Centropen

What Centropen does

Centropen, a.s. is a privately held Czech joint-stock company (akciová společnost) headquartered and manufacturing in Dačice, South Bohemia, with continuous operating history since 1940. The company manufactures writing and drawing instruments — pens, markers, highlighters, rollers, permanent markers, school supplies, crayons, watercolor markers, textile markers, and specialty industrial markers — under brands including TORNADO, PERMANENT, JUST PERFECT, HIGHLIGHTER STYLE, ERGO, AIRPENS, AQUARELLE, and ANTI-STRESS BLACK. Centropen holds a worldwide monopoly on AIRPENS (blowing markers) under patent protection since 1997 and is the only manufacturer of fiber tips in Eastern Europe. Production is vertically integrated, encompassing in-house toolmaking, injection molding with hot-runner technology, proprietary ink formulation (water- and alcohol-based), fiber-tip manufacturing (polyester fiber core processed at up to 300°C, ground to 0.1 mm precision), screen printing and transfer-foil decoration, automated assembly, and packaging.

The company's revenue model is hardware sales of branded writing instruments across five use-case segments: Office and Business, Industry and Hobby, School and Children (primary), Creative, and ART. Go-to-market is wholesale-driven through an extensive network of more than 80 named distributors across Czech Republic and Slovakia, stationery retailers (papírnictví), office supply stores, retail chains, and hypermarkets, with active export to all continents except Antarctica and documented presence in Japan, Qatar, and South Africa. Marketing is supported by multilingual websites (Czech, Slovak, English, German, Russian), specialized sub-brand sites (foukaci-fixy.cz, highlighter.cz, jak-spravne-psat.cz), a B2B portal for retailers, and social channels including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. No consumer pricing is publicly disclosed; pricing is negotiated through the distributor network. The legal structure has been a privately held joint-stock company since Czech privatization in 1992, with no parent company, no venture capital or private equity backing, and no disclosed subsidiaries.

Name

Centropen

Legal name

CENTROPEN, a.s.

Website

https://centropen.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Centropen is a privately held Czech manufacturer of writing instruments founded in 1940, producing pens, markers, and highlighters from its Dačice facility under brands including TORNADO, PERMANENT, and AIRPENS, and serving school, office, creative, and industrial customers globally through 80+ distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dacice

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Writing and Drawing Supplies: Manufacturing and sale of pens, markers, highlighters, rollers, permanent markers, and related stationery products across office, school, industrial, and creative market segments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Centropen manufactures and sells a comprehensive range of writing and drawing instruments, including pens, markers, highlighters, rollers, permanent markers, crayons, and the patented AIRPENS blowing markers. The company operates as a vertically integrated producer with in-house toolmaking, plastic injection molding, ink formulation, fiber tip manufacturing, printing, assembly, and packaging at its Dačice facility, distributing products through a network of over 80 distributors in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and via international export to all continents except Antarctica.

Product overview

Centropen is a Czech manufacturer of writing and drawing supplies offering a comprehensive portfolio organized into five main product categories: (1) Office writing and drawing supplies, (2) Industry and hobby markers for professional applications, (3) School and children products including ergonomic pens like TORNADO, BABY MARKERS, and school markers, (4) Creative products including AIRPENS blowing markers, Textile markers, and Decor pens, and (5) ART products including Aquarelle watercolor markers, Anti-stress coloring markers, and Permanent creative markers. The product range includes permanent markers (PERMANENT), highlighters (HIGHLIGHTER STYLE, Zvýrazňovače), fine-line markers (Linery), roller pens (Rollery, TORNADO), whiteboard markers, lacquer markers for industrial use, textile markers, watercolor products, and specialized children's markers. Key product lines include ERGO-design pens with triangular grip for proper writing position, environmentally-friendly ECO markers made from recycled materials, and innovative products like AIRPENS that use blowing instead of touch for ink transfer. Products are manufactured primarily in Dačice, Czech Republic, with manufacturing capabilities including plastic injection molding, ink production, tip manufacturing, and screen printing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TORNADO: School roller pen with ergonomic grip and massage points, and erasable ink for comfortable writing every day. Includes TORNADO COOL with soft rubberized grip.
• PERMANENT
• JUST PERFECT
• HIGHLIGHTER STYLE
• ERGO
• AIRPENS
• AQUARELLE
• ANTI-STRESS BLACK

