Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co.

What Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co. does

Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co., Ltd is a privately held Chinese high-tech enterprise founded in May 2010 and headquartered in Qingdao, operating as a B2B manufacturer and supplier of marine-derived oligosaccharide ingredients. The company is structured around enzymatic degradation processes that produce four core oligosaccharide families — chitosan, alginate, agar, and carrageenan — from marine biological sources including shrimp and crab shells and brown algae. Underlying technology was developed in collaboration with marine pharmacologist Guan Huashi at Ocean University of China and won the first prize of the China National Award for Technological Invention in 2009; HEHAI also collaborates with the China National Center for Marine Drug Engineering and Technology for production optimization. The company operates a 36-person technology center staffed with academicians, Taishan scholars, and doctoral researchers, and holds a National High-Tech Enterprise Certificate issued in December 2016.

The product portfolio spans multiple application grades per oligosaccharide family — Food, Agricultural, Feed, and Refined — alongside certified reference standards for analytical and research use, hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides, raffinose family oligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, chondroitin disaccharides, fucoxanthin, and chitosan raw materials. The company markets itself as operating the largest marine oligosaccharide production base in China and holding the world's most complete catalog of marine oligosaccharide ingredients and standards, with exports reaching 56 countries via a multilingual website supporting 10 languages.

The business model is a direct-to-business, quote-based ingredient supply operation targeting five primary segments: pharmaceutical companies, dietary supplement manufacturers, agricultural input producers (bio-pesticides and plant growth regulators), animal health and aquafeed manufacturers, and research institutions requiring reference standards. Sales are driven through website inquiries, the [email protected] channel, and international phone lines; no public pricing, subscription tier, or ecommerce transaction layer is offered. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investment, and produced $5M-$10M estimated annual revenue is inferred from a 51-100 employee base and specialty-ingredient manufacturer benchmarks.

Name

Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co.

Legal name

Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co., Ltd

Website

https://marine-oligo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co. is a Chinese B2B manufacturer of marine-derived oligosaccharide ingredients — chitosan, alginate, agar, and carrageenan — supplied in food, agricultural, feed, and refined grades to pharmaceutical, supplement, agricultural input, animal health, and research customers across 56 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Oligosaccharide Ingredients

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAJABAE

Agar, Carrageenan & Alginates (Seaweed Hydrocolloids)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Starches & Hydrocolloids (Modified Starch, Gums, Thickeners)

SECONDARYAFAJAKAI

Antioxidants & Phytochemicals (Carotenoids, Tocopherols, Flavonoids, CoQ10, Resveratrol)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Nutraceutical & Functional Ingredients (Vitamins, Minerals, Omega-3s, Botanicals)

SECONDARYHLAMAHAH

Nutraceuticals & Functional Ingredients for Animal Diets (Probiotics, Omega-3, Joint, GI)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Animal Nutrition & Therapeutic Diets

SECONDARYCRADAOAD

Hydrocolloids, Thickeners & Gelling Agents (Pectin, Xanthan, Carrageenan, Gelatin)

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/CPG Ingredients, Flavorings & Additives Brands

SECONDARYAFAJAHAF

Algae & Seaweed Proteins (Microalgae/Spirulina, Macroalgae)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Proteins & Protein Ingredients (Plant/Animal Proteins, Protein Isolates/Concentrates)

Keywords

• Marine oligosaccharides
• Chitosan ingredients manufacturing
• Alginate oligosaccharide production
• Marine bioactives supply
• Oligosaccharide reference standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Qingdao Shi

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marine Oligosaccharide Product Sales: B2B sales of marine oligosaccharide ingredients and standards to pharmaceutical, dietary supplement, agriculture, and animal health industries. Products include chitosan oligosaccharide, alginate oligosaccharide, agar oligosaccharide, and carrageenan oligosaccharide in various grades (Food, Agricultural, Feed, Refined).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co., Ltd manufactures marine oligosaccharide ingredients and certified reference standards derived from chitosan, alginate, agar, carrageenan, hyaluronic acid, raffinose, xylo, and chondroitin. The portfolio is offered across food, agricultural, feed, and refined grades to pharmaceutical, dietary supplement, agriculture, animal-health, and research customers. The firm also produces fucoxanthin extract and chitosan raw materials, and claims the world's most complete marine oligosaccharide product and standard catalog.

