What Heraeus Precious Metals does

Heraeus Precious Metals is a wholly-owned operating subsidiary of the family-owned Heraeus Group, headquartered in Hanau, Germany, with operating history dating to 1851 and a workforce of approximately 2,500 to 3,000 employees across 11 production and recycling sites plus four trading desks (Hanau, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai). The company covers the full precious metals value chain — trading, refining, recycling, and fabrication — across gold, silver, and the full platinum group metals (platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium). Industrial customers are served in automotive (catalytic converters, electrical contacts, electromobility materials), chemicals (process catalysts, Karstedt catalysts, catalytic gauzes for ammonia oxidation and hydrogen cyanide), semiconductors and electronics (high-purity metals, recycling of LEDs/OLEDs/photovoltaics), pharmaceuticals (platinum-containing HPAPIs), hydrogen (PEM electrolysis catalysts), jewelry (master alloys, investment bars), and aerospace. Argor-Heraeus, the Swiss-based sub-brand, anchors the luxury and investment business. Effective July 1, 2026, the business is being split into two independent operating companies: Heraeus Precious Metals (industrial) and Argor-Heraeus (luxury and investment).

The core technology base rests on proprietary pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical recycling processes, thermal pretreatment of catalysts and scrap, and certified sampling and analysis that supports recovery yields at industrial scale. The Circlear sub-brand (launched April 2024) sells products made with 100% recycled precious metals, verified by TÜV SÜD per ISO 14021 and positioned to deliver up to 99% lower CO2 footprint than primary metals. AGXX is a proprietary precious-metal-based antimicrobial catalyst coating deployed across textiles (via RUDOLF and Covestro partnerships) and activated carbons (via CarboTech). The product portfolio also includes chemical process catalysts, emission catalysts, catalytic gauzes, hydrogen systems, electrical contacts, platinum laboratory equipment, glass production components, iridium crucibles, and master alloys.

Revenue is generated through four intertwined streams: precious metal trading on a transaction/market-price basis (with hedging and weight account services), product sales (catalysts, compounds, electrical contacts, bars), recycling and refining as professional services (with metal credit or physical return to the customer), and recurring myHeraeus.com platform subscriptions for digital trading, pool account, and recycling order management. Go-to-market combines four regional trading desks for enterprise field sales with two digital channels — myHeraeus.com for account-based trading and recycling, and shop.heraeus-precious-metals.com for sample-sized catalysts and labware. Pricing is market-quoted for metals and quote-based for industrial products; no public tiered pricing is disclosed. Marketing is anchored by thought-leadership publications (Weekly Market Report, Precious Forecast, The Platinum Standard, The Palladium Standard) developed in collaboration with SFA (Oxford), positioning Heraeus as a market intelligence authority in precious metals.

Name

Heraeus Precious Metals

Legal name

Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://heraeus-precious-metals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Heraeus Precious Metals is the family-owned Heraeus Group's industrial precious metals subsidiary, covering the full value chain of trading, refining, recycling, and fabrication of gold, silver, and platinum group metals for automotive, chemical, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, hydrogen, and jewelry customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precious Metals Refining and Manufacturing

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141), Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing (33991)

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Jewelry, Precious Metal (3911)

akta.pro primary industry

Precious Metals Smelting & Refining (IMAKAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy) (EUAIAIAD), Precious Metals Bullion & Concentrates Trading (Gold, Silver, PGM) (IMAKAJAD), Precious Metals Minting & Bullion Products (IMAKAEAJ)

