Evotec SE is a life sciences company founded in 1993 and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company specializes in drug discovery, preclinical research, pharmaceutical development and biologics manufacturing, working with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology businesses and academic research institutions to advance new medicines. Evotec trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker EVT and on Nasdaq under the ticker EVO, where its American Depositary Shares are listed. Rather than operating primarily as a conventional pharmaceutical company selling finished medicines, Evotec combines scientific research, specialized technologies and development services to help partners move potential treatments from early discovery toward clinical development and commercialization.
Drug discovery is a central part of Evotec's operations, with research capabilities spanning small-molecule drugs, biologics and other therapeutic approaches. Its scientists use technologies such as molecular profiling, high-throughput screening, disease modeling and artificial intelligence to identify potential drug candidates and investigate how diseases develop. The company works across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurological disorders, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, immunology, inflammation, infectious diseases and rare conditions. Through collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology developers, Evotec can contribute expertise at specific stages of research or participate in more extensive programs that cover multiple phases of drug development.
Manufacturing and biologics development complement Evotec's research business. Its subsidiary Just – Evotec Biologics focuses on developing and manufacturing biologic medicines, including complex therapies produced using living cells. By integrating computational design, process development and manufacturing technologies, the business aims to make biologics development more efficient and potentially reduce production costs. Evotec also operates Cyprotex, which specializes in absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) research and toxicology testing. These services help pharmaceutical developers assess how drug candidates behave in the body and identify potential safety concerns before advancing them into later stages of development.
Evotec's business model combines fee-based research services with longer-term development partnerships, milestone payments, potential royalties and interests in selected drug-development programs. This structure allows the company to work with partners at different stages of pharmaceutical research while retaining opportunities to benefit when jointly developed treatments progress. Its international operations and specialized research platforms support collaborations with large pharmaceutical companies, emerging biotechnology firms and academic institutions. By connecting early-stage scientific discovery with preclinical development and manufacturing capabilities, Evotec occupies a position between basic biomedical research and the commercial pharmaceutical industry, helping partners develop treatments across a range of diseases and therapeutic technologies.