Lab Alley

What Lab Alley does

Lab Alley, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, is a privately held, woman-owned small business that operates a B2B e-commerce platform distributing high-purity chemicals and laboratory supplies to customers across the United States. The company stocks a broad catalog of solvents, alcohols, peroxides, acids, and specialty chemicals across multiple grade tiers (Lab, ACS Reagent, HPLC, USP, FCC/Food Grade) and holds an unusually deep stack of certifications for a distributor of its size — including ISO 9001, Kosher, Halal, USDA Organic, RSPO Mass Balance, WBENC, SBA WOSB, and a GSA Advantage contract. Its platform (laballey.com) provides self-serve ordering with online access to Certificates of Analysis and Safety Data Sheets for every SKU, an Autoship subscription program with a 10% discount, volume pricing up to 275-gallon totes and pallet quantities, and inside-sales support via phone, email, and a custom-quote portal for larger orders.

The business serves over 248,000 customers across more than 80,000 companies in 16 industries, including aerospace and defense, automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, cosmetics and personal care, industrial manufacturing, and government and education. Go-to-market mixes self-serve e-commerce (transactional) with sales-assisted channels for enterprise and government procurement, supported by content marketing (SEO-optimized product pages and an educational blog), email, and organic social. Endorsement-style customer logos include NASA, Tesla, SpaceX, and Boeing, alongside a public Inc. 5000 designation, providing credibility that compensates for the small headcount range (11–50 employees). Revenue mechanics combine one-time product sales, recurring Autoship subscriptions, and volume-driven bulk/wholesale orders, with hazmat-capable nationwide shipping including Alaska, Hawaii, and US territories.

The company is bootstrapped — no funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership transitions, or parent/subsidiary relationships are disclosed in the source material — and has chosen to compound through certification acquisition, channel build-out (GSA, autoship, custom quotes), and ESG positioning (Ecodrive partnership) rather than external capital. The core technology is a standard Magento-style e-commerce storefront; the differentiation sits in the certification moat, hazmat shipping capability, and breadth of certified SKU coverage rather than proprietary software.

Name

Lab Alley

Legal name

Lab Alley

Website

https://laballey.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lab Alley is a privately held, woman-owned B2B e-commerce platform supplying high-purity chemicals and laboratory supplies to over 80,000 companies across 16 industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, cosmetics, and government, with autoship subscriptions and a GSA contract.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Chemicals Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemicals, Ingredients & Raw Materials Marketplaces (CRAFAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO), Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Laboratory chemicals
• High-purity solvents
• Lab supplies equipment
• Food grade chemicals
• Specialty chemical distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time and recurring sale of chemicals, lab supplies, and equipment across multiple grades (Lab, ACS, HPLC, USP, Food Grade) and certifications (Kosher, Halal, Organic, RSPO). Products sold in various sizes from 500ml to 55 gallon drums and pallets.
2. Autoship Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from the Autoship program offering 10% discount on regular chemical orders with configurable delivery frequencies (1-12 weeks).
3. Bulk/Volume Orders: Volume pricing for bulk purchases including pallet quantities and wholesale bulk sizes, providing margin optimization on larger order values.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lab Alley is a privately held chemical distributor that sells high-purity chemicals and laboratory supplies through a B2B e-commerce storefront (laballey.com). Its portfolio spans food-grade alcohols (ethanol at multiple proofs), industrial and laboratory solvents (dichloromethane, chloroform, petroleum ether, n-hexane, acetone, acetonitrile), hydrogen peroxide solutions at various concentrations, specialty ingredients (MCT oil, PEG 400, caffeine, citric acid), and HPLC-grade water, offered across grades (Lab, ACS Reagent, USP, FCC, HPLC) and certifications (Kosher, Halal, USDA Organic, RSPO). Products ship in sizes from 500 mL bottles to 55-gallon drums and pallets, with nationwide delivery including hazmat transport.

