What GLACON CHEMISTRY does

GLACONCHEMIE GmbH is a privately held German specialty chemical manufacturer founded in 2005 and headquartered in Merseburg, Saxony-Anhalt, in close proximity to the Leuna and Schkopau chemical parks. The company's core business is the sustainable processing of substandard glycerine — a low-value by-product of biodiesel transesterification — into high-purity pharmaceutical and technical glycerine using its proprietary KVT (Kanzler Verfahrenstechnik) physical separation process. The technology minimizes chemical input and enables near-complete raw-material utilization, recovering not only pharmaceutical-grade glycerine but also marketable co-products such as fatty acids, methanol (recycled into biodiesel production), and potassium sulphate (for fertilizer use).

The company sells a portfolio of branded products organized across four lines: GLYCAMED pharmaceutical glycerine (99.7% Kosher/Halal-certified, 99.7%, and 86.5% concentrations) and GLYCATEC technical glycerine for chemical and automotive applications; the GLYCASOL, GLYCAMAL, and GLYCAFUEL glycerine derivatives serving as bio-based solvents, carriers, and an oxidation inhibitor for biodiesel; base chemicals (fatty acids, methanol, potassium sulphate); and Custom Solutions R&D services for customer-specific glycerine derivatives. End-markets served include pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, chemical, and paint/varnish manufacturers, alongside biodiesel producers who supply the raw glycerine feedstock.

Commercially, GLACONCHEMIE operates a direct B2B field-sales model with quote-based, volume-negotiated pricing and delivers in multi-ton lots via road tankers, flexitanks, IBCs, and drums using multimodal transport (road, rail, sea). The business is supported by a comprehensive regulatory and quality infrastructure (DIN EN ISO 9001, DIN EN ISO 22000, European and US Pharmacopeia, FCC, Kosher, Halal, NON GMO, HACCP) that constitutes a meaningful barrier to entry in pharmaceutical-grade glycerine. KVT Process Technology is both the technology licensor and GLACONCHEMIE's main shareholder, with Managing Director Walter Kanzler leading a compact executive team.

Name

GLACON CHEMISTRY

Legal name

GLACONCHEMIE GmbH

Website

https://glaconchemie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

GLACONCHEMIE is a privately held German specialty chemicals manufacturer that converts biodiesel by-product glycerine into high-purity pharmaceutical and technical glycerine and glycerine derivatives, serving pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, chemical, and paint/varnish customers internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Industrial Chemicals (Biogenic Glycerine)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Alcohols & Glycols (Commodity Grade) (IMAEAAAK)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical glycerin production
• Biogenic glycerin manufacturing
• Glycerin derivative chemicals
• Biodiesel co-product processing
• Technical glycerin supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Merseburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biogenic Glycerin Sales: Sale of high-purity pharmaceutical and technical glycerine products (GLYCAMED 99.7, GLYCAMED 86.5, GLYCATEC) to pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, and chemical industries. Products delivered in various concentrations year-round, just-in-time, in multi-ton scale across national boundaries.
2. Glycerin Derivatives Sales: Sale of glycerin derivative products including GLYCASOL (Isopropylidene glycerine), GLYCAMAL (Glycerol formal), and GLYCAFUEL (Oxidation inhibitor) for various industrial applications in paints, inks, adhesives, pesticides, detergents, cosmetics, and biodiesel stabilization.
3. Base Chemicals Sales: Sale of co-products from glycerine processing including fatty acids, methanol (for biodiesel production recycling), and potassium sulfate (for agriculture/fertilizers).
4. Custom Solutions and R&D Services: Customized product development and R&D services to help customers increase value creation, create glycerine derivatives for specific applications, and substitute petroleum-based raw materials. Services include consulting, product development, quality management, quality assurance, and logistics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

GLACONCHEMIE manufactures and sells high-purity biogenic (vegetable-origin) pharmaceutical and technical glycerine products derived from co-products of biodiesel production. The portfolio includes GLYCAMED-branded pharmaceutical glycerine (99.7% Kosher/Halal, 99.7%, 86.5%), GLYCATEC technical glycerine, glycerine derivatives (GLYCASOL, GLYCAMAL, GLYCAFUEL), and recovered base chemicals (fatty acids, methanol, potassium sulfate). Products are supplied in multi-ton bulk and packaged form to pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, chemical, paint/varnish, and biodiesel-industry buyers across national boundaries.

Product overview

GLACONCHEMIE is a medium-sized chemical company specializing in sustainable processing of co-products from biodiesel production. The company produces a portfolio of high-purity biogenic glycerin products under the GLYCAMED brand (including GLYCAMED 99.7 Kosher, GLYCAMED 99.7, and GLYCAMED 86.5 variants) and technical glycerin under GLYCATEC. The product line extends to glycerin derivatives including GLYCASOL (Isopropylidene glycerin), GLYCAMAL (Glycerol formal), and GLYCAFUEL (oxidation inhibitor). Additionally, the company recovers and refines base chemicals (fatty acids, methanol, potassium sulphate) from the biodiesel production process. Custom Solutions services provide R&D support for developing customer-specific glycerin derivatives. All products are derived from renewable vegetable raw materials such as rapeseed, sunflower, and soy, emphasizing Green Chemistry principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GLYCAMED: Pharmaceutical glycerin product line marketed by GLACONCHEMIE, including GLYCAMED 99.7% Kosher (Kosher and Halal certified), GLYCAMED 99.7%, and GLYCAMED 86.5% concentrations for pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industry applications.
• GLYCATEC
• GLYCASOL
• GLYCAMAL
• GLYCAFUEL

