Reinventing chemistry

When combinatorial chemistry was first developed in the late 1980s, it represented a paradigm shift that totally changed the way chemistry was done. Yet the first generation of chemistry companies failed to build sustainable businesses because they offered a limited menu of products and services, and more importantly, because their combinatorial libraries were comprised mainly of relatively simple chemical structures that were quickly commoditized.

A new generation of chemistry companies has taken those lessons to heart, building broader businesses based around chemistry that is far more sophisticated. As a result, they believe that they will be able to build and retain a base of customers, and that it will be difficult for others to cheaply replicate their technologies and their business systems...