Sonoco ThermoSafe

Name

Sonoco ThermoSafe

Legal name

ThermoSafe Technologies Inc.

Website

https://thermosafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Temperature-Controlled Packaging

NAICS

Packaging and Labeling Services (561910), Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing (326111)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080), Plastics Foam Products (3086), Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold Chain & Temperature-Controlled Packaging (Insulated Shippers, Gel Packs) (IMALAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging, Insulation & Temperature-Controlled Shippers (Qualified Systems) (HLAGAMAF), Sterile & Aseptic Medical Packaging (Pouches, Wraps, Sterile Barriers) (IMALAIAB), Vaccine Cold Chain, Storage & Distribution (HLAIAEAK)

Keywords

• Temperature-controlled packaging
• Cold chain logistics
• Pharmaceutical insulated shippers
• Unit load devices
• Phase change materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 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. Temperature-Controlled Packaging Products: Sale of insulated shipping boxes, gel packs, foam bricks, phase change materials, and durable insulated containers to pharmaceutical, biotech, and life sciences companies.
2. Rental Solutions: Rental programs for Pegasus ULD containers and Orion box rental service for reusable thermal packaging, generating recurring revenue from pharmaceutical air freight and parcel shipping customers.
3. Engineering and Consulting Services: Professional services including packaging design, consulting, and qualification testing through ISC Labs for cold chain packaging development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sonoco ThermoSafe designs, manufactures, and rents temperature-controlled packaging solutions for the safe transport of pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, diagnostic specimens, and perishable goods. Its core offering spans insulated shippers, pre-qualified parcel and pallet solutions, refrigerants and phase change materials, durable reusable containers, and the Orion parcel rental and Pegasus ULD air-freight rental programs, complemented by the ThermoSafe Connect real-time visibility platform and ISC Labs engineering, design, and qualification testing services.

Product overview

Sonoco ThermoSafe offers a comprehensive portfolio of temperature-controlled packaging solutions for life sciences, healthcare, and temperature-sensitive industries. The core offering includes Insulated Shippers for various thermal requirements, Pre-Qualified Solutions (parcel, pallet, and rental systems), Diagnostic/Lab/Medical transport packaging, Refrigerants (foam bricks, gel packs, PCM), and Durable Insulated Containers. Key rental solutions include the Orion parcel rental program and Pegasus ULD (the only passive aircraft-certified temperature control ULD for pharmaceutical air freight). The ecosystem is supported by the ThermoSafe Connect visibility platform, ISC Labs engineering services (design, testing, consulting), The Professional Course training, and The Cold Chain Exchange industry collaboration platform. Products span reusable rental models and single-use solutions across frozen, refrigerated, and ambient temperature ranges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Orion: All-new box rental service for life sciences, biopharmaceuticals and healthcare featuring temperature-controlled parcel shipping containers
• Pegasus ULD
• The Cold Chain Exchange
• ISC Labs
• AliveTide
• ThermoSafe Connect

