What Holodiag does

Holodiag is a French Contract Research Organization (CRO) founded in 2006 and headquartered in Val-de-Reuil (Pharma-Parc II), specializing in solid-state characterization and crystallization process development for small-molecule pharmaceutical applications. Operating from a 540 m² dedicated laboratory facility with a 12-person scientific team (9 PhDs and 3 technicians), the company delivers services across four pillars: Solid State Analysis (physico-chemical characterization of APIs), Solid State Screening (polymorph, salt and co-crystal identification), Crystallization Process (lab-to-kilolab development), and Electron Diffraction (using the ELDICO ED-1 — the first such instrument installed in Europe — for crystal structure determination directly from 10–1000 nm nanocrystals). Its instrumentation stack includes two Malvern Panalytical Empyrean S3 XRPD systems with PIXcel detectors, two DVS Intrinsic units, DSC/TGA thermal analyzers, FTIR, a Mastersizer 3000 granulometer, and laminar flow hoods enabling handling of highly potent APIs down to 50 ng/m³ OEL.

Holodiag serves 50+ European customers across five verticals — pharmaceutical manufacturers (primary), specialty chemicals, animal health, cosmetics, and agro-sciences — with 5–7 working-day analytical turnaround and methodologies aligned with EP/USP/ICH pharmacopeial standards supporting IMPD/DMF regulatory submissions. Revenue is generated through professional-services fee-for-service contracts with customer exclusivity and IP protection as standard features; the go-to-market is sales-led B2B executed via direct enterprise relationships, conference participation (CPhI, BOS, Chemspec, DCAT Week, Interphex Tokyo, BioFit), Scientist.com marketplace listing, and industry association memberships (Polepharma, A3P, DCAT).

In September 2024, Holodiag was acquired by Italy-based CDMO ICROM Srl, integrating it into the Proxis Développement industrial group (affiliated with Protex International, a Moor-family French group with ~€300M revenue). The company retains operational autonomy under founder and General Manager Pierric Marchand, with Pierfrancesco Morosini (ICROM CEO) serving as Holodiag's President. Holodiag holds FDA registration for its analytical services (October 2024), French Research Tax Credit (CIR) certification through 2027, and is investing in quality infrastructure and additional PhD-level staff to pursue GMP certification.

Name

Holodiag

Legal name

Holodiag, SARL

Website

https://holodiag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Holodiag is a French CRO founded in 2006 specializing in solid-state characterization and crystallization process development for small-molecule pharmaceuticals, serving 50+ European customers with XRPD, DSC/TGA, and Europe's first ELDICO ED-1 electron diffractometer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Analytical Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid-State Chemistry & Preformulation (Polymorph/Crystallization) (HLAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Method Development & Validation (ICH/USP) (HLAGADAB), Small-Molecule Analytical Development & Method Validation (CMC) (HLAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Solid state characterization
• Crystallization process development
• Contract research services
• Pharmaceutical analytical testing
• Polymorphism screening services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rouen

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Research Organization (CRO) Services: Fee-for-service analytical testing, solid-state screening, and crystallization process development. Services typically delivered in 5-7 working days with detailed scientific reports. Customer exclusivity and strong IP protection offered.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Holodiag is a French Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing fee-for-service analytical and process development work for solid-state and crystallization challenges in small-molecule drug substances and fine chemicals. Its four service pillars are Solid State Analysis (physico-chemical characterization of APIs), Solid State Screening (polymorph, salt, and co-crystal identification with property investigations), Crystallization Process Development (lab-to-kilolab scale-up and optimization), and Electron Diffraction using the ELDICO ED-1 instrument. Deliverables are detailed scientific reports typically produced within 5-7 working days under a quality system aligned with EP/USP/ICH standards.

