What Armor OWA does

Armor OWA (legal entity: OWA Solutions) is a France-based, privately-held industrial remanufacturer of printer consumables, headquartered in Nantes and operating as a division of the Altkin Group within the broader Armor Group. The company produces eco-designed, remanufactured toner cartridges (A4 and A3 formats) and ink cartridges covering office, home, label, large-format, and franking-machine printing, compatible with 50+ printer brands including HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Kyocera, Konica, Ricoh, Lexmark, and Xerox. Manufacturing is ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certified, with DecaBDE-free compliance to EU regulation, and the company reports over 30 years of remanufacturing expertise, a sub-0.04% product return rate, and 98% quality satisfaction across 445+ enterprise customers.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market: a France-wide network of 1,000+ resellers serves SMB and consumer demand, while a direct enterprise field-sales motion targets organizations managing fleets of more than 50 printers, offering Managed Print Services (MPS), material assessment, collection/recycling, and logistics/after-sales services under multi-year contracts. Revenue is generated through one-time consumables sales (compatible and remanufactured cartridges), refurbished printing-systems hardware sales, managed-services contracts, and professional collection/recycling services, with pricing positioned at roughly 30% below OEM alternatives. The company's commercial differentiation rests on cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, and sustainability positioning (double eco-labeling, eco-packaging) rather than technological novelty.

The company has historically been funded internally as part of the Armor/Altkin industrial groups and reports no external funding rounds. Recent strategic activity centers on product-line extension into professional inkjet (HP SecuReuse range launched July 2025; Brother-compatible inkjet cartridges in February 2025), content marketing around the circular economy, and continued buildout of the online services ecosystem (support portal, Collection Extranet, Altkin Connect). The addressable market is structurally pressured by declining office print volumes but supported by EU sustainability regulation and enterprise CSR procurement mandates, positioning OWA as a consolidation-resistant specialist in a mature category.

Name

Armor OWA

Legal name

OWA Solutions

Website

https://armor-owa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Armor OWA is a France-based remanufacturer of eco-designed printer toner and ink cartridges, plus refurbished printing systems, serving 445+ enterprise customers and 1,000+ French resellers under the Altkin Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Remanufactured Printer Consumables

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (323)

SIC

Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro primary industry

Managed Print Hardware (Fleet/Departmental Printers) (HDACAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial & Offset Printing (Sheetfed/Web) (MPAJALAB)

Keywords

• Remanufactured printer cartridges
• Compatible toner cartridges
• Managed print services
• Printer consumables
• Cartridge recycling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Compatible Cartridge Sales: Sale of compatible and remanufactured toner and ink cartridges for major printer brands (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Kyocera, Konica, Ricoh, Lexmark, Xerox). Covers A3, A4 formats, standard and professional inkjet, large format ink, and franking machine solutions. Revenue is generated through one-time purchase transactions via reseller network or direct sales.
2. Refurbished Printing Systems: Sale of refurbished printing systems, providing complete equipment solutions at reduced cost compared to new equipment.
3. Managed Print Services (MPS): Full-service MPS offering for enterprise customers managing printer fleets of 50+ units, including ongoing support, supplies, and fleet management.
4. Collection and Recycling Services: OWA Collection service for end-of-life printer cartridge recycling and material assessment, supporting circular economy and CSR objectives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Armor OWA (OWA Solutions) manufactures and sells eco-designed remanufactured toner and ink cartridges compatible with major printer brands (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Kyocera, Konica, Ricoh, Lexmark, Xerox), as well as refurbished printing systems and replacement drums. It complements these hardware products with Managed Print Services for fleets of 50+ printers, an OWA Collection cartridge-recycling program, material assessment, and logistics/after-sales services. The portfolio is sold primarily to enterprise and SMB customers via a 1,000+ reseller network across France and direct enterprise engagements.

Product overview

OWA (Our Way To Act) is an eco-responsible alternative for professional printing, offering a comprehensive portfolio of remanufactured consumables and services. The core product lineup includes toner cartridges (A4/A3 formats) and ink cartridges across multiple categories: office printing, home printing, label printing, large format printing, and franking printing. Additional offerings include refurbished printing systems and drums/spare parts. The service layer comprises Managed Print Services (MPS) for fleets exceeding 50 printers, the OWA Collection program for cartridge collection and recycling, Material Assessment services, and Logistics & After-Sales Services. The company emphasizes eco-designed products with double eco-labeling and 30% average savings compared to OEM cartridges, supported by ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certified manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OWA Collection: Collection and recycling service for printer cartridges
• OWA SecureUse
• OWA SecuReUse

