Kadus Professional
Kadus Professional is a German hair-care brand founded in 1906 and a subsidiary of Wella Company since 1974, manufacturing color, care, styling, and texture products distributed via wholesalers to independent salons and stylists across 35+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1906
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kadus Professional does
Kadus Professional is a German professional hair-care brand founded in 1906 by Ludwig Kegel in Neustadt, Germany, and has operated as a subsidiary of Wella Company (formerly the Wella Group) since 1974. The company manufactures and distributes products across four core categories — color, care, styling, and texture — formulated around proprietary technology platforms including Vitaflection Microspheres (color deposition), ProPlex and LightPlex (bond/lightening systems), and HydroProtect (moisture delivery). Its product range is positioned exclusively for the professional salon channel rather than direct consumer retail.
The business model is B2B wholesale distribution: products flow through wholesale distributors to independent hair salons and stylists rather than being sold directly to consumers. As of 2026 the brand operates dedicated storefronts for Germany, Romania, Poland, Spain, and Italy, alongside an "International" region, reflecting a presence in 35+ countries that traces back to a 1985 expansion. The company invests in stylist training through its "Learn It. Live It. Share It." education program, which has been running since 2013 and serves as the primary engagement and retention mechanism with end-users.
Kadus sits within a broader Wella Company portfolio that includes Wella, Nioxin, Sebastian, System Professional, and Clairol. Headcount is reported in the 51–100 range; no financial figures, revenue, or growth metrics are publicly disclosed. The brand has no visible AI/ML or digital-platform capabilities documented in the available data, with its differentiation grounded in heritage, chemical formulation, and salon-channel relationships rather than software or data assets.
Kadus Professional firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kadus Professional
- Legal name
- Kadus Professional
- Website
- https://kadusprofessional.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1906
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Kadus Professional is a German hair-care brand founded in 1906 and a subsidiary of Wella Company since 1974, manufacturing color, care, styling, and texture products distributed via wholesalers to independent salons and stylists across 35+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kadus Professional industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Hair Care Products
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional Hair Color (CRABALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments) (CRABALAB), Styling Products (Gels, Sprays, Mousses, Creams) (CRABABAC), Texturizers & Chemical Services (Relaxers, Perms, Keratin) (CRABABAF)
Keywords
Where Kadus Professional is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Kadus Professional business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Professional Hair Care Products: Kadus Professional generates revenue through selling professional hair care products (color, care, styling, texture) exclusively to hair salons and stylists via wholesale distribution channels.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kadus Professional product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kadus Professional manufactures and sells professional hair color, care, styling, and texture/perm products exclusively to licensed salons and stylists through authorized wholesale distributors. Its portfolio spans permanent and demi-permanent color, lighteners, shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, and perm/texture services, formulated with proprietary technologies such as Vitaflection Microspheres, ProPlex, LightPlex, HydroProtect, and Radiolux Micro-Ion. The brand also supports stylists with a dedicated education program and a salon-locator tool that channels demand to its distributor network.
Product overview
Kadus Professional is a professional salon hair care brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of Color, Care, Styling, and Texture products designed for independent hairstylists and salons. The Color line includes Demi-Permanent Ammonia-Free Color, Demi-Permanent Extra Coverage Color, Permanent Color, Color Tune Express Blonde Toner, True Blondes (blonding powder), and Lightplex (bond lightening system). The Care line features targeted solutions including C.a.l.m (scalp comfort), Toneplex (color boosting), Color Radiance (color protection), Impressive Volume (volume boost), Specialist (in-salon services), Velvet Oil, Deep Moisture, Fiber Infusion, Visible Repair, and Scalp Collection. The Styling line offers Volume, Texture, Finish, and Men product categories with various styling formats. The Texture line provides Kadus Curl and Neutralizer for curls and waves. The brand emphasizes salon-exclusive distribution and education programs for hair professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kadus Professional Hair Color
- Kadus Professional Hair Lighteners / Lightening
- Kadus Professional Hair Care
- Kadus Professional Hair Styling
- Kadus Professional Texture / Perm Services
- Kadus Professional Stylist Education Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 97% less hair breakage with LightPlex bond lightening system
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kadus Professional
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kadus Professional technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Kadus Professional partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Wella CompanycoreIn 1974, Kadus became part of the Wella group, enabling rapid international expansion. Kadus now operates alongside other professional hair care brands including Londa Professional, Nioxin, Sassoon Professional, System Professional, Sebastian Professional, and Wedo. The Wella Company umbrella provides shared resources, distribution infrastructure, and brand ecosystem for Kadus Professional.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kadus Professional competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Redken: L'Oréal-owned professional brand offering color (Shades EQ), care, and styling to salons worldwide. Competes with Kadus across the same categories with significantly larger global presence and marketing budget.
