Peak Proteins
Peak Proteins was a UK-based contract research organization founded in 2015 by ex-AstraZeneca scientists, providing protein science and structural biology services to drug discovery clients. It has since fully integrated with Sygnature Discovery, NuChem Sciences, and SB Drug Discovery under a single brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersMacclesfield, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Peak Proteins does
Peak Proteins was a UK-based contract research organization founded in 2015 in Macclesfield by former AstraZeneca protein biochemistry and structural biology scientists. The company provided specialist protein science and structural biology services supporting drug discovery programs, covering protein expression and purification, membrane proteins, antibodies and biotherapeutics, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, macromolecular NMR, and protein characterization including mass spectrometry and FIDA. Its customer base comprised biotech and pharmaceutical sponsors requiring high-quality protein reagents and structural insight for hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization work.
Peak Proteins no longer operates as an independent entity. It has been fully integrated with Sygnature Discovery, together with NuChem Sciences and SB Drug Discovery, under the unified Sygnature Discovery Limited brand. The combined organization operates from the UK (Nottingham) and Canada (Montréal) and employs over 700 scientists delivering integrated drug discovery from target identification through lead optimization, complemented by scientific solutions in computer-aided drug design, protein and structure sciences, bioscience, chemistry, DMPK, in vivo pharmacology, and form and formulation across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas.
As a contract research organization, the business model is fee-for-service based on custom drug discovery programs and integrated engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and customer concentration data is not available. The combined entity claims to have contributed to multiple clinical candidates and FDA-approved therapies, with founder Dr Simon Hirst leading Sygnature Discovery as CEO.
Peak Proteins firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peak Proteins
- Legal name
- Sygnature Discovery Limited
- Website
- https://peakproteins.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Peak Proteins was a UK-based contract research organization founded in 2015 by ex-AstraZeneca scientists, providing protein science and structural biology services to drug discovery clients. It has since fully integrated with Sygnature Discovery, NuChem Sciences, and SB Drug Discovery under a single brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Peak Proteins industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Research Organization (Drug Discovery & Protein Science Services)
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Services (HLAGANAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery) (HLAIALAA), Proteomics & Biomarker Analytical Testing (HLAGADAG)
Keywords
Where Peak Proteins is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Macclesfield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Peak Proteins business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Peak Proteins product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peak Proteins provides protein science and structural biology research services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients, including protein expression and purification, membrane protein production, antibody and biotherapeutic engineering, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, macromolecular NMR, protein mass spectrometry, and FIDA-based biophysical characterization. Now fully integrated into Sygnature Discovery, these capabilities are delivered alongside integrated drug discovery programs spanning target identification, hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization.
Product overview
Peak Proteins operates as part of Sygnature Discovery, a unified contract research organization (CRO) providing integrated drug discovery services. The integrated offering combines multiple service pillars—including Integrated Drug Discovery programs, Computer Aided Drug Design, Protein & Structure sciences, Bioscience, Chemistry, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK), in vivo Pharmacology, and Form & Formulation—delivered by 700+ scientists across Europe and North America. Peak Proteins, along with NuChem Sciences and SB Drug Discovery, has been fully unified under the Sygnature Discovery brand, offering end-to-end drug discovery solutions without competing internal programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Target Identification and Validation Service delivering robust target identification and validation using an integrated AI-enabled and lab-validated platform, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams needing early-stage target de-risking.
- Hit Identification Service that delivers validated, high-quality hits via integrated technologies and expert collaboration, for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams progressing targets into hit-to-lead workflows.
- Hit-to-Lead Service that progresses high-quality hits through de-risking and profiling with early proof-of-concept work, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams transitioning toward lead optimisation.
- Lead Optimization Service that converts promising leads into clinical candidates using medicinal chemistry, structural biology, and DMPK expertise, for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams advancing toward IND-enabling studies.
- Protein Expression and Purification Service producing and purifying recombinant proteins for structural biology, biochemistry, and biotherapeutic discovery, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology research teams needing protein reagents.
- Membrane Protein Services Service that produces and characterises membrane proteins to enable structure-based drug design against challenging integral membrane targets, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams.
- Antibodies and Biotherapeutics Service engineering and characterising antibodies and biotherapeutic proteins for therapeutic development, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology teams developing biologic drugs.