Products and services

• Remanufactured Toner Cartridges (A4 and A3) Remanufactured OWA toner cartridges for A4 and A3 formats, designed for daily office printing with professional print quality and reduced cost per page, compatible with major printer brands.
• Remanufactured Ink Cartridges – Office Printing Remanufactured OWA ink cartridges intended for office printing applications.
• Remanufactured Ink Cartridges – Home Printing Remanufactured OWA ink cartridges designed for home printing needs.
• Remanufactured Ink Cartridges – Label Printing Remanufactured OWA ink cartridges for label printing applications.
• Remanufactured Ink Cartridges – Large Format Printing Remanufactured OWA ink cartridges for large format printing solutions.
• Remanufactured Ink Cartridges – Franking Printing Remanufactured OWA ink solutions for franking machines.
• Refurbished Printing Systems Fully refurbished printing systems providing an eco-responsible alternative to new printing equipment, sold at reduced capital cost.
• Drums and Spare Parts Replacement drums and spare parts for printer maintenance.
• Managed Print Services (MPS) Managed print services for fleet management of more than 50 printers, including ongoing support, supplies, optimization, and tailored multi-year contracts.
• OWA Collection (Cartridge Collection and Recycling) Collection and recycling service for end-of-life printer cartridges, supporting customers' circular economy and CSR objectives.
• Material Assessment Assessment services for material recovery and environmental impact evaluation of printer cartridges, supporting customer environmental reporting.
• Logistics and After-Sales Services Logistics support and after-sales services for enterprise customers managing printer fleets.
• HP SecuReuse Range with HP 963 XL Ink Cartridge Remanufactured inkjet cartridges with secure-use technology, including the HP 963 XL, providing HP-compatible professional printing consumables under the SecuReuse line.
• OWA Remanufactured Inkjet Cartridges – Brother Range Remanufactured inkjet cartridges compatible with Brother printers, part of OWA's expanding inkjet cartridge portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% average savings compared to OEM cartridge costs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• HPcoreTechnology or IntegrationHP logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with HP printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with HP devices, including HP SecuReuse range with HP 963 XL ink cartridge. HP branding appears in 'Works with' section.
• CanoncoreTechnology or IntegrationCanon logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with Canon printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with Canon devices.
• EpsoncoreTechnology or IntegrationEpson logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with Epson printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with Epson devices.
• BrothercoreTechnology or IntegrationBrother logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with Brother printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with Brother devices, including new remanufactured inkjet cartridges announced February 2025.
• KyoceracoreTechnology or IntegrationKyocera logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with Kyocera printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with Kyocera devices.
• KonicacoreTechnology or IntegrationKonica logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with Konica printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with Konica devices.
• RicohcoreTechnology or IntegrationRicoh logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with Ricoh printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with Ricoh devices.
• LexmarkcoreTechnology or IntegrationLexmark logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with Lexmark printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with Lexmark devices.
• XeroxcoreTechnology or IntegrationXerox logo displayed on OWA website indicating compatibility with Xerox printers. OWA produces remanufactured cartridges compatible with Xerox devices.
• Armor GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWA is part of the Armor Group. Armor Group is the parent company providing corporate branding, shared services, and strategic direction. Armor Group website link provided in footer.
• Altkin GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWA is part of the Altkin Group (Altkin Connect). Altkin Group is the strategic parent organization. OWA provides remanufactured cartridges as part of Altkin's CSR commitment through OWA Solutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Clover Imaging Group: Largest independent global remanufacturer of compatible toner and inkjet cartridges with multi-brand OEM compatibility (HP, Canon, Brother, etc.). OWA and Clover are directly comparable as B2B cartridge remanufacturers serving enterprise print fleets.
• Cartridge World: Global retail/franchise network specializing in remanufactured and compatible printer cartridges. Closely comparable to OWA on product (remanufactured cartridges across major OEM brands) and target end-customer (SMB and consumer), though with a different franchise-led distribution model versus OWA's reseller network.
• Katun: Global independent aftermarket imaging supplies provider offering remanufactured toner, ink, and parts for the major printer brands. Directly parallel to OWA in product offering, target customers (dealers and enterprise fleets), and multi-OEM compatibility.
• Imaging Spectrum: US-based independent remanufacturer of compatible laser toner and inkjet cartridges. Directly comparable to OWA's core business of producing remanufactured, multi-brand compatible consumables for the enterprise printer market.
• Static Control Components: Major aftermarket imaging components manufacturer (chips, drums, toners, cartridges) serving the remanufacturing industry. Directly comparable to OWA in aftermarket imaging consumables, with overlapping printer-brand compatibility.

Broad incumbents

• Lexmark: Enterprise-focused printer OEM with a strong A4/MPS position. Directly comparable to OWA's enterprise fleet target customer base and competes in the same consumables aftermarket, while OWA remanufactures Lexmark-compatible cartridges.
• Kyocera Document Solutions: Enterprise and A3 printer OEM; OWA lists Kyocera among its supported brands and produces reman Kyocera-compatible cartridges. Kyocera's ECOSYS/MPS focus overlaps with OWA's enterprise fleet target and consumables footprint.
• Ricoh: Global office printer and managed services OEM with a strong A3 enterprise position. OWA remanufactures Ricoh-compatible cartridges, making Ricoh a direct consumables competitor and compatibility partner in the same enterprise print space.
• Brother Industries: Printer and consumables OEM with a broad consumer and SMB/MFP portfolio. OWA manufactures reman inkjet cartridges for Brother devices (announced as a 2025 extension), so Brother is both a compatibility partner and a consumables competitor.
• HP Inc. Global market-leading printer OEM whose Officejet/LaserJet installed base drives OWA's largest cartridge reman opportunity. HP competes with OWA in the consumables space while simultaneously being the most-prominent compatibility partner in OWA's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

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 Armor OWA