Seqens

What Seqens does

SEQENS is a France-headquartered, privately held integrated pharmaceutical synthesis and specialty ingredients company operating 15 production sites and 5 R&D centers across 9 countries and 3 continents, with roughly 2,700 employees and stated annual revenue of €1 billion. Its core technology stack spans organic and inorganic synthesis, biocatalysis, precision fermentation, flow chemistry, and synthetic biology, supported by multi-disciplinary R&D teams and proprietary platforms including PeptiCode (peptide fermentation at Nîmes), Alganelle (microalgae-based synthetic biology), Protéus (white biotechnology/biocatalysis), and ISCC Plus certified NEO Solvents. The company holds regulatory filings (CEP, EU DMF, US DMF) for its active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and is the sole European producer of salicylic acid and methyl salicylate via a proprietary single-step process.

The company operates five business units: SEQENS Pharmaceuticals (generic and custom APIs, intermediates, excipients), SEQENS Custom & Specialties (solvents, coating and lubricant additives including the NEO sustainable solvents line), SEQENS Personal Care (preservatives, multifunctionals, emollients, botanical extracts, biotech peptides under the AdvensProtect, AdvensCare and PeptiCode brands), CELLforCURE (CDMO services for cell and gene therapies acquired from Novartis in 2023, currently being divested), and Biotechnologies (SEQENZYM enzymes, Alganelle synthetic biology). It serves 1,500+ enterprise customers across 80+ countries in pharmaceutical, cosmetics/personal care, industrial/specialty chemical, and advanced therapy medicinal product segments via direct enterprise field sales, technical sales teams, and distribution partnerships (notably Brenntag).

Revenue mechanics are predominantly B2B, quote-based, multi-year contract manufacturing and supply: one-time license/API supply relationships dominate the pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals segments, while CELLforCURE generates professional services revenue under CDMO arrangements. The company monetizes sustainability via premium pricing for ISCC Plus certified biobased solvents, COSMOS/NATRUE-certified cosmetic ingredients, and lower-carbon-footprint APIs (e.g., a new paracetamol process with ~90% CO2eq reduction). Capital allocation in 2025-2026 has tilted toward portfolio simplification — divesting non-core Botanical Actives and IVD to Solabia, seeking a buyer for CELLforCURE's Les Ulis site, while launching offensive moves in biotech peptides (PeptiCode HP-9) and medical-grade PEKK via an exclusive Arkema license.

Name

Seqens

Legal name

SEQENS

Website

https://seqens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

SEQENS is a France-headquartered, privately held integrated pharmaceutical synthesis and specialty ingredients CDMO operating 15 production sites and 5 R&D centers across 9 countries, manufacturing generic and custom APIs, sustainable solvents, personal care ingredients, and biotech peptides for 1,500+ enterprise customers in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, industrial, and advanced therapy segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical API and Specialty Ingredients Manufacturing

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Drug Substance–Drug Product Integrated CDMO (HLAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small-Molecule API & Intermediates CDMO (HLAGABAA), Contract Development & Manufacturing for Generics (CDMO/CMO) (HLAIABAI), Gene Therapy Vector Manufacturing & CDMO Services (HLAAACAJ), Small-Molecule Drug Product (Solid/Oral/Parenteral) CDMO (HLAGABAB)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical API manufacturing
• Specialty ingredients CDMO
• Cell and gene therapy manufacturing
• Personal care ingredients
• Sustainable specialty chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Écully

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Solutions: Manufacturing and sale of generic and custom Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), intermediates, and excipients for the pharmaceutical industry. Revenue generated through long-term supply contracts and CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) relationships with pharmaceutical companies.
2. Custom & Specialties: Development and manufacturing of custom specialty ingredients and high-quality specialized chemical products including solvents, phenol derivatives, coating additives, and lubricant additives for industrial applications.
3. Personal Care Ingredients: Supply of functional ingredients including preservatives, multifunctionals, emollients, and active ingredients for cosmetics and personal care formulations. Includes biobased products like AdvensProtect Green range.
4. Cell & Gene Manufacturing (CELLforCURE): Contract development and manufacturing services for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) including cell and gene therapies. Revenue from GMP manufacturing services and CDMO partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Seqens is an integrated pharmaceutical and specialty ingredients manufacturer offering contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services for active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates, excipients, cell and gene therapies, and personal care/specialty chemical ingredients. The company operates 15 production sites and 5 R&D centers, serving more than 1,500 customers across 80+ countries through multi-step organic synthesis, biocatalysis, flow chemistry, and synthetic biology capabilities.

Product overview

SEQENS is a CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) and specialty ingredients company operating across five divisions: Pharmaceuticals (APIs and intermediates), Custom & Specialties (NEO Solvents), Personal Care (AdvensProtect, AdvensCare, botanical extracts, PeptiCode™), Cell & Gene (CELLforCURE), and Biotechnologies (SEQENZYM enzymes, Alganelle synthetic biology platform). The company offers a multi-module portfolio combining manufactured pharmaceutical and cosmetic ingredients with contract manufacturing services, including sustainable biobased solvents (NEO Solvents), eco-certified multifunctional ingredients (AdvensProtect Green Range), natural botanical actives, and biotech peptides, alongside dedicated cell and gene therapy manufacturing capabilities through its CELLforCURE CDMO platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEO Solvents: Range of sustainable green solvents with reduced carbon footprint criteria including biobased, circular economy, and biodegradable options
• AdvensProtect Green
• PeptiCode
• NEO Phenol
• NEO Acetone
• NEO Isopropanol

