Chespa

What Chespa does

Chespa Sp. z o.o. is a privately held Polish manufacturer, founded by Joachim Siekiera and headquartered in Chorula, Poland, specializing in flexographic printing consumables and tooling. The group's three core product lines are printing inks (including the QiuviFlex LED UV-curable series, QiuviFood food-grade inks, FlexiBio compostable water-based inks, and QiuviLack varnishes), photopolymer printing forms (produced on the Cyrel 3000 line and XPS Crystal 5080 imager, with proprietary Flat Point/LUX and InRound Endless Sleeve technologies), and flatbed cutting dies (anchored by the January 2021 Hesse Stanzwerkzeuge GmbH integration). Supporting software and services include the Chespa Design Center (CDC) web-based project-approval platform, Chespa Repro Studio digital pre-press, code verification (Rea Scan Check 3, Rea MLV-2), and Chespa Academy training. Production is concentrated in Poland (Chorula and Poznań) and Germany (Alfeld via Hesse, Halle via Druckfarben Halle, Leipzig), with wholly-owned regional distribution entities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Austria, Ghana, and Mexico.

Chespa serves primarily large enterprise packaging and label converters, including Smurfit Kappa, Stora Enso Packaging, and Hanke Tissue, and self-describes as the main supplier to these customers across multiple plants worldwide. Its Kodak NX Certified Partner status (since 2016) and ISO 9001/14001/45001 certifications support qualification for multinational supply agreements. The go-to-market is a direct sales-led B2B model executed through 14 regional offices, supplemented by presence at major industry trade shows (Labelexpo Europe, DRUPA) and the Chespa Academy training program. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales of consumables (inks, plates, dies) with Chespa Design Center positioned as a subscription/recurring workflow service; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The group is family-controlled with no external PE/VC backing and a multi-subsidiary structure (Chespa Wykrojniki for dies, Chespa Klisze for plates, Chespa Farby Graficzne for inks, plus the regional Chespa CZ/SK/Transilvania/Austria/Flexosysteme/WA Ghana/Norte America entities). R&D activity is grant-supported through EU-funded projects targeting conductive polymers, InkJet ink technology, and renewable-raw-material inks at Chespa Farby Graficzne. The sustainability narrative is anchored in Carbon Neutral certified inks and photopolymer plates, TÜV NORD TREE 2023 certification, and FlexiBio compostable inks certified for cellulose-based packaging.

Name

Chespa

Legal name

Chespa Sp. z o.o.

Website

https://chespa.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Chespa Sp. z o.o. is a privately held Polish manufacturer of flexographic printing consumables—printing inks, photopolymer printing plates, and cutting dies—serving large multinational packaging and label converters across Europe, Africa, and Latin America through 14 wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flexographic Printing Supplies and Prepress Services

NAICS

Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910), Printing Ink Manufacturing (32591), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Printing Inks (IMAEAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prepress, Plate-Making & Artwork Services (IMALAKAM), Sustainable Labels, Adhesives & Inks (Wash-Off Labels, De-inkable Inks, Low-VOC) (IMALAMAJ), Finishing, Converting & Die-Cutting Services (IMALAKAN)

Keywords

• Flexographic printing inks
• Photopolymer printing plates
• Cutting dies
• Packaging printing supplies
• Flexographic prepress services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chorula

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Photopolymer Printing Forms: Manufacturing and sales of photopolymer printing plates (clichees) for flexographic printing, including corrugated board plates, flexible substrate plates, InRound sleeves, and special plates.
2. Printing Inks: Production and sale of various ink series including UV LED curable, water-based, flexographic, and specialty inks for packaging, labels, and industrial applications.
3. Cutting Dies: Manufacturing of cutting dies for solid and corrugated board packaging production.
4. Chespa Design Center Services: Online platform services for project communication and approval workflows.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chespa manufactures graphic paints (flexographic inks), printing forms (photopolymer printing plates/clichés), gaskets, rotary dies, special cliches, foam dies, and proofing systems for the packaging and labels industry. The company operates an integrated value chain from R&D and production of inks, plates, and dies through prepress services, web-based design tools, code verification equipment, and operator training, supplying industrial converters and label producers across Europe, Africa, and North America.

