Heraeus
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGerman family-owned technology group specializing in precious metals, advanced materials, medical technology, quartz glass, sensors, and electronic components.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Heraeus is a privately held German technology group headquartered in Hanau. Its modern industrial identity grew out of the Heraeus family pharmacy, whose origins date to 1660, and the platinum-smelting business established by pharmacist and chemist Wilhelm Carl Heraeus in 1851. The company became an important supplier to the jewelry, dental, chemical, electrical, scientific, automotive, semiconductor, telecommunications, aerospace, steel, and medical industries. A decisive early breakthrough came in 1856, when Wilhelm Carl Heraeus used an oxyhydrogen blowpipe to melt platinum in commercially useful quantities. This allowed the business to produce and sell comparatively large volumes of pure platinum rather than relying on laborious forging methods. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Heraeus expanded from precious-metal processing into research-intensive materials and equipment. Physicist and chemist Richard Küch joined the company in 1890 and helped develop technologies for platinum treatment, quartz glass, ultraviolet high-pressure lamps, and platinum resistance thermometers. Heraeus also worked with materials including rubidium, caesium, hydrofluoric acid, pharmaceutical iron compounds, and specialized platinum alloys. The company’s technological portfolio broadened further through vacuum metallurgy, precious-metal chemistry, dental materials, electrical contacts, catalysts, sensors, and quartz glass. Its 1918 patent for melting metals under vacuum was an important step in advanced metal processing. Quartz glass became a particularly significant business because of its optical purity, thermal stability, chemical resistance, and use in laboratory equipment, medical applications, telecommunications, semiconductor manufacturing, and aerospace-related systems. Heraeus supplied quartz glass used in the laser-reflector equipment left on the Moon by the Apollo 11 mission. Heraeus was affected by the First World War, interwar hyperinflation, fluctuations in platinum markets, and the Second World War. During the Nazi period, production included electrical contacts, catalysts, and other goods connected with the wartime economy, while the company used forced labor. Its Hanau facilities were almost completely destroyed by air raids in 1944 and 1945. In the late 1990s, Heraeus commissioned an independent historical investigation into its conduct during the Third Reich and participated in Germany’s compensation fund for former forced laborers. After rebuilding, Heraeus internationalized through sales subsidiaries, manufacturing sites, and holdings in Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and other markets. In 1985 it established Heraeus Holding GmbH, followed by a decentralization program that organized the group around specialized business activities. The company later sold or reorganized several businesses, including medical technology and dental materials, while increasing its focus on industrial precious metals, thin-film materials, recycling, sensors, and high-performance components. Since 2020, Heraeus has pursued acquisitions and portfolio changes in medical manufacturing, plastics recycling, precious-metal recovery, and advanced materials. It acquired Norwood Medical in 2021, renamed Perpetual Technologies as Revalyu Resources after acquiring it in 2022, and formed an equal joint venture with BASF for precious-metal recovery from spent automotive catalysts. It subsequently sold its platinum temperature-sensor business, specialty lighting business, and selected photovoltaic silver-paste operations, while acquiring Canadian iridium-recovery specialist McCol Metals. In 2023, the group replaced its former Global Business Unit and start-up structure with a portfolio of Operating Companies. Heraeus operates as a diversified technology group rather than a consumer-facing brand. Its businesses supply refined and recycled precious metals, specialty materials, medical components, electronics materials, semiconductor and photovoltaic inputs, catalysts, and industrial process technologies. The group reported 16,400 employees in 40 countries and total revenue of €25.6 billion for 2023, according to the company’s cited reference material. In May 2025, Frank Stietz succeeded Jan Rinnert as chairman of the management board. Heraeus remains family-owned and internationally active, with precious metals, materials innovation, recycling, and specialized industrial applications at the center of its positioning.