Keywords

• Precious metals refining
• Precious metal trading
• Platinum group metals
• Industrial catalysts
• Precious metal recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Precious Metal Trading: Purchase and sale of precious metals including gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, and iridium. Services include investment bars, granules, physical delivery or account-based trading, price hedging and risk management, weight accounts, and worldwide transfers.
2. Precious Metal Products: Manufacturing and sale of refined precious metals and fabricated products including catalysts, catalytic gauzes, emission catalysts, precious metal compounds, homogeneous catalysts, electrical contacts, platinum laboratory equipment, pharmaceutical ingredients, glass products, iridium crucibles, and antimicrobial technologies.
3. Precious Metals Recycling: Recycling and refining services for precious metals from secondary sources including spent catalysts, jewelry scrap, electronic waste, and industrial materials. Services include thermal pretreatment, sampling, analysis, and recovery. Customer receives recovered metal or credit.
4. Precious Metals Management (myHeraeus): Online platform providing recycling and trading services, weight account management, real-time pool account access, transaction history, and comprehensive documentation. Platform supports digital recycling orders and electronic trading.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Heraeus Precious Metals operates across the full precious metals value chain—trading, refining, manufacturing industrial products, and recycling secondary materials. It produces catalysts (chemical process, emission, catalytic gauzes), precious metal compounds, electrical contacts, platinum laboratory equipment, platinum-based pharmaceutical active ingredients, hydrogen systems catalysts, and AGXX antimicrobial technology, plus Circlear 100% recycled precious metals. Customers are industrial buyers in automotive, chemical, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, hydrogen, jewelry, glass, and electronics sectors served through four global trading desks, the myHeraeus online platform, and 11 production/recycling sites.

Product overview

Heraeus Precious Metals operates as a comprehensive precious metals company offering a unified portfolio across the entire value chain. The core offering includes Physical Precious Metal Products (investment bars, industrial metals) and the Circlear recycled precious metals sub-brand. The Catalysts division encompasses Chemical Process Catalysts, Emission Catalysts, Catalytic Gauzes, and Homogeneous Catalysts (60+ inorganic salts/solutions). Specialized products include Electrical Contacts, Platinum Laboratory Equipment, Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Hydrogen Systems, AGXX Antimicrobial Technology, Glass Products, and Iridium Crucibles. Supporting platforms include myHeraeus.com for electronic trading and recycling management, and the Heraeus Product Shop for e-commerce. Market intelligence services include Precious Metal Prices, Supply & Demand Reports, Weekly Market Reports, The Platinum Standard, The Palladium Standard, and the annual Precious Metals Forecast. The company maintains 12 global recycling and production sites plus 4 trading locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Circlear: Products made with 100% recycled precious metals, allowing customers to reduce their Scope 3 carbon footprint. Verified by TÜV Süd according to ISO 14021.
• myHeraeus
• Argor-Heraeus

Products and services

• Circlear
• Chemical Process Catalysts
• Catalytic Gauzes
• Emission Catalysts
• Precious Metal Compounds & Homogeneous Catalysts
• Precious Metal Bars
• Electrical Contacts
• Platinum Laboratory Equipment
• Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPIs)
• Hydrogen Systems Catalysts
• AGXX Antimicrobial Technology
• Master Alloys
• Glass Products (Platinum Components and Iridium Crucibles)
• Precious Metals Recycling Services
• Precious Metal Trading Services
• myHeraeus.com Platform
• Heraeus Product Shop
• Argor-Heraeus Investment and Luxury Products