Product overview

Holodiag is a French Contract Research Organization dedicated to solid state and crystallization processes for small molecules in the pharmaceutical sector. The company's offering is organized as four integrated service pillars: Solid State Analysis (physico-chemical characterization of APIs), Solid State Screening (identification of polymorphs, salts, and co-crystals with property investigations), Crystallization Process (development and scale-up from lab to kilolab), and Electron Diffraction (using the ELDICO ED-1 for nanocrystal structure determination). With 15+ years of experience, these services are delivered under a strict quality system supporting EP/USP/ICH regulatory requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solid State Analysis Analytical services for the solid-state and physico-chemical characterization of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in drug substances and drug products, including quality assurance, physico-chemical analyses and detailed analytical reports. Designed for pharmaceutical companies and fine chemical manufacturers requiring regulatory-grade solid-state data.
• Solid State Screening Studies of small organic molecules to identify new solid forms including polymorphs, salts and co-crystals, with property investigations covering stability, solubility and dissolution to support form selection. Intended for pharmaceutical R&D teams needing to map and select the optimal solid form of an API.
• Crystallization Process Development Development and optimization of scalable crystallization processes for industrial production of fine chemicals, covering preliminary investigations (polymorphism, solubility, phase diagrams) through scale-up from lab to kilolab. Serves pharmaceutical API manufacturers and fine/specialty chemical producers seeking robust, transferable crystallization processes.
• Electron Diffraction Service Crystallographic analysis using the ELDICO ED-1 electron diffractometer to determine crystal structures directly from nanocrystals (10-1000 nm), enabling rapid identification of solid forms and molecular structure elucidation when single crystals are not available. Targeted at pharmaceutical discovery and development teams facing nano-sized or sub-micron crystalline samples.

Quantifiable outcome

• Analytical services typically delivered in 5-7 working days
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICROM srlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024ICROM, an Italy-based pharmaceutical CDMO specializing in API development and GMP manufacturing, acquired Holodiag in September 2024 to enhance ICROM's solid-state study capabilities and crystallization expertise. Holodiag is now part of the Icrom Group, allowing joint customer engagement at industry events and integrated service offerings.
• Malvern PanalyticalcoreTechnology or Integration20-year collaboration with Malvern Panalytical for X-ray diffraction equipment. Holodiag acquired two Empyrean S3 systems with PIXcel detectors and a Mastersizer 3000 granulometer. Long-term partnership focused on cutting-edge solid-state characterization technology.
• QP PharmaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with QP Pharma for support in pharmaceutical quality and industrial performance. Collaboration aimed at demystifying crystallization processes, polymorphism, and solid-state topics in relaxed format.
• DCAT (Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDCAT is the premier association for the global bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain. Holodiag joined as a member in November 2024.
• ELDICO Scientific AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss company that developed and manufactures the ELDICO ED-1 electron diffractometer. Holodiag is the first company in Europe to acquire this equipment, enabling crystal structure determination from nanocrystals.
• PolepharmaminorOthersOrganization whose role is to stimulate the economic and industrial development of actors in the first French pharmaceutical area.
• A3PminorOthersAssociation that has been a key player in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry since 1986.
• Scientist.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorE-commerce marketplace network connecting buyers and sellers of scientific research services. Holodiag is registered as a supplier on Scientist.com.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hovione: Portugal-based CDMO with dedicated solid-state and particle engineering capabilities serving pharmaceutical customers; comparable to Holodiag in crystallization and analytical services, though with broader GMP manufacturing scope.
• Solvias: Swiss CRO specialized in solid-state chemistry, polymorphism, salt/co-crystal screening, and crystallization process development for pharmaceutical and agrochemical clients — the most direct global competitor to Holodiag's core offering.
• Pharmorphix (Sigma-Aldrich / Merck): Solid-state services group within Merck/Sigma-Aldrich offering polymorphism screening, salt selection, and crystallization studies to pharma companies — closely overlaps Holodiag's solid-state and preformulation service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Scientific: Global testing services group offering a broad range of analytical and pharmaceutical services including solid-state characterization. Overlaps with Holodiag but competes primarily on scale, geographic reach, and integrated service bundling.
• Intertek Pharmaceutical Services: Global quality assurance and testing provider with pharmaceutical analytical services including solid-state and materials characterization, overlapping Holodiag's analytical offering at the broader services level.
• Curia (formerly AMRI): Global CDMO offering API development, solid-state chemistry, and analytical services across the drug substance lifecycle. Comparable to Holodiag on solid-state and crystallization, with larger manufacturing footprint.
• Catalent: Large pharmaceutical CDMO offering drug substance and drug product development with related analytical and solid-state capabilities. A broad incumbent overlapping with Holodiag at the integrated CMC level.
• WuXi AppTec / WuXi STA: Large global CRO/CDMO offering end-to-end pharmaceutical development and manufacturing services including solid-state chemistry and crystallization. Competes with Holodiag on breadth, scale, and integrated CMC programs.
• Charles River Laboratories: Major CRO providing discovery, safety assessment, and pharmaceutical manufacturing support including solid-state and formulation services. A broad incumbent serving similar pharma customers as Holodiag.
• SGS Life Sciences: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with life sciences CRO capabilities including pharmaceutical analytical and solid-state services — competes with Holodiag at the broad-services level rather than as a niche specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holodiag
• Facebookfacebook.com/159094370856449

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Holodiag