What Croda International does

Croda International Plc is a UK-headquartered, FTSE 100 specialty chemicals company founded in 1925 that develops and manufactures high-performance ingredients sold to virtually every major industry, with three reporting segments: Consumer Care (home care, beauty, personal care, fragrance), Life Sciences (pharmaceutical excipients, vaccine adjuvants, crop protection, seed enhancement), and Industrial Specialties. Its core technology platforms center on biotechnology-derived ingredients (fermentation-based squalene, plant tissue culture QS-21), cGMP lipid systems for nucleic acid drug delivery — including mRNA vaccines and gene therapies — and advanced formulation/delivery technologies such as emulsification, stabilization, and controlled release systems. The Avanti Polar Lipids (2020) and Solus Biotech (2023) acquisitions established Croda as the first commercial supplier of lipid systems for global COVID-19 vaccine production and deepened its vaccine adjuvant capabilities.

Croda operates a B2B enterprise sales model with dedicated direct sales teams serving pharmaceutical companies, personal care brand owners, and crop protection majors globally, pricing through direct commercial negotiations and typically structured around multi-year contracts. It has a global footprint spanning 37 countries with manufacturing sites in the UK (Leek, Cowick Hall HQ), the US (Alabaster, Lamar), India (Dahej), and China, plus an Asia Digital Sales team in Singapore. Roughly 60% of sales are generated outside Europe, and FY2025 reported sales of £1.7bn (up 7% constant currency) with £295m adjusted operating profit and £162m free cash flow. Strategic capital is being deployed behind government-co-funded lipid capacity expansion (US BARDA $75M, UK BEIS £15.9M) alongside a transformation program targeting £100m annualized savings by 2028.

Name

Croda International

Legal name

Croda International Plc

Website

https://croda.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Croda International Plc is a UK-based FTSE 100 specialty chemicals company founded in 1925 that develops bio-based ingredients, lipid systems for mRNA/gene therapies, vaccine adjuvants, and personal care actives sold to pharmaceutical, beauty, and crop protection companies globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Surface Active Agent Manufacturing (325613)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Flavorings & Extracts (Natural & Artificial) (CRADAOAA)

Keywords

• Specialty chemicals
• Pharmaceutical excipients
• Personal care ingredients
• Drug delivery systems
• Crop protection adjuvants

Headquarters

HQ city

Snaith

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Specialty Chemicals Sales: Croda generates revenue through the development, manufacture, and sale of specialty chemicals including ingredients for personal care, life sciences (pharmaceutical and crop protection), and industrial applications. Revenue streams include product sales of high-performance ingredients, contract manufacturing for pharmaceutical excipients, and technology licensing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Croda develops, manufactures, and sells specialty chemicals across three segments: Consumer Care (ingredients for personal care, beauty, home care, and fragrance), Life Sciences (pharmaceutical excipients, vaccine adjuvants, lipid-based drug delivery systems, and crop protection adjuvants), and Industrial Specialties. The company supplies high-purity lipid systems essential for mRNA vaccines and gene therapies, cGMP vaccine adjuvants including squalene and QS-21, and biotechnology-derived sustainable ingredients to enterprise customers worldwide.

Product overview

Croda International is a specialty chemicals company operating through three business segments: Consumer Care (home care, beauty, personal care, fragrance), Life Sciences (pharma, crop protection, seed enhancement), and Industrial Specialties. Croda Pharma focuses on drug delivery systems including lipid systems for mRNA vaccines and gene therapies, vaccine adjuvants (squalene, QS-21), and bioprocessing solutions. The Consumer Care segment includes peptide actives (Matrixyl range), botanical ingredients (Malvallin, HydroAvena), hair repair technologies (KeraBio K31), and SPF-boosting technologies (Crodabond CSN). Recent product launches include Malvallin (2026), Virodex bioprocessing solutions (2023), and Atlox BS-50 biopesticide delivery system (2023). The company operates manufacturing facilities in Leek (UK), Alabaster (US), and Lamar (US) for lipid systems, with additional facilities in Dahej (India) and China for consumer care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Malvallin: Patent-pending botanical active for skin firmness, hydration and resilience launched June 2026 for premium skincare.
• Virodex
• Atlox BS-50
• Beauty of Zero

