North-West Chemistry Business Acquisition

Liverpool ChiroChem (LCC), a flourishing chemistry company based at The Heath Business and Technical Park in Runcorn, Cheshire, has been acquired by a leading Chinese-headquartered platform technology company, forming a worldwide collaboration that will revolutionise R&D in molecular science.

LCC, a spin out business from the University of Liverpool co-founded in 2014 by bio-tech entrepreneur Dr Paul Colbon, is renowned for its cutting-edge technology in chiral chemistry. Ground-breaking research by LCC’s scientists has seen the company’s products used around the world to aid the discovery of treatments for diseases such as cancer and dementia.

LCC moved its operations to specialist laboratories at The Heath three years ago. A decade on from the launch of the business, Dr Colbon (pictured right) has been seeking crucial new investment required to continue to grow his operation. Over the past 12 months he had been talking to potential investors in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia. Now XtalPi, a fast-growing leader in AI-powered research for pharmaceuticals and advanced materials, has announced the acquisition of LCC.

Dr Colbon says: “XtalPi shares our ambition to revolutionise how new chemical compounds are discovered. This partnership gives us the opportunity to contribute to a global platform that is reshaping innovation across life sciences.”

With operations in the US, Europe, and Asia, the combined company will now offer its partners improved flexibility, regional project management, and enhanced capabilities to support complex R&D pipelines.

XtalPi was founded in 2015 by three post-doctorate physicists in Boston, USA, who all studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The physicists cooperated as an amateur team to participate in a crystal structure prediction blind test competition hosted by Pfizer. Leveraging their solid foundation in theoretical physics and computational chemistry, the team achieved first place among other exceptional teams of scientists from academia and industry. This success earned XtalPi’s founding team attention in the form of commercial research contracts from international pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, marking the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey.

XtalPi’s IPO in 2024 was the first of its kind for a ‘Specialized Technology Company’ listing under the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Chapter 18C rules, with significant international investors from North American, Europe and Asia.

XtalPi retains laboratories in Boston, Massachusetts, with another R&D facility located in Shenzen and a pharmaceutical centre in Shanghai, China.

Through the acquisition, Dr Colbon says LCC will now be part of the world’s leading R&D platform for the sector with the research laboratories at The Heath Business and Technical Park forming the UK arm of the global operation.

John Lewis MBE (pictured right), owner of The Heath Business and Technical Park, says: “Paul Colbon should be hugely congratulated for identifying a credible partner who brings vital overseas investment to the UK, and in particular to the North-West region. Life Sciences are massively important, and Paul must be commended for his relentless efforts to seek the critical funding required to enable the growth of his remarkable cutting-edge business.

“Paul has an exceptional network across the UK Life Sciences sector, particularly within the North- West and golden triangle of Cambridge, Oxford and London, and it is really very encouraging to see Chinese investment coming into the region thanks to his vision and entrepreneurship which will allow LCC to continue its ground-breaking research. His credible network in tandem with the network of his Chinese partners can only accelerate innovation and R&D in the UK.“

Dr Colbon studied at the University of Liverpool’s Faculty of Science and Engineering for his PhD and Masters Chemistry degrees before co-founding LCC. Last year he won a prestigious award (The Potts Medal) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to chemistry.

About XtalPi
XtalPi Holdings Limited (XtalPi, 2228.HK) was founded in 2015 by three physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is an innovative R&D platform powered by quantum physics, artificial intelligence, and robotics. By integrating first-principles calculations, AI algorithms, high-performance cloud computing, and standardized automation systems, XtalPi provides digital and intelligent R&D solutions for companies in the pharmaceutical, materials science, agricultural technology, energy, new chemicals, and cosmetics industries.

About Liverpool ChiroChem (LCC) Technologies
Founded in 2014 and spun off from the University of Liverpool, a limited company registered in England and Wales, Liverpool ChiroChem (LCC) has been a pioneer in development and application of chiral chemical space, initially focused on supporting small molecule drug discovery. LCC possesses a globally leading high-throughput chiral molecule synthesis platform, a vast collection of unique, stereo defined, diverse chiral building blocks, and a proprietary billion-scale virtual chiral library. The unique chemical space covered by LCC provides immense potential for innovation in drug discovery, novel materials, and other high-value chemical industries.

About The Heath
The Heath Business and Technical Park is a phenomenal regeneration success story. Formed in 2000, its owner and operator, SOG Ltd, has transformed a once single occupancy corporate facility into a thriving independent business park. The Heath now provides office and laboratory accommodation for more than 120 individual organisations, ranging from business services and IT specialists to those at the cutting edge of science, research and advanced manufacturing. Around 2,000 people are employed at the site. For further information, telephone 01928 515988 or visit www.theheath.com

For more information, please see:
www.theheath.com

PAUL SMITH ASSOCIATES
20th June 2025