Königswarter & Ebell Chem. Fabrik GmbH

What Königswarter & Ebell Chem. Fabrik GmbH does

Königswarter & Ebell Chemische Fabrik GmbH (K&E) is a German specialty chemicals manufacturer of high-purity nickel salts and solutions, founded in 1884 and producing continuously at its Hagen, Westfalen site since the 1950s. The company operates a 10-product portfolio covering nickel hydroxide carbonate, nickel sulfate (solid and liquid), nickel chloride (solid and liquid), nickel nitrate (solid and liquid), nickel phosphate liquid, nickel acetate tetrahydrate, and nickel sulfamate liquid, with low-sulfur grades formulated for catalyst applications and fast-dissolving variants for electroplating. Customers are industrial buyers in surface treatment (electrolytic and electroless nickel plating, aluminum anodizing sealing), catalyst production (hydrogenation, methanation, reforming, emission control), and specialty chemicals, served through inquiry-based direct B2B sales with phone and email contact channels.

K&E has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Brisbane-based Pure Battery Technologies Limited (PBT) since 2020, and the Hagen site hosts PBT's pilot precursor cathode active material (pCAM) plant, which uses patented low-CO2 processes to convert recycled black mass and Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate into battery-grade precursor material. K&E's nickel chemistry expertise is positioned as the upstream chemical node in PBT's integrated European battery materials value chain. The company operates a BImSchG-approved upper-class hazardous facility, holds full REACh registration for its nickel products, and maintains ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, and 50001 certifications, an EcoVadis sustainability rating, and EC012 Responsible Minerals Sourcing Policy certification. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; pricing is by direct inquiry, no e-commerce or channel partner model is in use, and customer logos are not published.

Name

Königswarter & Ebell Chem. Fabrik GmbH

Legal name

Königswarter und Ebell Chemische Fabrik GmbH

Website

https://ke-nickel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Königswarter & Ebell (K&E) is a German specialty chemicals manufacturer, founded in 1884, producing high-purity nickel salts and solutions for industrial electroplating, catalyst production, and specialty chemicals customers in Europe from its Hagen facility. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pure Battery Technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hagen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Nickel Salts and Solutions Sales: K&E manufactures and sells high-purity nickel compounds (hydroxide carbonate, sulfate, chloride, nitrate, sulfamate, acetate, phosphate) in solid and liquid forms to industrial customers in electroplating, catalyst production, and specialty chemicals sectors. Sales are conducted through direct B2B relationships with pricing and terms managed per inquiry and contract.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Königswarter & Ebell (K&E) is a German manufacturer of high-purity nickel salts and solutions for surface treatment, catalyst production, and specialty chemicals. The company produces a portfolio of 10 distinct nickel compounds — including nickel hydroxide carbonate, nickel sulfate, nickel chloride, nickel nitrate, nickel phosphate, nickel acetate, and nickel sulfamate — in both solid crystalline and liquid solution forms, with products fully REACh-registered and produced at the Hagen, Germany facility. Since 2020, K&E has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pure Battery Technologies Limited (PBT), serving as an upstream component in PBT's sustainable battery materials value chain.