Products and services

• Croda Pharma Leading partner for development of excipients and supply of high-purity materials for pharmaceutical formulations. Focused on enabling next-generation drug delivery through adjuvant systems and small molecule, protein, and nucleic acid delivery platforms. Targets pharmaceutical companies developing vaccines, gene therapies, and novel therapeutics.
• Lipid Systems for Drug Delivery High-purity lipid systems essential for delivery of next-generation nucleic acid drugs including mRNA vaccines, gene therapies, and cancer treatments. Manufactured at cGMP facilities in Leek (UK), Alabaster (US), and Lamar (US). Used by major pharmaceutical companies globally.
• Sustainable Squalene Biotechnology-derived pharmaceutical grade squalene produced from sugarcane via exclusive license with Amyris. Used in vaccine adjuvants to boost immune responses. Provides identical molecule with higher purity compared to traditional shark liver-derived squalene.
• QS-21 Vaccine Adjuvant Sustainable pharmaceutical grade QS-21 produced through plant tissue culture of Quillaja saponaria in partnership with Botanical Solutions Inc. Used as immune-boosting adjuvant in next-generation vaccines for humans and animals.
• Atlox BS-50 Spore-forming bacteria powder delivery system specifically designed for the biopesticide market. Provides easy-to-use formulation for beneficial microorganisms in crop protection applications.
• Virodex Bioprocessing adjuvants product line providing sustainable cGMP-compliant solutions to replace Triton X-100 in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Launched following REACH regulations banning the previous bioprocessing detergent.
• Malvallin Patent-pending botanical active that supports skin firmness, hydration and resilience. Developed for preventative, premium skincare formulations targeting global beauty and personal care brands.
• Matrixyl Peptide Range Peptide-based active ingredients for anti-aging skincare formulations. Established product range with new additions showcased at in-cosmetics Global 2026 for premium personal care applications.
• KeraBio K31 Hair repair technology for advanced hair care formulations targeting personal care brand owners and contract manufacturers.
• HydroAvena HpO Next-generation botanical active for premium skincare formulations, presented at in-cosmetics Global 2026. Targeted at personal care brand owners developing natural and sustainable beauty products.
• Crodabond CSN SPF-boosting technology for enhanced sun protection formulations. Supports personal care and beauty brands in developing higher-performance sunscreen products.
• Bio-based Agricultural Utility Adjuvants Expanded portfolio of bio-based agricultural utility adjuvants including new defoamer and buffering solutions for sustainable crop protection formulations. Targeted at crop protection formulators and seed enhancement companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supplied critical lipid systems to support global COVID-19 vaccine roll-out as the first company to supply clinical and commercial quantities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NovoArccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Collaboration to expand advanced drug delivery capabilities, enhancing lipid technologies for more stable and flexible therapeutic delivery systems.
• Amino GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Strategic partnership to strengthen biopharma offerings announced March 2026.
• ShiseidominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Strategic partnership announced in March 2025 for cosmetic ingredients collaboration.
• Universities of Nottingham and YorkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2023EPSRC Prosperity Partnership to develop novel biobased and biodegradable polymers for liquid formulations used in crop protection and personal care products.
• AmyriscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2023Exclusive license agreement for biotechnology-derived, pharmaceutical grade squalene used in vaccine adjuvants. Amyris produces sustainable squalene from sugarcane, providing identical molecule with higher purity compared to traditional shark liver source. Croda licenses the technology to market, distribute, and sell squalene for human and veterinary vaccines, drug delivery systems, and nucleic acid delivery systems.
• Botanical Solutions Inc (BSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2023Strategic collaboration to build sustainable, scalable supply chain for pharmaceutical grade QS-21 vaccine adjuvant. BSI produces QS-21 through plant tissue culture of Quillaja saponaria, offering most sustainable source compared to traditional bark extraction from mature trees.
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)minorOthers · 10 October 2022Membership in WBCSD as latest member, joining top 200 companies committed to sustainable development. Supports Croda's commitment to become Climate, Land and People Positive by 2030.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DSM-Firmenich: Dutch specialty ingredients company formed by the merger of DSM and Firmenich, with overlapping personal care, nutrition, health, and fragrance businesses. Directly comparable to Croda across biotech-derived personal care actives, flavors and fragrances, and pharmaceutical excipients.
• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals company with strong presence in personal care, pharma excipients, and specialty additives. Comparable to Croda as a B2B supplier of high-performance ingredients into similar end markets including cosmetics and drug delivery.
• Symrise: German flavors, fragrances, and nutrition ingredients company serving personal care, food, and beverage customers globally. Closely comparable to Croda's Consumer Care segment, particularly in sustainable and biotech-derived cosmetic actives.
• Givaudan: Swiss flavors and fragrances specialist with growing presence in active cosmetic ingredients. Comparable to Croda's fragrance, flavor, and personal care ingredient portfolio serving global brand owners.
• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF): US-listed flavors, fragrances, and ingredients company serving food, beverage, personal care, and home care customers. Comparable to Croda's Consumer Care segment with overlapping customer base and ingredient technologies.
• Lonza Group: Swiss CDMO and manufacturer of pharmaceutical ingredients, biologics, and cell & gene therapy solutions. Comparable to Croda's Life Sciences (Croda Pharma) business, particularly for drug delivery and biologic manufacturing inputs.
• Ashland: US specialty chemical company focused on personal care, pharmaceutical, and industrial specialties. Comparable to Croda as a B2B supplier of specialty ingredients and excipients to pharma and personal care customers.
• Corbion: Dutch ingredients company specializing in sustainable bio-based ingredients including lactic acid, food ingredients, and personal care actives. Comparable to Croda in biotechnology-derived specialty ingredients for personal care and food applications.

Broad incumbents

• BASF: World's largest chemical company with broad portfolio including personal care ingredients, crop protection, and pharma solutions. Comparable to Croda as a global specialty and industrial chemicals supplier, though BASF's portfolio spans far more end markets.
• Lubrizol (Berkshire Hathaway): US specialty chemicals subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway serving personal care, pharmaceutical, and industrial markets. Comparable to Croda across personal care and pharma excipients, though broader in industrial applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crodapceurope
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkoNvNU5A8-nTuik-4mYK7A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/croda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A15 records

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Croda International