History
Heraeus traces its family-business origins to Isaac Heraeus’s takeover of the Faucque pharmacy in Hanau in 1660. The pharmacy later operated as the Einhorn Pharmacy for six generations. In 1851, Wilhelm Carl Heraeus assumed responsibility for the business and began applying chemistry and engineering to the problems faced by Hanau’s goldsmiths. His key achievement was the commercial-scale melting of platinum. By 1856, an oxyhydrogen blowpipe developed by Heraeus enabled the production of sizeable quantities of pure platinum, leading to the establishment of the W. C. Heraeus First German Platinum Smelters. The platinum business supplied jewelry makers, dental manufacturers, laboratories, and industrial customers. Production expanded rapidly during the second half of the nineteenth century, while the company invested in research and new materials. Richard Küch joined in 1890 and contributed to patents and processes involving platinum gilding, quartz glass, ultraviolet lamps, and temperature measurement. Heraeus’s quartz-glass work became a long-term technological foundation, serving scientific, medical, optical, telecommunications, semiconductor, and aerospace applications. The company also developed expertise in precious-metal chemistry, dental alloys, electrical contacts, pharmaceutical compounds, and other specialty products. International connections developed early. In 1902, Charles Engelhard, related by marriage to the Heraeus family, represented the group in the United States and founded Engelhard Corporation, a precious-metal refining business. In 1909, the enterprise became W. C. Heraeus GmbH, with Küch joining as a partner and managing director. In 1918, Heraeus filed a patent covering vacuum melting of metals, an important advance for controlled metallurgy. A dedicated vacuum-melting activity subsequently registered numerous patents. The First World War, German hyperinflation, and severe changes in the Russian precious-metals market created instability. The company responded by researching recycling and substitutes for scarce or expensive precious metals. From 1927, Wilhelm Heinrich Heraeus and Reinhard Heraeus led the business in its third generation. By 1939, employment had reached approximately 1,000 people. During the Second World War, production shifted toward electrical contacts, catalysts, and other products connected with military supply. Heraeus used approximately 1,500 forced laborers from the Hanau civilian labor camp. Allied air raids in 1944 and 1945 destroyed most of the Hanau facilities. In the late 1990s, the company commissioned an independent historical study of its conduct during the Nazi era and joined the German compensation initiative for forced laborers. Postwar reconstruction restored established precious-metal and quartz-glass businesses and opened new international opportunities. From 1958, Heraeus established sales subsidiaries in France and Italy, followed by international holdings and manufacturing sites. Quartz-glass production expanded to Japan and the United States, while gold contact-wire operations for semiconductor packaging were established in South Korea and the Philippines. Helmut Gruber’s management from 1970 encouraged expansion in quartz glass, precious-metal chemistry, special metals, and overseas operations. Jürgen Heraeus led the group from 1983 to 2000. Heraeus Holding GmbH was created in 1985, and a 1990 decentralization separated core activities into specialized divisions. The company continued to invest internationally, including a synthetic-quartz facility in Bitterfeld-Wolfen after German reunification. In 1991, a hydrogen-tank explosion damaged parts of the Hanau quartz-glass site, although the company continued its broader expansion. After 2000, Heraeus sold or reorganized non-core activities, including Heraeus Med, its interest in Kendro Laboratory Products, and Heraeus Dental. In 2009, the former W. C. Heraeus segment was divided into Heraeus Precious Metals and Heraeus Materials Technology. In 2013, Jan Rinnert became group leader, and a 2015 reorganization replaced the six-business-unit structure with eleven Global Business Units. The group also expanded its retail precious-metal sales through the Heraeus-Gold.de platform, launched in Germany in 2018 with Ophirum. From 2021 onward, Heraeus combined acquisitions with portfolio optimization. Norwood Medical strengthened medical-device manufacturing; Perpetual Technologies, renamed Revalyu Resources, expanded PET recycling; and a joint venture with BASF developed precious-metal recovery from spent automotive catalysts in China. Heraeus sold Heraeus Nexensos to Yageo in 2023, divested Heraeus Noblelight to Excelitas Technologies later that year, acquired McCol Metals in 2024, and sold selected photovoltaic subsidiaries to Haitian Group in 2025. In 2023, its internal structure was renamed around Operating Companies. Frank Stietz became chairman of the management board in May 2025, succeeding Jan Rinnert. Heraeus remains a family-owned, internationally operating technology group centered on precious metals, advanced materials, recycling, and specialized industrial and medical applications.
