European Coatings

What European Coatings does

European Coatings is a B2B professional media and information platform serving the European coatings industry, operated as a division of Vincentz Network GmbH & Co. KG, a German private publishing company headquartered in Hannover. The division operates with a small direct team of approximately 7 employees and serves paint and coatings manufacturers, raw material suppliers, equipment providers, and academic researchers. It is the publisher of the European Coatings Journal, described as Europe's leading monthly coatings industry journal and issued 10 times per year, with a claimed subscriber base spanning Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.

The product portfolio is built around a content-and-events flywheel. Core digital products include EC 360°, a knowledge base bundling full journal issues, eBooks, conference presentations, and video recordings with full-text search, and the EC Directory, a buyer's guide covering approximately 1,500 coatings companies and products. The events business comprises specialized in-person conferences (PFAS-free Coatings, Sustainable Coatings, Wood Coatings, Digitalisation in Coatings Formulation, Architectural Coatings), online webinars, and the EC Formulate+ Circle, a paid peer forum for senior formulators and R&D decision-makers. Supplementary products include the EC Library of technical books (priced €179-€219), the EC Academy e-learning platform, the EC Podcast, a twice-weekly newsletter, and whitepapers and dossiers used for lead capture. The technology stack is conventional digital publishing infrastructure: GoToWebinar and Microsoft Teams for webinar delivery, YouTube for live-streamed events, and an AI-assisted content quality process with mandatory human review before publication.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring subscriptions (EC Journal from €182/year, EC 360° digital access, EC Formulate+ Circle at €2,500/year), event fees (conferences €1,350-€1,550, webinars €350), one-time book sales, and advertising and media services (print, online, newsletter, sponsored content, and conference sponsorship). The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, targeting enterprise buyers in the chemicals, paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants verticals; named conference participants include BASF, Akzo Nobel, Covestro, Evonik, Wacker Chemie, 3M Healthcare, AGC Chemicals Europe, and Momentive. Distribution is primarily digital via the website and newsletters, with printed journals shipped postally and conferences held at European venues (Amsterdam, Berlin, Leiden, Nuremberg). Geographic coverage is EMEA-led with audience reach into North America and Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, Australia).

Name

European Coatings

Legal name

Vincentz Network GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://european-coatings.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

European Coatings is a B2B media and information platform for the European coatings industry, operated as a division of Vincentz Network. It provides the European Coatings Journal, the EC 360° knowledge base, industry conferences, webinars, and a buyer's guide to coatings manufacturers, suppliers, and researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hannover

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from European Coatings Journal (10 issues annually) and EC 360° digital platform access. Subscription prices from €182 for EC Journal.
2. Event Revenue: Conference fees, webinar registration fees, and sponsorship opportunities. Conferences range €1,350-1,550, webinars €350, Formulate+ Circle membership €2,500.
3. Book Sales: Sale of technical books on coatings formulation, including Sustainability of Coatings (€189), High Solid Binders (€219), Formulating High-performance Coatings (€209), and others.
4. Advertising and Media Services: Print advertising in EC Journal, online advertising on website, newsletter advertising, content marketing including advertorial interviews, stand-alone newsletters, whitepapers, webinar sponsorship, and conference sponsoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

European Coatings is a B2B trade media and information platform for the European coatings industry, operating the European Coatings Journal (a monthly technical publication issued 10 times per year) along with the EC Directory buyers' guide (~1,500 suppliers), the EC 360° digital knowledge base, EC Library technical books, professional conferences and webinars, an e-learning academy, podcast, newsletter, and whitepapers. Its core commercial offerings are subscriptions to the journal and digital platforms, paid registration for conferences and webinars, advertising across print and digital channels, and one-time book sales.

Product overview

European Coatings is a media and information platform for the European coatings industry, operated by Vincentz Network. The core offering centers on the European Coatings Journal (EC Journal), a leading monthly technical publication available in print and digital formats, supplemented by the EC Directory (Europe's largest coatings buyers' guide) and EC 360° (a comprehensive digital knowledge base). The product portfolio includes books in the EC Library, professional events including conferences and webinars, a podcast series, e-learning through EC Academy, twice-weekly newsletters, and whitepapers/dossiers. Events range from technical webinars to major conferences like the European Coatings Show Conference. The EC Formulate+ Circle offers an exclusive peer forum for senior R&D professionals. Together, these products serve the coatings industry's information, networking, and professional development needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• European Coatings Journal (EC Journal): Europe's leading monthly journal for the coatings industry, published 10 times per year with technical articles, market insights, and industry news.
• EC 360°
• EC Directory
• EC Podcast