Product overview

Chespa is a comprehensive printing industry solutions provider offering a unified portfolio of three core product lines: Printing Inks (including QiuviFlex AC, QiuviFlex LED, QiuviFood ELM, FlexiEco, FlexiBio, and QiuviLack varnishes), Photopolymer Printing Forms (with technologies such as Chespa Elastic K, Chespa Uni Corr, Flat Point Technology/LUX, Crystal Technology, and Cyrel 3000 production capabilities), and Cutting Dies. Supporting services include Chespa Design Center (CDC) - a web-based project communication and approval platform, Chespa Repro Studio for digital file processing, Code Verifiers (Rea Scan) for quality control, and Chespa Academy for training. The company serves the packaging and labels industry with technologies spanning flexographic, UV LED, water-based, and food-grade ink systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chespa Design Center (CDC): Online communication platform enabling secure exchange between clients and production facilities for project approval workflows
• Chespa Repro Studio
• Academy Chespa
• Qiuvi
• Flexi
• Celio Lam

Products and services

• Flexographic Printing Inks
• Photopolymer Printing Forms (Clichés)
• Cutting Dies
• InRound Endless Sleeves
• Code Verifiers (Rea Scan Check 3, Rea MLV-2)
• Chespa Design Center (CDC)
• Chespa Repro Studio
• Chespa Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• 12% carbon footprint reduction using Carbon Neutral certified inks and photopolymer plates in packaging production
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and major.

• Hesse Stanzwerkzeuge GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Integration of cutting dies manufacturers as of January 2021. Hesse is a renowned producer of flatbed die cutting tools and related equipment for solid and corrugated board packaging producers. Founded in 1929, Hesse is a family company like Chespa. Both companies offer innovative solutions in the packaging industry.
• Kodak NXcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016Chespa is a Certified Partner of Kodak NX, meaning the entire production process of printing forms meets the highest quality standards at every stage, from image file generation through photopolymer treatment to thorough inspection of each form.
• Asahi KaseistrategicTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of AWP™-DEW water-based technology photopolymer plates used in sustainable packaging production. These Carbon Neutral certified plates have lower environmental impact.
• Smurfit KappamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term customer relationship with major international packaging corporation. Chespa products were used for award-winning packaging printed at Smurfit Kappa Poland.
• Stora Enso PackagingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term customer relationship. Chespa won EFIA Print Awards 2018 Gold and Silver for work printed by Stora Enso Packaging in Riga, Latvia.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• BOBST: BOBST is a leading global supplier of printing and converting equipment for the packaging industry. While Chespa supplies consumables (inks, plates, dies) and BOBST supplies capital equipment, they share the same flexographic packaging converter customer base and are complementary ecosystem players.

Direct peers

• Flint Group: Flint Group is a major supplier of printing inks and printing plates (including through its XSYS subsidiary) for the packaging industry. Chespa's combined ink and photopolymer plate offering directly overlaps with Flint Group/XSYS.
• Siegwerk: Siegwerk is one of the world's largest manufacturers of printing inks for packaging and labels, with a strong flexographic ink portfolio serving corrugated, label, and flexible packaging converters — directly comparable to Chespa's QiuviFlex and FlexiBio ink lines.
• XSYS (Flint Group): XSYS specializes in flexographic printing plates and sleeves, including nyloflex and FlexoNIKE — a direct competitive overlap with Chespa's photopolymer plates, InRound sleeves, and Crystal Technology offering.
• Marbach Group: Marbach is a leading European manufacturer of cutting dies, makeready tools, and stripping equipment for the packaging industry. Since Chespa's 2021 acquisition of Hesse Stanzwerkzeuge, Marbach is a direct peer in flatbed die cutting tools for corrugated and folding carton.
• Hubergroup: Hubergroup is a German-based global manufacturer of printing inks and coatings for packaging and commercial printing. Its flexographic and UV-curable ink lines are direct competitors to Chespa's QiuviFlex and QiuviLack product ranges.
• MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions (printing plates): MacDermid (now part of Element Solutions) supplies photopolymer printing plates for flexographic applications, directly competing with Chespa's photopolymer plate business in corrugated, label, and flexible packaging segments.
• DuPont Cyrel / Asahi Kasei FlexPlate: Asahi Kasei (which acquired DuPont's Cyrel flexo plate business) is the global leader in photopolymer printing plates, including solvent, thermal, and water-washable systems. Chespa uses Asahi Kasei AWP-DEW plates as a supplier, while also competing with their plates in the market.

Broad incumbents

• Sun Chemical: Sun Chemical is the world's largest producer of printing inks and pigments, with deep coverage across flexo, gravure, and offset packaging inks. As a much larger incumbent, it competes head-to-head with Chespa in flexo packaging inks but offers a much broader portfolio.
• Toyo Ink (Artience): Toyo Ink (now Artience) is a Japanese global manufacturer of printing inks, including flexo and gravure packaging inks, as well as photopolymer plates. As a larger diversified player, it competes with Chespa in flexographic consumables across EMEA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries14 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 Chespa