What Stockhausen Superabsorber Gmbh does

Stockhausen Superabsorber GmbH is a German specialty chemicals manufacturer headquartered in Krefeld, Germany, producing superabsorber polymers and acrylic acid for industrial customers. Founded around 1984, the business was operated within Evonik Industries for decades before being divested to International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) in September 2024 and rebranded from Evonik Superabsorber GmbH to its current name in October 2024. The company operates five production facilities—three in Germany (Krefeld, Marl, and Rheinmünster) and two in the United States (Greensboro, North Carolina)—with approximately 1,000 employees. The business was led under Evonik ownership until March 2025, when Gregor Keil was appointed as the new CEO.

The company's core product is superabsorbent polymers—powdery polymers capable of absorbing and retaining large volumes of liquid relative to their own mass. Its branded FAVOR® superabsorber is positioned for use in hygiene applications including baby diapers, feminine care products, and adult incontinence articles, with a secondary industrial application in cable insulation. The company also produces acrylic acid as a chemical precursor. Customization of polymer formulations to specific customer requirements is cited as a core capability, and the FAVOR® mark is a registered trademark. Stockhausen holds ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), and ISO 50001 (energy management) certifications and received an EcoVadis Silver Medal in 2024 for sustainability performance.

The commercial model is B2B-only and sales-led, with direct engagement of manufacturing customers and quote-based pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Revenue for the Superabsorber division was €892 million in FY2023 under Evonik ownership; no post-acquisition revenue figure is disclosed in the available data. Primary customer segments are hygiene product OEMs (diapers, feminine care, incontinence) and industrial cable manufacturers, with marketing activity concentrated on LinkedIn. Distribution is direct, with no consumer or retail channel.

Name

Stockhausen Superabsorber Gmbh

Legal name

Stockhausen Superabsorber GmbH

Website

https://stockhausen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Stockhausen Superabsorber GmbH is a Krefeld, Germany-based specialty chemicals manufacturer producing superabsorber polymers and acrylic acid for hygiene product OEMs and industrial cable manufacturers across five production sites in Germany and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)

akta.pro primary industry

Hygiene Paper Raw Materials & Components (Pulp, SAP, Nonwovens, Elastics, Adhesives, Fragrances) (IMAMAGAI)

Keywords

• Superabsorbent polymers
• Acrylic acid production
• Hygiene absorbents manufacturing
• Specialty polymer chemicals
• Industrial moisture absorption

Headquarters

HQ city

Krefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Superabsorber sales: Sale of superabsorber polymers for use in hygiene products (diapers, feminine care, incontinence products) and industrial applications (cable insulation). The division generated €892 million in revenue in 2023.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Stockhausen Superabsorber GmbH manufactures superabsorbent polymers — including its FAVOR® branded portfolio — used in diapers, feminine care, and incontinence articles to absorb and retain large volumes of liquid relative to the polymer's own mass. The company also produces acrylic acid as a chemical raw material used as a precursor for superabsorbers and other industrial applications such as cable insulation. It offers customized superabsorber formulations tailored to specific customer requirements.

Product overview

Stockhausen Superabsorber GmbH operates as a specialized manufacturer of superabsorber polymers and acrylic acid. The company offers its FAVOR® branded superabsorber products for the hygiene industry (diapers, feminine care, and incontinence products), along with acrylic acid as a raw material. The product portfolio centers on keeping things dry through advanced polymer technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FAVOR: Brand name for superabsorber products used in diapers, feminine care, and incontinence articles

Products and services

• Superabsorber polymers Powder-like polymers that function as highly absorbent materials, sold as a standalone B2B raw material for hygiene product manufacturers to incorporate into diapers, feminine care items, and incontinence articles where they absorb and retain large volumes of liquid relative to their own mass.
• FAVOR® superabsorber FAVOR® is the company's branded superabsorber polymer offered to hygiene product manufacturers for use in baby diapers, feminine care products, and incontinence articles, where it absorbs and retains liquids to keep wearers dry.
• Acrylic Acid Chemical raw material produced by Stockhausen Superabsorber and sold as a standalone industrial input, used as a precursor in the production of superabsorbents and in broader industrial applications.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evonik Industries: Former parent of Stockhausen's SAP business; divested the unit to ICIG in 2024 but remains a broad specialty chemicals competitor in adjacent polymer and chemical categories.
• Formosa Plastics Corporation: Taiwanese petrochemical major producing acrylic acid and related polymers. Broad incumbent with SAP-adjacent product exposure, relevant as a regional scale competitor in Asia.
• BASF: Global chemical major producing HySorb-brand SAP and acrylic acid as part of a broad petrochemicals and performance chemicals portfolio. Competes with Stockhausen in hygiene SAP while also serving many adjacent chemical end markets.

Emerging players

• Satellite Chemical: Chinese chemical company that has been rapidly expanding superabsorbent polymer capacity alongside its acrylic acid production. Emerging as a low-cost global SAP competitor, particularly in Asia-Pacific.
• Yixing Danson Technology: China-based SAP producer with growing domestic and export volumes. A lower-tier but expanding competitor contributing to global SAP capacity additions.

Direct peers

• LG Chem: Korean chemical major with a sizable SAP business supplying global hygiene brands. Comparable in scale and SAP product positioning, with broader petrochemicals exposure as well.
• Nippon Shokubai: Japan-based global leader in superabsorbent polymers (AQUA KEEP brand) and acrylic acid. Direct competitor to Stockhausen in hygiene-grade SAP with comparable scale and global supply network.
• SDP Global (Sanyo Chemical Industries): Japanese specialty chemical producer (formerly Sanyo Chemical) of SANWET-brand superabsorbent polymers. Direct competitor in hygiene SAP with similar customization capabilities.
• Sumitomo Seika Chemicals: Japanese specialty chemical company producing superabsorbent polymers for hygiene applications. Direct comparable in product range and customer base, focused on SAP and related acrylic chemistry.

Others

• ICIG (International Chemical Investors Group): Parent company of Stockhausen Superabsorber; a German private holding with €4B+ in annual sales across ~50 chemical sites. Relevant context as the controlling shareholder and potential platform for adjacent chemical investments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stockhausen-superabsorber

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Stockhausen Superabsorber Gmbh