Armor

What Armor does

ARMOR s.r.o. is the Czech subsidiary of French industrial group ARMOR GROUP, headquartered in České Budějovice. Founded in 1922 in France as GALLEND & BROCHARD (with the ARMOR brand introduced in 1925) and established in the Czech Republic in 1997, the company is built around printing consumables and related industrial materials. Its core offerings include thermal transfer ribbons (marketed globally under the Inkanto brand, where ARMOR holds the world #1 position), alternative inkjet and toner cartridges (OWA and WECARE brands), industrial inks for decorative printing on glass/ceramics/wood/textiles, 3D printing filaments, flexible photovoltaic films (ASCA), and battery current collectors (En Safe). The group also operates in industrial marking applications — barcodes, expiration dates, batch tracking — serving product identification and traceability needs.

The underlying technology stack combines proprietary thermal transfer chemistry with end-to-end pigment development, manufacturing of renovated cartridges through the OWA circular-economy program (launched 2015, the first 100% recycling solution for printer cartridges), and HP chip reset technology developed at the Polish factory enabling refurbished HP+ compatible cartridges. Revenue mechanics are primarily unit-based consumables pricing (OWA positioned 30% below OEM), hardware sales for energy products (ASCA, En Safe), and managed print services for key accounts. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise customers and pay-as-you-go for SMB/reseller purchases via dedicated e-commerce platforms (armorshop.cz for resellers, owapoint.cz for end customers).

Go-to-market is multi-channel: broad office supplies dealer networks and IT dealer networks across Europe (the latter strengthened by the 2023 acquisition of Germany's THS Group), direct sales via Key Account Managers, and proprietary e-commerce. Manufacturing spans France, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, and Morocco, with 26 production and commercial branches across 18 countries. The combined ARMOR Print Solutions + THS Group entity employs 700 people and reports €90M in revenue, while the global ARMOR GROUP reported €256M in revenue with 1,850 employees in 2017. Sustainability certifications (Nordic Ecolabel across 450+ cartridges, UN Global Compact membership since 2008) reinforce positioning with public sector and ESG-driven procurement.

Name

Armor

Legal name

ARMOR s.r.o.

Website

https://armor.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ARMOR s.r.o. is the Czech subsidiary of French industrial group ARMOR GROUP, manufacturing printing consumables — thermal transfer ribbons (world leader under Inkanto), alternative inkjet/toner cartridges (OWA, WECARE), and industrial inks. It serves European office supplies dealers, IT resellers, and industrial manufacturers via multi-channel distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Printing Consumables Manufacturing

NAICS

Printing Ink Manufacturing (32591), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Adhesives & Sealants (2891)

akta.pro primary industry

Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging Inks (IMAEAHAH), Sustainable Labels, Adhesives & Inks (Wash-Off Labels, De-inkable Inks, Low-VOC) (IMALAMAJ)

Keywords

• Thermal transfer ribbons
• Printing consumables
• Industrial marking solutions
• Managed print services
• Alternative ink cartridges

Headquarters

HQ city

Ceske Budejovice

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Printing Consumables: Complete range of consumables for office and home printing including toner cartridges, ink cartridges, and thermal transfer ribbons. Alternative products 30% cheaper than originals while maintaining equivalent quality.
2. Industrial Marking: Thermal transfer printing technology for industrial environments for marking variable information on labels and direct packaging printing - barcodes, logos, expirations, batches
3. ASCA Photovoltaic Films: Flexible photovoltaic films for solar energy applications
4. En Safe Energy Storage: Current collectors for battery safety, performance and longevity
5. 3D Printing Materials: Filaments for 3D printing technology
6. Industrial Inks: Industrial inks for decorative printing on glass, ceramics, wood, textiles and modern floor materials
7. Smart Films: Smart films simplifying interaction between humans and smart devices
8. Managed Print Services: External management of printing devices tailored to customer needs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ARMOR s.r.o. manufactures and distributes printing consumables and related industrial marking solutions, including eco-friendly remanufactured inkjet and toner cartridges (OWA brand), premium inkjet cartridges (WECARE), thermal transfer ribbons (Inkanto), industrial decorative inks, 3D printing filaments, smart films, flexible photovoltaic films (ASCA), and battery current collectors (En Safe). The Czech subsidiary, part of France-based ARMOR GROUP, also offers managed print services and operates B2B/B2C e-commerce platforms (armorshop.cz, owapoint.cz) distributing these products across Europe.

