Caparol
Caparol is the French architectural coatings brand of DAW Group (Europe's third-largest paint manufacturer), manufacturing interior and exterior paints, wood finishes, lacquers, and external thermal insulation systems for professional painters, architects, and specifiers across France.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1895
- HeadquartersBoves, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Caparol does
Caparol is the principal French architectural coatings brand of DAW Group, Europe's third-largest paint manufacturer and a German family-owned enterprise (5th generation, founded 1895). The company manufactures and distributes a full portfolio of interior and exterior paints, wood stains and impregnations (CapaWood), lacquers (Capaflow), floor coatings, decorative finishes, and external thermal insulation composite systems under the Capatect brand, plus premium facade brick cladding through its wholly-owned subsidiary Original Meldorfer. Core technical differentiators include NQG (Nano Quartz Gitter) nano-quartz lattice chemistry for durable facade color retention, the patented Nespri dual-nozzle spray system that dramatically reduces overspray for healthier professional application, and a 40-year track record in low-VOC and preservative-free formulations dating to the 1985 launch of Indeko, the world's first reduced-emission solvent-free interior paint. Products carry multiple environmental and indoor-air-quality certifications (Ecolabel, Excell+, LEED, BREEAM, HQE, EN 1504-2/1062-1), and DAW Group's German production and administration have operated climate-neutrally since 2017.
Caparol operates a multi-channel distribution model in France: a branded Caparol Center network of independent retail partners for professional painters, general points of sale for broader trade and DIY access, and a dedicated "Architecte et Prescription" field team providing technical documentation and color expertise to architects and building specifiers. Pricing is unit-based (per liter/unit) with no subscription or enterprise contract structure, and revenue is generated through one-time product purchase with repeat dynamics driven by professional contractors. Go-to-market is supplemented by the Caparol Academy training program (digital, regional, and bespoke), the nationwide Tournée des Experts roadshow, a biennial I.T.E. trade salon, and annual color trend publications (e.g., DEEP OCEAN 2026) that drive specification influence.
The company's customer base spans professional painters and decorators, architects and specifiers (primary B2B segments), and DIY consumers (secondary), with no named enterprise anchor customers and structurally low concentration risk. Caparol France SAS, headquartered in Boves (Amiens region), is governed by Directeur général Alexandre Jauneau and Président Hugues Le Metter (representing Archyiona S.A.S.), and operates as a private subsidiary under German parent DAW SE with no public financial disclosures.
Caparol firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Caparol
- Legal name
- DAW France
- Website
- https://caparol.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1895
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Caparol is the French architectural coatings brand of DAW Group (Europe's third-largest paint manufacturer), manufacturing interior and exterior paints, wood finishes, lacquers, and external thermal insulation systems for professional painters, architects, and specifiers across France.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Caparol industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Paints and Coatings
- NAICS
- Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)
- SIC
- Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)
Keywords
Where Caparol is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boves
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Caparol business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Paint and Coating Product Sales: Caparol generates revenue through the sale of architectural paints (interior, exterior), wood stains and treatments, concrete stains, lacquers, floor coatings, decorative finishes, and thermal insulation systems (Capatect ITE). Revenue is primarily one-time product purchase, with repeat purchase dynamics driven by professional contractors and specifiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Professional and consumer paint products sold through retail and professional distribution channels |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Caparol product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Caparol manufactures and distributes a full range of architectural paints and coatings — interior and exterior paints, wood finishes, lacquers, floor coatings, and decorative façade products — under the Caparol brand of DAW France SAS. The company also supplies the Capatect External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ITE) and complementary accessories, sold primarily through its dedicated Caparol Center network and direct specifier relationships.
Product overview
Caparol is a comprehensive paints and coatings manufacturer offering a diverse portfolio organized across multiple product categories: Interior Paints, Exterior Paints, Wood Products (including CapaWood lasures and impregnations), Lacquers (including Capaflow), Floor Coatings, Decorative Finishes, and External Thermal Insulation (ITE) systems under the Capatect brand. The product range includes specialized technologies like the patented Nespri spray system, NQG (Nano Quartz Glass) technology in CapaWood Opaque NQG, and the photo-catalytic Amphibolin paint. Caparol also produces Original Meldorfer premium facing bricks. Color services include the ColorExpress tinting system and Spectrum visualization tool. The company positions its products around four pillars: Health (with low-emission products like Indeko Bio), Design, Performance (including ITE systems), and Environment (sustainable packaging and production).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Capatect: External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) for building facades
- Original Meldorfer
- Disbocret
- Indeko
- Amphibolin
- CapaWood
- Nespri
- Capaflow
- CapaMaXX Pro
- Maxacryl
Products and services
- Interior Paints (Peintures Intérieures) Full range of interior wall and ceiling paints — including high-coverage, low-emission, and biocidal-free formulations such as Indeko, Indeko Bio, CapaMaXX Pro, and MAX'ACRYL — for residential, commercial, and public building interiors, sold to professional painters and consumer/DIY customers.
- Exterior Paints (Peintures Extérieures) Range of façade and exterior wall coatings including Amphibolin (acrylic, anti-fouling) and MURESKO (siloxane façade finish) formulated for weather resistance, color stability, and façade protection, for professional painters and specifiers.