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 99% lower carbon footprint with recycled vs primary precious metals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CarboTech GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Joint development and presentation of antimicrobial-functionalised activated carbons for filtration and water treatment applications at FILTECH 2026. Combines Heraeus AGXX technology with CarboTech's activated carbon expertise to prevent biofilm formation and improve filter system performance.
• VSParticleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Signed Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration. Details of the partnership scope were not specified in available materials.
• Sibanye-StillwatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Joint R&D project launched to develop and test a ruthenium-based catalyst to reduce reliance on iridium for PEM water electrolysis. Previously introduced ruthenium-based catalyst initiative for green hydrogen production.
• RUDOLFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2025Strategic partnership to bring AGXX antimicrobial technology to the textile industry. RUDOLF's textile expertise combined with Heraeus AGXX technology for antimicrobial textile coatings.
• CovestrocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Collaboration to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings using INSQIN technology. Combines Heraeus AGXX antimicrobial technology with Covestro's textile coating solutions.
• AUX Corporate Fashion, NOMS Global, Calik DenimcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2025First textile brand partnerships to adopt AGXX antimicrobial technology. Working with fashion brands to integrate AGXX into textile products for antimicrobial protection.
• Fairtrade GoldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResponsible sourcing partnership supporting ethical gold supply chains through Fairtrade certification. Argor-Heraeus certified for Fairtrade gold and silver.
• FairminedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResponsible sourcing partnership for ethically mined precious metals. Argor-Heraeus holds Fairmined certification for gold and silver.
• Swiss Better GoldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry initiative supporting responsible gold sourcing from artisanal and small-scale mining in Switzerland.
• SFA (Oxford)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with SFA, a world-renowned authority on platinum-group metals, for market data, supply and demand analysis, and joint publication of The Platinum Standard and The Palladium Standard reports.
• LBMA (London Bullion Market Association)coreOthersIndustry association member with Good Delivery certification for gold and silver. Heraeus holds proactive monitoring certificates and compliance with LBMA standards.
• LPPM (London Platinum and Palladium Market)coreOthersIndustry association member with referee status. Holds proactive monitoring certificates for platinum, palladium, and rhodium. Heraeus acts as referee to LPPM.
• RMI (Responsible Minerals Initiative)coreOthersIndustry association member ensuring responsible sourcing of precious metals. RMI conformant status for gold and compliance reporting.
• RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council)coreOthersIndustry association member for responsible jewelry supply chains. Chain of custody certification and certified member status for multiple sites.
• IPA (International Platinum Group Metals Association)minorOthersIndustry association for platinum group metals providing life cycle assessment data and industry standards.
• EPMF (European Precious Metal Federation)minorOthersEuropean industry association for precious metals.
• FVEM (Fachvereinigung Edelmetalle)minorOthersGerman precious metals industry association.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Metalor Technologies: Swiss precious metals refiner producing investment bars, industrial compounds, and recycled PM products, competing head-to-head in jewelry, refining, and electronics-grade PMs.
• Dowa Holdings: Japanese diversified materials group whose Environmental Management segment includes precious metals recovery from e-waste and catalysts, mirroring Heraeus PM's recycling and refining posture.
• Umicore: Belgian materials technology group with a dedicated Precious Metals Refining and Recycling business unit, providing directly comparable smelting, hydrometallurgical recovery, and PGM catalyst offerings.
• Ames Goldsmith Corporation: Specialty precious metals producer focused on silver and PGM compounds, master alloys, and catalysts serving chemical, electronics, and jewelry customers.
• Johnson Matthey: UK-listed precious metals and PGM catalyst specialist with overlapping automotive catalyst, hydrogen electrolyzer catalyst, and precious metals refining capabilities, serving many of the same industrial customers.
• Tanaka Precious Metals: Japan-based precious metals refiner and fabricator with industrial catalysts, semiconductor materials, and recycling services, a close analog in technology and breadth of PGM products.
• Asahi Refining: North American precious metals refiner (gold, silver, PGM) with LBMA Good Delivery status; comparable in refining scale and recycled-content offerings to Heraeus PM.

Broad incumbents

• Aurubis: European non-ferrous metals processor with precious metals recovery as a meaningful byproduct stream; adjacent competitor in metals recycling and refining value chain.
• Mitsubishi Materials: Large Japanese diversified metals producer with precious metals refining and recycling units alongside non-ferrous smelting; broader portfolio but overlapping in PGM recovery and precious metals trading.
• BASF (Catalysts division): Global chemical incumbent with a major Catalysts division supplying automotive emission catalysts and chemical-process catalysts; competes with Heraeus PM on industrial catalytic customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heraeus-precious-metals

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Heraeus Precious Metals