Products and services

• GLYCAMED 99.7 Kosher Pharmaceutical glycerin at 99.7% concentration, certified Kosher and Halal. Produced from pure vegetable raw materials for use in pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, and the food industry. Meets European Pharmacopeia, US Pharmacopeia, Food Chemicals Codex, Kosher, Halal, and NON GMO standards.
• GLYCAMED 99.7 Pharmaceutical glycerin at 99.7% concentration serving as a basic material for the production of crèmes, salves, and toothpaste, and used in the food industry (E 422) and pharmaceutical products. Produced from renewable vegetable raw materials.
• GLYCAMED 86.5 Pharmaceutical glycerin at 86.5% concentration. Required for various applications especially in the cosmetics industry, used in crèmes, salves, toothpaste, and as food additive E 422.
• GLYCATEC Technical glycerin (1,2,3-Propantriol) used in chemical and automotive industries as starting component for plastic production (alkyd resins), polyurethane foams, and as anti-freezing agent in motor cooling.
• GLYCASOL 2,3-O-Isopropylidene glycerin (Solketal), a monovalent primary alcohol with universal solvent properties. Used in paints, varnishes, printing inks, adhesives, pesticides, detergents, metal cleaners, and as ingredient in cosmetics, perfumes, and essences. Contains 68.2% biogenic material.
• GLYCAMAL Glycerol formal (Glycerinformal), a monovalent alcohol linked with cyclic ether group. Used as solvent in paints, printing inks, adhesives, pesticides, detergents, metal cleaners, and as carrier or enhancer for active ingredients in pharmaceuticals and veterinary products. Contains 86.6% biogenic material.
• GLYCAFUEL Innovative oxidation inhibitor that prevents oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in biodiesel, avoiding rancid odors, corrosion in motors, and clogging of nozzles and filters. Produced under license from inaCHEM GmbH.
• Base Chemicals (Fatty Acids, Potassium Sulfate, Methanol) Base chemicals recovered from biodiesel production by-products: fatty acids for esterification to biodiesel or secondary fuel, methanol for recycling into biodiesel production, and potassium sulphate for use as fertilizer in agriculture.
• Custom Solutions Research and development services to unlock the full potential of biogenic glycerin and create glycerine derivatives for specific customer applications, enabling substitution of petroleum-based raw materials. Includes consulting, product development, quality management, quality assurance, and logistics support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% vegetable-origin glycerine with NON GMO certification - no animal-derived or Used Cooking Oil derivatives
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KVT PROCESS TECHNOLOGYcoreTechnology or IntegrationKVT PROCESS TECHNOLOGY is GLACONCHEMIE's main shareholder and technology provider. They offer high-quality services and solutions for exhaust gas combustion and patented desulphurization units, as well as application-specific know-how for the production of secondary chemical products based on biogenic glycerines. The partnership enables GLACONCHEMIE to provide comprehensive services including planning, construction, and operation of suitable processing plants for biodiesel producers.

Scale indicators2 records

Direct peers

• Oleon: Belgian specialty oleochemical company (part of Avril Group) producing bio-based glycerine, fatty acids, and glycerol derivatives for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and industrial applications. Closest functional peer to GLACONCHEMIE given the comparable European specialty positioning, vegetable-origin feedstock strategy, and similar glycerine-and-derivatives product mix.
• Emery Oleochemicals: Malaysia-headquartered global oleochemical producer of natural-based glycerine, fatty acids, and derivatives from vegetable oil feedstocks. Directly comparable in terms of vegetable-origin glycerine refining and downstream derivatives portfolio serving the same end-markets as GLACONCHEMIE.
• IOI Oleo: Major Malaysian palm-oil-based glycerine and derivatives producer serving pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and industrial customers globally. Operates at much larger scale but in the same commodity-to-specialty glycerine value chain that GLACONCHEMIE competes in.
• Ecogreen Oleochemicals: Singapore-based oleochemical producer of natural glycerine, fatty alcohols, and derivatives for personal care, pharmaceutical, and industrial use. Directly comparable as an Asia-based vegetable-oil glycerine refiner competing in the same global glycerine supply pool as GLACONCHEMIE.
• KLK OLEO: Oleochemical division of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, producing glycerine and glycerol derivatives from palm and lauric oils. Comparable end-market focus and product range, although significantly larger in scale.

Broad incumbents

• Croda International plc: Global specialty chemicals leader with substantial pharmaceutical- and personal-care-grade glycerine and glycerine derivative offerings. While much larger and broader in scope, Croda competes directly with GLACONCHEMIE in pharmaceutical and cosmetic glycerine markets and serves as the upper bound on premium positioning.
• BASF: German-headquartered global chemical company manufacturing pharmaceutical and cosmetic excipients including glycerine, polyols, and glycerol derivatives. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same German and European industrial- and pharma-grade glycerine end-markets as GLACONCHEMIE.
• Cargill: Global agricultural commodity giant with significant crude and refined glycerine operations stemming from its vegetable oil and biodiesel businesses. While broader than GLACONCHEMIE, Cargill is both a major potential supplier and competitor in the European glycerine market.
• Wilmar International: One of the world's largest palm-oil processors with integrated glycerine production capacity. Competes with GLACONCHEMIE indirectly in commodity glycerine and adjacent in biodiesel-derived glycerine supply chains.

Regional players

• Spiga Nord: Italian specialty glycerine refiner producing pharma- and tech-grade glycerine largely for European buyers. Closest European regional competitor to GLACONCHEMIE given similar size, vegetable-origin sourcing, and pharma-grade product positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 GLACON CHEMISTRY