Institute of Molecular Science- ICMol

What Institute of Molecular Science- ICMol does

ICMol (Instituto de Ciencia Molecular) is a public research institute of the University of Valencia, founded in 2000 and located at the Parc Científic in Paterna, Spain. It operates approximately 4,000m² of laboratory space housing 22 research groups and roughly 129 staff, organized around the design and synthesis of molecules and molecular assemblies with useful magnetic, electrical, or optical properties. Core technical areas include molecular magnetism, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), 2D materials, quantum technologies, and sustainable chemistry, with notable breakthroughs such as room-temperature PFAS defluorination (97% fluorine recovery), MOF-derived glasses (dg-MUV-29), ligand-free nickel anion complexes, and single-molecule magnets stable for 100 seconds up to 45 K. The institute holds 18 patents, has produced 730+ publications with 45,000+ citations and an institutional h-index of 103, and has held the María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence designation since 2015 (renewed 2021-2024).

The institute serves four principal customer segments: academic and industrial research collaborators, graduate students enrolled in master's and doctoral programs, regional industrial firms through the ICMol On Tour and Innovation Breakfast channels, and the general public via outreach programs (Summer Campus, 10alamenos9 festival, school workshops). Revenue flows from four primary streams: competitive public research grants (Spanish Ministry of Science, ERC, ERDF, Generalitat Valenciana), technology transfer and licensing through the ICMol Transfer office, fee-based material characterization services via the SCSIE/MCS unit, and publicly funded educational scholarships including La Caixa INPhINIT fellowships. Commercial monetization is concentrated in two spin-offs — Matteco (2D materials) and PMA (Porous Materials in Action) — with most industry engagement still at the technical-challenge definition stage. GTM motion combines sales-led regional industry outreach, event-driven technology-transfer sessions, and direct-to-consumer science communication.

Name

Institute of Molecular Science- ICMol

Legal name

Instituto de Ciencia Molecular

Website

https://icmol.es

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ICMol is a public University of Valencia research institute conducting molecular science and nanoscience research across 22 groups, serving academic collaborators, industrial firms, graduate students, and the public through grants, technology transfer, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Molecular Science Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAIAM

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Engineering & Technical Consulting

Keywords

• Molecular science research
• Nanoscience materials
• Technology transfer services
• Material characterization
• Molecular magnetism

Headquarters

HQ city

Paterna

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Public Funding: Primary funding from Spanish Ministry of Science, European Research Council (ERC) projects, regional government (Generalitat Valenciana), and excellence programs including Maria de Maeztu Unit designation.
2. Technology Transfer Services: Knowledge transfer to productive sector including specialized analyses, technological diagnosis, material validation, solution development, and joint research projects with companies.
3. Material Characterization Services: Services provided through the Material Characterization Services (MCS) unit offering specialized analytical capabilities to external clients.
4. Educational Programs: Master's and doctoral programs with associated scholarships including La Caixa INPhINIT Fellowships and Maria de Maeztu Excellence scholarships.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICMol is an academic research institute focused on the design and synthesis of molecules and molecular assemblies exhibiting useful magnetic, electrical, or optical properties, with investigation through both experimental and theoretical approaches. It offers external research and material characterization services to academic and industrial clients, runs graduate educational programs (Master's and doctorate), and operates a Technology Transfer office that supports industry collaboration, intellectual property strategy, and the creation of spin-off companies commercializing institute research.