Product overview

Armor is a global printing technology company offering a comprehensive portfolio of printing solutions and related products. The core offering includes OWA eco-friendly cartridges (renovated and recycled alternatives to OEM cartridges), Inkanto thermal transfer ribbons for industrial marking, and the premium WECARE brand. Newer additions include industrial inks, 3D printing materials, smart films, and renewable energy solutions (ASCA photovoltaic films, En Safe battery collectors). ARMOR Print Solutions, covering over 95% of commonly used printers, combined with THS Group creates a European leader in responsible printing with MPS services and software solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OWA: Ecologically responsible printing cartridge brand offering 100% renovation and recycling of used cartridges
• WECARE
• Inkanto
• ASCA
• En Safe

Products and services

• OWA Cartridges Eco-friendly alternative ink and toner cartridges manufactured through 100% renovation and recycling of used original cartridges. Offered at approximately 30% lower cost than OEM cartridges while maintaining equivalent print quality. Suitable for home and office users and resellers.
• WECARE Inkjet Cartridges Premium European brand of inkjet cartridges combining proprietary R&D with extended warranties. Sold in modern packaging as an evolution of the legacy Armor inkjet cartridge line.
• Inkanto Thermal Transfer Ribbons Thermal transfer ribbon technology for industrial marking and traceability, including barcodes, logos, expiration dates, and batch information on labels and direct package printing. Produced with end-to-end capability from pigment development to manufacturing and marketing.
• ASCA Flexible Photovoltaic Films Flexible photovoltaic films that enable solar energy harvesting and integration into everyday applications, positioning as an ecological alternative for distributed solar power generation.
• En Safe Current Collectors Current collectors designed to increase the safety, performance, and lifespan of batteries in energy storage applications.
• Industrial Decorative Inks Industrial inks formulated for technologically demanding decorative printing on glass, ceramics, wood, textiles, and modern flooring materials.
• Smart Films Film-based technology designed to simplify interaction between humans and smart devices through integrated sensor and interface layers.
• 3D Printing Filaments Filaments for 3D printing that enable full utilization of 3D printer capabilities, including materials produced from recycled cartridge components as part of the OWA circular economy program.
• HP SecuReuse Cartridges Refurbished HP ink cartridges (starting with HP 963 XL) featuring restored original HP chips, enabling full compatibility with HP+ programs and managed print software as part of HP's European Ecodesign plan.
• Managed Print Services External management of customers' printing devices, tailored to each customer's needs and delivered through Key Account Managers. Combined ARMOR Print Solutions and THS Group entity covers over 95% of commonly used printers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% cost savings vs original manufacturer cartridges
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• THS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2023ARMOR Print Solutions (ARMOR GROUP subsidiary) acquired THS Group to create a European leader in printing. Combined entity has 700 employees and €90M revenue. THS Group, founded in 1995, is a German specialist in office equipment offering printing consumables, spare parts, and MPS software for copiers and printers. Less than 5% product overlap between the two companies.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DNP (Dai Nippon Printing): Japanese-headquartered global leader in thermal transfer ribbons through its Information Communication Supplies business, directly competing with ARMOR's Inkanto brand for industrial marking label printers worldwide.
• Sun Chemical (DIC): World's largest printing inks producer, serving packaging, publication, and industrial printing segments that overlap with ARMOR's industrial inks and thermal transfer ribbon offerings.
• Markem-Imaje (Dover): Industrial coding and marking solutions provider supplying printers, inks, and consumables to product identification customers — the same industrial marking end market served by ARMOR's Inkanto thermal transfer ribbons.
• Domino Printing Sciences: Manufacturer of industrial coding, marking, and digital printing equipment with proprietary inks and fluids, overlapping with ARMOR's industrial marking and industrial inks franchises.
• Siegwerk: European-based global printing inks and coatings supplier for packaging and labels, directly comparable to ARMOR's industrial inks business serving decorative and packaging printing customers.
• Videojet (Danaher): Industrial inkjet, laser marking, and thermal transfer consumables supplier competing directly with ARMOR for product identification, barcode, and expiration-date printing customers.
• LEONHARD KURZ: German manufacturer of hot stamping foils and thermal transfer ribbons for industrial labeling and decorative finishing, overlapping with ARMOR's Inkanto TTR and industrial decorative inks businesses.

Broad incumbents

• ITW (Illinois Tool Works): Global diversified industrial manufacturer whose Imtran division competes in thermal transfer ribbons, while adjacent ITW businesses overlap with ARMOR's specialty chemicals/coatings offerings.
• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals leader with coating additives, silica, and ink resins product lines that compete with or supply into ARMOR's coatings and consumables value chain.
• HP (Hewlett-Packard): Global OEM printer and cartridge manufacturer whose HP+ DRM chip ecosystem gates ARMOR's aftermarket cartridge business and whose SecuReuse program defines the refurbished-cartridge competitive landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/armor-s-r-o-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Armor