What Capitol Scientific does

Capitol Scientific, Inc. (formerly Chem Products, Inc.) is a privately held U.S. laboratory supply and specialty chemical distributor founded in 1963 in Austin, Texas, and owned since 2000 by President and CEO Felix Ware. The company operates a 51-100 employee national distribution platform offering more than 1 million SKUs sourced from over 350 manufacturers, including reagent chemicals, electronic-grade solvents, photoresists, microscopy and balances, glassware and consumables, cleanroom and safety supplies, and its own CapitolBrand private-label line. Its technology stack centers on a transactional e-commerce storefront at capitolscientific.com supplemented by integrations into enterprise procurement systems (SAP Ariba, Transcepta, Tipalti, Coupa), a Quick Order interface, and an online Certificate of Analysis request workflow for regulated chemical documentation.

The business model is B2B distribution across multiple vertical end-markets — industrial laboratories, pharmaceutical and biotech, semiconductor and microelectronics, academic and educational institutions, environmental testing, and government laboratories — with revenue generated on a transactional one-time-purchase basis at quote-based, account-negotiated pricing. The company sells through a hybrid direct-sales motion: inside phone sales (512.836.1167), field sales teams across the U.S., the self-serve e-commerce site, and procurement portal integrations that allow enterprise buyers to source Capitol Scientific inventory through their existing purchasing systems. Account holders receive custom pricing, auto-stock notifications, discounted shipping, and 24-hour order turnaround (reported on 90% of orders), with no publicly disclosed pricing or subscription revenue model.

Commercially, Capitol Scientific competes on catalog breadth, multi-warehouse fulfillment, and supplier scorecard performance, with named customers including RS Integrated Supply (industrial), Wet Design (manufacturing), and Jenoptik Optical Systems (technology/optics) as illustrated enterprise references. Membership in the Independent Laboratories Dealer Association (ILDA) and the company's continued investment in procurement-system integrations indicate a strategic posture oriented toward mid-market and enterprise lab procurement accounts rather than e-commerce consumer traffic, with no disclosed exposure to international markets, government contract vehicles, or recurring/subscription revenue streams.

Name

Capitol Scientific

Legal name

Capitol Scientific, Inc.

Website

https://capitolscientific.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Capitol Scientific is a privately held, Austin-based B2B distributor of laboratory supplies and specialty chemicals, selling 1M+ SKUs from 350+ manufacturers to industrial, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, academic, environmental, and government laboratories across the United States via e-commerce, field sales, and enterprise procurement portal integrations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Supplies Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065)

akta.pro primary industry

Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC)

Keywords

• Laboratory supplies distribution
• Specialty chemicals distribution
• Lab equipment distribution
• Cleanroom supplies distribution
• Microlithography chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Equipment Distribution: Distribution of laboratory equipment including balances, centrifuges, water baths, incubators, spectrophotometers, sterilizers, and specialty instruments from over 350 manufacturers
2. Lab Supplies Distribution: Distribution of consumable lab supplies including glassware, plasticware, filtration products, chromatography supplies, and general laboratory consumables
3. Reagents & Specialty Chemicals Distribution: Distribution of specialty chemicals including acids, solvents, electronic grade chemicals, organic and inorganic reagents, and regulated grade chemicals for pharmaceutical and industrial applications
4. Microlithography Products: Distribution of photoresists, HMDS primers, and adhesion promoters for semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing
5. Cleanroom & Safety Products: Distribution of cleanroom apparel, gloves, safety equipment, and contamination control products

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Capitol Scientific is a specialty distributor that sells more than 1 million laboratory equipment items, consumable lab supplies, reagents and specialty chemicals, microlithography products, and cleanroom/safety supplies sourced from over 350 manufacturers. Offerings are sold through a self-serve e-commerce storefront at capitolscientific.com, direct enterprise sales teams, phone-based ordering, and integrations with procurement platforms (SAP Ariba, Transcepta, Tipalti, Coupa). The company also markets its own private-label brand, CapitolBrand.

Product overview

Capitol Scientific is a laboratory supply and specialty chemical distributor offering a comprehensive catalog of over 1 million products from 350+ manufacturers. The company operates as a multi-category e-commerce platform rather than a single unified product. Its portfolio consists of six main product categories: Lab Equipment (scientific instruments and apparatus), Lab Supplies (consumables and glassware), Reagents & Chemicals (specialty chemicals including electronic grade and reagent grade), Microlithography Products (photoresists and related microelectronics materials), and Cleanroom & Safety Products. The company also distributes its own private-label CapitolBrand products. Customers can purchase through the Capitolscientific.com e-commerce platform or through integrated procurement portals including Transcepta, SAP Ariba, Tipalti, and Coupa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CapitolBrand: Private label brand for laboratory products including glassware, reagent chemicals, and lab supplies.

