CoValence Laboratories
CoValence Laboratories is a 100% employee-owned CDMO founded in 1989 that develops, formulates, and manufactures topical skincare, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical products for skincare brands, pharmaceutical companies, spa and medical professionals, and international brands from its FDA-registered, cGMP-compliant Chandler, Arizona facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersChandler, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CoValence Laboratories does
CoValence Laboratories is a 100% employee-owned contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) founded in 1989 by Linda Walker in Chandler, Arizona, specializing in topically applied skincare, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical products. The company operates a 90,000-square-foot cGMP-compliant, FDA-registered, ISO 22716-certified facility staffed by 51-100 employees, offering three core service lines: Private Label Products (pre-formulated skincare ready for client branding across cleansers, creams, serums, masks, eye care, sun care, and toners), Custom Product Development (full-service formulation from concept through commercial production), and proprietary raw material sales anchored by its patented IconicA® stabilized retinaldehyde ingredient.
The company's underlying technology combines cGMP-compliant manufacturing infrastructure (compounding from 4kg to 2,400kg+, filling from 3,500 to 30,000+ units, in-line homogenization including Admix Dynashear, Microfluidics Microfluidizer, and IKA systems, plus Versator deaeration) with proprietary chemistry IP. IconicA® — a retinaldehyde γ-cyclodextrin hemiacetal complex — is patented nationally and internationally and clinically demonstrated to deliver 25% better wrinkle reduction than retinol over eight weeks. Manufacturing operations leverage Celsis rapid microbiological testing (reducing product release from 6 days to approximately 24 hours) and automated filling (Pod 3 increased throughput 6x to 35 pieces/minute).
Revenue is generated through four streams: private label manufacturing fees (per-unit production), custom development service fees, IconicA® raw material licensing/sales (powder, <10kg to 1000kg+ annually), and contract filling services. The go-to-market is B2B direct sales via dedicated Account Executives supported by trade show presence (Cosmoprof Las Vegas), a content marketing blog (SKINsider News), and social media. Target segments are skincare brands (primary), pharmaceutical companies requiring OTC topical drug manufacturing (primary), spa and medical professionals using pH <3.0 professional formulations, and international/export brands served through a dedicated regulatory compliance department supporting EU and ASEAN dossier preparation. The company is led by CEO Pete Vlcek, CSO John Wochner (since 1996), CFO Jim McCoy, COO Sina Gomez (since 2001), and Director of Marketing and Product Development John Stanek.
CoValence Laboratories firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CoValence Laboratories
- Legal name
- CoValence Laboratories
- Website
- https://covalence.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CoValence Laboratories is a 100% employee-owned CDMO founded in 1989 that develops, formulates, and manufactures topical skincare, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical products for skincare brands, pharmaceutical companies, spa and medical professionals, and international brands from its FDA-registered, cGMP-compliant Chandler, Arizona facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CoValence Laboratories industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Skincare and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Drug Substance–Drug Product Integrated CDMO (HLAGABAG)
Keywords
Where CoValence Laboratories is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chandler
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CoValence Laboratories business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Private Label Manufacturing: Manufacturing and selling skincare and pharmaceutical products under private label arrangements where clients purchase CoValence's pre-formulated products or customize them for their brands. Revenue generated through per-unit manufacturing and filling fees.
- Custom Product Development: Full-service contract development from concept through pre-formulation, formulation development, and commercial production. Clients engage CoValence to develop unique formulations tailored to their brand specifications, generating revenue through development fees and subsequent manufacturing.
- Raw Material Sales (IconicA®): Sale of proprietary patented raw ingredients including IconicA® powder form to other manufacturers and brands. Available in quantities from <10kg to 1000kg+ annually.
- Filling Services: Contract filling services for small-to-large scale batches (minimum 3,500 units) including bottles, jars, tubes, and airless packaging with automated and semi-automated capabilities.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
CoValence Laboratories product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CoValence Laboratories is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that develops and manufactures skincare and topical pharmaceutical products on a private label and custom formulation basis for brands worldwide. Its portfolio spans private label skincare products, full-service custom product development from concept through commercial production, and proprietary raw ingredient sales anchored by the patented IconicA® stabilized retinaldehyde.
Product overview
CoValence Laboratories operates as a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) offering two core service/product lines: Private Label Products (pre-formulated skincare and pharmaceutical products ready for branding) and Custom Product Development (full-service formulation from concept to commercial production). Their proprietary flagship ingredient is IconicA®, a patented stabilized retinaldehyde. The company manufactures over 2,000+ stocked ingredients and offers filling services ranging from 3,500 to 30,000+ units. Their product portfolio spans cleansers, creams and lotions, serums, masks and peels, eye care, sun care, and toners, addressing concerns like brightening, pore/oil management, hydration, anti-aging, and sensitive skin. Professional-use products with pH lower than 3.0 are also available for licensed skin care professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IconicA: Patented stabilized retinaldehyde ingredient technology - a superior form of vitamin A for anti-aging skincare products. IconicA represents the first stable retinaldehyde in the industry.
