Leybold GmbH, based in Cologne, is part of the Swedish industry group Atlas Copco.

The company's core competencies are based on the development of components and systems for the generation of vacuum and gas management engineering.

The company divested the pharmaceutical sector to focus on propaedeutic and teaching materials, initiating the serial production of vacuum pumps as of 1906.

In 2000, Degussa sold the remaining propaedeutic and teaching materials division, which today – after bankruptcy in 2008 – operates under the company name LD Didactic and has its headquarters near Cologne.

Then, the company was renamed to Leybold GmbH and became part of the Vacuum Solutions division of the Compressors business area of Atlas Copco.