Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry

Name

Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry

Legal name

Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Website

https://english.sioc.cas.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Research and Development Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols) (EDAGAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Zeolites & Molecular Sieves (IMAEAIAE)

Keywords

• Organic chemistry research
• Fluorine chemistry methods
• Asymmetric catalysis research
• Natural product synthesis
• Chemical biology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Collaboration and Contract Research: The institute generates revenue through long-term research collaborations with pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and consumer goods companies. These collaborations typically involve joint chemistry laboratories, contract research agreements, and sponsored research programs. Examples include L'Oréal-SIOC Joint Chemistry Laboratory, Bayer collaboration since 1996, and Syngenta crop protection research.
2. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Revenue generated through technology transfer, licensing of developed methodologies, and sale of chemical products. Coal additive technology (CHARNA C) developed with Beijing CHARNA Chemicals was listed as National Key Program of Energy-saving Technology. Fluorine-containing compounds technology transferred to manufacturers generating 258 million Yuan profits.
3. Education and Training Services: Graduate education programs producing doctoral and postgraduate students. The institute conducts graduation ceremonies and awards degrees. Educational fund partnerships with companies like GlaxoSmithKline.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SIOC is a Chinese Academy of Sciences research institute conducting fundamental and applied research in organic chemistry across seven specialized state key and CAS laboratories. It provides contract research, joint chemistry laboratory services, and technology transfer to pharmaceutical, agrochemical, cosmetics, and energy companies, while also delivering graduate-level education and training programs. Output is principally sold as collaborative research, patented methodologies, licensed technologies (e.g., organofluorine compounds, chiral ligands, coal additives), and sponsored graduate education.

Product overview

Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC) is a research institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, not a commercial product company. It operates a portfolio of seven specialized research laboratories/facilities covering organic chemistry research areas including bio-organic and natural products chemistry, organometallic chemistry, organofluorine chemistry, synthetic chemistry of natural substances, self-assembly chemistry for organic functional molecules, energy control materials, and interdisciplinary biology-chemistry research. These laboratories conduct fundamental and applied research rather than commercial product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic and Natural Products Chemistry: Research laboratory focused on probing life processes by small molecules, including total synthesis of natural products, carbohydrate chemistry, and medicinal chemistry.
• State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry
• Key Laboratory of Organofluorine Chemistry, CAS
• Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry of Natural Substances, CAS
• Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Self-Assembly Chemistry for Organic Functional Molecules, CAS
• Key Laboratory of Energy Control Materials, CAS
• Interdisciplinary Center of Biology and Chemistry, CAS

Products and services

• L'Oréal-SIOC Joint Chemistry Laboratory Joint chemistry laboratory established in 2012 with L'Oréal R&D, focused on glycochemistry, analytical chemistry, and green chemistry. Developed a polysaccharide derived from Ganoderma lucidum spores as an anti-aging ingredient launched for the Yue-Sai brand.
• Bayer Schering Pharma Collaborative Research Program Multi-year research collaboration with Bayer Schering Pharma established in 1996 covering medicinal chemistry, organofluorine chemistry, and organometallic chemistry. Approximately 100 SIOC scientific staff including more than ten professors have been involved across template family synthesis, scaffold analog development, complex syntheses, and intermediates.
• Syngenta Crop Protection Research Collaboration Cooperation with Syngenta on crop protection chemistry established in 2007, extended in September 2011 for another two years, focused on discovering new chemical entities for crop protection agents.
• CHARNA C and CHARNA C02 Coal Additives Coal additive technology developed jointly with Beijing CHARNA Chemicals Ltd, achieving 7-12% coal saving, 24-33% sulfur dioxide emission reduction, and 17% nitrogen oxide emission reduction. Recommended as a 'China Key New Technology and New Products of Energy Saving and Emission Reduction' and listed as National Key Program of Energy-saving Technology.
• Chiral Ligand IP Licensing Program Licensed intellectual property of 6 chiral ligands to Strem Chemicals, J&K, and Daicel Chiral Technologies for worldwide use, originating from research on catalytic asymmetric dearomatization (CADA).
• Graduate Education and Training Program in Organic Chemistry Graduate education program producing doctoral and postgraduate students at SIOC, supported by funding arrangements such as the GlaxoSmithKline Graduate Education Fund launched in March 2008. Graduating classes in 2009 alone included 58 doctoral graduates and 13 postgraduate graduates.
• Shanghai-Hong Kong Chemical Synthesis Joint Laboratory Joint laboratory founded in 1999 with Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Focuses on chiral ligand design, asymmetric catalysis, and natural product synthesis. Ranked second in the third evaluation of Sino-Hong Kong Joint Laboratories in 2008 and published 44 papers including 4 in J. Am. Chem. Soc. and Angew. Chem.

