Combi-Blocks
Combi-Blocks Inc. is a privately held San Diego–based manufacturer and global supplier of research-grade chemical building blocks — including boronic acids, chiral compounds, fluorides, and rare/no-CAS intermediates — sold to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic R&D customers via direct online sales and a 20+ partner distributor network across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Combi-Blocks does
Combi-Blocks Inc. is a privately held, research-based manufacturer and worldwide supplier of laboratory research chemicals founded in 1997 and headquartered in San Diego, California. The company's core product is a catalog of chemical building blocks used by medicinal chemists and process chemists in pharmaceutical and biotech research — spanning 28 categories that include boronic acids, fluorinated compounds, chiral compounds, deuterated compounds, heterocycles (imidazoles, indoles/oxindoles, pyridines, pyrimidines, quinolines, thiazoles, oxazoles), amino acids, PEG linkers, and a differentiated "New & Rare (No CAS)" line of specialty compounds without assigned registry numbers. Customers can locate compounds through keyword search or a structure-based search tool on the company website, and orders are accepted through online checkout, email, or fax.
The business sells directly to pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and academic/research institutions on a per-order catalog basis with quote-based pricing and the option of promotional discounts. Its primary segments are pharma and biotech, with academia as a secondary segment; no enterprise contracts or named key accounts are disclosed. The company does not disclose revenue, pricing tiers, headcount beyond the 11–50 range, or any institutional backing. Ownership is private with no disclosed parent company, investors, or subsidiaries.
Combi-Blocks' commercial reach is achieved through a two-tier model: direct online/email/fax sales from the US headquarters, paired with a network of more than 20 authorized regional distributors covering Brazil, China, Europe (UK/Germany/France/Sweden), India, Japan, Korea, and other markets. Notable channel partners include VWR, Apollo Scientific, ABCR, Emolecules, Samchun, and Kokusan, alongside regional specialists. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, certifications, awards, or recent M&A, leadership changes, or funding events are recorded in the available data, consistent with a mature, stable, self-funded specialty chemicals SMB serving global drug-discovery R&D.
Combi-Blocks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Combi-Blocks
- Legal name
- Combi-Blocks Inc.
- Website
- https://combi-blocks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Combi-Blocks Inc. is a privately held San Diego–based manufacturer and global supplier of research-grade chemical building blocks — including boronic acids, chiral compounds, fluorides, and rare/no-CAS intermediates — sold to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic R&D customers via direct online sales and a 20+ partner distributor network across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Combi-Blocks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Combi-Blocks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Research Chemical Sales: Sale of catalog research chemicals and building blocks to pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and academic researchers. Products are sold in standard catalog quantities with some discounted bulk options available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard catalog pricing with volume discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels1 record
Combi-Blocks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Combi-Blocks is a research-based manufacturer and worldwide supplier of lab research chemicals, offering an extensive catalog of chemical building blocks for organic synthesis and pharmaceutical research. Main product lines include boronic acids, imidazoles, indoles and oxindoles, anilines, nitrobenzenes, tetrahydropyrans, thiazoles, pyrroles, pyridines, carboxylic acids, plus additional categories such as aldehydes, amines, amino acids, bromides, chiral compounds, deuterated compounds, fluorides, PEG linkers, quinolines, sulfonamides, and trifluoroborates.
Product overview
Combi-Blocks is a research-based manufacturer and worldwide supplier of laboratory research chemicals. The company operates a unified product catalog encompassing multiple chemical compound categories including boronic acids, imidazoles, indoles and oxindoles, anilines, nitrobenzenes, tetrahydropyrans, thiazoles, pyrroles, pyridines, and carboxylic acids. The product portfolio spans specialty and rare compounds (New & Rare), Aldehydes, Amines, Amino Acids, Anilines, Boronic Acids, Bromides, Carboxylates, Catalysts, Chiral Compounds, Deuterated compounds, Fluorides, Imidazoles, Indoles and Oxindoles, Iodos, Nitro Compounds, Oxazoles, PEG Linkers, Phenols, Piperidines, Pyridines, Pyrimidines, Quinolines, Sulfonamides, Thiazoles, Trifluoroborates, Other Azoles, Other Heterocycles, and Other Building Blocks. Customers can access the catalog through keyword-based and structure-based search tools. The company distributes globally through regional distributors across Brazil, China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, and other regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chemical Building Blocks Catalog Comprehensive catalog of research-grade chemical building blocks for laboratory research and pharmaceutical development, spanning multiple chemical classes including boronic acids, imidazoles, indoles, oxindoles, anilines, nitrobenzenes, tetrahydropyrans, thiazoles, pyrroles, pyridines, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, amines, amino acids, bromides, chiral compounds, deuterated compounds, fluorides, PEG linkers, quinolines, sulfonamides, and trifluoroborates. Sold to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research customers worldwide.