Products and services

• TORNADO School Roller Pens (Original, Cool, Blue) School roller pens with ergonomic design featuring massage points for reduced writing fatigue; TORNADO COOL includes softened rubber grip for enhanced comfort; uses erasable ink. Targeted at school children and parents.
• PERMANENT Markers Classic permanent markers reliable for marking on wood, metal, plastic and other surfaces. Popular brand for several decades.
• HIGHLIGHTER STYLE Highlighters Stylish highlighters in modern design with vivid colors and smooth highlighting on all paper types.
• JUST PERFECT Markers Markers that stay open up to 100 days, with vivid washable inks and ergonomic grip for everyday creativity.
• AIRPENS (Blowing Markers / Foukací fixy) Patented blowing markers where ink is transferred to paper by blowing rather than touching with a tip, creating unique drawing effects. Centropen is the world's sole manufacturer. Suitable for children from 4 years old. Special templates and various ink types available.
• Textile Markers Textile markers for permanent decoration on fabric and clothing, wash-resistant up to 60°C.
• Aquarelle Watercolor Markers and Sets Watercolor markers with brush tips allowing artistic watercolor effects on paper; includes AQUARELLE SET 9383.
• Anti-stress Black Coloring Markers Specialized black markers for anti-stress coloring books, helping relaxation; includes ANTI-STRESS BLACK 9390.
• BABY MARKERS 8660 Certified markers for children from 1 year old. Lens-shaped fixed tip that doesn't fray for maximum safety. Washable from hands and laundry at 40°C.
• EASY MARKERS 2580 Children's markers with wider tip, excellent washability, winner of independent children's marker tests.
• ECO 2560 Eco Markers Markers made from 80% recycled materials, environmentally friendly option.
• Fine Liners (Linery) Fine-line markers for precision writing and drawing tasks.
• Rollers (Roller Pens) Roller pens for smooth writing experience in office and professional settings.
• Highlighters (Zvýrazňovače) Highlighters for marking and emphasizing text in various colors.
• Whiteboard and Flipchart Markers Markers designed for whiteboards and flipchart presentations.
• OHP and CD/DVD Markers Markers for writing on optical discs (CD, DVD, BD) and similar surfaces.
• Lacquer Markers (Lakové značkovače) Industrial lacquer markers for permanent marking on various surfaces.
• UV and Window Markers Specialized markers for UV applications and window marking; includes JUMBO WINDOW 9120.
• School Markers (Školní fixy) Markers designed for school children with washable, non-toxic inks.
• Erasable Boards (Stíratelné tabulky) Wipe-clean boards and associated markers for repeated use.
• Watercolor Crayons (Akvarelové pastelky) Watercolor crayons that can be diluted with water using the included brush. Round shape, vivid colors, easy to sharpen, break-resistant, 3.3mm lead width.
• Triangular Crayons (Trojúhelníkové pastelky) Crayons with triangular shape for ergonomic grip in standard and pastel shades.
• Wax Crayons (Voskovky) School wax crayons in round shape (8mm diameter), available in 6, 12 or 24 colors, washable.
• Triangular Wax Crayons (Trojúhelníkové voskovky) Triangular-shaped wax crayons for easier grip (10mm diameter).
• WHITE PERMANENT 2686 / 2687 Markers White permanent marker for industrial marking applications; universal white marker writing on most surfaces, dry rub-resistant after drying, light-fast on porous surfaces, water-based, cylindrical tip, 1-2.5mm stroke width.
• MARKMASTER 8599 Industrial markmaster for professional marking needs.
• GOLD & SILVER & BRONZE 2670 M Metallic Markers Metallic markers in gold, silver and bronze finishes for decorative applications.
• COLOUR WORLD 7550 Marker Sets Colorful marker sets for creative coloring activities.
• Erasable Pens and Erasers (Pera a zmizíky) Pens with erasable ink and corresponding erasers for school and office use.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products won 1st and 2nd place in Mladá Fronta DNES test of 14 school pens
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• jak-spravne-psat.czminorOthers · 1 January 2010Collaboration with the proper writing project (www.jak-spravne-psat.cz) since 2010. The website provides information for parents and teachers about proper pen holding and writing techniques, including video tutorials.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Caran d'Ache: Swiss premium manufacturer of writing instruments and art supplies. Comparable in art/creative segment overlap with Centropen's AQUARELLE and anti-stress lines.
• Faber-Castell: World's largest manufacturer of wood-cased pencils and a major producer of pens, markers, and art supplies. Competes broadly across Centropen's office, school, and creative segments.
• Pentel: Japanese writing instrument manufacturer known for roller pens, markers, and art supplies. Comparable in product range with stronger Asian market presence than Centropen.
• BIC: Global mass-market manufacturer of pens, markers, highlighters, and stationery products. Competes with Centropen in commodity writing instruments across retail channels worldwide.
• Staedtler: German manufacturer of writing, art, and creative instruments with global presence. Overlaps with Centropen across school pens, markers, and creative product categories.

Direct peers

• Maped: French manufacturer specializing in school and children's stationery including markers, pens, and art supplies. Closely comparable in target segment and product mix to Centropen's school-focused lines.
• Lyra: German manufacturer of pencils, crayons, and markers for school and art use. Comparable product portfolio with similar school/children segment focus.
• Schwan-Stabilo: German manufacturer of writing instruments including highlighters, pens, and markers with a strong school and creative-segment focus. Directly comparable product portfolio and end markets to Centropen.
• Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth: Czech manufacturer of writing instruments, pencils, and art supplies historically tied to Centropen (Centropen was part of the Koh-i-noor group until 1989). Same Czech origin and overlapping product lines.

Emerging players

• Sakura: Japanese manufacturer specializing in creative markers and art pens (notably Pigma Micron). Comparable in artistic and creative marker categories, including watercolor and brush-tip markers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Centropenas
• Facebookfacebook.com/Centropen.cz
• Instagraminstagram.com/centropen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Centropen