Brenn-O-Kem
Brenn-O-Kem (Pty) Ltd., founded in 1968 in South Africa, processes winery byproducts (grape pomace and wine lees) into eight natural product lines including tartaric acid, grape alcohol, grape seed oil, and compost, serving wine, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agriculture, and distillery industries across South Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Brenn-O-Kem does
Brenn-O-Kem (Pty) Ltd. is a South African industrial processing company founded in 1968 that transforms winery byproducts — primarily grape pomace and wine lees sourced from Western Cape wine producers — into eight commercial product lines: grape alcohol, unrefined grape seed oil, liquid tartaric acid (LTA500), natural tartaric acid, cream of tartar, grape seed extract, farm feed, and compost. The company operates two production facilities: a headquarters and processing plant in Wolseley (on the historic Waverley blanket factory site) and a dedicated wine lees plant in Worcester. Core technical capabilities include distillation, mechanical pressing, separation, and tartaric acid recovery, supplemented by the Vinaqua wastewater treatment joint venture with Heineken (operational since 2022), which uses anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, and reverse osmosis to capture methane for renewable energy and recycle water.
The company's business model is sales-led B2B industrial processing with two revenue streams: (1) sale of derived products to wineries, distilleries, refineries, food manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, cosmetics producers, and agricultural buyers; and (2) byproduct collection services (grape pomace and wine lees pick-up, transport, and processing) for which wineries are remunerated for residual materials. The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales with no public pricing. Byproduct collection is performed under a Waste Management Licence under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, and the company's services help wineries meet IPW environmental sustainability requirements. In 2023-2024, the company completed a ~50% expansion of LTA500 production capacity, commissioned a new R&D laboratory, and operates the registered Oxiprovin antioxidant supplement brand.
Brenn-O-Kem firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brenn-O-Kem
- Legal name
- Brenn-O-Kem (Pty) Ltd.
- Website
- https://brennokem.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brenn-O-Kem (Pty) Ltd., founded in 1968 in South Africa, processes winery byproducts (grape pomace and wine lees) into eight natural product lines including tartaric acid, grape alcohol, grape seed oil, and compost, serving wine, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agriculture, and distillery industries across South Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brenn-O-Kem industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Winery Byproduct Processing
- NAICS
- Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Wineries (31213), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sake, Soju & Other Asian Alcoholic Beverages Producers & Brands (CRADAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Alcohol-Free & Low-Alcohol Beer/Wine/Spirits Production (AFAFAAAJ), Beverage Import/Export & Cross-Border Wholesale (AFAIAGAL), Soft Drink & Carbonated Beverage Syrups (AFAFAGAA)
Keywords
Where Brenn-O-Kem is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Brenn-O-Kem business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Byproduct Processing Products: Transforms winery byproducts (grape pomace and wine lees) into premium natural products including grape alcohol, grape seed oil, liquid tartaric acid, cream of tartar, tartaric acid, grape seed extract, compost, and farm feed. Products are sold to various industries including wine, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and agriculture.
- Byproduct Collection Services: Provides removal, transport, storage, and processing services for winery residuals. Wineries are remunerated for residual materials and benefit from responsible reuse in accordance with legislative and IPW requirements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Brenn-O-Kem product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brenn-O-Kem is a South African industrial processing company that transforms winery byproducts (grape pomace and wine lees) into premium natural products including grape alcohol, grape seed oil, liquid tartaric acid (LTA500), natural cream of tartar, natural tartaric acid, grape seed extract, compost, and farm feed. The company also provides licensed collection, transport, and processing services for winery residuals, helping wineries meet IPW and Waste Act compliance requirements. Its portfolio serves the wine, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, distillery, and agricultural industries.
Product overview
Brenn-O-Kem is a South African industrial processing company founded in 1968 that transforms winery byproducts (grape pomace and wine lees) into premium natural products. The company operates as a single unified processing operation with multiple product lines: Grape Alcohol (distilled from pomace and lees for distilleries), Unrefined Grape Seed Oil (mechanically pressed), Liquid Tartaric Acid LTA500 (500g/L solution for wine acidity), Natural Cream of Tartar and Natural Tartaric Acid (potassium bitartrate derivatives), Grape Seed Extract (for Oxiprovin supplements), Farm Feed (livestock nutrition), and Compost (soil enhancement). Services include Grape Pomace Processing, Wine Lees Processing, and Vinaqua wastewater treatment in partnership with Heineken. Processing methods include controlled recovery, distillation, pressing, and separation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vinaqua: An advanced wastewater treatment plant utilizing a combination of anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, and reverse osmosis to treat and repurpose wastewater. A collaborative project between Brennokem and Heineken.
- Oxiprovin
Products and services
- Grape Alcohol Distilled grape alcohol produced from grape pomace (skins, pulp, seeds) and wine lees (sediment containing spent yeast, tartrates, and alcohol). Sold to distilleries for liquor products and reintroduced into the winemaking process for fortified wines.
- Unrefined Grape Seed Oil Oil extracted by mechanical pressing of dried grape seeds, preserving essential nutrients and antioxidants including vitamin E and proanthocyanidins, with high levels of unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid. Sold to refineries for culinary, cosmetics, and industrial applications.