Product overview

Lab Alley is a woman-owned small business (WOSB) operating as an e-commerce platform for essential chemicals and lab supplies. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-purity chemicals across multiple grades (USP, FCC, ACS Reagent, HPLC, Lab Grade) and certifications (Kosher, Halal, Organic, RSPO). Core product offerings include food-grade alcohols (ethanol variants at various proofs from sugar cane and corn sources), industrial and laboratory solvents (dichloromethane, chloroform, petroleum ether, toluene, n-hexane), hydrogen peroxide solutions at multiple concentrations (3%-35%), specialty chemicals (MCT oil, PEG 400, caffeine, citric acid), and HPLC-grade water. The company serves 16 industries including food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and research laboratories. Lab Alley differentiates through volume pricing, bulk purchase options (up to 55-gallon drums and pallets), an Autoship Program for recurring orders, and comprehensive certifications. The business model centers on direct-to-consumer online sales with fast nationwide delivery, targeting over 80,000 business customers including NASA, Tesla, SpaceX, and Boeing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ethanol 200 Proof (100%) Undenatured Alcohol, USP/FCC Food Grade, Kosher, Halal High-purity ethanol at 200 proof (100%) concentration, USP/FCC food grade certified, also Kosher and Halal certified. Sold for food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications.
• Organic Ethyl Alcohol, Sugar Cane, 190 Proof Kosher, Halal, FCC Certified organic ethyl alcohol derived from sugar cane at 190 proof (95%) concentration. Kosher, Halal, and FCC certified for food and beverage applications.
• n-Hexane 95% High Purity Grade High-purity n-hexane at 95% concentration. Used as a laboratory solvent in extraction and industrial applications.
• Organic MCT Oil, Kosher, Halal, USP/FCC USDA certified organic Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) oil from coconut, USP/FCC grade, Kosher and Halal certified for food and supplement applications.
• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 400 Food Grade (FCC), Halal Food grade polyethylene glycol 400 meeting FCC specifications, Halal certified. Used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic formulations.
• Water, HPLC Grade Type I ultrapure water meeting HPLC specifications with low conductivity and minimal Total Organic Carbons. Used in HPLC mobile phases, sample preparation, and mass spectrometry applications.
• Hydrogen Peroxide 3% Solution, Lab Grade Lab grade hydrogen peroxide at 3% concentration (97% water). A clear, colorless liquid free of stabilizers or additives suitable for educational or research laboratories, cleaning and disinfecting applications.
• Dichloromethane (Methylene Chloride), Lab Grade Lab grade dichloromethane (methylene chloride) used as a solvent in transportation industry for degreasing metal surfaces, organic chemistry labs, consumer products, and plastic/acrylic manufacturing.
• Petroleum Ether High Purity Grade High purity ACS grade petroleum ether at least 95% pure. Contains mixture of low molecular weight aliphatic hydrocarbons suitable for medicinal, pharmaceutical, food and consumable processes.
• Dichloromethane, 99%, HPLC Grade Highest quality methylene chloride meeting HPLC grade specifications, acceptable for use in most chemical analytical applications and research laboratories.
• Hydrogen Peroxide 6% Solution, Food Grade, Kosher, Halal Food grade hydrogen peroxide at 6% concentration (94% water). Certified by the Food Chemical Codex (FCC), Kosher, and Halal. Free of stabilizers or additives. Used for hair bleaching and teeth whitening applications.
• Chloroform (Trichloromethane), ACS Reagent Grade, Lab and HPLC Grade Chloroform (trichloromethane, CHCl3) - a clear, colorless, dense liquid available in ACS Reagent, Lab, and HPLC grades. Used as an extraction solvent, in NMR spectroscopy, and as a precursor to PTFE (Teflon) production.
• Dichloromethane (Methylene Chloride) 99.5% ACS Reagent Grade ACS Reagent Grade dichloromethane (methylene chloride) at 99.5% purity certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS), recommended for consistent and repetitive results in research and biochemical labs.
• Autoship Program Subscription-based recurring delivery service allowing customers to schedule automatic shipments of chemicals at regular intervals (1-12 weeks) with a 10% discount.
• Lab Supplies & Equipment Quality laboratory supplies and equipment offered alongside chemicals to serve laboratory and industrial needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 248,000 happy customers served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EcodrivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership where Ecodrive plants one mangrove tree in Kenya or East Africa for every purchase made on the Lab Alley website. This environmental initiative supports mangrove ecosystem restoration and preservation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Grainger (W.W. Grainger): Operates a massive B2B e-commerce platform for industrial and laboratory MRO supplies, including bulk chemicals and solvents, with similar self-serve procurement and account-based pricing — a broader incumbent in the same channel.
• Sigma-Aldrich (Merck KGaA / MilliporeSigma): Part of Merck's Life Science segment, offers one of the broadest catalogs of high-purity chemicals and reagents globally, serving research and industrial customers via Sigma-Aldrich's e-commerce storefront — overlapping with Lab Alley's Lab/ACS/HPLC/USP-grade offerings.

Direct peers

• Thomas Scientific: Distributes laboratory chemicals, supplies, and equipment to scientific, clinical, and industrial customers through an online catalog — overlapping with Lab Alley's e-commerce chemical distribution model and customer segments.
• Reagents.com: A smaller e-commerce-focused chemical distributor offering ACS, USP, and HPLC-grade chemicals with online SDS/COA access and competitive unit pricing — directly comparable business model and customer audience to Lab Alley.
• Carolina Biological Supply Company: Supplies laboratory chemicals, reagents, and supplies (including grade-specific offerings) to educational, research, and life science customers, mirroring Lab Alley's focus on certified chemistry and on-budget, fast-delivery fulfillment.
• Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher Scientific): Operates a global e-commerce platform for laboratory chemicals, reagents, consumables, and equipment serving the same pharmaceutical, academic, and industrial research buyer base as Lab Alley, with deeper catalog breadth and enterprise procurement integrations.
• Cole-Parmer (Antylia Scientific): Sells laboratory chemicals alongside instruments, consumables, and equipment to research and industrial buyers via an e-commerce platform, with comparable focus on regulated industries and similar chemistry-plus-supplies cross-sell model.
• Spectrum Chemical Mfg. Corp. Manufactures and distributes USP, FCC, ACS, and laboratory-grade chemicals, including many of the same solvents (ethanol, methanol, acetone) and excipients as Lab Alley, supplying pharmaceutical, food, and research customers through an e-commerce storefront.
• Avantor (VWR): Distributes laboratory chemicals, supplies, and equipment to biopharma, healthcare, education, and advanced technology customers through an integrated e-commerce channel directly overlapping Lab Alley's target markets and online procurement model.

Emerging players

• Hach Company: Supplies analytical reagents, standards, and laboratory chemicals primarily for water analysis and environmental testing — overlapping with Lab Alley's analytical/specialty reagent line and similar B2B self-serve distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lab_alley
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@laballey
• Facebookfacebook.com/LabAlley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lab-alley
• Instagraminstagram.com/lab_alley

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Lab Alley