- 2025
Leadership and photovoltaic portfolio changes
[1]Frank Stietz became chairman of the management board, while Haitian Group acquired selected Heraeus photovoltaic businesses.
- 2024
McCol Metals acquired
[1]Heraeus acquired a Canadian company specializing in iridium recovery from spent mixed-metal-oxide electrodes.
- 2023
Operating Companies structure adopted
[1]The group replaced its previous Global Business Unit and start-up terminology with an Operating Companies structure.
- 2022
Revalyu Resources and BASF joint venture
[1]Heraeus expanded into PET recycling and formed an equal joint venture with BASF for recovering precious metals from automotive catalysts.
- 2021
Norwood Medical acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded Heraeus’s medical-device and precision-component manufacturing activities.
- 2015
Global Business Unit structure introduced
[1]Heraeus reorganized its six-business-unit model into eleven Global Business Units.
- 2009
Precious-metals and materials activities separated
[1]The W. C. Heraeus segment was divided into Heraeus Precious Metals and Heraeus Materials Technology.
- 1985
Heraeus Holding GmbH founded
[1]The group created a holding-company structure that later supported the decentralization of its business activities.
- 1918
Vacuum-metal-melting patent
[1]Heraeus applied for a patent covering the melting of metals under vacuum.
- 1906
Platinum resistance thermometer
[1]Richard Küch developed a standardized platinum resistance thermometer, a measurement principle still used in industrial and consumer equipment.
Products and positioning
A privately held, research-driven industrial technology group combining precious-metal expertise, advanced materials science, recycling, and precision manufacturing for demanding industrial and medical applications.
Precious metals and recycling
Precious metals
Heraeus refines, processes, recycles, and supplies platinum-group metals, gold, silver, iridium, and related compounds. These materials are delivered as bars, powders, chemicals, wires, pastes, substrates, catalysts, and other industrial forms. Applications include electronics, automotive systems, chemical processing, semiconductor production, jewelry, dental products, and laboratory equipment.
Advanced materials
Quartz glass
Heraeus produces high-purity quartz glass and synthetic quartz materials valued for optical clarity, resistance to heat and chemicals, and controlled purity. The materials are used in laboratory equipment, medical technologies, optical systems, telecommunications, semiconductor manufacturing, and aerospace-related applications.
Medical technology · 2021
Medical components and devices
Through its medical-technology activities and the acquisition of Norwood Medical, Heraeus supplies precision instruments, devices, and components for medical manufacturers. The business is focused on engineered components and production capabilities rather than consumer healthcare branding.
Electronics materials
Electronic materials and components
Heraeus supplies precious-metal wires, contact materials, substrates, pastes, and other components used in electronics and semiconductor packaging. Its historical activities include gold contact wires for wire bonding and materials designed for demanding electrical, thermal, and chemical environments.
Catalysts and recycling · 2022
Catalysts and catalyst-recovery solutions
The group produces and recovers precious metals used in catalysts and related industrial processes. Its partnership with BASF focuses on recovering metals from spent automotive catalysts, supporting the supply of recycled materials for high-technology applications.
Solar materials
Photovoltaic silver pastes
Heraeus developed silver-paste materials for photovoltaic cell manufacturing. Selected Chinese and Singaporean photovoltaic businesses were transferred to Haitian Group in 2025, reducing the scope of this activity within the Heraeus portfolio.
Dental technology
Dental materials
Heraeus historically developed dental alloys and other dental materials, building on its precious-metal expertise. The Heraeus Dental business was sold to the Mitsui Group in 2013 and is therefore no longer a current Heraeus offering.
Controversies
1991
Hydrogen-tank explosion at Hanau site
A hydrogen-tank explosion damaged substantial parts of the quartz-glass factory premises in Hanau. The event is documented as an industrial accident rather than a broader corporate scandal.
