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Solvay

MaterialsBrussels, Belgium· One of 963 Materials companies tracked by AMPulse

Develops high-performance polymer filaments and powders for additive manufacturing, including PEEK, PPSU, and PVDF materials, enabling durable 3D-printed parts for aerospace, automotive, and medical applications.

CEO / Founder
Philippe Kehren
Team Size
10000+
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$2.8B
Latest Round
Grant
Key Investors
Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty; GrandEst; Innovation

Technology & Products

Key Products

Solvay (post-2023 spin-off) focuses on essential chemicals including soda ash, bicarbonate, silica, hydrogen peroxide, fluorine, rare earths, phenol, and solvents. The additive manufacturing materials division (high-performance polymer filaments and powders including PEEK, PPSU, PVDF) was spun off to Syensqo in December 2023.

Technological Advantage

Verified advantage: Patented polymer technologies (e.g., PEEK and PPSU) achieve 99.7% density and tensile strengths comparable to injection molding, protected by multiple patents; defensible through material science expertise and long-standing industry partnerships.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Reduces production lead times and costs for high-performance parts by up to 40% through optimized AM materials, with filaments achieving tensile strengths rivaling injection-molded parts, enabling on-demand manufacturing and sustainability benefits.

How They Differentiate

Post-2023 spin-off, Solvay differentiates through essential chemical production with process innovation and decarbonization focus. The additive manufacturing materials differentiation (high thermal resistance PEEK filaments, S-PEP program) now belongs to Syensqo.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and industrial manufacturers requiring high-strength, heat-resistant 3D-printed components

Industry Verticals

Aerospace; Automotive; Healthcare; Industrial; Consumer Goods

Competitors

DuPont, Celanese, BASF, LANXESS, Toray Industries

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Revenue of $5.35B TTM (2026), with organic growth in underlying EBITDA targeted despite market softness; serves 90% of net sales in top-three global market positions.

Major Milestones

Launched first AM filaments in 2018 at RAPID + TCT; Hosted Additive Manufacturing Cup in 2018 with 30+ university teams; Completed spin-off into Solvay and Syensqo in December 2023; Achieved carbon neutrality targets for key products by 2025

Notable Customers

SAP (long-standing customer since the 1980s), and customers in consumer goods, automotive, aerospace, and medical sectors.

https://www.solvay.com

Why this company matters

Solvay is a Brussels-based essential chemicals company founded in 1863, producing soda ash, silica, hydrogen peroxide, and other industrial commodities. Its additive manufacturing materials business, which developed high-performance polymer filaments and powders including PEEK, PPSU, and PVDF, was spun off into Syensqo in December 2023. Syensqo now holds the AM leadership position, while Solvay continues as a pure-play essential chemicals provider focused on decarbonization and process innovation.

The former AM division's core technology centered on proprietary polymer formulations such as KetaSpire PEEK, which achieve 99.7% density and tensile strengths comparable to injection-molded parts. The Syensqo Printer Evaluation Program (S-PEP) benchmarks printer performance and optimizes processing conditions for these materials, which are used in polymer material extrusion (MEX) and powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) processes.

Target customers include aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and industrial manufacturers requiring high-strength, heat-resistant 3D-printed components. The materials enable on-demand production and sustainability benefits, reducing lead times and costs by up to 40% versus traditional manufacturing. Key partnerships include 9T Labs, PrinterPrezz, and Hankook Tire, as well as university collaborations through the Additive Manufacturing Cup.

Competitive risks for Syensqo include established polymer rivals such as DuPont, Celanese, BASF, LANXESS, and Toray Industries. Solvay's own strategic moat lies in its essential chemicals portfolio and top-three global market positions across 90% of net sales, though its direct role in AM ended with the spin-off.