What Specific Polymers does

Specific Polymers is a privately held French specialty chemistry R&D company founded in 2003 and headquartered in Castries, near Montpellier, France. It designs, develops, and produces functional monomers, polymers, building blocks, and high-performance materials on a catalog and bespoke basis, serving academic laboratories and industrial customers across aerospace, energy storage, coatings, and advanced composites. The company states it has developed more than 10,000 R&D products since founding and maintains a catalog of over 1,000 molecules searchable via an online product finder, with a customer base of approximately 500 organizations in roughly 50 countries and 49% of products exported internationally.

The company's technical differentiation rests on a broad polymerization toolbox — including free radical polymerization, controlled radical polymerization techniques (RAFT/MADIX, ATRP, ARGET-ATRP, NMP), radical telomerization, step-growth polymerization, ring-opening polymerization, and photopolymerization — alongside deep competencies in phosphorus, silicon, and fluorine chemistry, hybrid organic–inorganic materials, and full physicochemical characterization (NMR, FTIR, SEC/GPC, DSC, TGA, rheometry). It has built niche leadership positions in phthalonitrile thermosetting resins (Tg > 300°C), non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPU), bisphenol-free and biobased epoxy resins, and lithium/sodium single-ion conducting polymers for next-generation solid-state batteries.

Commercially, Specific Polymers generates revenue through four streams: an R&D products catalog (one-off sales in gram-to-kilogram quantities), custom synthesis and contract research services, scale-up support bridging lab to industrial production, and collaborative EU-funded research projects. Distribution is direct to academic and industrial buyers via email, fax, or postal inquiry with formal written order confirmation, a 30% deposit on orders above €5,000, and 30-day payment terms. The company also participates in major European consortia (HIDDEN, BIZENTE, REPAIR, Battery 2030+, European Battery Alliance) and has signed an agreement for a new production facility set to open in 2026.

Name

Specific Polymers

Legal name

SPECIFIC POLYMERS

Website

https://specificpolymers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Specific Polymers is a French R&D company (founded 2003, ~25 employees) that designs and supplies functional monomers, polymers, building blocks, and high-performance resins via a 1,000+ molecule catalog and bespoke custom synthesis, serving academic laboratories and industrial buyers in aerospace, energy storage, coatings, and advanced composites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Polymer Chemicals

NAICS

Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261), All Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (32599)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

High-Performance & Specialty Polymers (PPS, LCP, PI/PAI, PAEK) (IMAEANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Polymers & Resins (Engineered Materials) (IMAEABAK), Bio-based Engineering Plastics & High-Performance Polymers (bio-PA, bio-PET, bio-PC blends) (IMANANAF), Polyolefins (PE, PP) (IMAEADAD), Biodegradable Polymers & Resins (PLA, PHA, PBS, PBAT) (IMAEAOAA)

Keywords

• Specialty polymer synthesis
• Custom monomer development
• Polymer building blocks
• High-performance resins
• Contract research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Castries

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. R&D Products Catalog: Pre-developed functional monomers, polymers, building blocks, and materials offered through the company's catalog. Customers select from over 1,000 R&D molecules using the product finder tool. Products are shipped in quantities from grams to kilograms.
2. Custom Synthesis Services: Bespoke synthesis of monomers, polymers, and materials based on client specifications. Includes custom formulations, resin development, and material design services for academic and industrial clients requiring novel compounds not available in catalog.
3. Contract Research Services: Full-service R&D programs including custom synthesis, custom materials and formulation, research programs, scale-up support, and physico-chemical analysis services for clients from concept to industrialization.
4. Collaborative Research Projects: EU-funded collaborative R&D projects involving multiple partners for strategic technology development in energy, environment, and high-performance materials sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Specific Polymers designs, develops, and produces functional monomers, polymers, building blocks, and high-performance materials for academic and industrial clients. The company offers a catalog of over 1,000 R&D molecules shipped from grams to kilograms, complemented by custom synthesis, contract research, scale-up support, and physico-chemical analysis services from grams to industrial production scale.