- New & Rare Compounds (No CAS) Specialty and rare chemical compounds without assigned CAS registry numbers, including advanced intermediates and novel structures for specialized research needs; targeted at pharmaceutical and biotech researchers requiring compounds not commonly available through general laboratory suppliers.
- Boronic Acids Boronic acid compounds serving as key reagents in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions for drug discovery and organic synthesis research; sold to pharmaceutical and biotech researchers.
- Aldehydes Aldehyde compounds for organic synthesis and pharmaceutical research applications; sold to research chemists in pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic settings.
- Amines Amine compounds serving as key intermediates for pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis.
- Amino Acids Amino acids and derivatives including protected and modified variants for peptide synthesis and biomedical research.
- Anilines Aniline and substituted aniline compounds used as intermediates in dye, pharmaceutical, and polymer synthesis.
- Bromides Brominated organic compounds used as intermediates in pharmaceutical synthesis and chemical research.
- Specialty Chemical Categories (Chiral Compounds, Fluorides, Trifluoroborates, PEG Linkers, Quinolines, Sulfonamides, Pyridines, Pyrimidines, Imidazoles, Indoles and Oxindoles, Iodos, Nitro Compounds, Oxazoles, Phenols, Piperidines, Deuterated Compounds, Catalysts, Carboxylates, Thiazoles, Other Azoles, Other Heterocycles, Other Building Blocks) Extended catalog of specialty research chemicals across multiple chemical classes, including chiral compounds for asymmetric synthesis, fluorides and trifluoroborates for fluorinated building blocks, PEG linkers for bioconjugation, quinolines and pyrimidines for heterocyclic chemistry, sulfonamides as functional groups in medicinal chemistry, deuterated compounds for isotopic labeling, catalysts, and additional heterocyclic building blocks. Targeted at pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic researchers.
- Custom Synthesis Services Custom chemical synthesis service enabling production of new and rare compounds, including those without assigned CAS registry numbers, for specialized research needs of pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic customers.
Companies that use Combi-Blocks
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Combi-Blocks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Combi-Blocks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered regional and minor.
- Lab Research of Brazil LTDAregionalAuthorized distributor for Brazil market
- Aalen ChemicalregionalAuthorized distributor for China market
- Apollo ScientificregionalAuthorized distributor for Europe market
- ABCRregionalAuthorized distributor for Europe market
- InterchimregionalAuthorized distributor for Europe market
- Prince Scientific & SurgicalsregionalAuthorized distributor for India market
- Labex CorporationregionalAuthorized distributor for India market
- KrishgenregionalAuthorized distributor for India market
- Central ChemregionalAuthorized distributor for Japan market
- KokusanregionalAuthorized distributor for Japan market
- NamikiregionalAuthorized distributor for Japan market
- ShigematsuregionalAuthorized distributor for Japan market
- Apple SciencesregionalAuthorized distributor for Korea market
- ChemoneregionalAuthorized distributor for Korea market
- Daejung ChemicalregionalAuthorized distributor for Korea market
- EZ ChemtechregionalAuthorized distributor for Korea market
- HanchemregionalAuthorized distributor for Korea market
- SamchunregionalAuthorized distributor for Korea market
- SungwoolsregionalAuthorized distributor for Korea market
- SyinnovationregionalAuthorized distributor for Korea market
- EmoleculesminorAuthorized distributor for other markets
- VWRminorAuthorized distributor for other markets
- KB ChemtronicaregionalAuthorized distributor for Europe market
- Chemie BrunschwigregionalAuthorized distributor for Europe market
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Combi-Blocks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chem-Impex International: Catalog supplier focused on organic intermediates, building blocks, and reference standards serving pharmaceutical R&D; comparable business model to Combi-Blocks with overlapping product categories and a custom synthesis offering.
