Christen Galvano

What Christen Galvano does

Christen Galvano SA is a Swiss private chemical manufacturing and electroplating solutions provider founded in 1994 in Biel and now headquartered in Prêles. The company specializes in consulting, engineering, and the sale of electroplating products and turnkey surface treatment installations, serving primarily the Swiss watch, jewelry, connector, medical, and anodizing industries. Its core offering combines in-house manufactured equipment — galvanic lines, control cabinets, high-frequency switching rectifiers, pumps, filtration, and water treatment systems — with a full range of precious and base metal electroplating chemical baths sourced through agency agreements with Umicore, RIAG, plating electronic, and Siebec.

The company operates a vertically integrated model in which metalworking, plastic fabrication, electronics, electrical engineering, chemistry, and laboratory functions are performed internally under a single technical office. Approximately 10 employees serve a customer base of more than 550 clients across 123 completed installations, with capabilities spanning project consulting, retrofit, laboratory bath analysis, and process development. Recent strategic activity has focused on internalizing previously outsourced capabilities, including the 2020 acquisition of a metalworking shop in Diesse and the 2024 acquisition of a machine park and premises in Cornaux for tank manufacturing, alongside the 2025 launch of a programmable automated agitator.

Christen Galvano generates revenue primarily through one-time equipment sales and installation contracts, supplemented by recurring chemical bath supply, professional services (consulting, maintenance, retrofit), and second-hand equipment sales. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company distributes exclusively within Switzerland through direct sales from its Prêles headquarters and holds official Romandie (Western Switzerland) representation rights for Umicore and RIAG chemical products. It carries ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, Swiss Label, and Entreprise Citoyenne certifications, and is affiliated with the AFTS supplier association.

Name

Christen Galvano

Legal name

Christen Galvano SA

Website

https://christen-galvano.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Christen Galvano SA is a Swiss electroplating solutions provider founded in 1994, offering turnkey galvanic lines, in-house manufactured equipment, and precious/base metal chemical baths primarily to Swiss watch, jewelry, connector, and medical surface treatment customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electroplating Equipment and Surface Treatment

NAICS

Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813), Power, Distribution, and Specialty Transformer Manufacturing (335311), Wiring Device Manufacturing (33593)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677)

akta.pro primary industry

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Filtration, Treatment & Softening Plumbing Products (IMADALAK)

Keywords

• Electroplating equipment
• Galvanic lines
• Surface treatment chemistry
• Water treatment systems
• Rectifier manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Prêles

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electroplating equipment and installations: Sale and installation of complete galvanic/plating lines, control cabinets, rectifiers, pumps, filters, and accessories. The company manufactures and assembles all systems internally under technical office supervision.
2. Chemical products and baths: Sale of full range of electroplating chemicals including degreasing, electrolytic baths for base and precious metals, chemical nickel, gold, rhodium, palladium, platinum, ruthenium, copper and silver baths.
3. Consulting and maintenance services: Professional services including consulting chemistry and installation, project follow-up, process development, training, installation maintenance, troubleshooting, and retrofit services.
4. Second-hand equipment: Sale of used electroplating equipment from stock, including aspirators, polishing lathes, cascade tanks, racks, tanks, and ultrasonic tanks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Christen Galvano SA designs, manufactures, and installs turnkey electroplating (galvanic) lines and supplies the chemicals and accessories used in them. The company provides complete surface treatment solutions—from engineering and control cabinets to rectifiers, pumps, water treatment stations, and chemical baths (gold, nickel, rhodium, copper, silver, etc.)—for industries such as watchmaking, jewelry, connectors, medical, and anodizing. It also offers consulting, retrofit, maintenance, and laboratory services.

