Grafe Chemie Gmbh

What Grafe Chemie Gmbh does

Gräfe Chemie GmbH is a Hamburg-based specialty raw-materials supplier founded in 1999 that develops, manufactures and sells starch-based conditioning additives for the cosmetics industry. Its core technology, marketed under the Amylomer™ brand, comprises cationic and non-ionic derivatives of potato and rice starch that function as liquid film-forming agents for hair and skin care formulations, offering formulators a plant-based alternative to petrochemical-derived conditioning polymers and synthetic silicones. The portfolio spans six specialised variants — CAT 531, CAT 531 AS+, HA-CAT 75, Care 25, HA-NI and H-Care05 — tuned for use cases ranging from universal shampoo conditioning to high-cationic performance on thick or Asian hair, sensitive-skin and baby applications, and easily biodegradable natural-cosmetics formulations compliant with ISO 16128.

The company operates an asset-light model: manufacturing is outsourced to contract producer URSA Chemie GmbH (ISO 9001/14001/45001 and GMP compliant) in Montabaur, Germany, while Gräfe Chemie's internal team focuses on R&D, application technology, and regulatory support. Revenue is generated through one-time sale of raw materials in 22-litre, 210-litre and 1,100-litre containers to cosmetics manufacturers ranging from start-ups to large brand owners, sold directly and through an international distributor network. An exclusive 2025 sales agreement with TER INGREDIENTS covers the DACH region, with additional partners in Japan, Spain and elsewhere. A secondary revenue stream, the «effectableyours» platform, provides biophysical and sensory efficacy testing, claim substantiation and joint framework-formulation development for customers, supporting proof-of-performance marketing claims.

Name

Grafe Chemie Gmbh

Legal name

Gräfe Chemie GmbH

Website

https://graefe-naturchemie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gräfe Chemie GmbH develops, manufactures and supplies plant-based cationic and non-ionic starch additives (Amylomer™) used by cosmetics manufacturers as conditioning and film-forming agents in hair and skin care products, and offers efficacy-testing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cosmetic Raw Materials

NAICS

Wet Corn Milling and Starch Manufacturing (311221)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Fibers, Starches & Texturizers (Resistant Starch, Maltodextrin, Inulin) (CRADAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emulsifiers & Stabilizer Systems (Lecithin, Mono/Diglycerides, Blends) (CRADAOAE)

Keywords

• Cosmetic raw materials
• Starch-based conditioners
• Hair care additives
• Natural film formers
• Efficacy testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Amylomer™ Product Sales: Sale of cationic and non-ionic starch-based raw materials for cosmetics formulations. Products are sold in various container sizes (22L canisters, 210L drums, 1100L IBC) to manufacturers from start-ups to large cosmetic brands.
2. effectableyours Testing Services: Efficacy testing and verification services for hair care products. Includes biophysical measurement methods, sensory testing by qualified hairdressers, half-side comparisons, and documented certification of efficacy including report creation.
3. Frame Formulations Development: Joint solution strategies and framework formulations developed in cooperation with partners. Customized product development support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gräfe Chemie develops, manufactures and supplies the Amylomer™ line of liquid cationic and non-ionic starch-based conditioning agents for hair and skin care cosmetics, derived from natural potato and rice starch. The portfolio includes variants targeting different hair types, skin care, sensitive/baby care, and biodegradable applications, sold in 22L, 210L and 1,100L containers. The company additionally offers «effectableyours», an in-house efficacy testing and verification platform using biophysical measurement methods and sensory tests to validate formulation performance for cosmetics customers.

