ARDEX

What ARDEX does

ARDEX is a privately held French small and medium-sized enterprise founded in 1997 in Lavilledieu, Ardèche, that manufactures custom plant extracts and selected proprietary ingredients for B2B customers. The company produces more than 2,600 liquid plant extract formulations using traditional cold or hot maceration across a range of solvent systems including glycerin, oil, hydroalcoholic, glycolic, hydroglycolic, and hydrobutylic extracts, with an internal laboratory for physico-chemical and microbiological quality control. Its commercial portfolio comprises three lines: a custom extract manufacturing service (Extraits végétaux à la demande / Custom Plant Extracts), a flagship white birch bark oil macerate dosed in betulin and lupeol actives, and a certified-organic palm-oil-free vegetable glycerin sourced from flax, soy, or rapeseed.

ARDEX serves four end markets — cosmetics (its historical core), food/agroalimentaire, e-liquids, and nutraceuticals — through quote-based direct sales with sample requests handled via a website contact form. The company operates from a single headquarters in Lavilledieu, holds ECOCERT and COSMOS certifications for bio-cosmetics and AB (Agriculture Biologique) certification for organic food applications, and is a member of Association Authentic Provence. Revenue is generated through customized contract manufacturing orders of varying quantity with no public pricing catalog, accompanied by branded ingredient sales. Distribution is direct B2B, primarily domestic (France), with no announced export program and no disclosed funding, M&A, or leadership changes in the source material.

Name

ARDEX

Legal name

ARDEX

Website

https://ardextrait.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ARDEX is a French SME founded in 1997 in Lavilledieu, Ardèche, that manufactures custom plant extracts and a proprietary white birch macerate plus organic vegetable glycerin for B2B cosmetics, food, e-liquid, and nutraceutical manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Extracts & Cosmetic Ingredients

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAJAKAD

Botanical & Herbal Extracts (Adaptogens, Polyphenols, Essential Oils, Standardized Extracts)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Nutraceutical & Functional Ingredients (Vitamins, Minerals, Omega-3s, Botanicals)

SECONDARYAFAJADAB

Natural Extracts & Essential Oils (Botanical/Citrus/Herb/Spice Extracts)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Flavors & Flavor Enhancers (Natural/Artificial Flavors, Umami Enhancers)

SECONDARYAFAJALAC

High-Oleic & Specialty Oilseed Oils

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Fats & Oils Ingredients (Edible Oils, Specialty Fats, Lipid Systems)

SECONDARYCRADAGAD

Herbal & Botanical Supplements

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/Vitamins, Supplements & Sports Nutrition

Keywords

• Plant extracts
• Cosmetic ingredients
• Botanical extracts
• Organic glycerin
• Custom extracts

Headquarters

HQ city

Lavilledieu

HQ country

France

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Plant Extracts Manufacturing: ARDEX generates revenue through custom manufacturing of plant extracts on demand. They produce over 2,600 different liquid plant extracts using various solvents (glycerin, oil, alcohol, glycol, butylene glycol). Revenue comes from both small and large quantity orders, serving cosmetics, food, e-liquids, and nutraceutical industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ARDEX manufactures custom plant extracts on demand for B2B clients, offering over 2,600 liquid extract formulations using glycerin, oil, alcohol, glycol, or butylene glycol solvents via cold or hot maceration. The company's proprietary offerings include a white birch outer bark oil macerate dosed in betulin and lupeol, and certified organic palm-free vegetable glycerin from flax, soy, or rapeseed. It serves cosmetics, food, e-liquid, and nutraceutical industries with ECOCERT, COSMOS, and AB certifications.