Products and services

• CapitolBrand Capitol Scientific's own private-label brand of laboratory supplies including glass mortar and pestle sets, inorganic and organic reagent chemicals, and reagent grade salts, sold alongside third-party manufacturer products.
• Lab Equipment Distribution category covering laboratory scientific instruments and apparatus including animal science products, balances and weighing scales, baths, centrifuges and microcentrifuges, electrochemistry meters, evaporators, fume hoods, furnaces, homogenizers, incubators, microscopes, ovens, pumps, shakers, spectrophotometers, sterilizers, stirrers, thermal cyclers, titrator systems, UV lamps, and water purification systems. Sourced from manufacturers such as Eppendorf, Corning, Nalgene, Barnstead, and Thermolyne.
• Lab Supplies Distribution category of consumable laboratory supplies including glassware (beakers, bottles, flasks, funnels, tubes), chromatography products, filtration products, pipettes and pipettors, specimen collection supplies, and microbiology culture media.
• Reagents & Chemicals Distribution of specialty chemicals including acids (HPLC grade, reagent grade), alcohols, electronic/semiconductor grade chemicals, Karl Fischer titration reagents, inorganic and organic reagent chemicals, solvents, and salts from manufacturers including JT Baker, EMD Millipore, and Ricca Chemical.
• Microlithography Products Distribution category for microelectronics manufacturing including KemLab photoresists (i-Line, g-Line, broadband, and thick photoresists), HMDS primers, photoresist dispensing equipment, and high-purity photoresist strippers and residue removers.
• Cleanroom & Safety Products Distribution of cleanroom and safety supplies including apparel (lab coats, coveralls, gloves), cleaning products, eye protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, fall protection, fire protection, gas detection, and waste disposal containers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24-hour turnaround on 90% of orders
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TransceptacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTranscepta procurement portal integration allowing customers to purchase through the Transcepta supplier network. Customers can access Capitol Scientific's product catalog and place orders through Transcepta's procurement platform.
• SAP AribacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSAP Ariba procurement platform integration enabling enterprise customers to purchase Capitol Scientific products through their existing SAP Ariba procurement workflows.
• TipalticoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTipalti procurement and payment integration allowing customers to process orders and payments through Tipalti's platform for streamlined B2B transactions.
• CoupacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoupa business spend management platform integration for enterprise customers using Coupa to manage their procurement of laboratory supplies and chemicals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Grainger: Broad-line industrial MRO distributor with a sizable lab and cleanroom supplies category served through its website and enterprise contracts. Comparable multi-channel B2B distribution but operates across far more categories at much larger scale.
• McMaster-Carr: Industrial supply distributor known for broad SKU coverage and an exemplary e-commerce experience; comparable in catalog breadth and self-serve ordering philosophy, but oriented more to maintenance/operations than life science consumables.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Parent of Fisher Scientific, the largest US lab supply distributor, offering overlapping catalog of lab equipment, consumables, reagents, and chemicals. Far broader portfolio including instruments and bioproduction, but the Fisher channel directly competes with Capitol Scientific in chemical and consumable distribution.

Direct peers

• Fisher Scientific: Flagship US lab supply distribution channel of Thermo Fisher, offering the broadest catalog of lab equipment, chemicals, and consumables with deep enterprise contracts. Closest direct competitor in multi-channel B2B lab distribution.
• VWR (part of Avantor): Long-standing US lab supply distribution brand now under Avantor, directly competing with Capitol Scientific across equipment, chemicals, and consumables for pharma, biotech, academic, and government customers.
• Avantor: Global distributor of laboratory supplies, equipment, chemicals, and consumables to pharma, biotech, and industrial customers. Directly comparable multi-channel distribution model with stronger scale, international footprint, and direct manufacturer relationships.
• Cole-Parmer (Antylia Scientific): Distributor of laboratory equipment, instruments, and supplies serving academic, industrial, and life science customers. Overlaps directly with Capitol Scientific's lab equipment and consumables categories.
• Spectrum Chemical: Specialty US distributor of laboratory chemicals, reagents, and supplies with strong overlap in reagent-grade chemicals and academic/industrial lab customer base. Closely comparable niche in specialty reagent distribution.

Emerging players

• LabSource: Smaller US-focused lab supply distributor serving biotech, pharma, and academic customers with a focused catalog. Comparable business model and customer base though at meaningfully smaller scale than Capitol Scientific.
• Reagex (Reagex Diagnostics / Reagex Scientific): Specialty chemical and reagent distributor serving laboratory customers in the US. Partial overlap with Capitol Scientific's reagent and specialty chemicals categories, particularly for analytical and life science applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CapitolSci
• Facebookfacebook.com/139930802700482

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Capitol Scientific