Chinese American Chemical Society

What Chinese American Chemical Society does

The Chinese American Chemical Society (CACS) is a non-political, non-profit professional organization founded in 1981 and headquartered in Castro Valley, California. Its stated purpose is to encourage the advancement of chemistry and chemical engineering sciences and technologies, to improve the qualification and occupational opportunities of its members, to facilitate professional contacts, and to promote interactions with other scientific communities. CACS is the only Chinese professional organization officially recognized by both the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

CACS serves approximately 1,000+ members through a federated structure: a national organization anchored by its cacshq.org website, four regional chapters (East covering Eastern America, Great Lakes covering the Midwest, Southwest covering the Western US and Gulf Coast, and Northern California covering the Bay Area), and a National Student Committee founded in 2024 to serve students and young scholars. Core programmatic offerings include four-times-a-year activities co-located with ACS and AIChE annual meetings, regional seminars and banquets (the society reports 100+ seminars conducted to date), a national awards program with three tiers (Outstanding Achievement, Extraordinary Service, Rising Star) introduced in 2021, and an annual banquet co-hosted with partner technical communities. Outreach channels are limited to the website, a LinkedIn page, an email newsletter, and in-person events; CACS does not maintain proprietary technology products, software, APIs, or mobile applications.

The revenue model is a non-profit membership-and-sponsorship structure. Membership is free and open to professionals, students, and supporting corporations; revenue is generated from event participation fees (e.g., $10 adult, $5 student at the 2026 GLCACS Summer Picnic), chapter-level sponsorships, and board-member donations such as the seed funding that relaunched the Northern California Chapter in 2022. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed. Leadership rotates annually, with 2025 President Yunlong Zhang (ExxonMobil) succeeded by 2026 President Wei Gao (Merck).

Name

Chinese American Chemical Society

Legal name

Chinese American Chemical Society

Website

https://cacshq.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Chinese American Chemical Society (CACS) is a non-profit professional society founded in 1981, serving 1,000+ Chinese American chemists and chemical engineers in North America through four regional chapters, a national student committee, awards, and co-located events with ACS and AIChE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Scientific Society

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYTHAHACAK

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

Keywords

• Professional chemistry society
• Chemical engineering association
• Scientific networking events
• Chemistry career awards
• Academic professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Castro Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CACS is a non-profit professional society that provides its 1,000+ members with networking, professional development, career advancement resources, and recognition programs for Chinese American chemists, biochemists, and chemical engineers. Its core deliverable is a membership-based community platform — anchored by a national website, four regional chapters, and a National Student Committee — that organizes seminars, banquets, picnics, and an annual awards program in coordination with ACS and AIChE. Membership is free and open to professionals and students in chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields.

Product overview

The Chinese American Chemical Society (CACS) is a non-political, non-profit professional organization founded in 1981 that operates primarily as a membership-based society rather than a product company. The organization provides its approximately 1000+ members with a unified platform consisting of its national website, four local chapters, a national student committee, regular seminars and banquets, and a national awards program. The core offering is the national website (cacshq.org) which serves as the central hub for membership services, event information, news, and organizational communications. Local chapters extend this reach regionally, while the Student Committee focuses on career development for young scholars. Events include activities coordinated with ACS and AIChE annual meetings, as well as independent chapter events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CACS Professional Membership Free membership program open to professionals and students in chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields, providing access to CACS events, networking, awards nominations, communications, and the four regional chapter communities.
• CACS Annual Events and Seminars Recurring academic seminars, banquets, picnics, and networking events organized four times a year in conjunction with ACS and AIChE annual meetings, plus chapter-specific activities such as the GLCACS 2026 Summer Picnic (Adult $10, Student $5, Child under 10 free).
• CACS National Awards Program Three prestigious recognition awards honoring individuals for achievements and service in chemistry and chemical engineering: the Outstanding Achievement Award (recognizes exceptional scholars and leaders with significant impact through research, innovation, publications, presentations, patents, and leadership), the Extraordinary Service Award (recognizes CACS members or Friends of CACS with outstanding long-term dedication to the Society), and the Rising Star Award (recognizes current CACS members within ten years of their highest degree with significant accomplishments in academia or industry).
• Local Chapters Program Four regional chapters — CACS East Chapter (Eastern America), CACS Great Lakes Chapter (Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin), CACS Southwest Chapter (Western US and Gulf Coast petrochemical region), and CACS Northern California Chapter — providing localized networking, professional development, and community events for members in specific North American geographies.
• CACS National Student Committee A national committee fostering connections and career development for students and young scholars in chemistry and chemical engineering, with elected chairs, vice chairs, secretaries, and treasurers drawn from leading universities (MIT, UC Berkeley, Princeton, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Texas A&M, University of Utah, NC State, Stony Brook, University of New Hampshire).