Products and services

• Insulated Shippers Temperature-controlled shipping boxes for temperature-sensitive products across life sciences, healthcare, food, and specialty pharmacy applications, available in multiple thermal performance levels.
• Pre-Qualified Solutions Validated, ready-to-deploy temperature-controlled packaging systems including parcel solutions, pallet solutions, and rental solutions that meet pharmaceutical regulatory compliance requirements.
• Diagnostic, Infectious, Lab & Medical Transport Packaging Specialized packaging solutions for diagnostic specimens, infectious materials, laboratory samples, and medical device transport requiring temperature control and regulatory compliance.
• Refrigerants Temperature-control media including water-based foam bricks, gel packs and bottles, and phase change materials (PCM) for maintaining cold chain integrity in thermal packaging.
• Durable Insulated Containers Reusable thermal containers for dry ice storage and transport, food and perishables distribution, and pharmaceutical laboratory applications.
• Orion Box Rental Service Reusable temperature-controlled parcel shipping container rental service for life sciences, biopharmaceuticals, and healthcare, integrated with the ThermoSafe Connect visibility platform.
• Pegasus ULD First passive aircraft-certified Unit Load Device (ULD) for pharmaceutical air freight with FAA and EASA approval, featuring integrated telemetry for real-time temperature, location, and door monitoring, and offering 300+ hours of 2-8°C performance under a rental model.
• ThermoSafe Connect Visibility and data insights platform providing real-time tracking, temperature monitoring, and shipment data across the Orion and Pegasus ULD rental fleet for pharmaceutical cold chain shipments.
• Engineering Services (ISC Labs) Packaging design, thermal testing, and consulting services through ISC Labs for custom temperature-controlled packaging development and qualification, including AI-powered design and CFD-based thermal simulation.
• EOS Recyclable Envelopes Recyclable thermal envelope shipping solutions for temperature-sensitive product distribution.
• AliveTide Adventure and outdoor thermal packaging solution leveraging life sciences thermal packaging technology for rugged temperature-controlled transport applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pegasus ULD performs up to 300+ hours of 2-8°C temperature maintenance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Asiana AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 December 2021Global Master Lease Agreement for Pegasus ULD temperature-controlled containers. Enables pharmaceutical shippers to utilize Pegasus ULD on Asiana Airlines routes across Asia and globally.
• Swiss WorldCargocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal Master Lease Agreement for Pegasus ULD containers. Swiss WorldCargo offers Pegasus ULD as the only passive temperature control container in their product offering for pharmaceutical air freight.
• Cargolux AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal Master Lease Agreement for Pegasus ULD containers. Partnership supports Cargolux's pharmaceutical logistics operations with passive temperature-controlled air freight solutions.
• Qatar Airways CargocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal Master Lease Agreement for Pegasus ULD containers. Qatar Airways Cargo handles increasing demand for temperature control services for clinical trial products and cell therapies.
• LATAM CargocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal Master Lease Agreement for Pegasus ULD containers. Partnership expands temperature-controlled pharmaceutical air freight capabilities across Latin American routes.
• United CargocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal Master Lease Agreement for Pegasus ULD containers. United Cargo offers Pegasus ULD as a cost-effective, sustainable option for pharmaceutical shippers requiring temperature control.
• Turkish AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for Pegasus ULD temperature-controlled containers supporting Turkish Airlines' pharmaceutical logistics operations.
• American Airlines CargocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmerican Airlines Cargo has added Pegasus ULD to its container options as the only passive container in their product offering, providing cost-effective, sustainable temperature control.
• ACL AIRSHOPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACL AIRSHOP is one of the world's largest air cargo equipment and global ground handling agents, leasing around 70,000 Unit Load Devices (ULDs) through worldwide network. Handles Pegasus ULD ground operations and maintenance at their facilities.
• ISC LabscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner30+ year partnership providing testing, consulting, and engineering services for temperature assurance packaging development. ISC Labs engineers lead training workshops and professional courses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Envirotainer: Dominant provider of active (compressor-based) temperature-controlled ULD containers for pharmaceutical air freight. Directly competes with ThermoSafe's Pegasus ULD in the same pharma air-freight cold chain, addressing overlapping customers with a contrasting active-vs-passive technology approach.
• CSafe Global: Offers both active and passive temperature-controlled containers for life sciences shipping, including the CSafe RKN and ACP series. Closely comparable to ThermoSafe across parcel and ULD product lines and pharmaceutical customer base.
• Pelican BioThermal: Provides passive temperature-controlled packaging (including the Credo Cube and Chronos series) for life sciences and pharmaceutical cold chain. Competes head-to-head with ThermoSafe's insulated shippers and pre-qualified parcel solutions.
• va-Q-tec: German manufacturer of high-performance vacuum insulation panels and passive temperature-controlled containers used in pharmaceutical and biotech cold chain. Direct competitor in qualified passive shipper solutions.
• Cold Chain Technologies: North American provider of thermal packaging and temperature monitoring for life sciences, including parcel shippers and gel packs. Direct competitor across ThermoSafe's life sciences insulated shipper and refrigerant lines.
• Cryoport Systems: Specialized cold chain logistics provider for biopharmaceuticals, cell therapies, and reproductive medicine. Competes with ThermoSafe in high-value life sciences cold chain, though Cryoport leans more toward full-service logistics than packaging products.
• Topa Thermal: Dutch manufacturer of passive temperature-controlled packaging (Sundisc, DryCool, CoolGuard) for pharmaceutical and food cold chain. Comparable European-headquartered competitor in the passive parcel shipper segment.

Broad incumbents

• Sonoco Products Company: Former parent of ThermoSafe and a global diversified packaging manufacturer. Comparable as a broad incumbent in industrial packaging with overlapping capabilities, though ThermoSafe was divested because it was non-core to Sonoco's portfolio.
• DHL Life Sciences / DHL Medical Express: Global logistics provider offering temperature-controlled life sciences shipping services. Competes with ThermoSafe in the integrated cold chain service layer, particularly for cross-border pharmaceutical shipments, though DHL does not manufacture passive containers.

Emerging players

• American Aerogel: Specialty insulation materials provider (R-Value insulation) used in cold chain and building applications. Adjacent emerging player whose insulation technology could substitute for incumbent foam-based refrigerant systems in ThermoSafe-style passive packaging.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/sonocothermosafe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sonoco-thermosafe
• Xx.com/thermosafe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sonoco ThermoSafe