Product overview

SPECIFIC POLYMERS is an R&D-focused chemical company that designs, develops, and produces functional monomers, polymers, building blocks, and high-performance materials. The company's portfolio centers on a catalog of over 1,000 R&D molecules organized into four core product categories: Polymers (custom-designed polymers with controlled architecture), Monomers (functional monomers and macromonomers), Building Blocks (specialty chemical intermediates including phthalonitrile, phosphorus, silicon, and fluorine derivatives), and Resin & Formulation (ready-to-use and custom resins including phthalonitrile, biobased epoxy, and multi-functional coatings). These products are complemented by a suite of services including Custom Synthesis, Custom Materials & Formulation, Research Programs, Scale-up Support, and Physico-Chemical Analysis Services. The company operates through a Product Finder platform for customer self-service and serves research institutions and industrial firms in high-performance materials, energy (batteries), environment (sustainable/circular materials), and health applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• R&D Products (Polymers, Monomers, Building Blocks, Resin & Formulation) Catalog of functional monomers, polymers, building blocks, and resin formulations developed for R&D purposes, covering applications in high-performance materials, energy, environment, and health sectors. Products are shipped from grams to kilograms to over 1,000 R&D molecules accessible via the Product Finder tool.
• Polymers Custom-designed and catalog polymers including poly(meth)acrylate, polystyrene derivatives, polyesters, polyamide, polyimide, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyhydroxyurethane, and polyurea with controlled architecture and molecular weight (500 to 500,000 g/mol).
• Monomers Functional monomers and macromonomers bearing (meth)acrylate, (meth)acrylamide, styrene, vinyl, or allyl groups, plus custom thermoset building blocks such as epoxy, cyclocarbonate, maleimide, carbodiimide, cyanate ester, benzoxazine, and phthalonitrile.
• Building Blocks Specialty building blocks including phthalonitrile derivatives, phosphorus, silicon, and fluorine-based functional groups for designing polymers and materials with specific functionality.
• Resin & Formulation Ready-to-use and custom-formulated resins including phthalonitrile resins, epoxy resins (bisphenol-free and biobased), multi-functional coatings, and hybrid materials for specific processing routes.
• Phthalonitrile Resins High-temperature thermosetting resins and building blocks achieving glass transition temperatures above 300°C for aerospace, space, defense, electronics, and high-temperature composite applications.
• Biobased Epoxy Resins Sustainable epoxy resins prepared from renewable resources including biobased alternatives to bisphenol compounds, offering safer and more environmentally friendly options.
• Bisphenol-free Epoxy Resins Epoxy resins that substitute traditional DGEBA, addressing environmental and health concerns while maintaining performance characteristics.
• Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane (NIPU) High-performance polyurethanes synthesized without isocyanates, offering safer and more sustainable alternatives for various polymer applications, along with bio-based cyclocarbonate building blocks for isocyanate-free polyurethane synthesis.
• Single-Ion Conducting Monomers and Polymers Lithium and sodium salts (MTFSILi, STFSILi, MTFSINa, STFSINa) and single-ion conductors for solid polymer electrolytes in advanced all-solid-state batteries, providing high ionic selectivity and resistance to dendrite formation.
• Phosphorus Monomers and Polymers Advanced phosphorus-based building blocks for functional polymers providing enhanced properties for adhesion, flame retardancy, and coatings applications.
• Multi-Functional Coatings Custom-designed coatings formulations achieving enhanced or multifunctional surface properties including thermal resistance, flame resistance, corrosion protection, and other specialized characteristics.
• Custom Synthesis Services Contract research services for custom synthesis of molecules, macromolecules, monomers, and polymers from grams to kilogram scale based on client specifications.
• Custom Materials & Formulation Build-to-specification development of resins and high-performance materials including multifunctional coatings, hybrid materials, and resin for composites.
• Research Program Collaborative R&D programs with academic and industrial partners addressing sustainability, energy technologies, and advanced materials challenges.
• Scale-up Support Services supporting the transition from laboratory to industrial production, strengthening process maturity and boosting production capacity.