Product overview

ICMol (Instituto de Ciencia Molecular) is a research institute of the Universitat de València focused on molecular science and nanoscience. The institute operates approximately 4,000m² of laboratory space at the Parc Científic and offers research services, material characterization capabilities, and educational programs. Its core activities include designing and synthesizing molecules with useful physical or chemical properties, investigating these properties through experimental and theoretical approaches, and transferring knowledge to industry. The institute's product portfolio centers on molecular science research services, material characterization services for external clients, doctoral and master's educational programs, and tech transfer services facilitating collaboration between academia and industry. ICMol maintains 21 active research groups working across areas including molecular magnetism, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), 2D materials, quantum technologies, and sustainable chemistry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Molecular Science Research Services Research services focused on the molecular aspects of nanoscience and materials with magnetic, electrical, or optical properties, including synthesis and experimental/theoretical investigation of molecules and molecular assemblies with useful physical or chemical properties. Offered to academic collaborators and industrial clients.
• Material Characterization Services Specialized laboratory services for material analysis, including advanced electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, magnetic measurements, and spectroscopy, offered through the SCSIE (Central Service for Experimental Research Support) at the Universitat de València. Provided to external academic and industrial clients requiring advanced characterization capabilities.
• Doctoral INPhINIT Fellowships Doctoral fellowship program in collaboration with 'la Caixa' Foundation for researchers pursuing doctorates in STEM disciplines at ICMol, including 7 active research projects covering electrical control of probabilistic bits in chiral molecules, ferroic orders in 2D limit, molecular control over 2D quantum materials, multifunctional spintronic devices, perovskite tandem solar cells, spin-twistronics in 2D materials, and 2D nanomaterials for energy applications.
• Master's Programs in Advanced Materials and Molecular Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Postgraduate educational programs including Master's in Advanced Materials and Molecular Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, offered through ICMol partnerships. Open to graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in chemistry, physics, and materials science.
• Tech Transfer Services (ICMol Transfer) Technology transfer services including intellectual property strategy, collaboration with industrial companies, licensing models, and innovation support through ICMol Transfer initiatives. Supports industry clients from materials analysis to joint R&D projects and spin-off creation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% fluorine recovery rate achieved in defluorination process
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ASECAM, VALMETAL/FEMEVAL, QUIMACOVAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2026Business associations partnering with ICMol for On Tour initiative connecting industrial company needs with scientific knowledge. Five participating companies progressed in defining technical challenges and identifying collaboration opportunities.
• Quantum Leap (Engineering Group)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Innovation Breakfast session focused on intellectual property strategy and technology transfer, featuring presentations by Maurizio Berti Earnshow (CTO, microelectronics, open innovation) and Barbara Sanavio (technology scouting, IP valuation, business modelling).
• ICEX (Instituto Espanol de Comercio Exterior)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 June 2026ICEX trade delegation visit with Japanese companies Terumo, Rohto, Oji, and Urban Development to explore collaboration opportunities with ICMol research capabilities in molecular chemistry, advanced materials, and energy.
• La Caixa FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026La Caixa Foundation grants 30 fellowships for researchers pursuing doctorates in STEM disciplines at research centers in Spain or Portugal. ICMol participates with 7 research projects including Electrical control of probabilistic bits in chiral molecules, Ferroic orders in 2D limit, Molecular control over 2D quantum materials, Multifunctional spintronic devices, Perovskite tandem solar cells, Spin-twistronics in 2D materials, and 2D nanomaterials for energy applications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IMDEA Nanociencia: Madrid-based nanoscience research institute with similar focus on molecular materials, magnetism, and nanotech. Directly comparable in scale, ERC-grant profile, and Spanish public-funding competition.
• CIC nanoGUNE: Basque nanotech research center operating at similar scale with overlapping research in 2D materials, molecular nanoscience, and self-assembly. Directly comparable in funding model and Iberian research ecosystem.
• Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2): Spain's other flagship nanoscience institute, also a Severo Ochoa/María de Maeztu center. ICN2 and ICMol compete directly for the same Spanish/ERC funding pool, talent (Ramón y Cajal fellows), and industrial partnerships in 2D materials, molecular electronics, and quantum materials.
• Institut des Matériaux Poreux de Paris (IMAP): CNRS / ESPCI Paris laboratory focused on porous materials and MOFs. Directly comparable scientific scope (MOFs, coordination polymers) and similar MOF-spin-off pipeline; key academic competition in ICMol's FUNIMAT/CEL domain.
• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids: German Max Planck institute with comparable research into molecular magnetism, quantum materials, and correlated electron systems. Closest international peer by scientific scope and ERC-equivalent funding access.

Broad incumbents

• Weizmann Institute of Science: Leading multidisciplinary research institution with strong groups in molecular materials, MOFs, and quantum chemistry. Comparable scientific depth, ERC-equivalent funding, and patent-to-spin-off pipeline.
• National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS): Japan's national materials research institute. Comparable scale and breadth across molecular materials, 2D materials, and quantum devices; broader mandate but same public-research positioning and infrastructure profile.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): German research university with major materials and nanoscience institutes, comparable scale and ERC-grant profile, and active tech-transfer / spin-off infrastructure analogous to ICMol.

Regional players

• Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC): Basque Country research center focused on condensed matter, materials physics, and nanoscience. Comparable in mission and Spanish public-funding access; different regional footprint but overlapping scientific domains.

Emerging players

• Matteco: ICMol's own spin-off commercializing 2D materials and graphene-related technologies for energy applications. Closest downstream peer demonstrating ICMol's tech-transfer pathway into commercial scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrDV4HvpkCAiyceBfVMwb4A
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICMolUV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-de-ciencia-molecular-icmol
• Instagraminstagram.com/icmol

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Molecular Science- ICMol