Sholkem Chemie Associates Limited

What Sholkem Chemie Associates Limited does

Sholkem Chemie Associates Limited (operating as Sholkemchemie) is a privately held, founder-owned UK distributor of fine and functional chemicals headquartered in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The company was formed in 2016 by John Rawson to commercialize a sourcing channel for organic intermediates that he had built over a career spanning India and the Eastern Provinces of China. Sholkem does not manufacture the chemicals it sells; its core activity is intermediating between a defined network of nine Asian partner manufacturers and downstream buyers in the UK, continental Europe, and the Americas.

The product range is organized into three lines: (1) specialty preservatives (e.g., PCMC, PCMX, DCMX, methylene bis thiocyanate, dichlorophene, and bespoke blends of CMIT/MIT, bronopol, parabens, and phenoxyethanol) with BPD-approved actives and access to UK-based efficacy testing; (2) organic intermediates (chloro acetyl chloride derivatives, alcoholates including potassium and sodium tertiary butoxylate, sodium hydride and methoxide derivatives, halogenated aromatics, and bespoke solvent solutions); and (3) commercially available fine chemicals, including DMF-grade Allopurinol and intermediates, specialty glycols, diols, ethers, and heterocycles such as EDOT. Selected intermediates (notably Potassium tert Butoxylate) are held in UK stock for shorter lead times.

Commercially, Sholkem runs a sales-led, B2B distribution model. Revenue is generated on a transactional, one-off purchase basis (the input classifies the model under one_time_license) into four end-verticals: pharmaceutical, industrial, fragrance, and lithographic. The company advertises no pricing, carries no public certifications or patents, and operates with the founder as the only named leadership figure. Its growth to date has been entirely organic, with no disclosed institutional funding, headcount, or revenue figures.

Name

Sholkem Chemie Associates Limited

Legal name

Sholkemchemie

Website

https://sholkemchemie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sholkem Chemie Associates Limited is a privately held, founder-owned UK distributor of fine and functional chemicals, sourcing organic intermediates and specialty preservatives from a partner network in India and China for sale to pharmaceutical, industrial, fragrance, and lithographic buyers across the UK, Europe, and the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fine and Functional Chemical Sales: B2B sales of fine and functional chemicals, organic intermediates, preservatives, and specialty chemical compounds. The company sources products from partner suppliers in India and China and sells them to pharmaceutical, industrial, fragrance, and lithographic industries in the UK, Europe, and Americas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Sholkem Chemie Associates Limited sources and supplies fine and functional chemicals, organic intermediates, and specialty preservatives from partner manufacturers in India and China to industrial buyers in the UK, Europe, and the Americas. The company serves the pharmaceutical, industrial, fragrance, and lithographic industries, with certain intermediates such as Potassium tert Butoxylate stocked in the UK for rapid delivery. It also offers specialty preservatives containing BPD approved actives, with access to efficacy testing at an associated UK site.

Product overview

Sholkem Chemie Associates Limited is a fine and functional chemicals company based in Leeds, UK, supplying the Pharmaceutical, industrial, fragrance, and lithographic industries across UK, European, and Americas markets. The company operates through three interconnected product lines: (1) Preservatives — specialty preservative compounds including PCMC, PCMX, DCMX, and mixed formulations with CMIT/MIT, bronopol, parabens, and phenoxyethanol; (2) Intermediates — chemical intermediates such as chloro acetyl chloride derivatives, alcoholates (potassium and sodium tertiary butoxylate), and other organic compounds, with some stocked in UK facilities; and (3) Fine Chemicals — commercially available organic intermediates and specialty chemicals for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. The company leverages partner suppliers in India and China, with efficacy testing capabilities for preservatives at associated UK sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preservatives

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MCP BaumaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.
• ShitalchemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.
• BCPL (Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.
• SyntorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.
• NovapheneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.
• Ascent FinechemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.
• LongshenchemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.
• GenchemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company based in China that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.
• ViwitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company that supplies intermediates and fine chemicals through Sholkem.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Biesterfeld: European specialty chemicals distributor headquartered in Germany serving industrial, pharma, and consumer care customers — same product categories and European geographic overlap, though not active in Americas.
• DKSH: Swiss-headquartered market expansion services company with a large specialty chemicals and ingredients distribution business across Asia-Pacific and Europe — relevant comparable for the Asia-sourcing-to-Western-markets model.
• Manuchar: Global chemical distribution group headquartered in Belgium with strong Asia sourcing presence — comparable business model pairing Asian supply with European and emerging-market distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distribution company; serves pharmaceutical, industrial, and specialty chemicals customers globally — same product/market intersection though at vastly greater scale.
• Azelis: Specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor serving life sciences, industrial, and personal care customers across EMEA, Americas and Asia-Pacific — directly comparable end-markets and product categories.
• IMCD: Global specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor focused on pharmaceutical, industrial, and personal care markets with strong European presence — closest publicly-traded comparable for the distribution-led model Sholkem pursues.
• Caldic: Global specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor serving pharma, personal care, and industrial end-markets across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific — overlapping product categories and multi-vertical structure.
• Univar Solutions: North American and European chemical and ingredients distributor with strong specialty and industrial product portfolios — relevant comparable for the pharma/industrial customer mix.
• BTC Europe (BASF's distribution arm): European specialty chemicals distributor selling intermediates and additives to industrial customers across pharma and consumer care — directly comparable product categories though backed by BASF's manufacturing base.

Direct peers

• Cornelius Group: UK-headquartered specialty chemicals and raw materials distributor with a similar model of sourcing from global partners and supplying UK/European industrial customers; closest comparable by geography, size band, and product breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sholkem-chemie-associates-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sholkem Chemie Associates Limited