Pepscan

What Pepscan does

Pepscan is a Netherlands-based peptide services company founded in 1997 that designs, synthesizes, and optimizes custom peptides for pharmaceutical, vaccine, and drug discovery customers. Its service portfolio spans the full product lifecycle — from research-scale custom peptide synthesis and screening libraries through lead discovery and optimization to small- and mid-scale GMP manufacturing for clinical and commercial supply. Pepscan also offers specialized peptide products including neoantigen peptides for personalized cancer treatment, diagnostic peptides, long and highly modified peptides, and research catalog peptides.

The company's core technical differentiator is CLIPS Technology, a proprietary chemistry platform that produces highly constrained, redox-stable peptides with enhanced affinity, selectivity, and proteolytic stability for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Alongside CLIPS, Pepscan contributes decades of know-how in difficult peptide synthesis and GMP manufacturing from its Netherlands facility, forming the anchor capability within Biosynth's integrated Peptide division, which also includes vivitide, Cambridge Research Biochemicals (CRB), and Pepceuticals.

Pepscan operates on a B2B professional-services model with quote-based pricing, selling direct to pharmaceutical and biotech customers through Biosynth's global sales platform and an online quotation/ordering portal that serves both enterprise and smaller research buyers. Since its acquisition by Biosynth in 2022, Pepscan has functioned as part of a one-stop-shop peptide division, leveraging shared sales, distribution, and digital channels across the UK, US, and European markets rather than as an independent standalone business.

Name

Pepscan

Legal name

Pepscan

Website

https://pepscan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pepscan, founded in 1997 and based in the Netherlands, provides custom peptide synthesis, lead discovery, and GMP manufacturing services to pharmaceutical, vaccine, and drug discovery customers. It now operates as part of Biosynth's integrated Peptide division alongside vivitide, CRB, and Pepceuticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Peptide Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic Peptides & Protein/Peptide Biologics (HLAAAAAH)

Keywords

• Custom peptide synthesis
• GMP peptide manufacturing
• Peptide lead discovery
• Constrained peptide technology
• Neoantigen peptide services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lelystad

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Peptide Synthesis Services: Provides custom peptide synthesis services ranging from small scale research quantities to large scale GMP manufacturing for pharmaceutical and biotech customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Pepscan provides custom peptide synthesis services spanning small-scale research quantities through large-scale GMP manufacturing for pharmaceutical, vaccine, and biotech customers. The company offers peptide libraries, neoantigen peptides, lead discovery and optimization, and specialized peptide products, anchored by its proprietary CLIPS Technology for discovering highly constrained peptides with enhanced affinity, selectivity, and proteolytic stability. Pepscan operates as part of Biosynth's Peptide division following its 2022 acquisition, contributing over 25 years of peptide expertise.

Product overview

Biosynth's peptide division, which includes Pepscan along with vivitide, Cambridge Research Biochemicals (CRB), and Pepceuticals, offers a comprehensive one-stop-shop for peptides spanning the entire product lifecycle. The portfolio includes custom peptide synthesis services (from small scale to large scale GMP production), CLIPS Technology for constrained peptide discovery, neoantigen peptides for personalized cancer treatments, lead discovery and optimization services, and specialized products including diagnostic peptides, special peptides, long and highly modified peptides, and research peptides. Pepscan contributes over 25 years of expertise in peptide lead discovery and optimization with GMP manufacturing capabilities based in the Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BiosynthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Pepscan joined Biosynth in 2022, forming part of Biosynth's Peptide division. Pepscan brought over 25 years of peptide expertise, including industry-leading knowledge in peptide lead discovery and optimization and GMP manufacturing capabilities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• vivitide: Sibling company under Biosynth's peptide division (formed from New England Peptide and Peptides International). Offers custom peptide synthesis with US-based manufacturing, directly competing for the same pharmaceutical and research customers from a US footprint.
• Cambridge Research Biochemicals: Sibling company under Biosynth's peptide division (joined 2023), with 40+ years of expertise in complex, labeled and difficult-to-make peptides. Operates in the same custom peptide synthesis market with overlapping capabilities and customers.
• AmbioPharm: US-based specialty peptide CDMO focused on custom peptide synthesis and GMP manufacturing for pharmaceutical customers. Operates as a direct competitor in the same niche peptide services segment Pepscan serves, with similar scale and capabilities.
• Creative Peptides: US-based peptide manufacturer offering custom synthesis, peptide libraries, and GMP services for pharmaceutical and research customers. Directly comparable in scale and service offering to Pepscan, serving the same drug discovery and development customer base.
• Pepceuticals: Sibling company under Biosynth's peptide division (joined 2023), with GMP peptide manufacturing capabilities serving a broad scientific customer base. Directly overlaps with Pepscan in custom synthesis and GMP production offerings for pharma and biotech customers.

Broad incumbents

• Bachem: Swiss-headquartered global leader in peptide and oligonucleotide CDMO services, publicly listed. Offers end-to-end peptide development and manufacturing from discovery through commercial GMP at significantly larger scale than Pepscan, serving the same pharma and biotech customers.
• PolyPeptide Group: Public Swiss-based specialty CDMO focused exclusively on peptide and oligonucleotide manufacturing for pharma customers. Competes with Pepscan in custom synthesis, GMP manufacturing, and constrained/modified peptides, but at substantially larger commercial scale.
• CordenPharma: Global CDMO with peptide manufacturing capabilities alongside broader small molecule and injectable services. Directly competes for GMP peptide manufacturing contracts with pharma companies, though peptides are one of several focus areas rather than the sole specialty.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Custom Peptide Synthesis): Global life sciences tools giant offering custom peptide synthesis as part of its broader research products portfolio. Competes with Pepscan for research and small-scale custom peptide orders, though peptide services are one of many product lines within Thermo Fisher's much larger catalog.

Emerging players

• GenScript ProBio: China-headquartered CDMO with growing peptide synthesis and biologics manufacturing services. Competes with Pepscan on cost-sensitive custom synthesis and is expanding into GMP peptide production, representing a significant emerging competitive threat in the global peptide CDMO market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors6 records

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 Pepscan