Ricerchimica S.r.l.

What Ricerchimica S.r.l. does

Ricerchimica S.r.l. is a privately held, Milan-based pharmaceutical and healthcare advisory boutique founded in 1973 by Pietro Maschio and currently led by CEO Pierfrancesco Maschio. The firm provides transaction and corporate-development consulting services to pharmaceutical companies of all sizes across Europe, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and the United States, supporting licensing in and out, asset acquisition and divestment, mergers and acquisitions, start-ups and joint ventures, business development, professional services (assessment, valuation, financial modelling, business plans), and technology and regulatory services (EU registration, regulatory strategy, technical and clinical evaluation). The company operates from its Milan headquarters and contact offices, with owned offices in Barcelona and London, and has supported over 1,000 deals and 1,500 healthcare engagements over its 45+ year history.

The core offering is human-delivered advisory rather than a technology platform; no proprietary software, AI, or data product is referenced. Revenue is generated primarily through success fees on closed transactions, structured on the Lehman scale or fixed-percentage arrangements, with expenses reimbursed on a case-by-case basis and typical engagement timelines of 3-6 months under short exclusivity windows. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct: clients appoint Ricerchimica as consultant, supplemented by participation in major pharma partnering events (CPHI, Arab Health, EuroPlx, Pharmavenue, IPLS), a LinkedIn presence, and a newsletter channel.

The client base includes large-cap pharma (Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda) alongside European mid-market players (Almirall, Chiesi, Recordati, Stada, Kern Pharma, ISDIN, Mayne Pharma), with reported scale metrics of 200+ successful targets found and 1,500+ healthcare engagements. The firm is family-controlled with no disclosed external institutional investors or parent company.

Name

Ricerchimica S.r.l.

Legal name

Ricerchimica S.R.L.

Website

https://ricerchimica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ricerchimica S.r.l. is a privately held Milan-based pharmaceutical advisory boutique, founded in 1973, providing licensing, M&A, JV, business development, and EU regulatory consulting to pharma companies across Europe, the UK, MENA, and the US on a success-fee basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Transaction Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAOAA

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/M&A, Transaction & Restructuring Advisory

SECONDARYBPAHAOAG

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/M&A, Transaction & Restructuring Advisory

SECONDARYBPAHADAA

Corporate Strategy Advisory

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Strategy & Corporate Finance Advisory

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical transaction advisory
• Licensing and M&A
• Asset management consulting
• Business development services
• Regulatory affairs advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Transactional Advisory Fees: Revenue is generated through success fees tied to successful deal completion. According to the Lehman scale or other specific agreements (fixed percentage), fees are earned upon successful transaction closing. Additional reimbursement of expenses is charged on a case-by-case basis to cover travelling, meetings, and other operational expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ricerchimica is a healthcare advisory boutique providing pharmaceutical transaction services and business development consulting to corporate clients. The firm supports licensing in and out, asset acquisition and divestment, mergers and acquisitions, start-ups, joint ventures, partner/distributor identification, and European regulatory strategy. Engagements are executed by dedicated project managers who handle deal scouting, assessment, negotiation, and closing support across Europe, the Middle East, the UK, and the United States.

