Proventis Partners advised BASF on the sale of BASF’s Optical Brightening Agent business to Catexel
The Transaction
BASF and Catexel have signed an agreement on the sale of BASF’s optical brightening agent business. Optical brightening agents are ingredients in laundry detergent formulations. The business is currently part of BASF’s Care Chemicals division. Financial details of the transaction will not be disclosed. Closing is expected in the first quarter of 2026.
The transaction comprises the international business including the production of optical brightening agents at the Monthey site in Switzerland and approximately 80 employees.
This divestment contributes to BASF’s strategic transformation. “As part of our ‘Winning Ways’ strategy, we are actively managing our portfolio and drive prioritization. With Catexel a committed, focused new owner will develop the business further and thereby realize its potential,” said Mary Kurian, President Care Chemicals.
Catexel is the Care Chemicals platform of the International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG), specializing in high-quality specialty chemicals for detergents and cleaning products, personal care, and industrial applications. By taking over the business and production of optical brighteners, Catexel is sending a clear strategic signal: The company is expanding its portfolio to offer customers an even broader range of premium ingredients for detergents and to further strengthen its position as a reliable partner in the market.
Dr. Alexander Snell, President & CEO of Catexel, states: “This acquisition marks another milestone for Catexel. With the state-of-the-art production facility and the experienced team in Switzerland, we are laying the foundation for further growth and innovation. This strengthens our position as a reliable partner for our customers and drives our strategic direction forward.”
BASF remains one of the leading suppliers and innovators of ingredients for the home care and industrial & institutional cleaning markets.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.
The Role of Proventis Partners
Proventis Partners supported BASF as exclusive M&A advisor throughout the entire sales process. The advisory services included the identification of potential buyers, preparation of marketing materials, coordination of the due diligence, discussions and negotiations with potential buyers, as well as the structuring of the transaction. The Proventis Partners transaction team consisted of Dr. Jan-Philipp (JP) Pfander (Partner, Zurich), Artur Maibach (Vice President, Zurich), and Daniel Bütikofer (Analyst, Zurich).
About Catexel
Catexel is a leading global manufacturer of detergent ingredients with locations in Germany, the USA, and the Netherlands. With 220 employees worldwide, Catexel develops, produces, and distributes specialty chemicals for detergents and cleaning agents, personal care, and industrial applications. Catexel is part of the International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG).
Further information at www.catexel.com
About ICIG
International Chemical Investors Group is a privately owned industrial group with a total turnover of more than €4 billion. ICIG focuses on several main platforms: Fine Chemicals under the WeylChem brand, Care Chemicals (Catexel), Chlorovinyls (Vynova), Compounds (Benvic), Hydrocarbons & Solvents (HCS Group), Superabsorbents (Stockhausen Superabsorber) and Enterprises with specialized businesses in industrial drying services, fermentation products, viscose filaments, activated carbon and wood protection chemicals. Today, the ICIG companies employ more than 7,150 people and operate more than 50 production sites in Europe, the U.S and India.
Further information at www.ic-investors.com
About the Care Chemicals division at BASF
The BASF division Care Chemicals offers a broad range of ingredients for personal care, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, and technical applications. We are a leading global supplier for the cosmetics industry as well as the detergent and cleaner industry, and support our customers with innovative and sustainable products, solutions and concepts. The division’s highperformance product portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, polymers, emollients, chelating agents, cosmetic active ingredients and UV filters. We have production and development sites in all regions and are expanding our presence in emerging markets.
Further information is available online at www.care-chemicals.basf.com
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States.
Further information at www.basf.com
About Proventis Partners
Proventis Partners is a partner-led M&A advisory firm whose clients primarily include medium-sized family businesses, corporate groups, and private equity funds. With 30 M&A professionals, Proventis Partners ranks among the largest independent M&A advisory firms in the Germanspeaking region, boasting more than 20 years of experience and over 430 successfully completed transactions.
With offices in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Zurich, its M&A advisors are active across the industries of industrials, chemicals & materials, services, technology & media, consumer goods & retail, as well as healthcare. Through its exclusive membership in Mergers Alliance – an international partnership of leading M&A specialists – Proventis Partners is able to support clients in 30 countries across the world’s key markets. The members of Mergers Alliance, with more than 250 M&A professionals, provide Proventis Partners and its clients with unique access to local markets in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
For more information about Proventis Partners, please visit www.proventis.com