Sika
Develops printable concrete formulations, admixtures and robotic 3D concrete printing systems that enable large-scale additive construction of buildings and infrastructure.
- CEO / Founder
- Thomas Hasler
- Team Size
- 5001-10000
- Stage
- Public
- Total Funding
- $1.1B
- Latest Round
- IPO
Technology & Products
Key Products
Printable concrete / mortar formulations for 3D concrete printing; Concrete admixtures and additives (rheology modifiers, accelerators, superplasticizers); Robotic 3D concrete printing system (introduced by Sika); Digital concrete technologies (via GIATEC partnership); Waterproofing, sealing, bonding and reinforcement systems for construction
Technological Advantage
Sika's advantage in additive construction rests on its deep formulation know-how in concrete admixtures and its ability to supply printable mixes at industrial scale with consistent quality - a capability few pure-play 3D printing startups can match. The company is recognized in 3D concrete printing market reports as a leading materials supplier alongside Holcim and MAPEI, and it has extended into digital concrete technologies through a global commercial partnership with GIATEC. The moat is primarily a supply-chain, brand and regulatory-compliance advantage rather than a single patented process; the underlying chemistry is replicable by other large admixture producers, so defensibility depends on scale, customer relationships and continuous formulation improvement rather than a hard IP barrier.
Patent position
Sika filed 34 patent families in 2022–2024, up 42% from 24 in 2019–2021, while tracked AM filings in the same patent offices fell 20%, so Sika outpaced them. Material extrusion’s share fell from 88% to 70%. AMPulse analysis
- Filing momentum
- 34 families filed 2022–2024, 24 in 2019–2021 (+42%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -20%
- Process mix, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
- Material extrusion 88% → 70%
- Focus, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
- Materials 67% → 64%Equipment 40% → 48%
- Filed in
- EP 42%US 39%WO 35%CN 19%
- Named competitors, AM patent families
- Holcim 9
77 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Provides ready-to-use printable concrete mixes and admixtures that deliver consistent rheology, pumpability and buildability for 3D concrete printing, letting contractors print structural elements on demand while cutting formwork cost and labor, backed by a global supply chain and regulatory compliance that de-risks adoption for large construction firms.
How They Differentiate
Unlike printer-hardware specialists such as COBOD or ICON, Sika competes at the materials layer, supplying printable concrete formulations and admixtures. Versus MAPEI and Holcim it differentiates on global distribution reach (subsidiaries in 103 countries, 400+ factories), breadth of complementary construction-chemistry products, and an integrated offering that pairs printable mixes with a robotic printing system and digital concrete tools.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Construction contractors, infrastructure developers, precast manufacturers, and 3D concrete printing system integrators
Industry Verticals
Construction; Infrastructure; Building materials; Industrial manufacturing
Competitors
MAPEI S.p.A.; Holcim (LafargeHolcim); BASF (Master Builders Solutions)
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Net sales of approximately CHF 11.8 billion in 2024; ~33,700 employees worldwide; subsidiaries in 103 countries and production in over 400 factories.
Major Milestones
1910: Founded by Kaspar Winkler with the invention of Sika-1 waterproofing admixture; 2002: Sika AG established as the group holding company; 2021: Thomas Hasler appointed CEO; 2023: Completed acquisition of MBCC Group (with divestitures required by regulators); Introduced a robotic concrete 3D printing system and printable concrete formulations; 2026: Announced global commercial partnership with GIATEC for digital concrete technologies
AM patents
AM-relevant patents linked to this company.
- Patents
- 105
- Granted
- 22
- Families
- 77
Leading domains: process (105), material (48), equipment (33)
Filings by year: 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 12
- CEMENTITIOUS BINDERS FOR GEOPOLYMER, GEOPOLYMERS, AND USES THEREOF04306320 · EP
- DEVICE FOR ADDING AND MIXING AN ADDITIVE INTO A HYDRAULICALLY SETTABLE MIXTURE20230219045 · US
- Shrinkage reducer for mineral binder composition and its use12448329 · US
- A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A WATERPROOFING DETAIL PART2023237611 · WO
- Additive manufacturing of shaped bodies from curable materials11511478 · US
Funding rounds
- Debt€1B2026-08Source: GlobeNewswire (converted at 1 EUR = 1.1 USD)