.
• Dow Inc. Diversified materials giant operating in performance materials, coatings, and industrial intermediates; relevant peer because of its silicon-based antimicrobials, coating additives, and textile chemistries that intersect with HeiQ's antimicrobial and polymer coating platforms.
• BASF SE: Global chemical incumbent with broad portfolios in performance chemicals, coatings additives, and specialty materials; competes with HeiQ RAS across antimicrobial additives, polymer coatings, and industrial chemical categories as part of a much larger product suite.

Direct peers

• Sciessent LLC: US-based provider of antimicrobial and odor-control solutions for textiles, apparel, and healthcare applications; competes directly with HeiQ's silver-based and plant-based antimicrobial additives for fibers and surface coatings.
• Microban International: Specialist in built-in antimicrobial and odor-control technologies for consumer products, textiles, and coatings; the closest direct competitor to HeiQ's Sanpure, HyProtecht, and Life Natural product families across similar end-use applications.
• HeiQ Materials AG: Direct parent and operating peer; HeiQ Materials AG (LSE: HEIQ) is the Swiss parent that commercially scales the antimicrobial, synbiotic, and specialty material technologies developed at HeiQ RAS AG. Same products, same chemistry platforms, same end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heiq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 RAS AG