BASF
BASF is a publicly traded German chemical company operating six segments across chemicals, materials, agricultural solutions, and surface technologies, serving nearly every industry through 234 production sites in 93 countries anchored by integrated Verbund complexes, with €59.7 billion in 2025 group sales.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1865
- HeadquartersFlorham Park, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What BASF does
BASF SE is the world's largest integrated chemical company, founded in 1865 and headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany, with publicly traded shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (BAS) and ADRs in the United States (BASFY). The company organizes operations into six reportable segments — Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Nutrition & Care, Surface Technologies, and Agricultural Solutions — and serves customers across nearly every industrial sector, including automotive, construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, personal care, packaging, and energy. Its 2025 group sales of approximately €59.7 billion were generated by 95,000 employees operating 234 production sites across 93 countries, anchored by seven globally integrated Verbund complexes that connect chemical processes, energy, and logistics into a single production network to maximize resource efficiency.
The company's economic engine is the Verbund integration system, exemplified by the 250-plant Ludwigshafen complex and the major Geismar, Freeport, Antwerp, and Zhanjiang sites, which together produce basic chemicals, intermediates, and a wide portfolio of specialty products. BASF generates the bulk of revenue through negotiated multi-year B2B contracts with industrial customers, supplemented by licensing income (e.g., the DSM Supplemental License Agreement for Tinosorb S) and joint-venture economics (Dow Badische, Port Arthur steam cracker with TotalEnergies). Beyond chemistry, BASF operates a differentiated digital-farming business under the xarvio brand, serving more than 140,000 farmers across 30 million hectares, and a sensor business through the trinamiX startup. The company invested €2.0 billion in R&D and €4.0 billion in capex in 2025, and has set 2028 financial targets of €9–11 billion EBITDA before special items and approximately 10% ROCE, alongside a €4 billion share buyback program through end-2028.
BASF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BASF
- Legal name
- BASF SE
- Website
- https://basf.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1865
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- BASF is a publicly traded German chemical company operating six segments across chemicals, materials, agricultural solutions, and surface technologies, serving nearly every industry through 234 production sites in 93 countries anchored by integrated Verbund complexes, with €59.7 billion in 2025 group sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where BASF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Florham Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices19 records
Markets served
BASF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Chemical Products Sales: BASF generates the majority of revenue through the sale of chemical products across six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Nutrition & Care, Surface Technologies, and Agricultural Solutions. Products range from basic chemicals and materials to specialty chemicals, agricultural inputs, and surface technologies.
- Licensing and Trademark Agreements: BASF generates licensing revenue through trademark agreements such as the Supplemental License Agreement with DSM Nutritional Products LLC for marketing and selling Bemotrizinol (Tinosorb S) in the United States.
- Joint Venture Operations: Revenue from joint venture operations including the steam cracker with Total in Port Arthur, Texas, and Dow Badische Chemical Company.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise B2B pricing for chemical products |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
BASF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BASF develops, manufactures, and sells a broad portfolio of chemicals, materials, industrial solutions, nutrition and care ingredients, surface technologies, and agricultural products across six business segments. The company operates an integrated Verbund production network spanning 234 sites in 93 countries, complemented by digital farming solutions (xarvio) and specialized UV filter ingredients (Tinosorb, Uvinul, Z-COTE) for personal care applications.
Product overview
BASF offers a broad portfolio of chemical products and solutions organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Nutrition & Care, Surface Technologies, and Agricultural Solutions. The digital farming portfolio includes xarvio-branded products (xarvio FIELD MANAGER platform with specialized modules for Fruits & Veggies and AgBusiness, xarvio CONNECT 2.0 hardware device for machine data exchange, xarvio BIOENERGY for carbon intensity tracking, and xarvio HEALTHY FIELDS for crop health). The sun care portfolio includes Tinosorb S (Bemotrizinol) broad-spectrum UV filter and related Tinosorb, Uvinul, and Z-COTE UV filter product families. BASF also offers specialized sensors through its trinamiX start-up, including Hertzstück infrared sensors for spectroscopy applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- xarvio: Digital farming solutions brand offering FIELD MANAGER, BIOENERGY, and HEALTHY FIELDS products for crop optimization
- trinamiX
- Tinosorb
- Uvinul
- Z-COTE
Products and services
- xarvio FIELD MANAGER
- xarvio CONNECT 2.0
- Tinosorb S (Bemotrizinol)
- InVigor Gold Canola Seed Variety
- trinamiX Hertzstück Infrared Sensors
- Tinosorb UV Filter Product Family
- Uvinul UV Filter Product Family
- Z-COTE UV Filter Product Family
- B2Last Bitumen Additive
Quantifiable outcome
- Net-zero emissions target by 2050
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use BASF
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BASF technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
BASF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core, flagship and regional.
- ArvastrategicStrategic collaboration to deliver a pathway for farmers and biofuel producers to benefit from the 45Z biofuel tax credit. xarvio BIOENERGY solution connects growers, retail agronomists and biorefineries.
- TotalEnergiescoreJoint venture with Total operating one of the world's largest steam crackers in Port Arthur, Texas.