Product overview

Königswarter & Ebell (K&E) is a German manufacturer of high-purity nickel salts, carbonates, and solutions for surface treatment (electroplating), catalyst production, and specialty chemicals. The company offers a portfolio of 10 distinct nickel compounds: Nickel Hydroxide Carbonate, Nickel Sulfate (heptahydrate and liquid forms), Nickel Chloride (hexahydrate and liquid forms), Nickel Nitrate (hexahydrate and liquid forms), Nickel Phosphate Liquid, Nickel Acetate Tetrahydrate, and Nickel Sulfamate Liquid. These products serve applications in electrolytic nickel plating, electroless nickel plating (ENP), aluminum anodizing sealing, and nickel catalyst production/regeneration for hydrogenation, methanation, and environmental technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nickel Hydroxide Carbonate A pale-green basic nickel carbonate containing up to 48% Ni, available in low-sulfur grades for catalyst applications and fast-dissolving variants for electroplating. Used as a replenisher for nickel baths and in catalyst production and regeneration, serving industrial customers in electroplating and catalyst production.
• Nickel Sulfate Heptahydrate A blue-green crystalline salt, one of the most widely used nickel compounds serving as the primary nickel source in electroplating. Available in solid form for industrial electroplating and surface treatment applications.
• Nickel Sulfate Liquid A greenish solution used predominantly in metallurgy, particularly in galvanotechnic surface treatment and chemical processes. Offers high purity with constant low foreign metal content for industrial electroplating and chemical applications.
• Nickel Chloride Hexahydrate A yellow-green crystalline salt primarily used in electroplating to improve bath conductivity and support anode dissolution, for industrial electroplating customers.
• Nickel Chloride Liquid A greenish solution used in surface treatment, particularly in nickel plating baths. Improves conductivity and anode dissolution while ensuring stability in the galvanic process for industrial surface treatment customers.
• Nickel Nitrate Hexahydrate A blue-green crystalline salt with excellent water solubility, used in electroplating, chemical processes, and catalyst production for industrial customers.
• Nickel Nitrate Liquid A greenish solution with strong oxidizing properties used in catalyst production and pre/post-treatment processes in surface technology for industrial catalyst and surface treatment customers.
• Nickel Phosphate Liquid A greenish solution primarily used in catalyst production and chemical processes, serving as a starting material for various specialty applications in nickel chemistry for industrial catalyst producers.
• Nickel Acetate Tetrahydrate A greenish crystalline salt with excellent water solubility, primarily used as a sealing agent after aluminum anodizing, and also in catalyst production and chemical syntheses for industrial surface treatment and catalyst customers.
• Nickel Sulfamate Liquid A clear, greenish solution widely used in electroplating that enables the deposition of ductile, low-stress nickel coatings with high hardness and good formability. Used in precision and high-performance applications such as electronics, aerospace, and medical technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nickel hydroxide carbonate contains up to 48% Ni depending on product grade

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pure Battery Technologies Limited (PBT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK&E is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pure Battery Technologies Limited (PBT), based in Brisbane, Australia. K&E has been part of PBT since 2020. The partnership combines K&E's decades of nickel chemistry expertise with PBT's innovative and environmentally friendly processes for sustainable battery material production. K&E serves as a key upstream component in PBT's integrated battery materials value chain.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Johnson Matthey: UK-based chemicals and catalysts producer with strong positions in nickel-containing hydrogenation and emission-control catalysts, plus battery materials. Comparable to K&E's catalyst segment and sustainability credentials, but with far broader portfolio and global scale.
• Nornickel (Norilsk Nickel): World's largest refined nickel producer, also supplying nickel sulfate and other battery-grade chemicals. Upstream analog to K&E rather than a direct competitor in specialty salts, but sets global pricing benchmarks for K&E's key input.
• Sumitomo Metal Mining: Japanese non-ferrous metals and materials producer with nickel refining and battery cathode precursor operations. Comparable to K&E in high-purity nickel chemistry and battery materials integration, but at industrial scale with mining ownership.
• BASF: Global chemical major producing a broad portfolio including nickel catalysts, battery materials, and surface-treatment chemicals. Overlaps with K&E in catalyst and electroplating inputs but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a specialty nickel-salt specialist.

Direct peers

• Tanaka Chemical Corporation: Japanese specialty manufacturer of high-purity nickel compounds and cathode materials for rechargeable batteries. Closest Asia-Pacific analog to K&E in nickel salt portfolio and battery materials focus.
• Element Solutions (MacDermid Enthone): Global specialty chemicals company serving the electronics and surface-finishing markets, including electroless and electrolytic nickel plating chemistry. Comparable to K&E in serving electroplating customers with high-purity nickel inputs, though operating as a downstream chemistry formulator.
• Umicore: Belgian materials technology group with a major Rechargeable Battery Materials business producing precursor cathode active materials and high-purity nickel/cobalt chemicals. Directly comparable to K&E in nickel chemistry and pCAM integration, but at vastly larger scale with global footprint.
• Shepherd Chemical Company: US-based specialty manufacturer of high-purity nickel salts (sulfate, chloride, sulfamate, carbonate, acetate) for electroplating and catalysts. Closest direct peer in product portfolio, purity focus, and B2B specialty nickel chemistry — a benchmark for K&E's competitive position outside Europe.
• Coventya: Specialty chemicals producer focused on surface finishing, with nickel-based plating chemistries for decorative and functional applications. Comparable to K&E as a specialty surface-treatment chemistry supplier serving similar European industrial customers.
• Atotech (MKS Instruments): Surface-finishing chemistry leader supplying metal finishing, electroplating, and semiconductor markets. Overlaps with K&E's electroplating end-market but supplies formulated chemistry rather than upstream nickel salts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/k%C3%B6nigswarter-&-ebell-chem.-fabrik-gmbh

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Königswarter & Ebell Chem. Fabrik GmbH