Product overview

Ricerchimica S.r.l. is a healthcare advisory boutique offering a unified portfolio of consulting services rather than a software product platform. The company's offerings encompass transactional services (Licensing in and out, Asset acquisition and divestment, Company mergers and acquisitions, Start-ups and Joint Ventures) and professional services (Professional Services for assessment and business planning, Business Development for partner/distributor finding, and Technology & Regulatory Services for EU registration and regulatory strategy). These services collectively support corporate clients throughout the entire lifecycle of pharmaceutical transaction and business development projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Licensing in and out From early assessment to deal completion, Ricerchimica helps clients identify and evaluate collaboration opportunities by targeting, contacting, and facilitating discussions with potential licensing partners for licensing-in and licensing-out transactions in the pharmaceutical sector.
• Asset acquisition and divestment Identifying, analysing, and targeting potential buyers, framing the opportunity, negotiating agreements, and managing asset deals for pharmaceutical companies seeking to acquire or divest pharmaceutical assets.
• Company mergers and acquisitions Support in approaching M&A targets through pre-identification or scouting processes, assessing strategic fit, and providing execution support through negotiations and closing for pharmaceutical mergers and acquisitions.
• Start-ups and Joint Ventures Assistance in pharmaceutical company formation and corporate identity setup, as well as creating sustained strategic partnerships through detailed evaluation with full transparency.
• Professional Services From assessment and valuation to financial modelling and creation of the business plan, Ricerchimica leads clients through professional consulting processes for pharmaceutical transactions and corporate development.
• Business Development Finding partners or distributors, portfolio expansion and divestment, with dedicated project managers formulating appropriate business development strategies for pharmaceutical companies.
• Technology & Regulatory Services EU registration process support, European regulatory strategy, and technical and clinical evaluation to help pharmaceutical clients achieve their objectives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 deals supported across Europe
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• EYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional collaboration with EY (Ernst & Young) as part of Pierfrancesco Maschio's network of collaborations with multinational corporations in the pharmaceutical advisory space.
• Plexus VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional collaboration with Plexus Ventures as part of Pierfrancesco Maschio's network of collaborations with multinational corporations in the pharmaceutical advisory space.
• IAB (Italian Angels for Biotech)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPierfrancesco Maschio is a member of Italian Angels for Biotech (IAB), an association of biotech investors and entrepreneurs, providing access to investment opportunities and industry network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Torreya Partners: Global investment bank focused on pharmaceutical and life sciences M&A and capital raising. Comparable in being a specialist pharma transaction advisor, though larger in scale and geographic footprint.
• Locust Walk: Life sciences transaction advisory firm offering M&A, licensing, and strategic partnering services to pharma and biotech clients. Direct peer in scale, service mix, and customer profile to Ricerchimica.
• Catenion: Berlin-based pharma strategy and transaction advisory firm with deep expertise in licensing, portfolio strategy, and M&A in life sciences. Highly comparable niche European specialist.
• Outcome Capital: Specialist life sciences advisory and investment banking firm focused on healthcare M&A, licensing, and strategic transactions. Direct competitor serving an overlapping pharma client base.
• Back Bay Life Science Advisors: Boston-based life sciences advisory firm providing M&A, licensing, and strategic consulting. Comparable to Ricerchimica as a specialist pharma/biotech transaction advisor serving mid-cap and large-cap clients.
• Plexus Ventures: US-headquartered specialist in pharmaceutical licensing, M&A, and asset transactions. Direct competitor to Ricerchimica in the same pharma deal-advisory niche, and explicitly referenced in the company's data as a collaboration partner.
• PharmaVentures (PharmaCircle): Specialist pharma transaction advisory firm focused on licensing, M&A, and asset divestments globally. Closely comparable to Ricerchimica in both service offering and target customer base of pharma and biotech companies.

Broad incumbents

• L.E.K. Consulting (Life Sciences): Global management consulting firm with a dedicated life sciences practice covering pharma strategy, M&A support, and commercial diligence. Adjacent competitor for higher-end pharma transaction advisory work.
• McKinsey & Company (Pharma & Medical Products): Global management consulting firm with a major pharma and medical products practice that advises on licensing, M&A, and corporate strategy. Competes for the largest pharma mandates where Ricerchimica cannot scale.
• EY-Parthenon (Pharma & Life Sciences): Big 4 strategy and transaction advisory arm with a large pharma & life sciences practice. Competitor for larger pharma M&A and licensing mandates, with substantially deeper resources than Ricerchimica and explicitly named as a collaborator in the data.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ricerchimica-s-r-l

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ricerchimica S.r.l.