- Liquid Tartaric Acid (LTA500) High-quality liquid tartaric acid solution containing 500 grams of natural tartaric acid per liter, developed for the wine industry to provide precise acidity control for grapes and must, ensuring balanced flavor profiles and optimal wine quality.
- Natural Cream of Tartar
- Natural Tartaric Acid
- Grape Seed Extract
- Farm Feed
- Compost
- Grape Pomace Processing
- Wine Lees Processing
- Vinaqua Wastewater Treatment Advanced wastewater treatment plant utilizing anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, and reverse osmosis to treat and repurpose wastewater. Captures methane for renewable energy and produces recycled water, with the goal of making Brenn-O-Kem and Heineken net producers of water. Fully operational since the 2022 harvest season.
Companies that use Brenn-O-Kem
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Brenn-O-Kem technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Brenn-O-Kem partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Laerskool Worcester-OosminorCommunity partnership where Brenn-O-Kem provided generous sponsorship for the school's golf day fundraising event. The sponsorship helped cover event costs, allowing all proceeds to go toward the school's projects.
- HeinekencoreCollaborative partnership on Vinaqua, an advanced wastewater treatment plant utilizing anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, and reverse osmosis. The plant processes wastewater from both Brennokem and Heineken, captures methane for renewable energy, and aims to make both companies net producers of water. Vinaqua has been fully operational since the 2022 harvest season.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Brenn-O-Kem competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tarac Technologies: Australian winery byproduct processor that produces grape alcohol, tartaric acid, cream of tartar, and grape seed oil from wine lees and grape pomace. Most directly comparable peer in business model and product mix to Brenn-O-Kem.
- Derivados Vínicos: Spanish winery byproduct processor producing tartaric acid, ethanol, and grape seed oil from wine industry residuals. Comparable vertically integrated waste-to-value operator serving the European wine industry.
Broad incumbents
- Vason Group: Italian supplier of oenological products, including fermentation aids, tannins, and stabilization ingredients. Comparable in supplying wine industry processing inputs and specialty ingredients.
- Laffort: French-founded global supplier of winemaking ingredients, tannins, enzymes, and tartaric acid products. Comparable in supplying both the winemaking process and industrial downstream applications.
- DSM-Firmenich: Global nutrition, health, and beauty ingredient supplier producing specialty ingredients for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and personal care end markets. Comparable as a diversified specialty ingredient manufacturer with global reach.
- Erbslöh Geisenheim: German wine industry supplier of oenological preparations, tannins, enzymes, and processing aids. Particularly relevant given Brenn-O-Kem's German industrial heritage through the original Benckiser ownership.
- Kerry Group: Global taste and nutrition company supplying food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries with specialty ingredients. Comparable as a multi-vertical industrial ingredient supplier serving downstream food and pharma customers.
- Enartis (Esseco Group): Italian wine industry supplier of oenological products, including tartaric acid, fermentation nutrients, and stabilization products. Comparable in supplying wineries with specialty processing ingredients.
- AEB Group: Italian-headquartered global supplier of oenological ingredients, fermentation products, and processing aids for the wine and beverage industry. Comparable in serving wineries with industrial ingredient and processing solutions.
Emerging players
- Citrosuco: Brazilian-based global citrus processor that converts orange juice byproducts into essential oils, pulp, and animal feed. Comparable industrial agricultural byproduct processor applying circular-economy principles to a different commodity stream.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Brenn-O-Kem social profiles
Digital presenceBrenn-O-Kem compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Brenn-O-Kem financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brenn-O-Kem leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Brenn-O-Kem subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Brenn-O-Kem funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brenn-O-Kem M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brenn-O-Kem
What does Brenn-O-Kem do?
Brenn-O-Kem is a South African industrial processing company that transforms winery byproducts (grape pomace and wine lees) into premium natural products including grape alcohol, grape seed oil, liquid tartaric acid (LTA500), natural cream of tartar, natural tartaric acid, grape seed extract, compost, and farm feed. The company also provides licensed collection, transport, and processing services for winery residuals, helping wineries meet IPW and Waste Act compliance requirements. Its portfolio serves the wine, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, distillery, and agricultural industries.
Is Brenn-O-Kem a public or private company?
Brenn-O-Kem is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Brenn-O-Kem founded?
Brenn-O-Kem was founded in 1968. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brenn-O-Kem based?
Brenn-O-Kem is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Brenn-O-Kem make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Byproduct Processing Products are the primary driver. The others are byproduct Collection Services.
Who are Brenn-O-Kem's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tarac Technologies and Derivados Vínicos. Broad incumbents are Vason Group, Laffort, DSM-Firmenich, Erbslöh Geisenheim, Kerry Group, Enartis (Esseco Group) and AEB Group. Citrosuco is listed as an emerging player.
Does Brenn-O-Kem have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brenn-O-Kem.
What industry is Brenn-O-Kem in?
Brenn-O-Kem's product category is Winery Byproduct Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAF, Sake, Soju & Other Asian Alcoholic Beverages Producers & Brands, with a secondary code of AFAFAAAJ, Alcohol-Free & Low-Alcohol Beer/Wine/Spirits Production. Its NAICS code is 3121 and its SIC code is 2080.