Bayer

What Bayer does

Bayer is a German multinational life sciences company founded in 1863, operating across three core divisions: Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, and Crop Science. The Pharmaceuticals division develops and markets treatments across oncology, cardiovascular disease, ophthalmology, neurology, and medical imaging, distributed primarily through healthcare providers and pharmacies globally. The Consumer Health division offers OTC medicines, vitamins, dietary supplements, and personal care products through retail and pharmacy channels, with established sub-brands including One A Day and Bayer Consumer Health; Bayer is identified as a major player in the global nutraceuticals, gummy vitamins, menopause, and personalized nutrition markets. The Crop Science division sells proprietary seeds (including the newly launched Rezence tomato variety resistant to ToBRFV), crop protection products, and digital agriculture solutions to farmers and agricultural cooperatives, with distribution supported by a strategic partnership with DHL Supply Chain announced in April 2026.

The company generates revenue through prescription drug sales, consumer product sales, and agricultural product sales, with go-to-market motions including direct field sales to healthcare professionals, retail and pharmacy distribution for consumer health, and cooperative/reseller channels for agriculture. Bayer is publicly traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker: BAYN) and operates globally through wholly owned subsidiaries including Bayer SAS in France. The company's mission — "Health for all, Hunger for none" — frames its dual focus on human health and food production.

Bayer's strategic history is defined by the 2018 acquisition of Monsanto for approximately $63 billion, which materially expanded its agricultural footprint but triggered subsequent restructuring and ongoing legal liabilities, particularly around glyphosate-based products. The company has continued to invest in innovation across all three divisions, with recent activity including the Rezence tomato launch, the DHL agricultural logistics partnership, and France-specific workforce and inclusion initiatives announced in mid-2026.

Name

Bayer

Legal name

Bayer SAS

Website

https://bayer.fr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1863

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Bayer is a global life sciences company operating across pharmaceuticals, consumer health, and crop science divisions, serving healthcare providers, retail consumers, and farmers worldwide through publicly traded Bayer AG and regional subsidiaries such as Bayer SAS in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Neurology & CNS Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cold, Flu, Cough & Allergy Remedies (Decongestants, Antihistamines, Cough Syrups, Lozenges) (CRADAMAD)

Keywords

• Prescription pharmaceuticals
• Crop protection products
• Dietary supplements
• Agricultural seeds
• Medical imaging solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceuticals: Bayer generates revenue through prescription pharmaceuticals across therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular disease, ophthalmology, neurology, and medical imaging solutions for healthcare providers.
2. Consumer Health: Bayer operates in the consumer health segment with OTC medicines, vitamins, dietary supplements, and personal care products sold through retail channels. The company competes in the global dietary supplements market projected to reach USD 430.39 billion by 2034.
3. Crop Science/Agriculture: Bayer's Crop Science division generates revenue through seeds (including proprietary varieties like Rezence), crop protection products, and digital agriculture solutions sold to farmers and agricultural businesses globally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bayer is a diversified life sciences company that develops, manufactures, and sells prescription pharmaceuticals (for cancers, cardiovascular, retinal, neurological diseases, and medical imaging), consumer health products (OTC medicines, vitamins, dietary supplements, and personal care items for stress, skin care, digestive health, immunity, women's health, and wound care), and crop science solutions (proprietary seeds including disease-resistant varieties like Rezence tomato, crop protection products, and digital agriculture tools). The company's offerings address the full spectrum from farm to patient under the mission 'Health for all, Hunger for none.'

Product overview

Bayer operates as a diversified life science company organized into three core business divisions: Pharmaceuticals (treating diseases including cancers, cardiovascular conditions, retinal diseases, and nervous system disorders with medical imaging capabilities), Consumer Health (preserving well-being through products for stress/anxiety/sleep disorders, skin care, digestive disorders, fatigue/immune support, women's health, and minor wound care), and Crop Science (transforming agriculture via seeds, crop protection, digital agriculture, and resource preservation). The Consumer Health division includes established supplement brands in the vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS) sector. Bayer's agricultural innovation includes products like the Rezence tomato variety, while its pharmaceutical and consumer health offerings address both disease treatment and preventive wellness across multiple therapeutic areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• One A Day: Multivitamin and dietary supplement brand
• Bayer Consumer Health
• Bayer CropScience

Products and services

• Pharmaceutical Products (Prescription Medicines)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DHL Supply ChaincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026Bayer and DHL Supply Chain entered into a partnership announced April 29, 2026, to develop more performant and sustainable agricultural logistics. The partnership involves a new warehouse in Alzonne near Trèbes, France, to improve Bayer's agricultural supply chain operations in France. DHL provides logistics infrastructure and supply chain expertise while Bayer contributes agricultural products and distribution needs.
• Marketplace Competitors/Industry PeersminorOthersBayer operates alongside other major nutraceutical and dietary supplements companies including Nestlé S.A., Danone S.A., Abbott Laboratories, Glanbia plc, Herbalife Nutrition Ltd., Archer Daniels Midland Company, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Amway Corporation, and Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. These are market competitors, not partnerships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Novartis: Swiss-headquartered pharmaceutical company with overlapping therapeutic areas (cardiovascular, oncology, neurology, ophthalmology). Comparable as a branded innovator pharma with similar R&D intensity and global distribution model.
• Pfizer: Global pharmaceutical major with comparable prescription drug portfolio across oncology, cardiovascular, and neurology. Directly competes with Bayer in branded specialty pharmaceuticals and shares a similar diversified pharma business model.
• Sanofi: French-headquartered pharmaceutical major with prescription pharma, vaccines, and consumer health divisions. Highly comparable as Bayer's closest European pharma peer with similar therapeutic breadth and consumer health (OTC/supplements) presence.
• Abbott Laboratories: Diversified healthcare company with pharmaceutical, nutrition (Similac, Ensure), and diagnostics divisions. Directly comparable for Bayer's nutraceutical/consumer health positioning and overlapping pharma portfolio.
• Roche: Swiss pharmaceutical leader with strong oncology, neurology, and ophthalmology franchises. Comparable as a branded innovator with similar specialty pharma positioning and complementary diagnostics/pharma dual model.
• GlaxoSmithKline: British pharmaceutical company with prescription drugs, vaccines, and consumer healthcare divisions. Comparable for branded pharma, OTC/consumer health overlap, and global distribution model.
• Corteva: US agricultural inputs company specializing in seeds and crop protection, spun from DowDuPont. Direct competitor in Bayer's Crop Science segment with overlapping seed and crop protection portfolios and digital agriculture focus.
• Merck & Co. US-based pharmaceutical major with overlapping oncology, neurology, and vaccines franchises. Comparable as a branded innovator pharma peer of similar scale and therapeutic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Johnson & Johnson: Diversified healthcare conglomerate spanning pharmaceuticals, consumer health, and medical devices. Comparable breadth and similar multi-division structure, though with a deeper medical devices portfolio than Bayer.
• BASF: German-headquartered chemical and agricultural solutions major with crop protection and seeds. Comparable for Bayer's Crop Science division's crop protection chemistry and seed businesses, though BASF lacks pharma/consumer health.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bayer_FR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bayer-hygiene-publique

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Bayer