What LIFOCOLOR does

LIFOCOLOR (legal entity: Lifocolor Farben GmbH & Co. KG) is a privately held German manufacturer of custom color masterbatches, additive masterbatches, and compounds for the plastics converting industry, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Lichtenfels, Upper Franconia. The group operates four wholly-owned production sites in Lichtenfels and Straufhain (Germany), Izernore (France), Brno (Czech Republic), and Bydgoszcz (Poland), with approximately 270 employees and group-wide capacity of approximately 10,600 tonnes per year. Its core technology is the pre-dispersed monoconcentrate process that enables consistent color and additive quality across all four European sites, supporting a portfolio of custom masterbatches, the LIFOCOMP compound line, and named specialty ranges including LIFOLAS (laser marking and welding), LIFOPAL (light diffusion), LIFOSTAB/LIFOSTAT/LIFOSLIP (UV, antistatic, lubricant additives), LIFOCYCLE (recyclate-compatible), LIFOBIO (biopolymers), NIR-detectable blacks, and effect grades (Metal Look, Holographic, Brillantgold, VELVET PET).

The company serves plastics converters across cosmetics, packaging, food-contact, toys, automotive, sports and leisure, engineering polymers, and recycling/sustainability verticals, with approximately 6,000+ new color formulations developed annually across the group. The business model is fundamentally B2B quote-based, with direct enterprise sales from each production site, a network of regional sales partners in the Netherlands, Austria/Hungary, the Nordics, Italy, and Belgium, and supplementary distribution into Southern Europe, North Africa, Mexico, and China. Pricing is determined per customer specification under EXW Incoterms 2020, payment terms are 30 days net (with advance payment for new customers), and contracts can run multi-year. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company is held by its general partner Lifocolor Farben Verwaltungs-GmbH with managing directors Dirk Grolman and Dr. Martin Fabian, with no external private equity or venture capital investment evidenced.

Name

LIFOCOLOR

Legal name

Lifocolor Farben GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://lifocolor.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

LIFOCOLOR is a German-founded, family-held manufacturer of custom color and additive masterbatches and compounds for the plastics industry, operating four production sites across Germany, France, Czech Republic, and Poland with about 270 employees and serving converters in cosmetics, packaging, food-contact, automotive, toys, and recycling verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic Masterbatches

NAICS

Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Masterbatch Manufacturing (Color, Additive, White/Black) (IMANABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Color Masterbatches & Dispersions (IMAEAHAK)

Keywords

• Color masterbatches
• Plastic compounds
• Additive masterbatches
• Biopolymer colorants
• Recyclate solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Lichtenfels

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Color Masterbatches: Custom-formulated color masterbatches tailored to specific customer requirements for plastics coloring. B2B sales model with direct customer engagement and technical consultation.
2. Additive Masterbatches: Specialty additive masterbatches including UV stabilizers (LIFOSTAB), antistatic agents (LIFOSTAT), lubricants (LIFOSLIP), and laser marking solutions (LIFOLAS)
3. Compounds (LIFOCOMP): Homogeneous material compounds for injection molding processes ensuring perfect material uniformity
4. Standard Product Lines: Standard black and white masterbatches available from stock

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LIFOCOLOR manufactures custom color masterbatches, specialty additive masterbatches, and polymer compounds for the plastics processing industry. The company operates four production sites in Germany, France, Czech Republic, and Poland, delivering color, effect, and functional solutions for processors in cosmetics, packaging, food, toys, automotive, engineering polymers, sports, and recycling sectors.

