Swiss Lions rankings | 2026 edition
Jungbunzlauer
Jungbunzlauer is No. 14 in the Chemicals and Materials ranking, with a score of 30.6 out of 100. It is not among the Swiss Lions 100 for 2026. Registered office: Basel, canton of Basel-Stadt.
- Swiss Lions score
- 30.6
- Swiss Lions 100
- Not in the 100 for 2026
- Chemicals and Materials
- 14of 20
About
Basel-based producer of biodegradable ingredients of natural origin made by fermentation, including citric acid and xanthan gum, with production in Austria, Germany, France, Canada and the USA.
Jungbunzlauer makes ingredients of natural origin, mainly by fermentation. Its range includes acidulants such as citric and lactic acid, texturants such as xanthan and gellan gum, sweeteners such as erythritol, gluconates, and mineral salts and esters. Production takes place at Pernhofen in Austria, Ladenburg in Germany, Marckolsheim in France, Port Colborne in Canada and, since 2025, Thomson, Illinois, its first US manufacturing site. The company traces its origins to a distillery founded in 1867, has been owned by the Kahane family since 1967 and has had its headquarters in Basel since 1993. It employs nearly 1,400 people and serves customers in more than 130 countries.
- Citric acid and citrates
- Xanthan gum
- Gellan gum (TayaGel)
- Gluconates and glucono-delta-lactone
- Lactic acid and lactates
- Erythritol
- Mineral salts and esters
How the score is made
Global scale
CHF 1.0bn e revenue.
Swiss value
Swiss headquarters, design and R&D; made abroad.
Global visibility
Online attention across languages, and worldwide search interest.
Impact
Near-term target validated. Not a certified B Corp.
Philanthropy
Family foundation: Karl Kahane Stiftung.
Impact and philanthropy together make up the impact measure. How the ranking works.
Key figures
- Revenue used in the ranking
- CHF 1.0bn elatest available, estimate
Not listed on a stock exchange, so profit, dividends and employee numbers are not published in a comparable form.
We have not found a published figure for employees in Switzerland for 2025 or 2026, and dividends paid to Swiss shareholders are not published, so neither is shown.
Profile
- Registered office
- BaselCanton of Basel-Stadt
- Language region
- German-speaking
- Category
- Chemicals and Materials
- Ownership
- Family-ownedKahane family
- Charitable foundation
- Karl Kahane StiftungSet up by the controlling family
- Chief executive
- Bruno TremblaySource
- Global reach
- Customers in more than 130 countriesSource
- Founded
- 1867
In Switzerland
- Basel BSHeadquarters
Over time
| Year | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CHF 1.3bn | 1,400 |
As reported by the company, in its own reporting currency.
Milestones
- 1867Ignatz Lederer founds a spirit distillery in Jungbunzlau, now in the Czech Republic.
- 1962Citric acid production begins at Pernhofen, Austria.
- 1967Karl Kahane acquires the company from the Lederer family.
- 1993The Swiss holding company is founded and headquarters move to Basel.
- 2025Acquires a production site in Thomson, Illinois, its first in the USA.
Also in Chemicals and Materials
1GivaudanScore 61.2
2HolcimScore 60.8
3SikaScore 55.9
4DSM-FirmenichScore 51.0
5ClariantScore 48.0
6Dottikon ESScore 47.1
See all 20 brands in Chemicals and Materials. Read the 2026 data story for Chemicals and Materials.
Sources
- Revenue used in the ranking: jungbunzlauer.com (latest available).
- Company profile, sites, history and milestones: jungbunzlauer.com, tools.prnewswire.com.
- Climate target: Science Based Targets initiative dashboard, status at 30 June 2026. Foundations: Swiss commercial register. B Corp: B Lab directory.
Something out of date?
If a figure is wrong, or Jungbunzlauer can publish figures for the next edition, tell us. Corrections are recorded with their source.