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ members served through networking and professional development programs
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 core.

• ACS Convergent Chemistry Communities on Natural Polymers (ACS-NP-CCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CACS co-hosted its Annual Banquet with ACS-NP-CCC during the 2026 ACS Spring Meeting in Atlanta. This community builds on collaboration among six ACS technical divisions (POLY, AGFD, CELL, CARB, PMSE, ENFL) and with CACS on natural polymer development, aligned with sustainable development goals.
• American Chemical Society (ACS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981CACS is officially recognized by ACS as the only Chinese professional organization with this distinction. The societies co-organize activities during ACS annual meetings (4 times per year), and CACS participates in ACS Spring Meeting events including the Annual Banquet co-hosted with ACS Convergent Chemistry Communities.
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981CACS is officially recognized by AIChE as the only Chinese professional organization with this distinction. The societies co-organize activities during AIChE annual meetings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• American Association of Chinese Professionals (AACP): A US-based Chinese professional association serving multiple STEM disciplines. Comparable in ethnic-affinity positioning and member services model, but operates at a smaller, more diffuse scale than CACS's chemistry-specific focus.
• Association of Chinese Scientists and Engineers (ACSE): A Chinese American professional association that serves scientists and engineers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Comparable in mission and ethnic-affinity positioning but is regionally focused where CACS has a national footprint.

Direct peers

• National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE): Affinity-based professional society for Black chemists and chemical engineers in the US. Operates the same model as CACS: ethnic-affinity focus, regional chapters, annual conferences, awards, and student development programs.
• American Chemical Society (ACS): The premier US professional society for chemists with which CACS co-programs events and is officially recognized. ACS is the broader, incumbent counterpart whose structure (membership, conferences, awards, publications) CACS mirrors at a niche scale.
• Chinese Institute of Engineers (CIE): A Chinese American engineering professional society with regional chapters and conferences. Mirrors CACS's ethnic-affinity model and chapter-based delivery, but is broader across engineering disciplines rather than focused on chemistry and chemical engineering.
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE): The leading US professional society for chemical engineers, officially recognizing CACS and co-hosting annual events with it. AIChE is a direct functional peer in serving chemical engineering professionals through conferences and member services.
• Chinese-American Engineers and Scientists Association of Southern California (CESASC): A regional Chinese-affinity professional organization for scientists and engineers in Southern California. Highly comparable in mission, ethnic-affinity positioning, and chapter-based delivery model, though broader in scientific disciplines than CACS.

Regional players

• Chinese Chemical Society: The main chemistry professional society based in mainland China. Comparable in core mission (advancing chemistry and chemical engineering sciences), but operates in a different geography and has no direct competitive overlap with CACS in North America.

Broad incumbents

• Materials Research Society (MRS): A large international professional society for materials researchers, with overlapping membership in chemistry and chemical engineering. Comparable in offering conferences, awards, and career resources, but at much broader scientific scope.
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE): Large US professional society organized around an underrepresented group in engineering, including chemical engineering. Comparable in offering scholarships, awards, conferences, and chapter-based local programming, but at a much larger scale and broader engineering scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cacshq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chinese American Chemical Society