RG Discovery
RG Discovery is a Scandinavian CRO providing integrated small-molecule, peptide, and macrocyclic drug discovery services, including proprietary WAC fragment screening, to biotech and pharma clients globally from its single-site Lund facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLund, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RG Discovery does
RG Discovery (formerly Red Glead Discovery, rebranded January 2025) is a Scandinavian contract research organization founded in 2011 by seven former AstraZeneca scientists in Lund, Sweden, and acquired by Pelago Bioscience in June 2026. The company delivers integrated drug discovery services spanning medicinal chemistry, in vitro biology and screening, ADME and bioanalysis, fragment-based lead discovery, NMR spectroscopy, computational chemistry, analytical chemistry and custom synthesis, peptide chemistry, and macrocyclic peptides, with particular depth in small molecules, peptides, and macrocyclic scaffolds. Its core technology platform is co-located in a single building at Medicon Village, enabling seamless handoffs across the design-make-test-analyze cycle, and includes proprietary WAC (Weak Affinity Chromatography) fragment screening technology held jointly with SARomics Biostructures. The business operates a sales-led, B2B model offering both FTE-based contract research and fee-for-service engagements to early- to mid-stage biotech, large pharmaceutical companies, and academic institutions across Europe, the US, and the Nordics. By the time of acquisition, RG Discovery employed roughly 40-60 scientists (with 95% of staff in lab or science-based roles), had served 250+ clients since inception, generated 95% of sales from returning customers, and reported 33% average annual revenue growth over the three years ending 2022, with SEK 44M in revenue in 2020.
RG Discovery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RG Discovery
- Legal name
- RG Discovery AB
- Website
- https://rgdiscovery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RG Discovery is a Scandinavian CRO providing integrated small-molecule, peptide, and macrocyclic drug discovery services, including proprietary WAC fragment screening, to biotech and pharma clients globally from its single-site Lund facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RG Discovery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Research / Drug Discovery Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bioanalytical & Biomarker CROs (PK/PD/Immunogenicity) (HLAGAAAD), Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery) (HLAIALAA), Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI)
Keywords
Where RG Discovery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lund
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
RG Discovery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contract Research Services (FTE-based): Full-time equivalent staffing model where dedicated chemists and scientists work on client projects on an ongoing basis.
- Fee-for-Service: Specific service engagements billed per project or deliverable basis for various drug discovery activities.
- Custom Synthesis: Synthesis of small molecules, peptides, macrocycles, carbohydrates, radioligands, conjugates & linkers, and polymers for pharmaceutical clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
RG Discovery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RG Discovery is a Scandinavian contract research organization (CRO) providing premium integrated drug discovery, analysis, and custom synthesis services. The company delivers medicinal chemistry, in vitro biology/assays, ADME profiling, fragment-based lead discovery, NMR spectroscopy, computational chemistry, custom synthesis, and peptide/macrocyclic peptide services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients globally, with deep expertise in small molecules, peptides, and macrocycles. Services are sold via FTE-based staffing and fee-for-service engagements and supported by the proprietary WAC™ (Weak Affinity Chromatography) fragment screening platform.
Product overview
RG Discovery is a Scandinavian contract research organization (CRO) providing integrated drug discovery services. The company operates a unified platform combining multiple service areas: Medicinal Chemistry, In Vitro Biology/Assays & Screening, ADME & Bioanalysis, Fragment-Based Lead Discovery (FBLD), NMR Spectroscopy, Computational Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry & Separation, Custom Synthesis, Peptide Chemistry, and Macrocyclic Peptides. These services are delivered through an integrated approach enabling seamless workflows from hit identification through lead optimization. The platform also includes proprietary WAC™ (Weak Affinity Chromatography) technology for fragment screening. Services span small molecules, peptides, and macrocycles for biotechnology and pharmaceutical customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Medicinal Chemistry Services Comprehensive medicinal chemistry services driving projects from potential targets to patentable lead compounds and clinical candidates, with expertise spanning carbohydrate chemistry, nucleotide chemistry, organometallic chemistry, and heterocyclic chemistry. Sold to biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients.
- In Vitro Biology / Assays & Screening Biochemical and cell-based screening assays for target efficacy evaluation, including biochemical assays (luminescence, absorbance, fluorescence), binding assays, activity assays, and phenotypic screening using EnVision® Multilabel Plate Reader. Sold to biotech and pharma clients.
- ADME & Bioanalysis Lab services analyzing compound characteristics including physicochemical assays (solubility, lipophilicity, PAMPA, EPSA), metabolic stability, plasma protein binding, and pharmacokinetic study support.
- Fragment-Based Lead Discovery (FBLD) Integrated fragment screening platform in partnership with SARomics Biostructures using WAC™ technology, NMR, DSF, HCS, and crystallographic methods for hit identification and validation.
- NMR Spectroscopy Services High-quality solution NMR services ranging from quality control to advanced structure elucidation, including structural analysis of organic molecules, macrocycles, natural products, peptides, and fragment screening using ligand-detected NMR techniques.
- Computational Chemistry
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% sales from returning customers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use RG Discovery
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
RG Discovery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
RG Discovery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, strategic and minor.
- SARomics BiostructurescoreIntegrated fragment-based lead discovery partnership. RGD and SARomics Biostructures jointly operate the WAC fragment screening technology platform. Collaboration enables structure-based drug design throughout drug discovery phases.