Product overview

LIFOCOLOR is a manufacturer of custom color masterbatches, additive masterbatches, and compounds for the plastics industry, specializing in circular economy solutions. The product portfolio centers on Masterbatches (core color products) and Compounds (LIFOCOMP for injection molding homogeneity), supplemented by specialized additive product lines including LIFOSTAB (UV protection), LIFOSTAT (antistatic), LIFOSLIP (lubricants/anti-scratch), LIFOPAL (light diffusion), LIFORMANCE (high temperature), and LIFOLAS (laser marking/welding). Effect masterbatches include Metal Look, Holographic, Brillantgold (golden), and Granite/Stone imitation products. Sustainability-focused offerings include LIFOCOLOR BIO (biopolymers), LIFOCYCLE (recycling), and NIR-detectable masterbatches for automated sorting. The company also provides trend forecasting services through Shades of Inspiration, Shades of Beauty & Care, and Colour Road annual color collections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIFOCYCLE: Product portfolio supporting recycling processes and circular economy, including solutions for reused polymers and recyclate optimization.
• LIFOBIO / LIFOCOLOR BIO
• LIFOLAS M
• LIFOLAS W
• LIFOCOMP
• LIFOPAL
• LIFOSTAB
• LIFOSTAT
• LIFOSLIP
• LIFORMANCE
• LIFOPURE
• LIFOCOLOR BLACK & WHITE
• LIFOCOLOR EFFECTS
• LIFOCOLOR PURE BLACK
• VELVET PET

Products and services

• Masterbatches (Color Masterbatches) Custom-formulated color masterbatches for plastics processors, providing tailored color solutions across the full color spectrum for injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, and other plastics processing techniques.
• Compounds (LIFOCOMP) Custom polymer compounds for injection molding that ensure complete material homogeneity and uniform color distribution, eliminating color mixing issues during processing.
• LIFOCOLOR BIO / LIFOBIO Biopolymer Masterbatches Masterbatch solutions based on natural raw materials for biopolymers and biodegradable plastics, supporting circular economy applications and bio-based plastics coloration.
• LIFOCYCLE Recyclate Solutions Masterbatch solutions for recycled polymers, enabling optimal coloration of recycled materials while maintaining quality across multiple recycling cycles.
• NIR Detectable Masterbatches Black masterbatches detectable by near-infrared (NIR) technology, including variants on recyclate base, enabling automatic sorting of dark plastics in recycling facilities.
• VELVET PET Masterbatches PET masterbatches that deliver a soft-touch HDPE-like velvet haptic surface on PET bottles using the ISBM process, supporting mono-material packaging strategies.
• Metal Look Masterbatches Masterbatches delivering high-quality metallic visual effects to plastics without requiring galvanization, applied directly in the processing process.
• Holographic Masterbatches Masterbatches with specially coated glitter pigments producing opalescent, iridescent, and multi-dimensional effects in plastics under light exposure.
• Granite/Stone Effect Masterbatches Masterbatches imitating sandstone and granite textures for realistic stone-like appearance in plastic products.
• Brillantgold Effect Masterbatches Golden effect masterbatches designed for cosmetics and personal care packaging, providing a sparkling gold appearance.
• LIFOLAS M Laser Marking Masterbatches Masterbatches enabling contactless, permanent decorative and functional laser marking of plastics without ink or solvents, available for various polymers including PA and POM.
• LIFOLAS W Laser Welding Masterbatches Masterbatches enabling precise and reliable laser welding of plastics components.
• LIFOSTAB UV Protection Masterbatches UV protection masterbatches that protect plastics from sunlight radiation and weathering, extending product lifespan.
• LIFOSTAT Antistatic Masterbatches Antistatic masterbatches preventing static charge buildup in plastic products.
• LIFOSLIP Lubricant and Anti-Scratch Masterbatches Lubricant and anti-scratch masterbatch additives, including LIFOSLIP D 20/112 PP for scratch resistance in polypropylene applications.
• LIFOPAL Light-Diffusing Masterbatches Light-diffusing additive masterbatches for transparent polymers (SAN, PMMA, PC, PET) used in lighting and display applications.
• LIFORMANCE High Temperature Masterbatches High-temperature masterbatches for engineering polymers requiring thermal stability (ABS, PC, PA, PMMA, POM, PBT, SAN, ASA, PPS).
• LIFOCOLOR BLACK & WHITE Masterbatches (including PURE BLACK) Standard black and white masterbatch product lines, including PURE BLACK jet-black masterbatch, available from stock for various applications.
• LIFOCOLOR WHITE 60/MED PE (Pharmaceutical White Masterbatch) Special white masterbatch tailored for pharmaceutical industry needs, representing the most commonly used color in medical and pharmaceutical packaging.