- Matrix (Matrix Professional): L'Oréal-owned professional hair care brand offering comprehensive color, care, and styling. Competes with Kadus in the mid-tier professional segment, particularly in salons seeking accessible price points.
- L'Oréal Professionnel: L'Oréal's professional hair care division offering color (Inoa, Majirel), care, and styling to salons globally. Larger scale and broader portfolio, but overlapping customer base and product categories make it a primary incumbent competitor.
Direct peers
- Wella Professionals: Flagship professional hair color and care brand within the Wella Company umbrella. Directly comparable in target customer (salon professionals), product categories (color, care, styling), and distribution model.
- Schwarzkopf Professional: Henkel-owned professional hair care brand offering salon color, care, and styling. One of the largest global professional beauty brands, competing head-to-head with Kadus in the independent salon channel.
- Londa Professional: Sister brand under Wella Company, also serving professional salons with hair color, care, and styling products. Most directly comparable peer given shared parent, similar channel, and overlapping category coverage.
- Keune Haircosmetics: Dutch family-owned professional hair care manufacturer offering color, care, and styling to independent salons globally. Highly comparable in heritage, independent-salon focus, and B2B wholesale distribution model.
- Goldwell: Kao-owned professional hair color and care brand serving stylists globally. Strong in color technology (Elumen, Colorance) and competes directly with Kadus's Vitaflection-based color portfolio in independent salons.
- Sebastian Professional: Sister brand under Wella Company focused on styling and creative expression. Comparable in professional channel and styling category, though more creative/styling-led versus Kadus's color-and-care emphasis.
Emerging players
- Olaplex: Bond-building hair care brand that built a multi-hundred-million-dollar business around proprietary bond technology (similar positioning to Kadus's ProPlex). Comparable in technology-led differentiation but with broader retail penetration and stronger consumer brand.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kadus Professional social profiles
Digital presenceKadus Professional financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kadus Professional leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kadus Professional funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kadus Professional 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 Kadus Professional
What does Kadus Professional do?
Kadus Professional manufactures and sells professional hair color, care, styling, and texture/perm products exclusively to licensed salons and stylists through authorized wholesale distributors. Its portfolio spans permanent and demi-permanent color, lighteners, shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, and perm/texture services, formulated with proprietary technologies such as Vitaflection Microspheres, ProPlex, LightPlex, HydroProtect, and Radiolux Micro-Ion. The brand also supports stylists with a dedicated education program and a salon-locator tool that channels demand to its distributor network.
Is Kadus Professional a public or private company?
Kadus Professional is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Kadus Professional founded?
Kadus Professional was founded in 1906. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kadus Professional based?
Kadus Professional is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kadus Professional make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Hair Care Products.
Who are Kadus Professional's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Redken, Matrix (Matrix Professional) and L'Oréal Professionnel. Direct peers are Wella Professionals, Schwarzkopf Professional, Londa Professional, Keune Haircosmetics, Goldwell and Sebastian Professional. Olaplex is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kadus Professional have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kadus Professional.
What industry is Kadus Professional in?
Kadus Professional's product category is Professional Hair Care Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABALAA, Professional Hair Color, with a secondary code of CRABALAB, Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments). Its SIC code is 2844.