Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V.

What Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V. does

Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V. (VdMi) is a non-profit registered trade association (eingetragener Verein) domiciled in Frankfurt am Main, representing the German mineral colors, pigments, and related specialty chemicals industry. The association traces its origins to 1877 as one of the founding sector groups of what is now the Verband der Chemischen Industrie e. V. (VCI), and has existed under its current legal form since January 1, 1951. It is organized as a Fachverband (sector association) within the VCI umbrella and also holds the secretariat of Eurocolour e. V., the European umbrella for pigment, filler, and colourant manufacturers, providing it with both national and European-level reach.

VdMi's core activity is industry representation, regulatory advocacy, and technical coordination on behalf of approximately 65 member companies that collectively employ around 12,500 people and generate roughly €4 billion in annual turnover within Germany. Its functional remit spans seven product categories covered by members: pigments and fillers (inorganic, organic, metallic, effect pigments, titanium dioxide, carbon black, specialty oxides), pigment preparations, food colourants, ceramic colours, artists' colours, masterbatches (via the Masterbatch Verband sub-association founded in 1998), and applied photocatalysis (via the Fachverband angewandte Photokatalyse/FAP sub-association, operational since 2011). The association coordinates approximately 25 internal expert committees and working parties, engages with German and EU authorities on REACH, CLP, food contact materials, and related chemical legislation, participates in standardization (DIN), and produces position papers, information sheets, and industry guidance.

The business model is a subscription/recurring membership-dues model: members pay annual fees, with approximately 10% of dues allocated to lobbying costs. The association operates with a lean office staff of approximately 6 people in Frankfurt and is governed by a board led by a chairman and two deputy chairpersons drawn from senior executives of member companies (Schlenk SE, KRONOS TITAN, LIFOCOLOR, Evonik, LANXESS, Sun Chemical). VdMi distributes content via its bilingual website (vdmi.de), LinkedIn presence, the VCI member portal, regular news updates, industry colloquia (e.g., FAP Kolloquium), and an extensive library of position papers and FAQs. No external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity exist; the entity is collectively owned by its member companies.

Name

Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V.

Legal name

Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V.

Website

https://vdmi.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V. (VdMi) is a Frankfurt-based non-profit trade association representing ~65 German pigment, filler, and specialty colour manufacturers (~12,500 employees, ~€4B collective turnover), coordinating regulatory advocacy, technical committees, and industry representation at national and EU levels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: The association generates revenue through membership fees from approximately 65 member companies. The lobbying costs are calculated at 10% of membership fees for 2025. Member companies are manufacturers in the mineral color, pigment, and related industries operating in Germany.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V. (VdMi) is a non-profit trade association representing approximately 65 German manufacturers of inorganic and organic pigments, metallic and effect pigments, ceramic colors, synthetic silicas, carbon black, food colourants, masterbatches, artists' colors, and products for photocatalytic applications. It provides regulatory representation, technical information exchange, expert committee coordination, and publication of position papers to its member companies.

Product overview

Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V. (VdMi) is an industry association representing manufacturers of pigments, fillers, and related chemical products for the German color industry. The association's member portfolio encompasses seven distinct product categories: (1) Pigments and Fillers — inorganic/organic pigments, titanium dioxide, carbon black, and specialty oxides; (2) Food Colourants — regulated colorants for food, pharma, and cosmetics; (3) Ceramic Colours — high-temperature pigments, frits, and glazes for ceramics and glass; (4) Artists' Colours — professional and hobby paints; (5) Masterbatches — colour and additive concentrates for polymer coloring; (6) Applied Photocatalysis (FAP) — titanium dioxide-based photocatalytic products for air purification and self-cleaning surfaces; and (7) Pigment Preparations — ready-to-use pigment formulations. VdMi does not sell products directly but represents approximately 65 member companies employing about 12,500 people with combined annual turnover of ~4 billion euros in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Masterbatch Verband: Interest representation of German manufacturers of color and additive masterbatches, with approximately 20 members. Founded in 1998.
• Fachverband angewandte Photokatalyse (FAP)

Products and services

• VdMi Membership Membership services for German pigment, filler, and colorant manufacturers, providing regulatory representation, technical information exchange, expert committee participation, and access to the VCI and Eurocolour networks. Available to approximately 65 member companies.
• Pigments and Fillers (Pigmente und Füllstoffe) Product category for inorganic and organic pigments, metallic and effect pigments, titanium dioxide, carbon black, fillers, iron/chromium oxides, and zinc-based pigments used across paints, plastics, printing inks, and coatings. VdMi represents member companies producing these materials; the association itself does not sell products.
• Pigment Preparations (Pigmentpräparationen) Industry representation for ready-to-use pigment preparations including powder preparations, aqueous liquid pigments, pigment pastes, and dry colour preparations tailored for specific media and substrates.
• Food Colourants (Lebensmittelfarben) Industry representation for food colourants used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products, including soluble dyes, aluminum lakes, and pigments regulated under EU directives.
• Ceramic Colours (Keramische Farben) Industry representation for ceramic stains (inorganic high-temperature pigments), frits, glazes, decorating colours, and precious metal preparations for ceramic and glass decoration.
• Artists' Colours (Künstlerfarben) Industry representation for professional and hobby artists' colours including oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastels, gouache, tempera, plus hobby paints for glass, porcelain, ceramics, silk, and fabric.
• Masterbatches Industry representation for colour and additive concentrates in solid plastic matrix, available as granulate, paste, or powder, for colouring and functionalizing polymers in packaging, automotive, medical, and other industries. Coordinated via the Masterbatch Verband sub-association.
• Applied Photocatalysis (Fachverband angewandte Photokatalyse / FAP) Industry platform for manufacturers of photocatalysts and users from the construction materials and coatings industry, representing members in applied photocatalysis applications including air purification, self-cleaning surfaces, and anti-pollution functionality.
• Position Papers and Information Materials Publications including position papers, information sheets, FAQs, and brochures on regulatory, technical, and environmental topics for the pigments and colorants industry. Topics include REACH, CLP, food contact materials, microplastics, nanomaterials, titanium dioxide, and photocatalysis.