• Shades of Inspiration Trend Service Annual trend color collection for plastics with curated color palettes by application segment, providing color forecasting and design inspiration for the plastics industry.
• Shades of Beauty & Care Trend Service Trend color collection specifically for cosmetics and personal care packaging applications, complementing the Shades of Inspiration service.
• Colour Road Trend Service Annual trend color series, including versions based on recycled materials (Colour Road 2023 on 100% recycled polypropylene), combining trend forecasting with sustainability demonstration.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduced by 40% per ton of masterbatch produced compared to 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pointner & RothschädlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner covering Austria and Hungary. Located at Urstein Süd Nr. 17, 5412 Puch/Salzburg. Provides local sales and support for Lifocolor products in these markets.
• Koppier B.V.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner covering Netherlands. Located in Vijfhuizen. Provides local sales and customer support for Lifocolor products in the Dutch market.
• Buratec OycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner covering Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Located at Mikkolantie 1 A, 00640 Helsinki, Finland. Provides regional sales coverage for Nordic markets.
• Ke.Sa Additives S.r.l.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner covering Italy. Located at Via Maja, 5bis, 21051 Arcisate (VA), Italy. Provides local sales and support for Italian market.
• The Masterbatch CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner covering Belgium. Located at Ankerrui 9, 2000 Antwerpen. Provides local sales coverage for Belgian market.
• Webhosting FrankenminorOthersWebsite hosting provider located in Bamberg/Bavaria. External hosting service for company website.
• CleverReachminorOthersNewsletter service provider for email marketing activities. Handles newsletter distribution and tracking.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sukano: Swiss specialty masterbatch producer focused on color and additive masterbatches for PET, PLA and biopolymers. Directly comparable in specialty/sustainability-aligned masterbatches for packaging converters.
• Plastika Kritis: Greek manufacturer of color and additive masterbatches and compounds for plastics, with pan-European distribution. Closely comparable in specialty masterbatch positioning and converter customer base.
• Gabriel-Chemie: Austrian-headquartered specialty masterbatch manufacturer producing color and additive masterbatches for plastics across Europe. Closely comparable in scale, product mix (color/additive/effect masterbatches) and European mid-market customer base.
• Tosaf: Israel-based custom color and additive masterbatch manufacturer with European operations. Comparable in specialty/additive masterbatch focus and B2B converter customer model.
• Avient (formerly PolyOne): Global specialty polymer and color masterbatch producer offering custom color and additive masterbatches for packaging, healthcare, and consumer goods. Directly comparable product offering with broader geographic reach and greater scale.

Regional players

• Plastiblends India: Indian masterbatch producer serving plastics converters in South Asia with color and additive masterbatches. Comparable in product category but does not directly compete in Europe; useful as a regional peer.

Broad incumbents

• Ampacet: One of the world's largest masterbatch producers with a broad color, additive and specialty masterbatch portfolio serving plastics converters globally. Larger-scale incumbent overlapping with Lifocolor in color and additive masterbatches.
• Cabot Corporation: Global specialty chemicals company with a strong carbon black and specialty black masterbatch franchise (e.g., PLASBLAK). Overlaps with Lifocolor's black masterbatch and additive offerings.
• BASF Color & Effects (now part of Heubach group): Legacy pigments and colorants business of BASF, now combined into Heubach, supplying pigments and color preparations to plastics, coatings and printing. Adjacent broader incumbent relevant to masterbatch color inputs.
• Heubach (formerly Clariant Pigments): Global pigments and colorants group with significant masterbatch operations following the Clariant pigments integration. Overlaps Lifocolor in pigments and color masterbatches but serves a broader industrial pigments market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LifocolorFarbplast

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 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 LIFOCOLOR