- PolyPeptidecoreJoint project Elbe funded by Vinnova to develop sustainable manufacturing process for GLP-1 peptide without using toxic solvent DMF. Both companies contribute green chemistry expertise.
- Cellmover ASmajorSognefjorden project: Eurostars-funded collaboration to deliver broad checkpoint inhibitor for cancer therapy. RGD contributes macrocycle/peptide drug molecule design and development.
- DesupervisedmajorAId project: Eurostars-funded partnership to develop AI-based tool for drug discovery using Bayesian deep learning models for prediction of novel molecular structures.
- Bicycle TherapeuticsstrategicCollaboration on NMR-based structural elucidation of Zelenectide Pevedotin, a Bicycle Drug Conjugate for treatment of bladder, breast, and lung cancers.
- Acadia PharmaceuticalsstrategicSSRI drug discovery research collaboration for novel selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for combination treatment with Pimavanserin.
- ShareLabminorPartnership to host startup competition and seminars on transforming research into drug development companies in Oslo, Norway.
- Herantis PharmastrategicCollaboration resulting in Nature Communications publication on CDNF neuroprotective activity and interaction with GRP78 protein.
- ApoGlyxminorSpinout company co-founded by RGD based on aquaporin research. RGD is co-owner. Developing RG100204 compound for sepsis treatment.
- Zerapeutics ABminorCompany founded in 2021 from Project Nile (epigenetic target in cancer treatment) with candidate drug development supported by Vinnova.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RG Discovery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BioAscent: Scotland-based CRO offering integrated drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and compound management services to biotech and pharma clients. Comparable scale and integrated DMTA-focused service model to RG Discovery.
- Concept Life Sciences: UK-based CRO providing integrated drug discovery including medicinal chemistry, in vitro pharmacology, ADME, and peptide chemistry. Closely comparable mid-size peer offering similar DMTA-cycle integrated services to biotech and pharma.
- SARomics Biostructures: Swedish preclinical CRO and structural biology specialist; co-commercialises RGD's WAC fragment screening technology. Directly comparable as a Lund-based early-stage drug discovery CRO serving biotech clients with structural biology, fragment screening, and medicinal chemistry support.
- Pelago Bioscience: Swedish CRO specialising in CETSA-based target engagement assays and cell-based biology services; acquired RG Discovery in June 2026. Now part of the same combined entity, making it the most operationally overlapping peer and the platform onto which RGD's chemistry capabilities are being bolted.
- Sygnature Discovery: UK-based preclinical CRO offering integrated drug discovery including medicinal chemistry, in vitro biology, DMPK, and computational chemistry for biotech and pharma clients. Closely comparable in scale and service mix to RG Discovery as a fully integrated chemistry-and-biology discovery CRO.
- Mercachem: Dutch CRO providing medicinal chemistry, custom synthesis, ADME, and parallel medicinal chemistry services to biotech and pharma. Closely comparable mid-size European peer focused on chemistry-driven integrated drug discovery.
Broad incumbents
- Evotec: Large global contract research and discovery company offering end-to-end drug discovery, including medicinal chemistry, ADME, in vitro biology, and fragment-based screening. Overlaps directly with RGD's offerings but at significantly greater scale and with broader service portfolio.
- Charles River Laboratories: Global CRO providing discovery and safety assessment services, including medicinal chemistry, ADME, and integrated drug discovery for pharma and biotech. Much larger incumbent competing for the same outsourced discovery spend that RGD targets.
- Pharmaron: China/UK-headquartered CRO with integrated drug discovery and preclinical services including medicinal chemistry, in vitro biology, DMPK, and custom synthesis. Competes with RGD for biotech discovery outsourcing at much larger scale.
- Eurofins Discovery: Discovery services arm of Eurofins Scientific offering medicinal chemistry, ADME/PK, in vitro biology, and integrated drug discovery globally. Competes with RGD for outsourced preclinical discovery but at a much larger scale across a broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RG Discovery social profiles
Digital presenceRG Discovery compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
RG Discovery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RG Discovery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
RG Discovery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RG Discovery 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 RG Discovery
What does RG Discovery do?
RG Discovery is a Scandinavian contract research organization (CRO) providing premium integrated drug discovery, analysis, and custom synthesis services. The company delivers medicinal chemistry, in vitro biology/assays, ADME profiling, fragment-based lead discovery, NMR spectroscopy, computational chemistry, custom synthesis, and peptide/macrocyclic peptide services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients globally, with deep expertise in small molecules, peptides, and macrocycles. Services are sold via FTE-based staffing and fee-for-service engagements and supported by the proprietary WAC™ (Weak Affinity Chromatography) fragment screening platform.
Is RG Discovery a public or private company?
RG Discovery is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was RG Discovery founded?
RG Discovery was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RG Discovery based?
RG Discovery is headquartered in Lund, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does RG Discovery make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Contract Research Services (FTE-based) is the primary driver. The others are fee-for-Service and custom Synthesis.
Who are RG Discovery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BioAscent, Concept Life Sciences, SARomics Biostructures, Pelago Bioscience, Sygnature Discovery and Mercachem. Broad incumbents are Evotec, Charles River Laboratories, Pharmaron and Eurofins Discovery.
Does RG Discovery have an API?
No public API is recorded for RG Discovery.
What industry is RG Discovery in?
RG Discovery's product category is Contract Research / Drug Discovery Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAB, Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK), with a secondary code of HLAGAAAD, Bioanalytical & Biomarker CROs (PK/PD/Immunogenicity). Its NAICS code is 54171 and its SIC code is 8731.