o2h Discovery
o2h Discovery is a privately held, integrated drug-discovery CRO founded in 2005, headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with a large Ahmedabad, India research centre and a Cambridge, MA field office. It delivers medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK, scale-up, PROTAC, LNP, FBDD, and peptide-synthesis services via billable FTE and project-based pricing to pharma, biotech, and early-stage startup customers across ~35 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersHauxton, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What o2h Discovery does
o2h Discovery is a privately held, integrated drug discovery contract research organization (CRO) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with a large research centre in Ahmedabad, India and a North American field office in Cambridge, MA. The company runs a multi-modality platform spanning medicinal and synthetic chemistry, peptide synthesis, PROTAC and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) chemistry, biology (assay development, FRET/BRET, fragment-based screening with Biacore T200 SPR, CRISPR/Cas9, NanoBRET), DMPK (including the ChamelogK chameleonicity assay for PROTACs), and kilo-lab to non-GMP scale-up (with GMP via partnership). Its dedicated capabilities are anchored by proprietary assets including CITC (Chemistry in the Cloud), an award-winning cloud-based project management and ELN app, the trademarked o2h Peptide Guarantee programme with a 2-week delivery SLA, and a curated ~600-fragment FBDD library.
The firm serves three primary segments: large pharmaceutical companies (with marquee engagements scaled up to 52 FTEs over a decade-plus horizon), mid-to-large biotechnology firms (especially in PROTAC, LNP, and IND-enabling workflows), and seed-to-Series-B early-stage biotechs that are funnelled through the o2h Kickstarter subsidised-services programme (now spanning Global, Japan, North America, and Peptide editions) and supplementary programmes like o2h Biology Match Funding, o2h Plug-in Biotech, and InflexionTx co-discovery match-funding. Customer evidence points to ~200 global partners across 35+ countries, with publicly named relationships including Karyopharm, NeoPhore, Protai, Refoxy Pharma, QEDDI/UniQuest, RVAC Medicines, Cellestial Health, and Sentinel Oncology.
Commercially, o2h operates a primarily fee-for-service model — billable FTE hours, per-project fees, and milestone payments for integrated drug discovery — supplemented by a community-led growth motion (Kickstarter awards, OBN and PIA UK awards presence, the Cambridge Wide Open Week, and an annual o2h Innovation Conference). The company is bootstrapped and privately held by co-founders Prashant Shah (CEO) and Sunil Shah, with no disclosed external institutional investors or parent holding company identified in the source material. Recent strategic emphasis has shifted toward AI-augmented target identification (OutSee partnership), geographic expansion of the startup funnel (Japan and North America editions), and SLA-backed peptide chemistry as a differentiated product line.
o2h Discovery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- o2h Discovery
- Legal name
- o2h Discovery Private Limited
- Website
- https://o2hdiscovery.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- o2h Discovery is a privately held, integrated drug-discovery CRO founded in 2005, headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with a large Ahmedabad, India research centre and a Cambridge, MA field office. It delivers medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK, scale-up, PROTAC, LNP, FBDD, and peptide-synthesis services via billable FTE and project-based pricing to pharma, biotech, and early-stage startup customers across ~35 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
o2h Discovery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Drug Discovery CRO Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery) (HLAIALAA)
Keywords
Where o2h Discovery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hauxton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
o2h Discovery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Contract Research Services: Fee-for-service CRO model providing integrated drug discovery services including chemistry, biology, DMPK, and scale-up on a project-by-project basis. Revenue generated through billable FTE (full-time equivalent) hours, per-project fees, and milestone-based payments.
- Kickstarter Awards Program: Provides subsidized or free discovery services to early-stage biotech startups in exchange for case studies, testimonials, and potential long-term commercial partnerships. Creates pipeline for future paid engagements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing for integrated drug discovery services |
| Other | Multi-year contract | o2h Kickstarter Peptide Award - subsidized discovery support for early-stage biotech |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
o2h Discovery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
o2h Discovery is an integrated contract research organization (CRO) providing end-to-end small-molecule drug discovery services for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Its core offerings span medicinal and synthetic chemistry, peptide synthesis (with a 2-week delivery guarantee), PROTAC synthesis, lipid nanoparticles, ADCs, biology (target engagement, assay development, drug screening), DMPK studies, and scale-up synthesis (kilo-lab to GMP), delivered from Cambridge UK and Ahmedabad India by a team of 750+ scientists.