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Verband der Chemischen Industrie e. V. (VCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVdMi is a sector association (Fachverband) of the VCI. This provides access to the broader German chemical industry network. VdMi also contributes to Responsible Care® initiative of VCI. Corporate contribution to VCI is included in lobbying cost calculations.
• Eurocolour e. V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean umbrella organization of manufacturers of pigments, fillers and colourants. VdMi holds the secretariat of Eurocolour and is a member association. Active in European regulatory and standardization matters.
• Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e. V. (BDI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected to BDI through VCI membership. BDI is the Confederation of German Industry.
• Verband der deutschen Lack- und Druckfarbenindustrie e. V. (VdL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman paints and printing inks industry association. Part of the industry value chain network.
• PlasticsEurope Deutschland e. V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of plastics manufacturers in Germany. Relevant for masterbatch and polymer industry representation.
• Lebensmittelverband Deutschland e. V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman food association. Relevant for food colourant manufacturers and food contact materials topics.
• Verband der Keramischen Industrie e. V. (VKI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman ceramic industry association. Relevant for ceramic colors sector.
• Forschungsgesellschaft für Pigmente und Lacke e. V. (FPL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch association for pigments and coatings. Provides scientific expertise for the industry.
• DECHEMA e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman society for chemical engineering and biotechnology. Relevant for chemical process and safety topics.
• Color Pigments Manufacturers Association (CPMA, US)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based color pigments manufacturers association. International network partner.
• Association des Entreprises de la Chimie Minérale (ADECHIM, France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench association for mineral chemistry industry. International network partner through Eurocolour.
• CERAMICOLOR (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian association for ceramic colors, frits, enamels and ceramic colors manufacturers. International network partner through Eurocolour.
• Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Fritas, Esmaltes y Colores Cerámicos (ANFFECC, Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish national association for frits, enamels and ceramic colors manufacturers. International network partner through Eurocolour.
• Responsible Care®coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal chemical industry initiative for environmental, health and safety performance improvement. VdMi fully supports the Responsible Care® initiative of VCI/Cefic. Provides guidelines and management codes for continuous improvement in health, safety and environmental protection.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Verband der deutschen Lack- und Druckfarbenindustrie e.V. (VdL): German trade association for paints, coatings, and printing inks manufacturers, sitting one step downstream of VdMi's pigment members. Directly comparable in mandate, legal form (eingetragener Verein), and member-company profile.
• Eurocolour e.V. European umbrella of pigment, filler, and colourant manufacturers, for which VdMi holds the secretariat. Effectively VdMi's pan-European peer and coordination counterpart on EU-level advocacy.
• CEPE - European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists' Colours Industry: European-level trade association for paints, printing inks, and artists' colours, representing many of the same downstream value-chain players as VdMi. Most directly comparable European counterpart.

Others

• Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V. (VCI): Umbrella German chemical industry association of which VdMi is a sector association (Fachverband). Not a direct peer in scope, but the governance parent and primary channel for BDI/Responsible Care access.
• PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V. German plastics manufacturers association, a value-chain counterpart relevant to VdMi's Masterbatch Verband sub-association and to pigment-application regulation in polymers.

Regional players

• British Coatings Federation: UK trade association for paints, coatings, printing inks, and wallcoverings manufacturers. Closest functional UK counterpart to VdMi's downstream paint/coating members.
• Color Pigments Manufacturers Association (CPMA): US-based association of color pigment manufacturers, an international network partner of VdMi via Eurocolour. Direct US counterpart in scope and function.
• ADECHIM (Association des Entreprises de la Chimie Minérale): French mineral chemistry industry association representing inorganic chemical and pigment producers. International Eurocolour network partner and VdMi's most relevant French peer.
• CERAMICOLOR: Italian association of ceramic colours, frits, and enamel manufacturers, covering the ceramic-colour segment of VdMi's membership. Italian counterpart within the Eurocolour network.
• ANFFECC (Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Fritas, Esmaltes y Colores Cerámicos): Spanish national association of frits, enamel, and ceramic colour manufacturers, overlapping with VdMi's ceramic colours sub-segment. Spanish Eurocolour network counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verband-der-mineralfarbenindustrie-e.v.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Verband der Mineralfarbenindustrie e. V.