Products and services

• European Coatings Journal (EC Journal) Subscription Europe's leading monthly journal for the coatings industry, published 10 times per year with technical articles, market insights, and industry news. Available as a combi package (printed journal plus digital access) or digital-only subscription; covers latest trends, developments, technical articles, and market insights for paint and coatings manufacturers and suppliers.
• EC Directory Europe's largest buyers' guide for the coatings industry, enabling decision makers in purchasing, laboratories, and management to find suppliers and products. Searchable across approximately 1,500 companies and products for coatings production.
• EC 360° Knowledge Base One-stop-solution digital knowledge base bundling all European Coatings content: full issues of European Coatings Journal, eBook editions from the European Coatings Library, conference presentations and video recordings. Features full-text search for coatings formulation and coating technology.
• EC Library / Technical Books Technical book series covering coatings formulation, raw materials, and coating technology. Available titles include Sustainability of Coatings (€189), High Solid Binders (€219), Lab Automation and Digitalisation in Coatings (€199), Formulating High-performance Coatings (€209), Formulating Adhesives and Sealants, and Additives for Water-borne Coatings (€179).
• EC Conference Events In-person and virtual conferences covering specialized coatings topics including Wood Coatings, Sustainable Coatings, Digitalisation in Coatings Formulation, PFAS-free Coatings, Emerging Trends in Architectural Coatings, and The Coatings Summit. Registration fees range €1,350–€1,550 with group and student discounts.
• EC Webinars Online short courses and webinars covering technical coatings topics such as cationic curing, water-borne coatings, and flame-retardant coatings. Delivered via GoToWebinar or Microsoft Teams with on-demand access; standard fee €350 including documents and certificate of participation.
• EC Formulate+ Circle Membership Curated peer forum for senior formulators and R&D decision-makers providing a confidential setting for open dialogue on formulation challenges, with ongoing membership circle for long-term networking and knowledge sharing. Includes one-year EC Journal access and 50% discount on one EC Conference registration; membership fee €2,500.
• EC Academy / E-Learning Educational platform offering e-learning courses for the coatings industry, providing structured training on technical topics.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adhesives & Sealants Industry: US B2B trade publication covering the adhesives and sealants industry - a sister vertical to paints and coatings sharing much of the same raw material supplier base. Comparable in business model (subscriptions, events, digital content) and customer overlap.
• Polymers Paint Colour Journal (PPCJ): Long-running UK-based coatings trade journal covering paints, inks, pigments and raw materials. A direct peer in coatings-industry trade publishing, with overlapping advertiser base of raw material suppliers and coatings manufacturers.
• Coatings World: US-based trade magazine and digital media brand covering the global coatings industry, published by Rodman Media. Directly comparable B2B media play serving overlapping advertiser and subscriber audiences in paints and coatings.
• PCI Magazine (Paint & Coatings Industry): North American B2B trade publication covering paints, coatings, and raw materials formulation, with digital content, webinars, and technical articles. Closely comparable business model and target audience to European Coatings.

Broad incumbents

• Plastics News: Crain Communications B2B trade publication covering the plastics industry, an adjacent materials vertical with shared raw-material suppliers (resins, additives) to coatings. Comparable trade-media business model and advertiser overlap.
• ICIS Chemical Business: Leading global chemicals-market intelligence and trade media business owned by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. Overlaps with European Coatings on serving chemicals/coatings industry professionals, but operates at a much broader chemical-feedstock scope with significant data and pricing products.
• Chemical Week: Long-established B2B media brand covering the global chemical industry, including coatings. A broader incumbent that overlaps on advertiser and audience coverage but does not specialize exclusively in coatings formulation.

Others

• CoatingsTech (American Coatings Association): Technical magazine published by the American Coatings Association for its member companies. Comparable editorial focus on coatings R&D, but distributed through a trade association membership rather than standalone paid subscription.
• European Coatings Show (NürnbergMesse): The leading biennial trade fair for the coatings industry, organized by NürnbergMesse with European Coatings as a long-standing media partner. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor - drives industry visibility that European Coatings' conferences and editorial coverage amplify.

Regional players

• Farbe und Lack: German-language trade magazine for the paints, coatings, and printing inks industry, published by Vincentz Network itself (sister publication). Comparable as a coatings trade publication but German-only and serving a regional audience rather than pan-European English-language readers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=europeancoatings
• Facebookfacebook.com/privacy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-coatings

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 European Coatings