GEKCO

What GEKCO does

GEKCO (legal entity: Gekco Ltd) is a Yorkshire, England-based manufacturer of climbing chalk and adjacent grip-sports accessories, founded in 2020 by climber Ben Barker. The company's core technology is seawater-derived magnesium carbonate, extracted as a desalinisation byproduct rather than mined, yielding a higher-purity chalk with lower environmental impact than traditional Chinese-mined alternatives. Its liquid chalk formulation combines magnesium carbonate with plant-derived ethanol from Yorkshire — explicitly zero resins, thickeners, or drying agents — and in 2024 it launched COLD, a patent-pending hybrid that fuses loose and liquid formats with a 5°C skin-cooling effect. The accessory line spans hemp refillable chalk balls, handmade chalk bags, Kinto flasks, and gift bundles, all packaged in recyclable or compostable materials, and the company operates as 125%+ carbon negative through verified offsetting projects.

The company sells directly to consumers via its e-commerce site (gekco.uk) at unit prices of £8.50–£11.00 with flat-rate £2.95 UK shipping, and wholesale to 100+ climbing gyms across the UK and EU under same/next-day European fulfillment. It generates two revenue streams: one-time DTC product sales and B2B wholesale to stockists, with no subscription component. A bottle return/refill scheme operated through gym stockists creates a recurring wholesale loop and reverse-logistics channel. Distribution is supported by a 13-athlete ambassador programme (including British Lead Champion Sam Butterworth), content marketing via a blog ("The Beta"), Instagram community (#GEKCOGRIP), and a strategic partnership with climbing charity Climbers Against Cancer.

The customer base spans competitive and recreational climbers as the primary segment, with secondary extension into climbing gym operators, weightlifters, and CrossFit/gymnastics users. The company has filed a patent on COLD technology, achieved third-party verified carbon-negative status, and operates with a 1–10 person team on a bootstrapped basis with no external institutional investment.

Name

GEKCO

Legal name

Gekco Ltd

Website

https://gekco.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GEKCO manufactures seawater-derived climbing chalk and grip-sports accessories, selling direct-to-consumer online and wholesale to 100+ climbing gyms across the UK and EU, serving climbers, weightlifters, and CrossFit/gymnastics users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climbing Chalk

akta.pro primary industry

Climbing & Mountaineering Gear Retail (CRAMAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Climbing & Mountaineering Gear Retail (CRAMAAAB)

Keywords

• Climbing chalk
• Liquid chalk
• Loose chalk
• Climbing accessories
• Chalk bags

Headquarters

HQ city

Womersley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: GEKCO sells chalk products directly to consumers through their e-commerce website and through climbing gym stockists (B2B). Products include liquid chalk, loose chalk, COLD hybrid chalk, chalk balls, chalk bags, and gift boxes. Revenue is generated through one-time purchase transactions with no subscription model currently in place.
2. Wholesale/B2B Sales: GEKCO supplies climbing gyms and retailers across the UK and EU with bulk product orders. Stockists can participate in bottle return schemes for refilling and reuse, creating recurring wholesale revenue opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GEKCO manufactures and sells seawater-derived magnesium carbonate climbing chalk in liquid, loose, and hybrid (COLD) formats. The company also produces supporting climbing accessories including chalk balls, chalk bags, flasks, and gift packs. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the GEKCO website and through a network of climbing gym stockists.

Product overview

GEKCO is a climbing chalk company offering a unified portfolio of performance chalk products. The core product line includes three main chalk formats: COLD (world-first hybrid liquid/loose chalk with cooling effect), GEKCO Liquid Chalk 250ml (zero resin/thickener formula), and GEKCO Loose Chalk 275g (seawater-processed fine powder in recyclable bag). The product ecosystem extends to accessories including refillable hemp chalk balls, handmade chalk bags with waterproof fabrics, and Kinto insulated flasks. Products are bundled in the Ultimate GEKCO Pack gift box. All products emphasize seawater-processed magnesium carbonate, zero harmful additives, and environmental sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• COLD Hybrid Liquid & Loose Chalk GEKCO's flagship hybrid climbing chalk product that combines liquid and loose chalk formats. Delivers high friction, long-lasting grip, and a cooling effect on hands. Targeted at climbers seeking premium performance with reduced waste.
• GEKCO Loose Chalk 275g 275g loose chalk refill pack made from seawater-derived magnesium carbonate with no harmful additives. Intended for climbers refilling chalk bags and balls.
• GEKCO Liquid Chalk 250ml 250ml liquid chalk bottle for climbers seeking a clean, quick-drying, no-resin, no-thickener chalk application. Packaged in HDPE for return/refill scheme.
• Refillable Chalk Ball Approximately 50g refillable chalk ball, made from hemp, designed to be refilled with loose chalk and used inside chalk bags.
• GEKCO Chalk Bag Climbing chalk bag branded by GEKCO for climbers to carry loose chalk or chalk balls during indoor and outdoor climbing sessions.
• GEKCO Kinto Flask GEKCO-branded Kinto flask sold alongside chalk products as a climbing-lifestyle accessory.
• GEKCO Gift Box / Ultimate GEKCO Pack Bundled gift pack product offering that combines GEKCO chalk with accessories (chalk bag, chalk ball, etc.) for climbers and as gifts.
• GEKCO Aluminium Stickers Aluminium stick-on stickers carrying the GEKCO brand, sold as branded merchandise alongside chalk products.