Product overview

Grafe Chemie GmbH offers the Amylomer™ product line, a broad range of liquid cationic and non-ionic starch-based conditioning agents derived from potato and rice starch for the cosmetics industry. The portfolio includes seven distinct Amylomer™ variants (CAT 531, CAT 531 PF, CAT 531 AS+, Care 25, HA-CAT 75, HA-NI, H-Care05) providing different performance characteristics for hair care, skin care, and baby care applications. All products serve as plant-based, sustainable alternatives to synthetic conditioning agents and film-forming additives. The company also provides the «effectableyours» testing service platform for efficacy verification of hair care products using biophysical measurement methods, enabling customers to generate and document product claims.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amylomer™: Technology brand for starch-based cationic and non-ionic conditioning agents for cosmetics (hair and skin care). Products include CAT 531, Care 25, CAT 531 AS+, HA-CAT 75, HA-NI, and H-Care05.
• «effectableyours»

Products and services

• Amylomer™ CAT 531
• Amylomer™ Care 25
• Amylomer™ CAT 531 AS+
• Amylomer™ HA-CAT 75
• Amylomer™ HA-NI
• Amylomer™ H-Care05
• «effectableyours» efficacy verification platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Products are climate-neutral certified with financial climate contribution through ClimatePartner
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TER INGREDIENTScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Exclusive sales partner for the entire Amylomer™ product range for Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 2025. TER INGREDIENTS is a leading provider of high-quality ingredients and additives for life science applications based in Hamburg.
• URSA Chemie GmbHcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturer (Lohnhersteller) for Amylomer™ products since the early days of the company. Certified according to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 (EMAS), ISO 45001:2018, and GMP compliant.
• Fraunhofer IPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Materials Research in the development of cosmetic formulations and starch-based technologies.
• INCI-Experts GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for cosmetic formulation development and regulatory affairs. INCI-Experts is a specialist in cosmetic and medical product formulation development, based in Hamburg.
• ClimatePartnerminorOthersCertification partner for climate-neutral products. ClimatePartner verifies the carbon footprint of Amylomer™ products and supports offsetting through verified climate action projects.
• DOC JapanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Amylomer™ products in Japan.
• DerypolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner listed among international partners.
• Krishna EnterpriseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner listed among international partners.
• Owen TradingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner listed among international partners.
• QRelation Management TeamminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManagement consulting partner listed among partners.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tate & Lyle: Tate & Lyle produces specialty starches and texturizing ingredients serving both food and personal care markets. Its specialty starch portfolio overlaps with Gräfe Chemie's natural starch derivatives for cosmetic applications.
• Evonik Personal Care: Evonik's Personal Care business supplies specialty conditioning polymers, silicones, and natural ingredients to the cosmetics industry. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in hair and skin care formulation ingredients.
• Ingredion: Ingredion is a major global specialty ingredient producer with a dedicated personal care starch portfolio. It competes with Gräfe Chemie in supplying modified starches and texturizers to cosmetics manufacturers, but operates at significantly larger scale across food and industrial markets.
• BASF Care Chemicals: BASF is one of the largest personal care ingredient suppliers globally, offering a broad polymer portfolio including conditioning agents and film-formers. While it does not focus narrowly on starch-based ingredients, it competes with Gräfe Chemie in the cosmetic conditioning polymer space.
• Cargill Beauty: Cargill's Beauty and Personal Care business provides bio-based and starch-derived ingredients for cosmetic formulations, including starch-based texturizers and conditioning agents. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Gräfe Chemie in natural hair and skin care ingredients.
• Lubrizol Life Science (Berkshire Hathaway): Lubrizol produces specialty polymers for personal care including conditioning and film-forming agents under brands like Carbopol, Pemulen, and Fixate. Its polymer portfolio competes with Gräfe Chemie in cosmetic conditioning applications.

Direct peers

• Roquette: Roquette is one of the world's largest starch producers and a direct competitor in starch-based cosmetic ingredients through its Beauté by Roquette portfolio. Both companies supply plant-based, biodegradable polymers for hair and skin care formulations to global cosmetic brands.
• Sensient Cosmetic Technologies: Sensient provides a focused portfolio of cosmetic specialty ingredients including starch-based and natural polymers for color cosmetics, skin care, and hair care. It is a direct peer in the specialty cosmetic ingredient supplier market.
• Sternchemie GmbH & Co. KG: Sternchemie is a German-based specialty starch manufacturer producing modified starches for food and industrial applications, including personal care. It is a regional direct peer comparable to Gräfe Chemie in modified starch technology targeting cosmetics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xxing.com/pages/grafechemiegmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/graefe-chemie-gmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Grafe Chemie Gmbh