What Chemanex does

Chemanex PLC is a Sri Lanka-based specialty chemicals distributor and manufacturer founded in 1969 and listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1974 under ticker CHMX.N0000. The company operates as a subsidiary of CIC Holdings PLC Group, a diversified conglomerate, and serves industrial manufacturers across five verticals: rubber processing, coatings, personal care, packaging, and food manufacturing. Its product portfolio centers on estate chemicals for rubber processing—including the proprietary Nexobleech advanced bleaching agent, Sodium Metabisulphite, Sodium Sulphite, Formic Acid (85%), Zinc Oxide (99.9%), and TMTD (a vulcanization accelerator)—which are critical inputs for premium-grade crepe rubber, ribbed smoked sheets, and centrifuged latex production.

Chemanex generates revenue through a B2B direct sales model, engaging manufacturing customers across Sri Lanka through dedicated product executives, product managers, and a field sales organization structured by industry vertical. The company employs between 51 and 100 people, operates from Colombo, and uses a quotation-based pricing model with multi-year contracts negotiated individually with customers. Its stated strategic vision is to evolve from a pure chemical distributor into a leading manufacturer and distributor of value-added specialty compounds and intermediates.

The company's go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-focused, with no digital channels, no public APIs, no disclosed AI capabilities, and no international geographic expansion. Its competitive positioning rests on five decades of brand recognition, the proprietary Nexobleech product, technical expertise in rubber processing chemistry, and the corporate backing of the CIC Holdings PLC Group. There are no disclosed acquisitions, funding rounds (public since 1974), recent product launches beyond the core estate chemicals portfolio, or leadership changes in the available data.

Name

Chemanex

Legal name

Chemanex PLC

Website

https://chemanex.lk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Chemanex PLC is a Sri Lanka-based specialty chemicals distributor and manufacturer, subsidiary of CIC Holdings PLC, serving industrial manufacturers across rubber, coatings, personal care, packaging, and food sectors with proprietary products like the Nexobleech bleaching agent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals Distribution

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (3259)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Commodity Organic Chemicals (Solvents & Intermediates) (IMAEAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ), C1 & Synthesis Gas Derivatives (Methanol, Formaldehyde, Acetic Acid) (IMAEADAC)

Keywords

• Specialty chemicals distribution
• Rubber processing chemicals
• Industrial intermediates
• Estate chemicals supply
• Manufacturing chemical inputs

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Specialty Chemicals Distribution: Distribution of specialty chemicals and industrial intermediates to manufacturers across rubber, coatings, personal care, packaging, and food manufacturing sectors. Revenue generated through product sales with established customer relationships.
2. Value-Added Specialty Compounds Manufacturing: Manufacturing and distribution of value-added specialty compounds and intermediates as part of the company's vision for product portfolio expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Chemanex PLC trades, imports, and locally produces specialty chemicals and industrial intermediates using foreign technology, supplying manufacturers in rubber, coatings, personal care, packaging, and food manufacturing sectors. Its portfolio includes proprietary products such as Nexobleech and bulk inputs like Sodium Metabisulphite, Formic Acid, Zinc Oxide, and TMTD that are critical to the production of premium-grade crepe rubber, ribbed smoked sheets, and centrifuged latex.

Product overview

Chemanex is a specialty chemical distributor serving multiple industries including rubber, coatings, personal care, packaging, and food manufacturing. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of specialty chemicals with its core product line focused on estate chemicals for rubber processing, including Nexobleech (advanced bleaching agent), Sodium Metabisulphite, Sodium Sulphite, Formic Acid (85%), Zinc Oxide (99.9%), and TMTD. These products are critical to the manufacture of premium-grade crepe rubber, ribbed smoked sheets, and centrifuged latex. The company operates as part of the CIC Holdings PLC Group and serves as a value-added distributor and manufacturer of specialty compounds and intermediates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nexobleech An advanced bleaching agent used in rubber processing to produce premium-grade crepe rubber, ribbed smoked sheets, and centrifuged latex; supplied to rubber manufacturers.
• Sodium Metabisulphite Specialty chemical used in rubber processing for bleaching and preservation of rubber products; supplied to rubber manufacturers.
• Sodium Sulphite Chemical agent used in rubber processing applications; supplied to rubber manufacturers.
• Formic Acid (85%) Specialty chemical at 85% concentration used in rubber processing; supplied to rubber manufacturers.
• Zinc Oxide (99.9%) High-purity (99.9%) zinc oxide used as a key chemical in rubber manufacturing; supplied to rubber manufacturers.
• TMTD Rubber processing chemical used as a vulcanization accelerator; supplied to rubber manufacturers.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 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.

• CIC Holdings PLC GroupcoreOthersParent company relationship where Chemanex PLC operates as part of the CIC Holdings PLC Group, providing corporate backing, synergies, and access to broader resources and capabilities within the Sri Lankan industrial sector.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Lanxess AG: German specialty chemicals company with a leading rubber chemicals portfolio; directly comparable in serving rubber processing customers with additives, accelerators, and bleaching chemistry that overlap Chemanex's estate chemicals offering.
• Univar Solutions: North American and global specialty chemical distributor with a portfolio spanning personal care, food ingredients, coatings, and industrial chemicals; comparable business model combining commodity distribution with formulation and value-add services.
• Eastman Chemical Company: Global specialty chemicals manufacturer with product lines serving rubber additives, coatings, personal care, and food ingredients; comparable as a multi-vertical specialty chemical player with downstream formulation and application expertise.
• BASF SE: World's largest chemical company with a broad specialty chemicals portfolio serving rubber, coatings, personal care, food, and packaging; competes with Chemanex at the upstream supplier level for raw materials and intermediates distributed into Sri Lanka.
• IMCD N.V. Global specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor with deep verticals in personal care, coatings, food, and industrial applications; closely comparable B2B distribution-plus-formulation business model with technical sales specialism.
• Brenntag SE: Global market leader in chemical distribution; comparable as a multi-vertical specialty chemical distributor serving manufacturing customers across rubber, coatings, personal care, food, and packaging end-markets with formulation and value-added services.

Direct peers

• Haycarb PLC: Sri Lanka-listed specialty chemical manufacturer producing activated carbon; comparable as a publicly listed Sri Lankan specialty chemicals company serving global industrial customers with chemical processing and value-added manufacturing capabilities.
• ICC Chemical Corporation: Specialty chemical distributor and trader serving industrial customers globally; comparable as a focused chemical distribution business dealing in commodity and specialty organic chemicals and intermediates with technical sales support.
• CIC Holdings PLC: Parent conglomerate of Chemanex PLC operating across diversified industries including chemicals, agriculture, and manufacturing in Sri Lanka; direct parent providing corporate backing, governance, and intra-group synergies that shape Chemanex's strategic direction.

Regional players

• Dipped Products PLC: Sri Lanka-listed rubber products manufacturer; comparable as a Sri Lankan peer in the rubber value chain that consumes specialty rubber processing chemicals — a key customer vertical for Chemanex's estate chemicals portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Chemanex-PLC-547714958619705
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yasui-lanka-pvt-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Chemanex