BASF

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Florham Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices19 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. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers8 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core, flagship and regional.

• ArvastrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Strategic 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.
• TotalEnergiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint venture with Total operating one of the world's largest steam crackers in Port Arthur, Texas.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026BASF 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 EnergystrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 202515-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 CompanystrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Partnership for renewable energy certificate procurement supporting emissions reduction targets at BASF U.S. manufacturing sites.
• X-ELIOstrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 202512-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.
• MingyangflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership 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)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202525-year power purchase agreement with SPIC for renewable electricity supply to Zhanjiang Verbund site.
• China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute (GEDI)strategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Cooperation in renewable energy and low-carbon development for the Zhanjiang Verbund site.
• Air LiquidestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Kairos@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 UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partnership with Harvard University as part of BASF's research collaboration with prestigious universities for evolving customer needs.
• University of California SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partnerships with University of California system institutions for research collaboration and innovation development.
• Chattanooga State Community CollegeregionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership 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 CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1958Joint 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

Direct 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

• Xtwitter.com/basf
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• Facebookfacebook.com/BASF
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• Instagraminstagram.com/basf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 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 BASF