Products and services

• Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Intermediates Comprehensive portfolio of generic and custom Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), intermediates, and excipients manufactured to GMP standards for pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Includes complex multi-step synthesis from grams to metric tons.
• Salicylic Acid Pharmaceutical-grade salicylic acid available in Pharma, Premium, and Standard grades for industrial and cosmetic applications. SEQENS is the sole European producer with a proprietary single-step process.
• Methyl Salicylate Pharmaceutical-grade methyl salicylate offered in Pharma, Premium Plus, Standard, and 150ppm grades for diverse pharmaceutical and industrial applications.
• NEO Solvents Product Line Sustainable and biobased solvent solutions including neo Coasol, neo Estasol, NEO Butyl lactate, NEO Propyl lactate, Diisopropyl Ether, neo Isoamyl alcohol, NEO Phenol, NEO Acetone, and NEO Isopropanol, certified under ISCC Plus with up to 40% lower carbon footprint.
• AdvensProtect Green Range Eco-certified 100% biobased multifunctional cosmetic ingredients including AdvensProtect 2-EHG Green, AdvensProtect 5 Green (Pentylene Glycol), AdvensProtect 6 Green (1,2-Hexanediol), AdvensProtect 8 Green (Caprylyl Glycol), and related variants.
• AdvensProtect (Standard Range) Standard multifunctional ingredients including 2-EHG, 5, 6, 8, 56E, 58E, 68, OE, POH, PEHG, PBDE, and HAP variants for preservation and multifunctional applications in cosmetic formulations.
• AdvensCare Specialty Ingredients Specialized personal care ingredients including AdvensCare BZC, AdvensCare DIPA (Diisopropyl Adipate emollient), and AdvensCare UDA (Undecanoic Acid) for skin care formulations.
• Botanical Active Ingredients Natural botanical extracts and actives including Phyt'anim Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta), Celebr'age Getto (anti-aging), and Cell'intact (plant cell culture-based active) for cosmetic and personal care formulations.
• PeptiCode HP-9 First European-developed biotech hexapeptide-9 ingredient produced through precision fermentation via the PeptiCode biotechnology platform in Nîmes, France, targeting advanced skin care and cosmetic formulations.
• SEQENZYM Enzyme Product Line Enzyme product line including SEQENZYM FT and SEQENZYM βG for biotechnological applications across various industries.
• CELLforCURE CDMO Services Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in cell and gene therapy development and GMP manufacturing of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) including CAR-T cells and viral vectors, operated from a 3,000 m² EMA-authorized, FDA-compliant GMP facility.
• Alganelle Synthetic Biology Platform Synthetic biology platform using metabolic engineering of microorganisms for biobased production of metabolites, bioinspired and bioactive peptides, polypeptides and proteins (5 to >950 amino acids).

Quantifiable outcome

• ~90% reduction in CO2 eq emissions for paracetamol manufacturing in France
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BBG Advanced TherapiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Transatlantic partnership between BBG Advanced Therapies (subsidiary of BioBridge Global, San Antonio, Texas) and CELLforCURE (SEQENS Group) dedicated to supporting development and large-scale manufacturing of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). Creates integrated global CDMO network combining BBG's 9 cGMP cleanrooms in the US with CELLforCURE's 3,000 m² EMA-authorized, FDA-compliant GMP facility in France. Enables U.S. companies to leverage European manufacturing capacity and vice versa.
• BrenntagminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic distribution partnership for specialty chemicals expanding production and distribution capabilities in global markets.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lonza Group: Swiss-listed global CDMO leader with deep small-molecule API and biologics capabilities. Direct competitor for SEQENS' pharmaceutical CDMO business and the most relevant benchmark for integrated API manufacturing at scale.
• Recipharm: European CDMO focused on generic and custom APIs across solid oral and sterile dosage forms. Closely comparable to SEQENS' generic API/intermediates business and competitive in the same European CDMO procurement cycles.
• Croda International: UK-listed specialty ingredients supplier with a leading personal care and life sciences portfolio. Comparable to SEQENS' Personal Care business, including multifunctionals, emollients, and biobased ingredients.
• Ashland: US-listed specialty ingredients company serving personal care and pharmaceutical markets. Directly comparable to SEQENS' personal care multifunctionals (AdvensProtect range) and pharma excipients.
• Fareva: Privately held French specialty chemicals and contract manufacturer serving pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and industrial customers. Closely comparable to SEQENS across pharma CDMO, personal care ingredients, and specialty chemicals.

Broad incumbents

• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals incumbent with API and CDMO activities across multiple chemistries. Overlaps with SEQENS on intermediates, custom synthesis, and specialty additives but at much larger scale.
• Solvay: Belgian specialty chemicals major with pharmaceutical, consumer care, and industrial specialties. Comparable to SEQENS' Custom & Specialties (solvents, phenol derivatives) and personal care ingredients.
• Roquette: French-headquartered global leader in starch-based and polyol ingredients for pharma, personal care, and food. Comparable to SEQENS' excipients and biobased personal care ingredients portfolio.
• BASF: Global chemical incumbent with APIs, excipients, personal care ingredients, and a CDMO footprint. Adjacent competitor in many of SEQENS' served markets and the dominant force in European chemical procurement.

Regional players

• Wacker Chemie: German specialty chemicals company with biotech and silicone-based personal care ingredients. Comparable in fermentation/biocatalysis (Protéus, Alganelle) and European personal care specialty focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seqens
• Xx.com/seqens_group

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 Seqens