- CoValence Laboratories
Quantifiable outcome
- IconicA® demonstrated 25% better wrinkle reduction than retinol over 8 weeks in third-party double-blind clinical studies (4.20 improvement vs -3.31 for retinol)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CoValence Laboratories
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CoValence Laboratories technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
CoValence Laboratories partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CoValence Laboratories competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Albea Group: Albea is a global beauty packaging and full-service manufacturing solutions provider serving prestige and mass-market cosmetics brands. It overlaps with CoValence in primary packaging and contract filling for skincare brands, though its core focus is broader packaging systems at much greater scale.
- Intercos Group: Intercos is an Italian-listed global supplier of cosmetic products and ingredients, serving major beauty brands with contract development and manufacturing. It overlaps with CoValence in private label skincare manufacturing and proprietary ingredient development, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Fareva: Fareva is a French-headquartered global CDMO serving beauty, pharma, and home care markets with integrated development and manufacturing capabilities. It is comparable to CoValence in offering full-service contract manufacturing for skincare and topical drug products, but with much broader industrial scale and a wider therapeutic area footprint.
- Kolmar Korea: Kolmar Korea is one of the largest Korean beauty CDMOs providing formulation, filling, and packaging services to global cosmetics brands. It is comparable to CoValence in serving skincare brands with private label and custom development offerings, though at substantially larger scale and with deeper Asian market penetration.
- Cosmax: Cosmax is the world's largest beauty CDMO headquartered in South Korea, offering full-service contract development and manufacturing for skincare, color cosmetics, and personal care brands globally. It is comparable to CoValence as a direct competitor in B2B contract manufacturing but operates at vastly greater scale across multiple continents.
Direct peers
- Mana Products: Mana Products is a New York-based contract manufacturer specializing in color cosmetics and skincare for emerging and established beauty brands. It is one of the closest direct peers to CoValence in the US private label skincare CDMO space, with similar mid-scale B2B service offerings.
- HCT Group: HCT Group is a US-based beauty manufacturer offering custom formulation, filling, and full-package solutions for skincare and color cosmetics brands. It is a direct peer to CoValence in the US private label and contract manufacturing space for skincare and OTC products.
- Ancorotti Cosmetics: Ancorotti Cosmetics is an Italian private label and contract manufacturer focused on color cosmetics and skincare for global beauty brands. It is comparable to CoValence as a mid-sized CDMO serving skincare and cosmetic brand customers with custom development and private label capabilities.
Others
- Revision Skincare: Revision Skincare is a US professional skincare brand offering peptide and retinol-based formulations sold through physicians and licensed professionals. It is comparable to CoValence as a fellow active-ingredient skincare formulator, and represents the type of mid-market brand customer that CoValence's professional-use (pH < 3.0) product line is designed to serve.
- Dr. Ci:Labo: Dr. Ci:Labo is a Japanese cosmeceutical brand known for stabilized vitamin C and active-ingredient skincare formulations sold through professional and DTC channels. It is thematically comparable to CoValence as a fellow active-ingredient skincare developer, though it is a brand owner rather than a CDMO.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CoValence Laboratories social profiles
Digital presenceCoValence Laboratories financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CoValence Laboratories leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
CoValence Laboratories funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CoValence Laboratories M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CoValence Laboratories
What does CoValence Laboratories do?
CoValence Laboratories is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that develops and manufactures skincare and topical pharmaceutical products on a private label and custom formulation basis for brands worldwide. Its portfolio spans private label skincare products, full-service custom product development from concept through commercial production, and proprietary raw ingredient sales anchored by the patented IconicA® stabilized retinaldehyde.
Is CoValence Laboratories a public or private company?
CoValence Laboratories is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was CoValence Laboratories founded?
CoValence Laboratories was founded in 1989. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CoValence Laboratories based?
CoValence Laboratories is headquartered in Chandler, United States, in the North America region.
How does CoValence Laboratories make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Private Label Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are custom Product Development, raw Material Sales (IconicA®) and filling Services.
Who are CoValence Laboratories's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Albea Group, Intercos Group, Fareva, Kolmar Korea and Cosmax. Direct peers are Mana Products, HCT Group and Ancorotti Cosmetics. Others are Revision Skincare and Dr. Ci:Labo.
Does CoValence Laboratories have an API?
No public API is recorded for CoValence Laboratories.
What industry is CoValence Laboratories in?
CoValence Laboratories's product category is Contract Skincare and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGABAG, Drug Substance–Drug Product Integrated CDMO. Its NAICS code is 325412 and its SIC code is 2834.