Zeon Corporation Invests in Chemify to Accelerate Digital Chemistry Innovation

Partnership aims to drive development of new materials through automated molecular design and synthesis

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Zeon Corporation, a leading chemical company, has made a strategic investment in Chemify, a U.K. company pioneering digital chemistry technology. Through this partnership, Zeon aims to leverage Chemify's automated molecular design and synthesis capabilities to accelerate its own digital chemistry initiatives and create new materials that can provide solutions to global challenges in areas like healthcare, energy, and sustainability.

Why it matters

The development of novel, synthesizable molecules is crucial for addressing pressing global issues in fields like medicine, energy, and environmental sustainability. By investing in Chemify's cutting-edge digital chemistry platform, Zeon is positioning itself to be at the forefront of this innovation, which could lead to breakthroughs in advanced materials and compounds.

The details

Chemify's Chemputation technology automates the entire chemical discovery and synthesis process, translating target molecules into code that can run on the company's robotic systems. This enables rapid Design–Make–Test–Analyze cycles, potentially reducing the time from initial conception to compound synthesis by 10-fold. Chemify recently opened its first Chemifarm, a fully automated chemistry facility in Glasgow, Scotland, that can accelerate the discovery of novel small molecules.

  • Zeon Corporation announced the strategic investment in Chemify on February 12, 2026.
  • Chemify opened its first Chemifarm facility in Glasgow, Scotland, last year.

The players

Zeon Corporation

A leading Japanese chemical company that has been an early adopter of digital transformation in chemical research, seeking to redefine the future of R&D.

Chemify, Ltd.

A U.K. growth-stage company that is a pioneer in digital chemistry, focused on accelerating the design, discovery, and synthesis of novel molecules for medicines and advanced materials.

Tetsuya Toyoshima

The President and CEO of Zeon Corporation.

Kazuhiro Takahashi

The representative of Zeon Ventures Inc., Zeon Corporation's venture capital arm.

Lee Cronin

The representative of Chemify, Ltd.

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What they’re saying

“Through this investment and partnership, we aim to leverage Chemify's cutting-edge technology to further accelerate our digital chemistry initiatives and drive the creation of new materials and compounds that can provide meaningful solutions to society's most pressing challenges.”

— Tetsuya Toyoshima, President and CEO, Zeon Corporation (Business Wire)

What’s next

Zeon Corporation aims to raise the sales ratio of four growth areas, including Mobility, Healthcare and Life Science, Telecommunications, and Green Transformation, to 48% of total sales by fiscal 2028 through investments in innovative companies like Chemify.

The takeaway

Zeon's strategic investment in Chemify demonstrates the growing importance of digital chemistry and automated molecular design in driving innovation across industries to address global challenges. This partnership positions both companies to be at the forefront of developing novel, synthesizable molecules that can lead to breakthroughs in advanced materials, medicines, and more.