Product overview
o2h Discovery operates a multi-modality integrated drug discovery platform combining chemistry, biology, DMPK, and scale-up services. The core offering spans integrated drug discovery (target ID to pre-clinical candidate), supplemented by specialized chemistry services (medicinal/synthetic chemistry, peptide synthesis, PROTACs, LNPs, ADCs), biology services (target engagement, assay biology, drug screening, gene expression), and DMPK services (in-vitro/in-vivo PK). Key differentiated offerings include the 2-week o2h Peptide Guarantee for fast peptide delivery, CITC (Chemistry in the Cloud) proprietary project management app, and the o2h Kickstarter Award program providing FTE support to early-stage biotechs. The platform also includes specialized capabilities in FRET/BRET assays, Fragment-Based Drug Discovery (FBDD), and strategic partnerships like the OutSee collaboration for AI-driven genomics. Services are delivered from research centers in Cambridge, UK and Ahmedabad, India with over 750 scientists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Integrated Drug Discovery
Quantifiable outcome
- 2-week guaranteed peptide delivery for standard linear peptides up to 20 amino acids
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use o2h Discovery
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
o2h Discovery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature7 records
o2h Discovery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OutSeecoreStrategic collaboration with OutSee for joint drug discovery program focused on OutSee's lead AI-identified target candidate. o2h discovery provides chemistry services and funding through its InflexionRx partnership program to build a library of drug candidates for OutSee's Nomaly platform.
- Genomics EnglandminorOutSee partner mentioned in context of genomics platform applications
- FinnGenminorOutSee partner mentioned for genomic data collaboration
- Scientist.comminoro2h Discovery listed on Scientist.com marketplace for biotech research procurement
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
o2h Discovery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Evotec SE: Large, publicly-traded integrated drug discovery CRO offering multi-modality platform and discovery partnerships across therapeutic areas; competes with o2h for larger pharma integrated discovery outsourcing deals.
- WuXi AppTec: Largest global CRO/CDMO with extensive preclinical discovery, biology, and DMPK operations; competes on integrated deals for both small-molecule and biologics discovery.
- Charles River Laboratories: Global CRO incumbent spanning discovery and safety assessment; competes with o2h for biotech and pharma preclinical contracts, though with a significantly broader service portfolio.
- Eurofins Discovery: International CRO offering medicinal chemistry, biology, and pharmacology services as part of a broader life-sciences testing portfolio; comparable buyer-side overlap in discovery outsourcing.
Direct peers
- Concept Life Sciences: UK-based preclinical CRO with integrated chemistry and biology capabilities serving similar biotech and pharma early-discovery needs as o2h.
- Pharmaron: China-headquartered CRO with strong UK/US presence offering integrated chemistry, biology, DMPK, and scale-up services closely comparable to o2h's integrated model.
- Jubilant Biosys: India-based preclinical CRO with integrated discovery chemistry and biology offerings; peer in the integrated India/global discovery services category.
- Sygnature Discovery: UK-headquartered preclinical CRO offering integrated medicinal chemistry, biology, and DMPK services of similar size and customer mix to o2h Discovery, targeting biotech and pharma discovery programs.
- Aragen Life Sciences (formerly GVK Bio): India-headquartered CRO offering integrated discovery chemistry and biology services similar in scope and operating philosophy to o2h's India platform, serving biotech and pharma globally.
- Selvita: European CRO with comparable scale offering integrated medicinal chemistry, biology, and DMPK discovery services to biotech and pharma clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
o2h Discovery social profiles
Digital presenceo2h Discovery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
o2h Discovery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
o2h Discovery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
o2h Discovery M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about o2h Discovery
What does o2h Discovery do?
o2h Discovery is an integrated contract research organization (CRO) providing end-to-end small-molecule drug discovery services for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Its core offerings span medicinal and synthetic chemistry, peptide synthesis (with a 2-week delivery guarantee), PROTAC synthesis, lipid nanoparticles, ADCs, biology (target engagement, assay development, drug screening), DMPK studies, and scale-up synthesis (kilo-lab to GMP), delivered from Cambridge UK and Ahmedabad India by a team of 750+ scientists.
Is o2h Discovery a public or private company?
o2h Discovery is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was o2h Discovery founded?
o2h Discovery was founded in 2005. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is o2h Discovery based?
o2h Discovery is headquartered in Hauxton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does o2h Discovery make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Contract Research Services are the primary driver. The others are kickstarter Awards Program.
Who are o2h Discovery's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Evotec SE, WuXi AppTec, Charles River Laboratories and Eurofins Discovery. Direct peers are Concept Life Sciences, Pharmaron, Jubilant Biosys, Sygnature Discovery, Aragen Life Sciences (formerly GVK Bio) and Selvita.
Does o2h Discovery have an API?
No public API is recorded for o2h Discovery.
What industry is o2h Discovery in?
o2h Discovery's product category is Drug Discovery CRO Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAB, Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK), with a secondary code of HLAIALAA, Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.