INVITE

Name

INVITE

Legal name

INVITE GmbH

Website

https://invite-research.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical and Chemical Process Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

CMC, Process Development & Tech Transfer Staffing FSP (HLAGAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Small-Molecule CMC Documentation & Regulatory Support (DMF/CMC) (HLAGAHAM)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical research services
• Drug delivery innovation
• Smart automation research
• Modular production systems
• Industrial robotics research

Headquarters

HQ city

Leverkusen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Project Funding: EU-funded research projects including CONSENS, CO2RRECT, F³-Factory, MoBiDiK, SYNFLOW, ModLife, BioNanoGel, and others. Also receives European public funding (EFRE) for infrastructure extensions.
2. DDIC Consortium Membership: Open consortium with founding tier members (Bayer AG, LB Bohle GmbH, Merck KGaA, UCB S.A.) and university partners (TU Dortmund, HHU Düsseldorf) paying membership to participate in pre-competitive pharmaceutical research
3. Public-Private Partnership Funding: Funding from NRW government, European regional development funds (EFRE), and the partnership between TU Dortmund, HHU Düsseldorf, and Bayer AG

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

INVITE operates an open innovation research center at CHEMPARK Leverkusen, Germany, conducting pre-competitive applied research in smart automation, formulation technology, and sustainable production for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. It sells consortium membership (notably the Drug Delivery Innovation Center), collaborative research projects, and access to demonstration facilities such as the Digital Plant Showcase Center.

Product overview

INVITE GmbH operates as a research center and open innovation platform at CHEMPARK Leverkusen, Germany. The company functions as a Public-Private Partnership between TU Dortmund, HHU Düsseldorf, and Bayer AG, conducting pre-competitive research in three core areas: Smart Automation (including Robotics Lab, Digital Plant Showcase Center, Lab Orchestration Platform, and AI projects like NextGenAI Lab), Formulation Technology (including the Drug Delivery Innovation Center consortium and Formulation & Process Lab), and Sustainability. Key offerings include demonstration showcases like the Digital Plant with SIMATIC PCS neo and MTP modules, as well as educational outreach through Baylab@INVITE and regular Science Talks and annual Science Day events. Research projects span modular production (F³-Factory), robotics competitions (AIRA Challenge), teleoperation, and pharmaceutical formulation development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DDIC (Drug Delivery Innovation Center): An open consortium focused on drug delivery and manufacturing research, fostering international multi-disciplinary networks in collaboration with academia and pharmaceutical industry.
• Baylab@INVITE

Products and services

• Drug Delivery Innovation Center (DDIC) Consortium Membership Open consortium membership program providing pharmaceutical and chemical companies with access to pre-competitive drug delivery research, specialized laboratory facilities at CHEMPARK Leverkusen, and collaborative innovation networks. Founding tier and standard tier memberships available for industry partners.
• Digital Plant Showcase Center