- X-Ray Crystallography Service providing atomic-resolution X-ray crystal structures of proteins and protein-ligand complexes to support structure-based drug design, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams.
- Single-Particle Cryo-EM Service providing high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of proteins and complexes unsuitable for crystallography, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams working on challenging targets.
- Macromolecular NMR Service delivering solution-state NMR structural and dynamic characterisation of proteins and ligands, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams requiring complementary structural insights.
- Protein Characterization Service providing biophysical and analytical characterisation of proteins, including protein mass spectrometry and FIDA-based analysis, for pharmaceutical and biotechnology teams assessing developability and binding.
- Bioscience Services Service portfolio covering cell line generation, assay development, electrophysiology, high-throughput screening, and cell-based, biochemical, and biophysical assays, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams.
- Computer Aided Drug Design (CADD) Service providing computer-aided drug design spanning bioinformatics, virtual screening, structure-based and ligand-based design, library design, ADMET predictions, and informatics, intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery teams.
Companies that use Peak Proteins
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Peak Proteins technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Peak Proteins partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Sygnature DiscoverycorePeak Proteins has fully integrated with Sygnature Discovery, along with NuChem Sciences and SB Drug Discovery, under the unified Sygnature Discovery brand. This integration brings together connected drug discovery capabilities across Europe and North America.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Peak Proteins competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Domainex: UK-based CRO providing integrated drug discovery services including protein expression, structural biology, medicinal chemistry and DMPK. Highly comparable as a similarly sized UK-headquartered discovery CRO.
- Sygnature Discovery: Sygnature Discovery is the parent CRO into which Peak Proteins has been fully integrated, offering the same drug discovery, protein science and structural biology services. It is the most directly comparable entity given full operational overlap.
- SARomics Biostructures: Specialist structural biology CRO offering protein production, crystallography and structure-based drug design. Comparable as a similarly sized, focused structural biology service provider.
- Proteros: Germany-based specialist in protein science and structure-based drug design, including X-ray crystallography and biophysics. Comparable because it serves the same protein science and structure-based discovery niche from a similar size.
Broad incumbents
- Eurofins Scientific: Global testing and laboratory services group with significant pharmaceutical and biopharma services exposure. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering protein and analytical services to the biopharma industry.
- Evotec: Large global drug discovery CRO offering integrated services from target identification through to clinical candidates. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same integrated discovery services category.
- WuXi AppTec: Large global CRO/CDMO offering discovery, development and manufacturing services including protein sciences. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same biopharma R&D outsourcing spend.
- Charles River Laboratories: Major global CRO with extensive drug discovery and early development services. Comparable as an incumbent offering overlapping protein science, structural biology and integrated discovery capabilities, though at much larger scale.
Emerging players
- XtalPi: AI- and physics-driven drug discovery platform combining computation with structural biology and protein engineering. Comparable as an emerging player intersecting structural biology, protein science and AI-enabled drug design.
- Crelux (WuXi AppTec): Specialist protein science and structural biology CRO now part of WuXi AppTec, focused on protein production, crystallography and biophysics. Comparable as a focused protein science service provider integrated into a broader CRO.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Peak Proteins social profiles
Digital presencePeak Proteins financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peak Proteins leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Peak Proteins subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Peak Proteins funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peak Proteins 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 Peak Proteins
What does Peak Proteins do?
Peak Proteins provides protein science and structural biology research services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients, including protein expression and purification, membrane protein production, antibody and biotherapeutic engineering, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, macromolecular NMR, protein mass spectrometry, and FIDA-based biophysical characterization. Now fully integrated into Sygnature Discovery, these capabilities are delivered alongside integrated drug discovery programs spanning target identification, hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization.
Is Peak Proteins a public or private company?
Peak Proteins is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Peak Proteins founded?
Peak Proteins was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Peak Proteins based?
Peak Proteins is headquartered in Macclesfield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Peak Proteins's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Domainex, Sygnature Discovery, SARomics Biostructures and Proteros. Broad incumbents are Eurofins Scientific, Evotec, WuXi AppTec and Charles River Laboratories. Emerging players are XtalPi and Crelux (WuXi AppTec).
Does Peak Proteins have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peak Proteins.
What industry is Peak Proteins in?
Peak Proteins's product category is Contract Research Organization (Drug Discovery & Protein Science Services). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGANAB, Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Services, with a secondary code of HLAIALAA, Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.