Updated:
Altana AG
Altana AG is a German chemical company founded in 1977. It produces and supplies chemical products to clients, primarily in the PE and TMT sectors.
Altana AG
Altana AG is a German chemical company founded in 1977. It produces and supplies chemical products to clients, primarily in the PE and TMT sectors.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
1977
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Germany
City
Wesel
Corporate office
Wesel, Germany
Additional offices
Hamburg, Germany
Principals
Martin Babilas
Chief Executive Officer
Susanne Klatten
Supervisory Board Chair
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who controls Altana AG as of the latest filings?
Altana AG is wholly owned by Susanne Klatten, inherited from her father Herbert Quandt. Ms. Klatten serves as the supervisory board chair. She also controls SKion GmbH, which holds financial investments separated from Altana's industrial operations (public record).
How does Altana generate revenue — and where does the money go?
Altana generates revenue by manufacturing specialty chemicals used as additives, pigments, coatings, and sealants across automotive, packaging, electronics, and pharmaceutical end markets. The firm does not distribute dividends to the family; instead it reinvests all profits back into R&D, manufacturing capacity, and small bolt-on acquisitions (per the firm, 2025).
Is Altana structured as a single-family office or a private operating company?
Altana is a private operating company owned by the Klatten family, not a traditional family office. The family's financial investments — private equity, real estate, and other passive holdings — are held in a separate entity called SKion GmbH (per Manager Magazin, 2023).
What is Altana's geographic footprint and manufacturing presence?
Altana operates 40+ manufacturing sites across Germany, the US, China, and Brazil, plus additional sales offices in over 100 countries. About 60% of revenue comes from outside Germany (per the firm, 2025).
How does Altana acquire companies?
Altana pursues a disciplined bolt-on acquisition strategy — roughly one to two small to mid-sized specialty chemicals companies per year, focused on expanding technology portfolios or geographic reach in existing end markets. The firm does not participate in leveraged buyouts or pursue financial-sponsor-driven deals (per the firm, 2025).
What industries does Altana serve?
Altana's products serve automotive (coatings, adhesives, sealants), packaging (inks, coatings), electronics (insulation materials), pharmaceuticals (sealants, packaging coatings), and general industry (additives for paints, plastics). The firm explicitly avoids consumer-facing commodity chemicals (per the firm, 2025).
Who runs the investment decisions at Altana?
Martin Babilas has served as CEO since November 2023, setting operational and strategic direction for the industrial business. Susanne Klatten retains control as the sole owner and supervisory board chair, with final say on large capital allocations, acquisitions, and R&D budgets. The company does not have an external investment committee or a CIO role (per the firm, 2023).
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: