ReadCrystal
ReadCrystal (青云瑞晶) is a Suzhou-based CRO commercializing proprietary MicroED, CryoEM-SPA, and X-ray diffraction technology — invented by its Peking University founders — to provide structural-biology, drug-screening, solid-state, and new-materials analysis services to 400+ pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions in China and abroad.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSuzhou, China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ReadCrystal does
ReadCrystal (legal entity 苏州青云瑞晶生物科技有限公司) is a privately held, Suzhou-headquartered contract research organization (CRO) founded in 2020 by Peking University professors Sun Junliang, Lei Xiaoguang, and Dr. Liu Leifeng — the latter a Stockholm University PhD who co-invented the MicroED (Microcrystal Electron Diffraction) method, which Science named one of its 2018 Top 10 scientific breakthroughs. The company commercializes MicroED alongside cryo-electron microscopy single-particle analysis (CryoEM-SPA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), supported by self-developed data collection and analysis software, to deliver crystal-structure determination from samples as small as 100 nm at reported 98%+ success rates and turnarounds of 3–7 days for MicroED projects and 1–2 months for full protein structural-biology projects.
The company operates four service lines — (1) structural biology (recombinant protein expression and purification, XRD, MicroED, CryoEM-SPA), (2) drug screening and design (SPR/MST/ITC/BLI/Nano-DSF molecular interaction, nanoparticle cryo-EM, quantitative/targeted/modified proteomics, ASMS affinity-mass-spec screening, an AI-driven integrated screening and design platform, and enzyme engineering), (3) drug solid-state research (crystal form screening, molecular structure confirmation, DSC/TGA, formulation microstructure, crystallization process development), and (4) new-materials structure analysis (MOFs, COFs, zeolites, organic and inorganic materials). It also maintains off-the-shelf protein and structure libraries as reference assets. The firm reports 2,000+ macromolecule and small-molecule structures completed, 1,000+ macromolecular structures, 300+ MicroED small-molecule analyses, 130+ MOF and 50+ COF material structures, and a customer base of 400+ pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions including 正大天晴, 恒瑞医药, 豪森药业, 先声药业, 药明生物, 复星医药, 华东医药, 贝达药业, 通化东宝, 百诚医药, and 10+ leading universities (Peking University, Tsinghua, Fudan, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Stockholm University, Hong Kong City University).
Go-to-market is a direct enterprise field-sales model with five regional business development managers covering North/Central/East/South/West China and an additional international BD manager targeting Europe and North America. The company holds 30 million RMB of laboratory equipment, has 30+ technical staff including 10+ PhDs, is domiciled across Suzhou (HQ, Changshu High-Tech Zone) and Shenzhen, and operates offices in China with disclosed service reach into EMEA via Stockholm University ties. Revenue comes entirely from professional-services CRO fees; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Strategic capital partners include 九合创投 (Jiuhe Venture Capital), Peking University, UnityVC, BMC, Changshu Guofa Venture, DaYou Capital, and Suzhou International Development Venture Capital, with the firm recognized in the 2021 Merck China Accelerator cohort and holding CNAS, CMA, ISO, and national High-Tech Enterprise certifications obtained in 2024.
ReadCrystal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ReadCrystal
- Legal name
- 苏州青云瑞晶生物科技有限公司
- Website
- https://readcrystal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ReadCrystal (青云瑞晶) is a Suzhou-based CRO commercializing proprietary MicroED, CryoEM-SPA, and X-ray diffraction technology — invented by its Peking University founders — to provide structural-biology, drug-screening, solid-state, and new-materials analysis services to 400+ pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions in China and abroad.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ReadCrystal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Structural Biology Research Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Pharmacovigilance, Risk Management & Medical Affairs CROs (HLAGAAAH)
Keywords
Where ReadCrystal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Suzhou
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
ReadCrystal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- CRO Services - Structural Biology: Provides recombinant protein expression & purification, X-ray diffraction, MicroED, and CryoEM-SPA services for pharmaceutical and research clients
- CRO Services - Drug Screening & Design: Molecular interaction analysis, nanoparticle cryo-EM characterization, proteomics, drug screening, AI-driven drug discovery platform, enzyme design and optimization
- CRO Services - Drug Solid-State Research: Drug crystal form screening, molecular structure confirmation, solid-state property analysis, formulation microstructure analysis, crystallization process development
- CRO Services - New Material Structure Analysis: Structure analysis services for MOFs, COFs, zeolites, organic molecules, and inorganic materials using MicroED technology
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
ReadCrystal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ReadCrystal is a contract research organization (CRO) that provides structural analysis services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic customers. Its core work uses Microcrystal Electron Diffraction (MicroED), X-ray Diffraction, and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Single Particle Analysis (CryoEM-SPA) to determine protein, small-molecule, and material structures, supported by self-developed data collection and integration software. The company also delivers drug screening, drug solid-state research, and new-materials structure analysis services as project-based engagements.
Product overview
ReadCrystal is a comprehensive CRO (Contract Research Organization) platform offering structure-based one-stop technical services. The platform is built around three core structural analysis technologies — MicroED (Microcrystal Electron Diffraction), X-ray Diffraction, and CryoEM-SPA (Cryo-Electron Microscopy Single Particle Analysis) — supported by proprietary self-developed data collection and analysis software. The portfolio is organized into four major service lines: (1) Structural Biology Services covering recombinant protein expression, X-ray diffraction, MicroED, and CryoEM-SPA; (2) Drug Screening & Design encompassing molecular interaction (SPR/MST/ITC/BLI/Nano-DSF), nanoparticle cryo-EM characterization, proteomics (quantitative, targeted, modified), ASMS affinity mass spectrometry, and an AI-driven integrated drug screening and design platform; (3) Drug Solid-State Research Services including crystal form screening, drug molecular structure validation, solid-state property analysis (DSC/TGA), formulation microstructure analysis, and crystallization process development; and (4) New Materials Structure Analysis using MicroED for MOFs, COFs, zeolites, organic molecules, and inorganic materials. Additional specialized services include Nanoparticle Cryo-EM characterization, protein expression, and SPR/MST/ITC molecular interaction testing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Structural Biology CRO Services End-to-end structural biology services including recombinant protein expression and purification, X-ray diffraction structure determination, MicroED nanocrystal structure determination, and CryoEM-SPA for large complexes, delivered to pharmaceutical and academic customers that need high-resolution structures they cannot resolve in-house.
- Drug Screening and Design Services Drug discovery services covering molecular interaction analysis, nanoparticle cryo-EM, proteomics, drug screening, AI-driven screening and design, and enzyme engineering for pharmaceutical R&D teams looking to identify and optimize lead compounds.
- Drug Solid-State Research Services Crystal form screening, molecular structure validation, solid-state property analysis, formulation microstructure analysis, and crystallization process development for pharmaceutical companies that need to characterize polymorphs, formulations, and solid-state behavior for development, IP, and regulatory purposes.
- New Materials Structure Analysis Services Structural analysis of advanced materials including MOFs, COFs, zeolites, organic molecules, and inorganic materials for materials science companies and academic groups working on novel functional materials.
- Off-the-Shelf Protein Library Pre-made recombinant proteins available off the shelf so customers can skip expression and purification steps and move directly into structural and biochemical assays.
- Resolved Structure Library Database of structures resolved by ReadCrystal, available as a reference and starting point for customer research and method benchmarking.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3-7 days for MicroED structure analysis
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use ReadCrystal
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ReadCrystal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
ReadCrystal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Merck China AcceleratormajorSelected into Merck China Accelerator program in 2021, one of only 12 companies selected. Provides potential partnership and market access opportunities.
- 斯德哥尔摩大学coreFounder Dr. Liu Leifeng's alma mater. The MicroED technology was invented by the research team at Stockholm University (including founders Sun Junliang and Liu Leifeng).
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ReadCrystal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sundia MediTech: China-headquartered preclinical CRO offering protein expression, structural biology, and drug discovery services — comparable Chinese CRO competing for similar pharma/biotech structural biology outsourcing budgets.
- Shanghai Medicilon: China-based preclinical CRO offering protein expression, crystallography, and structure-based drug discovery services to pharma clients, overlapping with ReadCrystal's Structural Biology Services and Drug Screening & Design lines.
- Crystal Pharmatech: Chinese CRO specializing in drug solid-state research, crystal form screening, and crystallization process development — directly comparable to ReadCrystal's Drug Solid-State Research service line and frequently serving the same generic pharma R&D buyers in China.
- Shanghai ChemPartner: China-based preclinical CRO with structural biology, protein crystallography, and computational chemistry services targeting similar biotech and pharma customers across structural biology and drug discovery workflows.
Others
- Bruker: Analytical instrument manufacturer that acquired XtalConcepts (2022) to add MicroED capability; relevant as a competitor and adjacent technology enabler because Bruker both supplies the underlying electron crystallography hardware ReadCrystal relies on and now offers similar MicroED services.
- Schrödinger: AI-driven computational drug discovery platform overlapping with ReadCrystal's AI-driven integrated drug screening and design service line; comparable on the in-silico + experimental validation thesis but operating primarily as a software platform rather than a wet-lab CRO.
Broad incumbents
- Charles River Laboratories: Established global preclinical CRO providing structural biology and early-stage discovery services; relevant as a larger, broadly diversified competitor that the company benchmarks against for international expansion.
- Pharmaron: Large global CRO with structural biology, protein crystallography, and drug discovery capabilities serving multinational pharma; competes for the same pharma CRO wallet but at significantly broader scale than ReadCrystal.
- WuXi AppTec: Largest China-headquartered CRO providing end-to-end discovery, development, and testing services including structural biology; competes on the same CRO tender pipeline as ReadCrystal though structural biology is a small subset of its portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ReadCrystal social profiles
Digital presenceReadCrystal compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
ReadCrystal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ReadCrystal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
ReadCrystal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ReadCrystal 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 ReadCrystal
What does ReadCrystal do?
ReadCrystal is a contract research organization (CRO) that provides structural analysis services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic customers. Its core work uses Microcrystal Electron Diffraction (MicroED), X-ray Diffraction, and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Single Particle Analysis (CryoEM-SPA) to determine protein, small-molecule, and material structures, supported by self-developed data collection and integration software. The company also delivers drug screening, drug solid-state research, and new-materials structure analysis services as project-based engagements.
Is ReadCrystal a public or private company?
ReadCrystal is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ReadCrystal founded?
ReadCrystal was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ReadCrystal based?
ReadCrystal is headquartered in Suzhou, China, in the Asia region.
How does ReadCrystal make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. CRO Services - Structural Biology is the primary driver. The others are CRO Services - Drug Screening & Design, CRO Services - Drug Solid-State Research and CRO Services - New Material Structure Analysis.
Who are ReadCrystal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sundia MediTech, Shanghai Medicilon, Crystal Pharmatech and Shanghai ChemPartner. Others are Bruker and Schrödinger. Broad incumbents are Charles River Laboratories, Pharmaron and WuXi AppTec.
Does ReadCrystal have an API?
No public API is recorded for ReadCrystal.
What industry is ReadCrystal in?
ReadCrystal's product category is Contract Structural Biology Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAB, Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK), with a secondary code of HLAGAAAH, Pharmacovigilance, Risk Management & Medical Affairs CROs. Its NAICS code is 54171 and its SIC code is 8731.