Cognis

Cognis was a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients based on natural raw material chemistry, headquartered in Monheim am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Originally formed as an independent entity in 2001 through a spin-off from German consumer products company Henkel, Cognis became a major player in the specialty chemicals industry before being acquired by BASF SE in December 2010 for an enterprise value of €3.1 billion. The company employed approximately 5,600 people and operated production and service centers in almost 30 countries worldwide, generating sales of €2.6 billion and adjusted EBITDA of €364 million in 2009. Cognis operated through three main business units: Care Chemicals (providing ingredients for personal care and home care products), Nutrition and Health (delivering natural raw materials and ingredients for food, beverages, dietary supplements, and pharmaceutical markets), and Functional Products (supplying specialty chemicals for adhesives, coatings, industrial applications, and agricultural solutions). The company was renowned for its focus on sustainability and expertise in renewable raw material-based products, positioning itself at the forefront of the growing demand for natural and environmentally friendly chemical solutions. Cognis's product portfolio included surfactants for personal care applications, emulsifiers for food and cosmetics, specialty ingredients for pharmaceutical excipients, and performance chemicals for industrial coatings and mining operations. The acquisition by BASF strengthened the German chemical giant's position in personal care ingredients, human nutrition, and pharma excipients while expanding its portfolio of products based on renewable raw materials. Today, Cognis's legacy continues within BASF's Care Chemicals division, though some businesses have been subsequently divested as part of BASF's strategic portfolio optimization.