BODE Chemie GmbH - A company of the HARTMANN GROUP

What BODE Chemie GmbH - A company of the HARTMANN GROUP does

BODE Chemie GmbH is a German-based specialty manufacturer of professional disinfection, hygiene, and skin protection products, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the HARTMANN GRUPPE, a diversified healthcare conglomerate. The company is best known for Sterillium®, which it introduced as the first marketable alcoholic hand disinfectant and which has been on the market for over 60 years, establishing BODE as a category-defining brand in healthcare hand hygiene. Its product portfolio centers on hand disinfection (the Sterillium® Range), surface disinfection (including the Bacillol® Zero Tissues line for sustainable, pre-soaked applications), and skin protection solutions for healthcare workers.

The company serves healthcare professionals — hospitals, medical practices, and healthcare facilities — through a B2B distribution model that operates exclusively through the HARTMANN B2B website and a network of international distribution partners, with a separate consumer channel (HARTMANN direct) for private customers. BODE supports its products with regulatory documentation including safety data sheets, conformity declarations, and analysis certificates, and leverages the HARTMANN SCIENCE CENTER for scientific content. The company was founded in 1924 (with over a century of hygiene expertise per company materials) and operates with approximately 128 employees. As a subsidiary within the larger HARTMANN GROUP, BODE Chemie benefits from group-level distribution, regulatory, and commercial infrastructure while maintaining a focused, niche product portfolio.

Name

BODE Chemie GmbH - A company of the HARTMANN GROUP

Legal name

BODE Chemie GmbH

Website

https://bode-chemie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BODE Chemie GmbH is a German specialty manufacturer of professional disinfection, hygiene, and skin protection products, best known for Sterillium® — the first marketable alcoholic hand disinfectant — serving hospitals, medical practices, and healthcare facilities through the HARTMANN GROUP's B2B distribution network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Infection Control & Hygiene Products

akta.pro primary industry

Hand Sanitizers & Antibacterial Personal Care (CRADANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concentrated Surface Disinfectants (Dilutable Liquids) (CRAJANAB), Hand Sanitizers & Cleansing Sprays (CRABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Hand disinfection products
• Surface disinfection solutions
• Infection prevention supplies
• Medical hygiene products
• Skin protection formulations

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BODE Chemie GmbH develops, manufactures, and distributes professional disinfection, hygiene, and skin protection products. Its portfolio centers on the Sterillium® brand—launched in the 1960s as the first marketable alcoholic hand disinfectant—and includes the Bacillol® Zero Tissues line for sustainable surface disinfection. Products are sold exclusively to business customers through the HARTMANN B2B website and international distribution partners.

Product overview

BODE Chemie GmbH is a specialist in disinfection, hygiene, and skin protection, operating as part of the HARTMANN GROUP. The company offers a portfolio of professional disinfection products centered around the Sterillium® brand—the first market-ready alcoholic hand disinfectant with over 60 years of history—and the Bacillol® Zero Tissues line for sustainable surface disinfection. Products are distributed through the HARTMANN B2B website for professional customers. The company provides service resources including safety data sheets, declarations of conformity, and analysis certificates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sterillium®: The first marketable alcoholic hand disinfectant and the core product brand of BODE Chemie. The Sterillium Range includes multiple products for hand and surface disinfection.
• Bacillol® Zero Tissues

Products and services

• Sterillium® Range The flagship product line of BODE Chemie, featuring the original Sterillium® alcoholic hand disinfectant and its variants providing hand disinfection and skin protection for healthcare professionals and institutional users.
• Bacillol® Zero Tissues

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Schülke & Mayr GmbH: German-headquartered specialist in infection prevention and hygiene with a comparable portfolio of hand and surface disinfectants for healthcare and industrial customers; directly competes with BODE Chemie's Sterillium and Bacillol lines in DACH and export markets.
• Dr. Schumacher GmbH: German manufacturer of disinfectants, hygiene, and cleaning products for medical, dental, and laboratory use; overlaps with BODE Chemie in professional hand and surface disinfection sold to healthcare facilities.
• SC Johnson Professional: Professional division of SC Johnson offering hand hygiene, hand sanitizers, and cleaning products for healthcare and industrial workplaces; directly competes with Sterillium in the healthcare hand disinfectant segment.
• GOJO Industries (PURELL): Inventor of PURELL and one of the most recognized hand hygiene brands globally; competes directly with Sterillium in healthcare hand disinfection across Europe, North America, and Asia.
• Antiseptica Chemie- und Pharma-GmbH: German specialist manufacturer of hand and surface disinfectants for medical and dental applications; closest regional direct competitor to BODE Chemie in DACH professional hygiene.

Broad incumbents

• Ecolab Inc. Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions serving healthcare, hospitality, and food service; broad incumbent offering hand sanitizers, surface disinfectants, and instrument reprocessing that compete with BODE Chemie's healthcare-focused portfolio.
• Diversey Holdings Ltd. Provider of hygiene, cleaning, and infection prevention products for healthcare, food service, and facility management; competes with BODE Chemie in surface disinfection and hand hygiene for institutional buyers.
• 3M Health Care: Diversified healthcare and industrial major with hand hygiene, skin protection, and surface disinfection products sold to hospitals; competes with BODE's broader hospital hygiene offering.
• Reckitt Benckiser (Lysol, Dettol): Global consumer health and hygiene company with Dettol and Lysol antiseptic and disinfectant brands that overlap with BODE Chemie's professional disinfection portfolio in healthcare and institutional settings.

Others

• PAUL HARTMANN AG: Parent company of BODE Chemie and broader medical device and wound care group; included as the corporate parent that controls strategy, distribution, and capital allocation for BODE Chemie.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 BODE Chemie GmbH - A company of the HARTMANN GROUP