- Matrix Scientific: Mid-sized catalog research chemicals supplier specializing in organic building blocks, heterocyclic intermediates, and custom synthesis; competes for the same pharma and academic procurement budgets as Combi-Blocks.
- Apollo Scientific: UK-based catalog supplier of fluorinated organics, heterocycles, and specialty building blocks; competes with Combi-Blocks in the same niche intermediates and is also listed as one of Combi-Blocks' regional distributors in Europe.
- Enamine: Ukraine-headquartered supplier of screening compounds, building blocks, and custom synthesis services for drug discovery; overlapping product portfolio targeting pharmaceutical and biotech medicinal chemistry buyers globally.
- TCI Chemicals (Tokyo Chemical Industry): Catalog supplier of organic research chemicals, intermediates, and building blocks with deep coverage of the same fluorinated, heterocyclic, and chiral families Combi-Blocks sells; serves pharma R&D customers globally through its own distribution network.
- Oakwood Chemical: US-based specialty manufacturer and catalog supplier of organic building blocks, fluorinated compounds, and intermediates for pharmaceutical and academic research; closest head-to-head comparable in scale and customer mix to Combi-Blocks.
Broad incumbents
- Alfa Aesar (Thermo Fisher Scientific): Research chemicals catalog brand within Thermo Fisher offering organics, inorganics, and building blocks that overlap heavily with Combi-Blocks' product categories, including boronic acids and heterocyclic intermediates used in drug discovery.
- Sigma-Aldrich (MilliporeSigma / Merck KGaA): Largest global catalog research chemicals supplier offering building blocks, reagents, and solvents across the same medicinal chemistry categories as Combi-Blocks; competes directly but operates at vastly greater scale across a much broader portfolio.
Emerging players
- Fluorochem: UK-based supplier of fluorinated building blocks and specialty intermediates; product overlap with Combi-Blocks' fluoride and trifluoroborate categories and serves overlapping pharmaceutical research customers.
- Asta Tech (Asta Inc.): Smaller specialty supplier of boronic acids, heterocycles, and custom synthesis intermediates for medicinal chemistry; competes for the same pharma R&D catalog orders as Combi-Blocks at the low end of the market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Combi-Blocks social profiles
Digital presenceCombi-Blocks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Combi-Blocks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Combi-Blocks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Combi-Blocks 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 Combi-Blocks
What does Combi-Blocks do?
Combi-Blocks is a research-based manufacturer and worldwide supplier of lab research chemicals, offering an extensive catalog of chemical building blocks for organic synthesis and pharmaceutical research. Main product lines include boronic acids, imidazoles, indoles and oxindoles, anilines, nitrobenzenes, tetrahydropyrans, thiazoles, pyrroles, pyridines, carboxylic acids, plus additional categories such as aldehydes, amines, amino acids, bromides, chiral compounds, deuterated compounds, fluorides, PEG linkers, quinolines, sulfonamides, and trifluoroborates.
Is Combi-Blocks a public or private company?
Combi-Blocks is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Combi-Blocks founded?
Combi-Blocks was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Combi-Blocks based?
Combi-Blocks is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Combi-Blocks make money?
One revenue line is on record: research Chemical Sales.
Who are Combi-Blocks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chem-Impex International, Matrix Scientific, Apollo Scientific, Enamine, TCI Chemicals (Tokyo Chemical Industry) and Oakwood Chemical. Broad incumbents are Alfa Aesar (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and Sigma-Aldrich (MilliporeSigma / Merck KGaA). Emerging players are Fluorochem and Asta Tech (Asta Inc.).
Does Combi-Blocks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Combi-Blocks.