- Wood Finishes (Bois) Wood treatment and finishing product line including CapaWood Opaque NQG (opaque finish with nano-quartz technology), CapaWood LongLife and CapaWood Aqua LongLife (film-preserving finishes with renewable raw materials), and CapaWood Impregnation (deep-penetrating primer), sold to professional and DIY users for exterior wood surfaces.
- Lacquers (Laques) Range of lacquers for interior wood, metal, and other surfaces, sold to professional decorators for finishing work on doors, trim, and joinery.
- Floor Coatings (Sol) Range of floor paints and coatings including DisboCRET 535 Betonoptik (concrete-effect decorative finish) and Capaflow for industrial and commercial flooring applications, sold to professional floor finishers and specifiers.
- Decorative Products (Décoration) Decorative façade and interior product range including Original Meldorfer engineered brick and stone cladding slips, plus tinting bases, sold to architects, painters, and design-conscious end customers.
- Capatect ITE — External Thermal Insulation Composite System External thermal insulation system available in Carbon (high-performance), Mineral, and Premium tiers, including matching accessories, for energy-efficient façade renovation and new-build projects, specified by architects and installed by professional applicators.
- Caparol Center (Distributor Network)
- Architect and Specifier Service (Architecte et Prescription) Direct specification service providing architects, project owners, and prescribers with technical documentation, color design tools (3D System Plus, Spectrum), and on-project support for façade and insulation system specifications.
Quantifiable outcome
- CO2 emissions reduced by up to 30% through low-clinker cement in Capatect mortars
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Caparol
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Caparol technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Caparol partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Caparol competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- PPG Industries: Global paints and coatings leader (owner of Ripolin in France) with architectural and industrial coatings. Operates in the same French and European markets as Caparol but at vastly larger scale and across broader end-markets.
- Sherwin-Williams: One of the world's largest paint manufacturers with extensive architectural coatings offerings globally. Larger incumbent with overlapping interior/exterior paint categories and professional distribution capabilities, but with a much broader geographic footprint than Caparol France.
- AkzoNobel Decorative Paints (Dulux / Sikkens): Global coatings major with Dulux (consumer/DIY) and Sikkens (professional wood and architectural) brands. Larger incumbent offering overlapping interior/exterior paints and wood coatings, but across a much wider global portfolio than Caparol.
Direct peers
- Ripolin (PPG): Heritage French paint brand now owned by PPG Industries, selling interior and exterior paints through retail and professional channels. Directly comparable on consumer/DIY positioning and on the French architectural paint category where Caparol also competes.
- Weber (Saint-Gobain): Saint-Gobain's facade and insulation systems brand offering ETICS/ITE solutions, renders, and tiling products. Directly competes with Caparol's Capatect ITE offering for facade insulation projects across France and Europe.
- Blanchon: French specialist in wood finishes, floor coatings, and lacquers, overlapping directly with Caparol's CapaWood wood range, Capaflow lacquers, and Sol floor coatings product lines.
- Zolpan: French architectural paint and coatings manufacturer offering interior/exterior paints, wood finishes, facade systems, and ITE through a similar Caparol Center-style professional retail network. Closest direct comparable to Caparol in France, competing head-to-head for professional painters and specifiers.
- Sto SE: German leader in External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS), facade renders, and architectural paints. Directly comparable to Caparol's Capatect ITE portfolio and broader facade solutions, competing in the same European professional/specifier market.
- Tollens (Cromology): Major French decorative paint brand owned by Cromology, offering professional and consumer paints, color systems, and a comparable distribution network across France. Direct competitor for professional painters, specifiers, and retail/DIY channels in the same French market as Caparol.
Regional players
- Baumit: European facade systems specialist offering ETICS/ITE, renders, and decorative finishes, primarily in Central/Eastern Europe. Comparable to Caparol's Capatect ITE and facade portfolio on product, but operating in a different primary geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Caparol social profiles
Digital presenceCaparol compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Caparol financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Caparol leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Caparol subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Caparol funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Caparol 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 Caparol
What does Caparol do?
Caparol manufactures and distributes a full range of architectural paints and coatings — interior and exterior paints, wood finishes, lacquers, floor coatings, and decorative façade products — under the Caparol brand of DAW France SAS. The company also supplies the Capatect External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ITE) and complementary accessories, sold primarily through its dedicated Caparol Center network and direct specifier relationships.
Is Caparol a public or private company?
Caparol is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Caparol founded?
Caparol was founded in 1895. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Caparol based?
Caparol is headquartered in Boves, France, in the Europe region.
How does Caparol make money?
One revenue line is on record: paint and Coating Product Sales.
Who are Caparol's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are PPG Industries, Sherwin-Williams and AkzoNobel Decorative Paints (Dulux / Sikkens). Direct peers are Ripolin (PPG), Weber (Saint-Gobain), Blanchon, Zolpan, Sto SE and Tollens (Cromology). Baumit is listed as a regional player.
Does Caparol have an API?
No public API is recorded for Caparol.
What industry is Caparol in?
Caparol's product category is Architectural Paints and Coatings. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAGAB, Industrial & Protective Coatings. Its NAICS code is 32551 and its SIC code is 2851.