Track Records

The internal start-up FreshTec Beverages was established in the wake of a divestment in what used to be the Fruit & Flavors Business Unit and was aimed at commercializing FreshCan^® technology. FreshCan^® technology involves plastic capsules called “wedges,” which are put into beverage cans. They burst open and release their contents as soon as the pressure in the can drops, which occurs when the tab is pulled. The wedges make it possible to add additives such as vitamin C and creatine, which would otherwise not be stable in water and have a limited life to take effect, to beverages.

The internal start-up ProSurface was created from what used to be Constructions Chemicals and was based on a development in the area of binders. The product was a binder for easy-to-clean surfaces, especially for exterior façades. ProSurface was tasked with the scale-up development, launch, and expansion of business for this product. When Construction Chemicals was being sold to BASF, ProSurface was included in the sale, and BASF continues to operate it. In other areas of surface finishing, Evonik worked on the Smart Coatings Project in the concluded Science-to-Business Center Nanotronics.

The internal start-up Advanced Nanomaterials (AdNano) was founded when the Project House Nanomaterials successfully ended its research and development efforts. The start-up was tasked with developing and marketing new nanomaterials. The work of AdNano internal focused on nanostructured materials and dispersions in the fields of electronics, cosmetics, coatings, catalysis, and CMP (chemical-mechanical polishing). Some areas of AdNano were transferred to the Business Unit Inorganic Materials and some to the Science-to-Business Center Nanotronics. 

The internal start-up Degussa Homogeneous Catalysts (DHC) developed from the Project House Catalysis. The main objective of the start-up was to launch homogeneous catalysis products and technologies in the field of life sciences and the pharmaceutical industry. DHC offered customers a full set of solutions to improve technical access to active pharmaceutical ingredients or intermediates. The start-up Degussa Homogeneous Catalysts was transferred to the Business Unit Health & Nutrition.

The internal start-up Ceramic Membranes has its origins in filtration membrane activities. The start-up focused on the ceramic separator SEPARION^® for large-format lithium-ion batteries. Today, Evonik’s lithium-ion technology work is concentrated in an independent unit. In addition to the SEPARION^® separator, the electrodes for large-format lithium-ion batteries are manufactured at the Kamenz site near Dresden. The separator and electrodes are assembled into battery cells and batteries by Li-Tec Battery GmbH & Co. KG. In December 2008, Daimler AG acquired in Li-Tec to develop the energy storage device of the future with Evonik’s cooperation. March 2009 saw the foundation of the joint venture Deutsche Accumotive GmbH. Deutsche Accumotive will assemble the battery cells produced by Li-Tec into battery systems.