Quantifiable outcome

• COLD hybrid chalk reduces skin temperature by 5°C (9°F) from a single application
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Climbers Against CancercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEKCO proudly supports Climbers Against Cancer as a partner and patron. Climbers Against Cancer is a charity organisation supporting cancer research and awareness within the climbing community. GEKCO also operates a 1% of sales or 10% of profit self-tax scheme to support charities including CAC and Mountain Rescue.
• UPS Carbon NeutralminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll GEKCO shipments to stockists are made through UPS Carbon Neutral shipping programme. This means unavoidable carbon emissions from shipping are offset through UPS-certified offsetting projects. UPS also has carbon reduction targets and invests in alternative fuels and advanced technology.
• Forest CarbonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEKCO invests in UK forest creation and peatland restoration projects through Forest Carbon. Projects include three forest creation projects and one peatland restoration across England and Scotland, verified by Woodland Carbon Code. These ex-ante credits invest in future carbon reductions as trees mature.
• Solar Cookers for Refugees in Chad (Gold Standard)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEKCO offsets carbon through Gold Standard verified CooKit project providing solar cooking stoves to Sudanese refugees in Chad camps. Project prevents carbon emissions through wood fire reduction, improves safety for women and children, and reduces deforestation by over 50%.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Patagonia: Patagonia is a leading purpose-driven outdoor brand with deep climbing apparel and accessory assortments and a strong sustainability narrative. As an ESG-led brand with European climbing presence, it competes for the same environmentally-conscious climber dollars that GEKCO targets.
• Mad Rock: Mad Rock is a US climbing gear manufacturer producing shoes, harnesses, chalk bags and chalk. While broader than GEKCO, it competes across multiple GEKCO categories including chalk and chalk accessories at climbing gym stockists.
• Mammut: Mammut is a Swiss-based climbing and outdoor brand with strong European distribution across climbing gyms and mountain retailers — directly relevant given GEKCO's UK/EU go-to-market. It sells chalk bags, apparel, and gear that overlap with GEKCO's accessory lines.
• Black Diamond Equipment: Black Diamond is one of the largest climbing equipment manufacturers globally, offering chalk, chalk bags, and an extensive climbing portfolio. As a broad incumbent, it competes for the same climbing-gym retail shelf space and end-consumer spend that GEKCO targets.

Direct peers

• Friction Labs: Friction Labs is a US-based premium climbing chalk brand (loose and liquid) that competes directly with GEKCO in the high-performance, ingredient-pure climbing chalk segment. The brand is referenced in GEKCO customer testimonials as the incumbent benchmark ('I used to only use Friction Labs loose chalk').
• eGrips (Climbing Chalk): eGrips is a US-based chalk ball and liquid chalk brand serving climbers and grip-sport athletes. It directly competes with GEKCO's liquid chalk and refillable hemp chalk ball SKUs in performance and convenience positioning.
• Metolius: Metolius is a US climbing gear manufacturer producing chalk, chalk bags, and accessories for climbers. As a long-established chalk specialist with broad climbing category assortment, it directly overlaps with GEKCO's loose chalk and chalk bag product lines.

Others

• Entre-Prises: Entre-Prises is a leading manufacturer of climbing wall structures and a key supplier to the indoor climbing gym industry. As a gym-industry enabler rather than a direct consumer-product competitor, it is adjacent to GEKCO's B2B stockist channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gkcogrip
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gekco

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 GEKCO