Quantifiable outcome

• ReeL project recovered approximately 7,000 tonnes of shaving waste annually in Germany alone from leather production, with worldwide estimates of 600,000 tonnes annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• digiMminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2024DDIC member specializing in micro-imaging data solutions for pharmaceutical applications.
• Syntegon GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2023DDIC member with decades of experience in processing and packaging solutions for pharmaceutical industry.
• Physiolution GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2023DDIC member specializing in dissolution behavior testing of solid oral dosage forms under bio-relevant conditions, strengthening formulation technology capabilities.
• Bilfinger SEmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2023Cooperation on Industry 4.0 and NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) for process analytics technology. Jointly working on standardized semantic data capture from field devices and cyber security requirements.
• BASF SEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Sponsor and co-organizer of AIRA (Advanced Industrial Robotic Applications) Challenge robotics competition, focusing on autonomous mobile robots for chemical plants.
• Boehringer IngelheimcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Sponsor and co-organizer of AIRA Challenge robotics competition, contributing to development of mobile robotics for pharmaceutical production environments.
• Wacker Chemie AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Sponsor and co-organizer of AIRA Challenge robotics competition, focusing on mobile robot applications in chemical manufacturing.
• Merck KGaAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Sponsor and co-organizer of AIRA Challenge robotics competition for mobile industrial robots in pharmaceutical and chemical production.
• Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2022DDIC member bringing pharmaceutical development and manufacturing expertise from Johnson & Johnson family.
• CEPLASminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Excellence cluster partner in Carbon Challenge school competition, collaborating on educational outreach and CO2 research activities.
• Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2021DDIC member contributing expertise in automation and control technology for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Solid-Chem GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2021DDIC member specializing in solid dosage form development and manufacturing solutions.
• Siemens AGmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Technology provider for Digital Plant Showcase Center using SIMATIC PCS neo process control system and SIMATIC Module Type Package (MTP) library for modular automation.
• Ashland Industries Deutschland GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 2019DDIC member contributing specialty chemical expertise for pharmaceutical formulation applications.
• INOSIM Consulting GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2019DDIC member specializing in process simulation and optimization for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Bayer AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Founding partner of INVITE's public-private partnership alongside TU Dortmund and HHU Düsseldorf. Bayer AG chairs INVITE's Supervisory Board and Shareholders Committee. Provides industrial perspective and funding for innovation center concepts.
• TU Dortmund UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Founding academic partner in INVITE's public-private partnership, contributing research expertise in pharmaceutical technology and process engineering.
• Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (HHU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Founding academic partner contributing expertise in pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics to INVITE's research programs.
• LB Bohle GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Founding Tier 1 member of Drug Delivery Innovation Center (DDIC) consortium, contributing pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise.
• Merck KGaAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Founding Tier 1 member of DDIC consortium, contributing pharmaceutical and chemical industry perspective to drug delivery research.
• UCB S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Founding Tier 1 member of DDIC consortium, representing international pharmaceutical industry perspective.
• ModLife EU ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017EU-funded training network bringing together 5 European universities, 4 global industrial players, and 2 SMEs for research in bioprocess optimization and control for life sciences industries.
• LANXESS AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Project partner in ReeL (Resource-efficient Leather Chemicals) project, leading development of technology for producing tanning agents from leather production waste. Received IKU award 2017 for this collaboration.
• HELLER-LEDER GmbH & Co. KGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partner in ReeL project hosting the modular pilot plant for leather chemical production from production waste. Represents end-user industry perspective.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied research organization with pharma manufacturing and process technology programmes. Comparable on applied R&D model and European public-private funding, but anchored in the Netherlands/Benelux market rather than competing directly in INVITE's German heartland.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's applied research organization with pharma process and biotechnology divisions. Comparable on the state-funded applied R&D model and industrial consortium work, though geographically focused on Finland and broader Nordics rather than Germany.
• SINTEF: Norway's largest independent research institute with strong process and bio-process industry engagements. Comparable on broad applied-research-for-industry model, though its pharma process depth is narrower than INVITE's.

Broad incumbents

• Lonza Group: Global CDMO leader with deep formulation, drug-delivery, and modular bioprocess capabilities. Comparable as a commercial scale-player targeting the same pharma manufacturers that participate in INVITE's consortium.
• Catalent Pharma Solutions: Large CDMO with formulation and drug-delivery development services adjacent to INVITE's DDIC remit. A broader commercial incumbent that operates across the value chain INVITE serves at the pre-competitive stage.
• Eurofins Scientific: Large laboratory testing services group including pharmaceutical discovery, formulation, and analytical services. A broad incumbent addressing overlapping pharma R&D testing and characterization needs.

Others

• Sartorius AG: Supplier of bioprocess and laboratory equipment, including PAT/sensor systems used in INVITE-style process automation work. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct research competitor, but a key technology enabler to INVITE's industrial partners.

Direct peers

• RCPE GmbH (Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering): Austrian public-private research center jointly owned by academia and industry (including pharma majors) focused on process development and pharmaceutical manufacturing sciences. Directly comparable to INVITE on mission (pre-competitive pharma process R&D), ownership structure, and core technical domains (formulation, continuous manufacturing, process analytical technology).
• Fraunhofer IPA (Institut für Produktionstechnik und Automatisierung): Germany's leading Fraunhofer institute for production technology and automation, with substantial pharmaceutical-production and robotics research streams. Closely aligned with INVITE's Smart Automation and digital plant demonstration work, and runs comparable industry-funded research consortia.
• CPI (Centre for Process Innovation): UK-based innovation centre running industry-academia consortia in pharma, biopharma, and process manufacturing. Comparable to INVITE on the open-innovation consortium model, demonstration-facility model, and UK/EU public-private funding approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZqT7vWXa7vZOqL1cGdmOvw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 INVITE