Product overview

Christen Galvano SA is a specialized electroplating solutions provider offering an integrated portfolio of products and services for surface treatment. The company provides turnkey galvanic installations from engineering to production, combining in-house manufacturing capabilities with chemical products. The core offerings include: (1) Engineering and Production of Galvanic Lines for manual and automatic processing, (2) Water Treatment Stations for industrial water purification and recycling, (3) Control Cabinets and Rectifiers for process automation, (4) Pumps and Filtration Equipment for chemical handling, (5) Chemical Products including specialized baths for gold, nickel, rhodium, palladium, platinum, silver and copper plating, and (6) Supplies such as heaters, anodes and accessories. The company also offers Retrofit Services for upgrading existing installations, Laboratory Services for bath analysis and process development, and Second-hand Equipment. The latest addition is a Latest-Generation Agitator launched in 2025, featuring programmable parameters and integration with plating electronic rectifiers. All offerings comply with RoHS and REACH regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Treatment Stations Complete water treatment stations for industrial and residential use, including water softeners, reverse osmosis, ion exchangers, detoxification/neutralization, filtration, UV irradiation, and plastic construction. Designed for plating workshops and private residences.
• Engineering and Production of Galvanic Lines Study, development, and design of manual or automatic galvanic lines for chemical and electrolytic treatments, covering connectors, aluminum anodizing, jewelry, and chemical nickel plating.
• Control Cabinets Customized control boxes and cabinets for galvanic installations, including boards, tabletop controllers, and complete control systems.
• Rectifiers Air-cooled and water-cooled rectifiers for electroplating using high-frequency switching technology, including DC rectifiers and Pulse-Reverse power supplies for automated processing lines.
• Pumps, Filtration and Metering Range of pumps for recovery of precious metals, magnetic-drive stirring of chemicals, filtration, application, and pneumatic diaphragm transfer.
• Supplies and Accessories Full range of supplies including heaters, anodes, anode bags, temperature probes, level sensors, heat exchangers, racks, and filter cartridges.
• Chemical Products (Electroplating Baths) Complete range of electroplating chemicals, including degreasing baths, electrolytic baths, activation/neutralization products, and baths for chemical nickel, gold, rhodium, palladium, platinum, ruthenium, copper, silver, and passivation, sourced from Umicore and RIAG.
• Second-hand Equipment Pre-owned electroplating equipment available from stock, including polishing machines, cascade tanks, racks, ultrasonic tanks, rectifiers, and accessories.
• Retrofit Services Upgrade services for galvanic and electrical equipment: adding safety systems, adapting new technology to legacy installations, and demolishing old plants.
• Laboratory Services Bath analysis, process development, and deposition method development performed in collaboration with clients.
• Consulting and Maintenance Installation maintenance, troubleshooting, equipment improvement, chemistry consulting, process development, and training.
• Latest-Generation Automated Agitator Automated agitator for electroplating processes that performs rotations, direction changes, vibrations, and shakes; configurable per program, integrates with plating electronic rectifiers and semi-automatic lines via a control PC.
• Rhodium Plating Line for High-End Jewelry Custom rhodium-plating line installed for a high-end jewelry workshop, leveraging the company's turnkey engineering, chemical, and equipment capabilities.

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• RIAG Oberflächentechnik AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationDriven and leading system supplier for electroless nickel plating. Located in Wängi, Switzerland. Christen Galvano serves as official representative for Western Switzerland.
• Umicore Galvanotechnik GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationElectroplating and thin film products supplier. Located in Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany. Christen Galvano offers their full range of products including gold, silver, nickel, and other metal plating solutions.
• plating electronic GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationDC rectifiers and Pulse-Reverse power supplies manufacturer. Located in Sexau, Germany. Christen Galvano serves as official representative for Switzerland.
• Siebec SASsupportingTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial filters and pumps manufacturer. Located in Saint Egrève, France. Christen Galvano represents their products in Switzerland.
• Racks Concepts SàrlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign and production of baskets, racks and fixtures for electroplating. Located in Nods, Switzerland. Strategic partnership enabling Christen Galvano to offer complete chemical solutions for galvanic plating and cleaning. Joint participation at EPHJ 2019 trade show.
• Galvabau AGsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSurface treatment specialist. Located in Hergiswil, Switzerland.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Atotech (Element Solutions Inc.): Global leader in surface-finishing chemistry and equipment, now part of Element Solutions. Competes with Christen Galvano across most end markets but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions: Major electronics-focused surface finishing chemistry and equipment supplier under Element Solutions. Overlaps with Christen Galvano in connector and decorative plating, with significantly larger global reach.

Direct peers

• Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter GmbH & Co. KG: German electroplating chemicals and equipment specialist with a long history in decorative and functional plating. Closely comparable to Christen Galvano in European heritage, precious-metal chemistry depth and integrated line delivery.
• Technic Inc. US-headquartered electroplating equipment and chemicals manufacturer serving electronics, industrial finishing and decorative markets. Directly comparable as an integrated chemistry-plus-equipment turnkey provider with similar specialty precious-metal focus.
• Uyemura International: Global supplier of plating chemistry and equipment for electronics and decorative finishing. Comparable in combining proprietary chemistry with rectifier/process technology across multiple industries.
• Coventya: European-headquartered electroplating chemistry specialist serving decorative, functional and electronics finishing. Comparable in product scope and customer base in industrial surface treatment.
• Galvatek Oy: Finnish surface treatment equipment manufacturer specializing in plating lines and process solutions. Closely comparable as a niche European turnkey surface-treatment equipment integrator.
• Kiesow Oberflächenchemie: German surface-treatment chemicals and process technology provider. Comparable as a regional European specialty chemistry/equipment player serving industrial finishers.

Emerging players

• plating electronic GmbH: German manufacturer of DC rectifiers and pulse-reverse power supplies for electroplating. Comparable as a specialty equipment provider whose products Christen Galvano integrates and represents in Switzerland.
• RENA Technologies GmbH: German manufacturer of wet-chemical processing equipment (cleaning, etching, plating) for solar, semiconductor and industrial markets. Comparable as a specialized wet-process equipment maker with growing industrial exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Christen Galvano