• Physico-Chemical Analysis Services High-performance analytical characterization including NMR (1H, 13C, 19F, 31P, COSY, HSQC, DOSY), FTIR, SEC/GPC, DSC, TGA, rheometry, contact angle, four-point probe, and Persoz pendulum testing for product development and quality control.
• Material Modeling Material modeling service for predictive design and simulation of polymer properties to support product development and formulation optimization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Glass transition temperatures >300°C achievable with phthalonitrile systems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HIDDEN Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020European Horizon 2020 project (Grant Agreement No 957202) focused on hindering dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries. Consortium includes VTT, Belenos Clean Power Holding AG, BERNER FACHHOCHSCHULE, CNRS, CSEM, RTD TALOS LIMITED, and SPECIFIC POLYMERS. Project aims to develop self-healing solutions for next-generation lithium batteries.
• BIZENTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean collaborative research project as part of SPECIFIC POLYMERS' international development strategy, focusing on strategic development areas.
• REPAIRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean collaborative research project in strategic development domain, contributing to the company's R&D focus areas.
• Battery 2030+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean large-scale research initiative aimed at inventing the batteries of the future. SPECIFIC POLYMERS is a member contributing expertise in battery materials development.
• European Battery Alliance (EBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Battery Alliance network supporting the development of competitive battery manufacturing in Europe. SPECIFIC POLYMERS participates as a materials supplier and R&D partner.
• MAPAEROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAerospace coatings company collaborating with SPECIFIC POLYMERS on R&D for anti-lightning protection coatings for aircraft, combining SPECIFIC POLYMERS' polymer expertise with MAPAERO's coating applications.
• TEAM Henri-FabrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the collaborative team developing aerospace coatings in partnership with MAPAERO and SPECIFIC POLYMERS for anti-lightning protection applications.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arkema: French specialty materials major with positions in advanced polymer materials, batteries, and sustainable solutions — competes in adjacent high-performance polymer and electrolyte materials spaces.
• Solvay: Belgian specialty chemicals major with strong positions in specialty polymers for aerospace, automotive, and energy storage applications — broad incumbent competing on the same end-market applications.
• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals producer with notable high-performance polymers and additive manufacturing materials portfolio, serving aerospace, electronics, and energy customers with overlapping technical depth.
• Sigma-Aldrich (Merck KGaA): Massive specialty chemicals catalog within the Life Science business of Merck — covers a much wider scope but competes for the same specialty-monomer and polymer R&D spend from academic and industrial buyers.

Emerging players

• Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services: India-based custom synthesis and contract research organization with growing specialty chemistry capabilities — adjacent contract-research peer targeting similar industrial and academic customers.

Direct peers

• Enamine: Leading custom synthesis provider for novel building blocks and screening compounds — directly comparable contract-research and catalog offering for chemistry-driven R&D customers.
• Polymer Source: Canada-based specialty polymer catalog and custom synthesis provider offering polymers, monomers, and building blocks for R&D — directly comparable product breadth and academic/industrial customer mix to Specific Polymers.
• TCI Chemicals: Japan-headquartered specialty chemicals catalog with a European operation, offering tens of thousands of R&D-grade monomers, polymers, and reagents — directly comparable in serving academic and industrial discovery chemists.
• abcr GmbH: German specialty chemicals supplier and custom synthesis provider (organosilicon, fluorinated, organometallic compounds) — comparable B2B catalog and custom synthesis business serving industrial R&D.
• Alfa Chemistry: US-based specialty chemicals supplier and custom synthesis provider covering polymers, monomers, and building blocks — directly comparable in catalog scope and customer target.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SP_Polymers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Specific Polymers