- Stanford UniversitycoreBASF and Stanford University strengthen collaboration in catalyst research, building on an eight-year collaboration exchanging expertise to drive catalyst breakthroughs and translate research into real-world applications.
- Swift Current Energystrategic15-year agreement to acquire Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) linked to approximately 47 megawatts of annual capacity from Swift Current Energy's Castle Gap Wind project in Central Texas. Supports Scope 2 emissions reduction at U.S. sites.
- BP Energy Retail CompanystrategicPartnership for renewable energy certificate procurement supporting emissions reduction targets at BASF U.S. manufacturing sites.
- X-ELIOstrategic12-year power purchase agreement with solar energy project developer X-ELIO for supply of 48 megawatts of solar power per year for Freeport site. Will avoid more than 82,000 tons of CO2 annually.
- MingyangflagshipPartnership with Mingyang to establish joint venture for offshore wind farm off the coast of Zhanjiang, China to power the Zhanjiang Verbund site with renewable energy.
- State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC)flagship25-year power purchase agreement with SPIC for renewable electricity supply to Zhanjiang Verbund site.
- China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute (GEDI)strategicCooperation in renewable energy and low-carbon development for the Zhanjiang Verbund site.
- Air LiquidestrategicKairos@C project with Air Liquide at Antwerp site to capture and avoid up to 1 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually through industrial CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage).
- Harvard UniversitycoreAcademic partnership with Harvard University as part of BASF's research collaboration with prestigious universities for evolving customer needs.
- University of California SystemcoreAcademic partnerships with University of California system institutions for research collaboration and innovation development.
- Chattanooga State Community CollegeregionalPartnership with Chattanooga State Community College to deliver TECH Academy program introducing high school students to technical and craft careers through hands-on skills training and facility tours. Now in its 7th year.
- Dow Chemical CompanycoreJoint venture Dow Badische Chemical Company founded in Freeport, Texas, representing BASF's first manufacturing site outside Germany since World War II. Initial investment of $7 million to establish production base for basic chemicals and fiber preliminary products.
Scale indicators22 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BASF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FMC Corporation: Crop protection and plant health specialist directly competing with BASF's Agricultural Solutions insecticide, herbicide, and fungicide portfolio across global row-crop and specialty markets.
- Dow Inc. U.S.-headquartered integrated chemicals major with overlapping basic chemicals, performance materials, and industrial intermediates portfolios. Closely comparable to BASF in scale, Verbund-style integration, and end-market exposure to packaging, construction, and automotive.
- LyondellBasell Industries: Global polyolefins and chemicals producer with integrated crackers, intermediates, and advanced polymers. Highly comparable to BASF on petrochemicals feedstocks, olefins/polymers, and the shift toward circular and sustainable chemistries.
- Covestro: Specialty chemicals producer of polyurethanes, MDI, TDI, and coatings raw materials. Directly overlaps with BASF's MDI expansion at Geismar and its Materials and Surface Technologies segments.
- Bayer Crop Science: Agricultural inputs and crop protection competitor of BASF Agricultural Solutions. Comparable on seeds, crop protection chemistry, and digital farming offerings across the same grower customer base.
- Corteva: Pure-play agriculture company competing with BASF Agricultural Solutions in crop protection and seeds, including digital agronomy tools aimed at similar row-crop and specialty-crop growers.
- Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals producer with overlapping specialty additives, coatings, and care chemicals offerings. Comparable to BASF's Industrial Solutions and Nutrition & Care segments in Europe and globally.
- Lanxess: Specialty chemicals company focused on advanced intermediates, additives, and consumer protection ingredients. Comparable to BASF on specialty intermediates, performance additives, and rubber/industrial chemistry.
- Eastman Chemical Company: Specialty chemicals and materials producer with overlapping plastics additives, fibers, and chemical intermediates. Comparable to BASF on specialty materials, circular economy initiatives, and performance chemicals for downstream OEMs.
Broad incumbents
- DuPont: Diversified specialty chemicals and materials company with overlapping electronics, water, construction, and protective solutions. Broader incumbent comparable to BASF on specialty materials and innovation-driven segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BASF social profiles
Digital presenceBASF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BASF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
BASF subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
BASF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BASF M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BASF
What does BASF do?
BASF develops, manufactures, and sells a broad portfolio of chemicals, materials, industrial solutions, nutrition and care ingredients, surface technologies, and agricultural products across six business segments. The company operates an integrated Verbund production network spanning 234 sites in 93 countries, complemented by digital farming solutions (xarvio) and specialized UV filter ingredients (Tinosorb, Uvinul, Z-COTE) for personal care applications.
Is BASF a public or private company?
BASF is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was BASF founded?
BASF was founded in 1865.
Where is BASF based?
BASF is headquartered in Florham Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does BASF make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Chemical Products Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensing and Trademark Agreements and joint Venture Operations.
Who are BASF's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FMC Corporation, Dow Inc., LyondellBasell Industries, Covestro, Bayer Crop Science, Corteva, Evonik Industries, Lanxess and Eastman Chemical Company. DuPont is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does BASF have an API?
No public API is recorded for BASF.