Product overview

Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co. is a high-tech enterprise established in March 2018, operating as the first international research and incubation center of Marine Oligosaccharides integrating research, production, and application. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of marine oligosaccharide products organized into core product lines including Chitosan Oligosaccharide (available in Food, Agricultural, Feed, and Refined grades), Alginate Oligosaccharide (M&G, M-Rich, and G-Rich variants), Carrageenan Oligosaccharide, Agaro-Oligosaccharide, and Hyaluronic Acid Oligosaccharide. The product portfolio extends to specialized reference standard substances for analytical testing (including Chitooligosaccharide and Alginate Oligosaccharide standard series), Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides, Xylooligosaccharide, Chondroitin Disaccharide, and Chitosan raw materials in multiple grades. The company claims to have the world's most complete list of marine oligosaccharide ingredients and standards, with products exported to 56 countries. Technology is sourced from collaborations with Ocean University of China, including key technology developed by marine pharmacologist Guan Huashi that won the first prize of the China National Award for Technological Invention in 2009.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Grade Chitosan Oligosaccharide Food-grade chitosan oligosaccharide mixture derived from shrimp and crab shells via enzymatic degradation, degree of polymerization 2-10 and average molecular weight 2,000 Da, used as a bioactive ingredient in dietary supplements and functional foods.
• Agricultural Grade Chitosan Oligosaccharide Agricultural-grade chitosan oligosaccharide with molecular weight ≤3,000 Da, used as a plant immune inducer and growth promoter in biological pesticides and fertilizers by crop-input manufacturers.
• Feed Grade Chitosan Oligosaccharide Feed-grade chitosan oligosaccharide for animal health applications including immune function support and growth promotion in livestock and aquaculture.
• Refined Grade Chitosan Oligosaccharide High-purity refined-grade chitosan oligosaccharide used as an ingredient and reference material in pharmaceutical and research applications.
• M&G Alginate Oligosaccharide Alginate oligosaccharide produced by enzymatic degradation of alginate, comprising β-D-Mannuronate (M) and α-L-Guluronate (G) blocks with content ≥85%, sold in M&G, M-Rich, and G-Rich variants for skin, gut, and plant applications.
• Mannuronic Oligosaccharide Series of mannuronic acid oligosaccharides including monomers DP1-10 and polymannuronic acid variants (1-3 kDa, 3-6 kDa, 6-8 kDa) for research and bioactivity applications.
• Guluronate Oligosaccharide Series of guluronic acid oligosaccharides including monomers DP1-10 and polyguluronic acid variants for research and bioactivity applications.
• Carrageenan Oligosaccharide Kappa-carrageenan oligosaccharide containing sulfate groups, used as a bioactive ingredient in biomedical and pharmaceutical research applications.
• Agaro-Oligosaccharide Agar-derived oligosaccharides, including neoagarooligosaccharides (DP2-14) and agarooligosaccharides, used as research bioactive ingredients.
• Hyaluronic Acid Oligosaccharide Unsaturated and saturated hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides (biose through decaose) sold as research ingredients for skin and joint health applications.
• Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides Galacto-oligosaccharides derived from Eupatorium, including raffinose, stachyose, verbascose, and ajugose, sold for prebiotic applications.
• Xylooligosaccharide Xylooligosaccharides (DP2-6) derived from xylan for prebiotic and food applications.
• Chondroitin Disaccharide Chondroitin disaccharide standards including various sulfation modifications (di-0S, di-4S, di-6S, di-disB, di-disD, di-disE, di-triS, di-UA2S) for research and analytical use.
• Fucoxanthin Fucoxanthin carotenoid extract from brown algae sold as a bioactive ingredient for research in nutrition and pharmaceuticals.
• Chitosan (Raw Material) Chitosan in food grade, refined grade, industrial grade, and water-soluble grades, derived from crab shells and sold as a raw material and finished ingredient.
• Chitosan Oligosaccharide Reference Standards Certified reference standards of chitobiose through chitodecaose hydrochlorides and acetylated derivatives for analytical and research use.
• Alginate Oligosaccharide Reference Standards Certified reference standards of mannuronic and guluronic acid oligosaccharides (DP1-10) used in analytical testing.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ocean University of ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep research collaboration with Ocean University of China for marine oligosaccharide technology development. The key technology was led by famous marine pharmacologist Guan Huashi. The collaboration provides access to fundamental research capabilities and academic expertise in marine biotechnology.
• China National Center for Marine Drug Engineering and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSystematized, matched and engineered development partnership with China National Center for Marine Drug Engineering and Technology to optimize production processes and create innovative products for pharmaceutical applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Primex ehf: Iceland-based producer of chitosan, chitin, and derivative ingredients sourced from North Atlantic seafood waste, serving nutraceutical, food, and animal-health customers. Comparable to HEHAI in marine-sourced polysaccharide processing, multi-grade chitosan offerings, and B2B ingredient business model, though focused on bulk hydrocolloids rather than enzymatic oligosaccharides.
• Zhejiang Golden-Shell Pharmaceutical: China-based producer of chitosan, chitin, and chitosan oligosaccharide ingredients for medical, nutraceutical, and agricultural end markets. Comparable Chinese competitor with overlapping multi-grade chitosan offerings, similar export-driven model, and overlap in agricultural bio-stimulant and animal-feed customers.
• Carbosynth (Biosynth): UK-based manufacturer of carbohydrates, oligosaccharides, and certified reference standards for the life-science research and pharma markets. Directly comparable to HEHAI's reference-standards business and overlapping in the supply of specialty oligosaccharides (manno-, chito-, xylo-) to research institutions and pharma R&D customers.
• Dextra Laboratories: UK-based specialty manufacturer of oligosaccharides, glycoconjugates, and carbohydrate reference standards for research, diagnostics, and pharma customers. Closely comparable to HEHAI's reference-standard and custom-oligosaccharide capabilities, with a similar focus on DP-defined product series.
• AKAY Group: Turkey-based manufacturer of chitosan and chitosan oligosaccharide ingredients for nutraceutical, food, and agricultural applications. Similar mid-scale specialty ingredient manufacturer with multi-grade chitosan offerings and export-led GTM, competing with HEHAI in international dietary-supplement and bio-stimulant channels.
• Tidal Vision: US-based producer of chitosan-based products (including chitosan oligosaccharide and chitin derivatives) from Pacific Northwest crab shell waste, targeting agriculture, water treatment, and consumer-health markets. Comparable in marine-input sourcing, chitosan processing technology, and the multi-vertical product split between agricultural and feed applications.