1939
Forced labor during the Second World War
During the Nazi period and the Second World War, Heraeus used approximately 1,500 forced laborers from the Hanau civilian labor camp. The company later commissioned an independent historical study of its role during the Third Reich and joined Germany’s compensation fund for former forced laborers.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Heraeus-Gold.de
Germany
Heraeus expanded its German sales channels through an online platform created with precious-metals trader Ophirum. The platform enabled retail customers to purchase Heraeus precious-metal bars and selected coins.
Outcome. Expanded direct and digital access to Heraeus-branded precious-metal products.
Brand decisions
2025
Sell selected photovoltaic subsidiariesM&ABackground
Heraeus continued to optimize its portfolio while focusing resources on selected technology and materials businesses.
Action taken
Haitian Group acquired Heraeus Photovoltaics (Shanghai), Heraeus Photovoltaic Technology (Shanghai), and Heraeus Photovoltaics Singapore, including the related photovoltaic silver-paste business.
Aftermath
The transaction reduced Heraeus’s direct involvement in photovoltaic silver-paste operations.
Reported transaction value. Approximately €66 million (2025)
2024
Acquire McCol MetalsM&ABackground
Iridium recovery offers a way to strengthen supply and recycling capabilities for a strategically important precious metal.
Action taken
Heraeus acquired all of Canadian iridium-recovery specialist McCol Metals.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Heraeus’s ability to recover iridium from spent mixed-metal-oxide electrodes.
2023
Adopt the Operating Companies structureStrategyBackground
Heraeus reviewed the internal organization used to manage its diverse portfolio.
Action taken
The group replaced the former Global Business Unit and start-up designations with the broader Operating Companies structure.
Aftermath
The change simplified the group’s portfolio terminology and management framework.
2023
Divest Heraeus Nexensos and Heraeus NoblelightM&ABackground
Portfolio management led Heraeus to exit selected sensor and specialty-lighting activities.
Action taken
Yageo acquired Heraeus Nexensos in April, while Excelitas Technologies acquired Heraeus Noblelight at the end of the year.
Aftermath
The divestments concentrated the portfolio further on precious metals, materials, recycling, electronics, and medical manufacturing.
2022
Establish BASF Heraeus Metal ResourceM&ABackground
Growing demand for secure and circular sources of precious metals created an opportunity to recover materials from spent automotive catalysts.
Action taken
Heraeus and BASF formed an equal joint venture in China to recover precious metals from spent automotive catalysts.
Aftermath
The venture strengthened Heraeus’s recycling position and connected catalyst recovery with supply for high-technology industries.
2015
Reorganize into Global Business UnitsStrategyBackground
The existing six-business-unit model no longer reflected the breadth and specialization of Heraeus’s operations.
Action taken
The group dissolved two broad precious-metals and materials divisions and reorganized activities into eleven Global Business Units.
Aftermath
The structure gave individual technology and market areas greater operational focus.
2013
Sell Heraeus DentalM&ABackground
Heraeus continued to streamline its portfolio around selected industrial and materials businesses.
Action taken
The Heraeus Dental business was sold to the Mitsui Group.
Aftermath
Dental materials ceased to be a core Heraeus business.
2009
Separate precious-metals and materials businessesStrategyBackground
The former W. C. Heraeus business had expanded across several technologically distinct markets.
Action taken
Heraeus divided the segment into Heraeus Precious Metals and Heraeus Materials Technology.
Aftermath
The change clarified operational responsibilities and prepared the group for later reorganization into Global Business Units.
2002
Refocus on core businessesStrategyBackground
Heraeus sought to concentrate resources on activities with stronger technological and industrial synergies.
Action taken
The group sold Heraeus Med and its interest in Kendro Laboratory Products while increasing emphasis on industrial precious metals and thin-film materials.
Aftermath
The portfolio became more focused on materials, precious metals, and specialized industrial technologies.
1985
Create a management holding companyStrategyBackground
The expanding family business required a structure capable of coordinating increasingly international and technically distinct activities.
Action taken
Heraeus established Heraeus Holding GmbH and subsequently organized major businesses through more decentralized management structures.
Aftermath
The holding model supported international expansion and the separation of precious metals, quartz glass, sensors, medical technology, and other activities into specialized units.
Recent events
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