Named customers6 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

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• L'OréalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012L'Oréal-SIOC Joint Chemistry Laboratory established in 2012 following collaboration since 2003. Collaboration focuses on glycochemistry, analytical chemistry and green chemistry. Developed polysaccharide derived from Ganoderma lucidum spores as anti-aging ingredient launched for Yue-Sai brand in 2009 with huge market success.
• Merck (MSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Yongkui Sun, Vice President of Merck External Scientific Affairs visited SIOC. Discussions focused on fluorine chemistry collaboration. Both sides planned to explore collaboration opportunities in fluorine chemistry. Merck emphasized importance of industry collaboration with leading academic institutions like SIOC on basic research industrially important.
• Bayer Schering PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration established in 1996. Initially focused on synthesis of large numbers of template families and scaffold analogs, later expanded towards complex syntheses and intermediates. Around 100 SIOC scientific staff including more than ten professors involved over 14 years. Extended collaboration to include Organofluorine Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry.
• SyngentacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation on crop protection technology began in 2007. Agreement extended in September 2011 for another two years with aim of discovering new chemical entities for crop protection agents. CAS President Bai Chunli sent congratulatory letter for this cooperation as part of CAS 'Innovation 2020'.
• Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB), Academy of Sciences of the Czech RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst China-Czech Bilateral Forum on Organic Chemistry held in September 2010. IOCB is Czech's biggest chemical research organization with achievements in antimicrobial drug R&D and anti-HIV drug research. 50 years after first academic visit by SIOC's Minglong Huang to IOCB.
• Qinghai Salt Lake Institute, CASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTripartite strategic cooperation signed after Salt Lake Strategic Lithium Resources seminar in 2009. Focus on comprehensive utilization of salt lake resources including lithium resource development and circular economy.
• Shanghai Institute of Advanced Technology (chips), CASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of tripartite strategic cooperation with Qinghai Salt Lake Institute for salt lake resource development combining advanced system, mechanism advantages and industrial incubation platform.
• Shanghai-Hong Kong Chemical Synthesis Joint LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint laboratory founded in 1999 with Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Ranks second in third evaluation of Sino-Hong Kong Joint Laboratories in 2008. Focuses on chiral ligand design, asymmetric catalysis, natural product synthesis. Published 44 papers including 4 in J. Am. Chem. Soc. and Angew. Chem.
• Beijing CHARNA Chemicals LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of CHARNA C and CHARNA C02 coal additives achieving 7-12% coal saving, 24-33% sulfur dioxide emission reduction, 17% nitrogen oxide emission reduction. Product recommended as 'China Key New Technology and New Products of Energy Saving and Emission Reduction'.
• National Natural Science Foundation of ChinacoreOthersSupports conferences and symposia including 'Chiral China 2008' and ACGG 3. Provides research funding through various programs.
• GlaxoSmithKlineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlaxoSmithKline Graduate Education Fund launched in March 2008 to support graduate students in organic chemistry. GSK R&D center in China focuses on neurodegenerative disease research including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (Kohlenforschung): Germany's Max Planck Institute dedicated to catalysis, organometallic chemistry, and synthetic methodology — areas that directly mirror SIOC's State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry of Natural Substances. Comparable research output in homogeneous catalysis and methodology development.
• Scripps Research Institute: US-based nonprofit chemistry and biomedical research institute conducting comparable research in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and chemical biology with major pharma collaborations. Scripps publishes similar Nature/Science-tier organic chemistry breakthroughs and operates multiple specialized research departments paralleling SIOC's State Key Lab structure.
• Weizmann Institute of Science: Israel's premier multidisciplinary research institution with comparable departments of organic chemistry, materials chemistry, and chemical biology. Conducts research of similar international caliber with pharma collaborations, producing equivalent Nature/Science-tier publications in synthetic chemistry and catalysis.
• Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB), Czech Academy of Sciences: IOCB is the Czech Republic's biggest chemical research organization and SIOC's named bilateral partner (First China-Czech Bilateral Forum on Organic Chemistry 2010). It conducts comparable research in organic synthesis, drug discovery (antimicrobial, anti-HIV), and operates as a national academy research institute with similar structure to SIOC under CAS.
• RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research): Japan's flagship national research institute covering chemistry, physics, and biology, with comparable State Key Laboratory equivalents. RIKEN's organic chemistry programs (including RIKEN CSRS) operate at similar scale and scientific ambition as SIOC, with comparable international collaboration patterns with Western pharma and agrochemical companies.

Others

• Strem Chemicals: US specialty chemicals company that licenses and commercializes SIOC-developed chiral ligands for worldwide distribution. Functions as a downstream commercial channel for SIOC's IP, with business model centered on catalog sales of research chemicals and catalysts relevant to SIOC's organometallic and asymmetric catalysis research outputs.

Emerging players

• Pharmaron: China-headquartered CRO/CDMO with integrated chemistry services including process chemistry and custom synthesis. Competes with SIOC for similar pharmaceutical industry R&D contracts while also operating as a potential commercialization partner for SIOC-discovered methods and compounds in industrial scale-up.
• WuXi AppTec: China's largest commercial CRO/CDMO offering integrated chemistry, biology, and pharmaceutical R&D services. While operating as a commercial enterprise rather than research institute, WuXi's chemistry services and partnerships with global pharma (similar customer base to SIOC) make it the most commercially relevant emerging peer competing for the same industry demand.
• Asymchem Laboratories: China-based CDMO specializing in API manufacturing, asymmetric synthesis, and chiral chemistry — directly overlapping with SIOC's chiral catalysis and asymmetric synthesis research strengths. Serves comparable global pharma customers with commercial process chemistry and manufacturing capabilities that complement SIOC's discovery-stage research.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences: Top European university chemistry department with broader scope across all chemistry subfields. Conducts comparable research in catalysis, fluorine chemistry, and asymmetric synthesis at greater absolute scale, serving as a key European academic competitor for top organic chemistry talent and pharma collaboration contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry