Cognis
Cognis's Overview
Cognis was a worldwide supplier of innovative specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients, headquartered in Monheim am Rhein, Germany. Formed in 1999 as a spin-off from Henkel, Cognis served diverse industries including food, nutrition and health, detergents and cleaners, cosmetics, and industrial sectors like coatings, plastics, and lubricants. The company focused on products based on renewable raw materials, emphasizing sustainability and innovation across its three main business units: Care Chemicals, Nutrition & Health, and Functional Products. Cognis was acquired by BASF in December 2010 and integrated into the BASF Group.
Where is Cognis's Headquarters?
HQ Function
The headquarters housed key corporate functions including strategic management, global research and development leadership, central marketing, finance, and administrative operations for its worldwide activities.
Notable Features:
The Monheim site was a significant chemical production and research hub, featuring extensive R&D laboratories and pilot plants. It served as the nerve center for Cognis's global operations.
Work Culture:
As a German-originated global company, Cognis likely fostered a work culture emphasizing precision engineering, scientific innovation, efficiency, and strong customer collaboration, typical of the specialty chemicals sector.
HQ Significance:
The Monheim headquarters was crucial to Cognis's identity, strategic direction, R&D breakthroughs, and coordination of its international business, establishing it as a leader in specialty chemicals.
Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters likely reflected Cognis's core values of innovation (through its R&D facilities), global reach (via centralized management of international operations), and a commitment to sustainability (a key strategic pillar for the company's product development).
Location:
Before its acquisition by BASF in 2010, Cognis maintained a robust global presence, operating approximately 30 production sites and service centers across Europe, North America, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. This network enabled Cognis to support worldwide functions including manufacturing, research and development, sales, marketing, and technical support for its three core business areas: Care Chemicals, Nutrition & Health, and Functional Products. Cognis served customers in over 100 countries, tailoring solutions to diverse market needs.
Street Address:
Cognis-Straße 1 (Historical address, site now part of BASF)
City:
Monheim am Rhein
State/Province:
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Cognis's Global Presence
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Address: Historically: Cognis Corporation, 5051 Estecreek Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45232 (This site is now part of BASF operations).
Supported the North American market with localized production, technical services, application development, and customer engagement for Cognis's specialty chemical solutions.
Illertissen, Bavaria, Germany
Address: Historically: Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Werk Illertissen, Postfach 1162, 89251 Illertissen, Germany (This site is now part of BASF operations).
Acted as a key R&D and production center for high-value health and nutrition products, serving European and global markets with scientifically-backed ingredients.
Shanghai, China
Address: Historically located in the Shanghai region (Specific address would now be a BASF site).
Focused on expanding Cognis's market presence in Asia-Pacific, adapting products to local needs, and providing regional customer support across its business units.
Buying Intent Signals for Cognis
Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.
Executive Team of Cognis
As of April 2025, Cognis' leadership includes:
Investors of Cognis
Cognis has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:
Executive New Hires/Exits in the Last 12 Months
Cognis was acquired by BASF in 2010 and no longer operates as an independent entity. Therefore, there are no executive new hires or exits specifically for 'Cognis' in the last 12 months. Leadership of the former Cognis businesses now falls within the BASF organizational structure.
Technology (Tech Stack) used by Cognis
Discover the tools Cognis uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.
Cognis Email Formats and Examples
Historically, Cognis likely used common corporate email formats, such as combining first name and last name. The most probable primary format was firstname.lastname@cognis.com. Since the acquisition by BASF in 2010, the cognis.com email domain is no longer active for corporate communications of a standalone Cognis entity.
firstname.lastname@cognis.com
Format
john.doe@cognis.com (historical example format)
Example
0 (The cognis.com domain is no longer in use for corporate emails of an independent Cognis; emails sent to this domain would not be delivered)%
Success rate
News and media
BASF News Release • December 9, 2010
BASF completes acquisition of Cognis
BASF successfully completed its acquisition of Cognis Holding GmbH. The equity purchase price was €700 million. Including net financial debt and pension obligations, the enterprise value of the transaction was €3.1 billion. Cognis was integrated into BASF, primarily into its Performance Products segment....more
BASF News Release • June 23, 2010
BASF to acquire specialty chemicals company Cognis
BASF announced its agreement with Permira Funds, GS Capital Partners, and SV Life Sciences to acquire the specialty chemicals company Cognis Holding GmbH. The proposed acquisition aimed to strengthen BASF's portfolio with a focus on wellness and sustainability....more
Chemanager Online (Reporting on Cognis release) • May 12, 2010
Cognis Reports Strong First-Quarter 2010 Results
Cognis announced strong financial results for the first quarter of 2010, with sales increasing by 19.7% to €702 million compared to the previous year. Adjusted EBITDA rose significantly to €103 million, reflecting recovery in key markets and operational efficiencies....more
Cognis Press Release (Archived - information often cited by industry media) • February 25, 2009
Cognis highlights sustainability as key to future success
Cognis emphasized its commitment to sustainability, focusing on renewable raw materials and resource efficiency. The company reported that around half of its raw materials were already based on renewables, a figure it aimed to increase, highlighting its Green Chemical Solutions....more
Highperformr’s free tools for company research
Explore Employees by Region or Country
See where a company’s workforce is located, by country or region.
View Funding Details
View past and recent funding rounds with amounts and investors.
Understand Revenue Insights
Understand company revenue estimates and financial scale.
Track Active Job Openings
Track active roles and hiring trends to spot growth signals.
Review Product and Offerings
Discover what a company offers—products, platforms, and solutions.
Get SIC or NAICS Codes
Get the company’s official SIC and NAICS classifications.
Analyze Website Traffic Trends
Analyze visitor volume, engagement, and top traffic sources.
Discover Social Profiles and Engagement
Explore LinkedIn, Twitter, and other active social profiles.
Identify Top Competitors
Identify top competitors based on similar business traits.
Research and Discover Companies with Highperformr — Smarter, Faster
Explore companies in depth — from the tech they use to recent funding, hiring trends, and buyer signals — all in one powerful view.
Highperformr AI helps you surface the right accounts and enrich your CRM with verified company and contact insights, so your teams can prioritize and engage faster.
- Track intent signals to find buyers who are actively in-market
- Enrich contacts and companies instantly, no need to switch tools
- Automate workflows to stay ahead of every change
- Connect your CRM & tools for seamless data sync and activation
Thousands of companies, including Cognis, are just a search away.