Broad incumbents

• FMC Corporation (Health & Nutrition): Global specialty ingredients producer of carrageenan, alginate, and other marine biopolymers for food, pharma, and personal care, alongside crop-protection chemicals. Comparable as an industrial-scale producer of the parent marine hydrocolloids HEHAI processes and as a competitor in agricultural biocontrol markets.
• Sigma-Aldrich (Merck KGaA, Life Science): The research-chemicals arm of Merck KGaA, distributing carbohydrate standards, chitin/chitosan reference materials, and a broad life-science catalog to research institutions and pharma QC labs worldwide. Comparable to HEHAI's reference-standard and analytical-grade product lines as part of a much broader biochemicals portfolio, but not specialized in marine oligosaccharides.
• CP Kelco (IFF): Global industrial supplier of alginate, carrageenan, pectin, and other hydrocolloids used in food, beverage, and personal care applications under IFF. Comparable as the upstream supplier of the bulk hydrocolloids (alginate, carrageenan) that HEHAI depolymerizes into oligosaccharides, and competes in overlapping food/feed ingredient accounts.

Emerging players

• Sangab Aqella Khazar (formerly ChitoLytic, Iran): Emerging chitosan-derivative ingredient producer with chitin, chitosan, and chitosan oligosaccharide offerings targeting food, supplement, and agricultural applications. Comparable mid-scale, marine-sourced ingredient manufacturer with a narrower geographic footprint than HEHAI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Qingdao HEHAI Biotech Co.