Product overview

ARDEX operates as a contract manufacturing specialist offering custom plant extract production with a portfolio of over 2,600 extracts, complemented by two proprietary ingredient products: the white birch bark oil macerate (macérât de bouleau blanc) and certified organic vegetable glycerin (glycérine végétale BIO). The core offering revolves around bespoke extract manufacturing services using various solvent systems (glycerin, alcohol, glycol, oil) with cold or hot maceration methods, serving cosmetics, food, e-liquid, and nutraceutical markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Extraits végétaux à la demande (Custom Plant Extracts) Custom manufacturing of more than 2,600 liquid plant extract varieties produced using traditional cold or hot maceration methods, including glycerinated, hydroglycerinated, hydroalcoholic, glycolic, hydroglycolic, hydrobutylic, and oil macerate types. Available in conventional or certified organic formats, for B2B clients in cosmetics, food, e-liquids, and nutraceuticals.
• Macérât huileux d'écorce externe de bouleau blanc (White Birch Outer Bark Oil Macerate) Innovative proprietary cosmetic ingredient derived from white birch outer bark, containing dosed active triterpenic compounds (betulin and lupeol) with preventive anti-inflammatory effects and skin barrier strengthening properties for dry or damaged skin. Designed for B2B cosmetic formulators seeking innovative ingredients.
• Glycérine végétale BIO (Certified Organic Vegetable Glycerin) 100% natural-origin vegetable glycerin certified organic under ECOCERT, COSMOS, and AB standards. Palm oil-free, derived from linseed, soybean, or rapeseed, used as a humectant in cosmetic and food formulations. Targeted at B2B clients in cosmetics, food, e-liquid, and nutraceutical industries.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Association Authentic ProvenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARDEX is a member of Association Authentic Provence, which values Provençal know-how, innovation and heritage of actors in the cosmetic and food industry. The membership supports ARDEX's positioning as a regional company with strong ties to local plant producers and enables certification of numerous plant extracts as Authentic Provence.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Bio-Botanica: US-based manufacturer of botanical extracts serving cosmetics, personal care, and nutraceutical markets. Comparable in offering a broad extract catalog (2,500+ SKUs) with custom development capabilities, though serving a different geographic market.
• Lipoid Kosmetik: German-Swiss supplier of natural phospholipids and botanical extracts for cosmetics and personal care. Comparable in serving cosmetic formulators with plant-derived actives, with overlapping solvent-extraction product formats.
• Laboratoires Expanscience: French manufacturer specializing in plant-based actives (notably from avocado and other botanicals) for cosmetics and dermo-cosmetics. Comparable French-origin positioning with proprietary plant extraction IP and similar B2B cosmetic customer base.

Direct peers

• Provital Group: Spanish manufacturer of natural active ingredients and botanical extracts for the cosmetics industry. Comparable in producing plant-based actives for cosmetic formulators, though with a stronger focus on biotech/proprietary extracts.
• Solabia: French manufacturer of plant-based ingredients for cosmetics, nutrition, and health. Comparable to ARDEX in producing botanical extracts and vegetable glycerin for similar B2B customer bases, with a larger international footprint and product breadth.
• Robertet: French natural ingredients company producing plant extracts, essential oils, and aromatic raw materials for perfumery, cosmetics, and food. Directly comparable in custom plant extraction capabilities and French/Provençal sourcing heritage.
• Alban Muller International: French manufacturer of natural plant extracts, vegetable oils, and botanical actives for the cosmetics industry. Closely mirrors ARDEX's custom plant extract model, with comparable custom development capabilities and a focus on certified organic/eco-friendly ingredients.
• Gattefossé: French specialty ingredient manufacturer founded in Lyon, developing plant-based actives and lipid excipients for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Directly comparable to ARDEX as a French SME-to-mid-cap supplier of botanical extracts serving the same cosmetics formulators.
• Seppic (Air Liquide): French specialty ingredient producer (part of Air Liquide Healthcare) offering plant-based extracts and excipients for cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Directly comparable in offering plant-derived functional ingredients, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Broad incumbents

• Givaudan Natural Ingredients (formerly Naturex): Global leader in flavors, fragrances, and natural ingredients, with its Natural Ingredients division rooted in French botanical extraction (Naturex). Broader incumbent serving the same cosmetics, food, and nutraceutical customers with vastly greater scale and global distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ardex

Compliance5 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 ARDEX