NanoImaging Services
NanoImaging Services is a US-based cryo-EM contract research organization serving pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients with structural biology, nanoparticle characterization, and integrated gene-to-structure protein production services from facilities in San Diego and Woburn.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NanoImaging Services does
NanoImaging Services (NIS) is a US-based Contract Research Organization founded in 2007 in San Diego by cryo-EM pioneers Clint Potter and Bridget Carragher. The company provides cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-TEM services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients, operating dedicated in-house Thermo Fisher Titan Krios and Glacios transmission electron microscopes across two facilities: NIS-WEST in San Diego, California and NIS-EAST in Woburn, Massachusetts. NIS reports a track record of 200+ 3D structures determined (76% at 3.5 Å or better resolution), 70+ membrane proteins solved, 220+ AAV samples imaged (with an AAV structure solved to 1.8 Å), 3,700+ liposomal samples, and 2,900+ virus/VLP samples imaged. Core service lines include single particle analysis (SPA), epitope mapping (with two-week turnaround and publicly disclosed pricing of $29,500), feasibility assessments (Starter Pack), and nanoparticle characterization (LNPs, exosomes, VLPs, liposomes) with method validation for GMP workflows.
The business operates as a project-based CRO, generating revenue through quoted service contracts with pharmaceutical and biotech R&D teams across structure-based drug design, biologics characterization, gene therapy, and vaccine development. Following the January 2025 acquisition of Proteos, NIS extended its offering upstream into protein production, enabling integrated gene-to-structure workflows. The company employs an enterprise field sales motion, supported by leadership with deep CRO and life sciences instrumentation experience, including CEO Fraser McLeod (appointed March 2026, formerly of Waters, SCIEX, Danaher, and Thermo Fisher Scientific) and CSO Giovanna Scapin (who built the cryo-EM facility at Merck). NIS has been backed by Ampersand Capital Partners since June 2023, with Peter Glick (Ampersand General Partner) serving as Chairman, and has filed SEC exempt offerings totaling approximately $18M to fund global growth, capacity expansion, and adjacent service development.
NanoImaging Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NanoImaging Services
- Legal name
- NanoImaging Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://nanoimagingservices.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- NanoImaging Services is a US-based cryo-EM contract research organization serving pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients with structural biology, nanoparticle characterization, and integrated gene-to-structure protein production services from facilities in San Diego and Woburn.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NanoImaging Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cryo-EM Contract Research Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bioanalytical & Biomarker CROs (PK/PD/Immunogenicity) (HLAGAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cold Chain, Cryopreservation & Biologics Storage/Handling Technologies (HLAAAJAN)
Keywords
Where NanoImaging Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
NanoImaging Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Cryo-EM Structural Biology Services: Project-based CRO services for pharmaceutical and biotech companies including feasibility assessments, epitope mapping, single particle analysis, and 3D structure reconstruction. Revenue is generated through service contracts with specific project quotes. Examples include Starter Pack (feasibility) and epitope mapping at $29,500.
- Nanoparticle Characterization Services: Cryo-TEM characterization services for lipid nanoparticles, exosomes, VLPs, and other nanoparticles used in drug delivery and vaccine development. Services include method validation for GMP characterization.
- Protein Production Services: Following the acquisition of Proteos in January 2025, NIS now offers integrated protein production services from gene to structure, enhancing end-to-end capabilities for drug discovery clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Epitope Mapping Service - High Resolution Structure |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Starter Pack / Feasibility Assessment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
NanoImaging Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NanoImaging Services is a US-based contract research organization (CRO) providing cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for drug discovery and biomanufacturing. The company operates in-house Thermo Fisher Scientific Titan Krios and Glacios microscopes across two US facilities (San Diego and Woburn, MA) to deliver single particle analysis, epitope mapping, feasibility assessments, and 3D structure reconstruction. Following the January 2025 acquisition of Proteos, NIS also offers integrated gene-to-structure protein production services, and separately performs cryo-TEM nanoparticle characterization for lipid nanoparticles, exosomes, VLPs, and viruses.
Product overview
NanoImaging Services (NIS) is a US-based Contract Research Organization (CRO) offering cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) services to the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. The company operates as a single unified service platform with in-house microscopes, providing two main service areas: Structural Biology (cryo-EM structure determination, epitope mapping, feasibility assessment, and single particle analysis) and Nanoparticle Characterization (cryo-TEM imaging for liposomes, LNPs, viruses, and VLPs). Following the 2025 acquisition of Proteos, NIS expanded its offerings to include NIS/Proteos Protein Production (gene-to-structure protein production). The platform is built on Thermo Fisher Scientific equipment (Glacios and Titan Krios microscopes) with dedicated computational infrastructure for data processing. The company operates two facilities in San Diego, CA (NIS-WEST) and Woburn, MA (NIS-EAST).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Proteos: Protein production CRO acquired by NIS to enhance integrated protein sciences and structure-based drug discovery capabilities
Products and services
- Cryo-EM Structural Biology Services Cryo-EM structural biology services for pharmaceutical and biotech clients, including single particle analysis (SPA), 3D structure reconstruction, 2D class averaging, and feasibility assessments for challenging targets such as GPCRs, ion channels, membrane proteins, antibody-antigen complexes, and protein degraders (PROTACs and molecular glues). Delivered using in-house Thermo Fisher Scientific Titan Krios and Glacios microscopes with sample-to-structure turnaround in under 4 weeks.
- Epitope Mapping Standalone cryo-EM epitope mapping service delivering 3D reconstruction at the epitope/paratope interface suitable for tracing chains and assigning 75% of side chains within 2 weeks of sample receipt for suitable samples. Targeted at antibody developers and immunology researchers.
- Feasibility Assessment (Starter Pack) Entry-point cryo-EM feasibility service providing comprehensive characterization of sample suitability for high-resolution data collection, including negative stain screening, grid preparation under up to 11 conditions, overnight data collection of 2,000+ micrographs, and 2D class calculation within one week.
- Nanoparticle Characterization Services Cryo-TEM imaging and analysis services for nanoparticles including liposomes, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), extracellular vesicles (EVs), outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), virus-like particles (VLPs), and viruses used in drug delivery, gene therapy, and vaccine development. Method validation services available for GMP-compliant characterization.
- NIS/Proteos Protein Production Services Gene-to-structure protein production services delivered through the acquired Proteos subsidiary, providing integrated protein sciences and structure-based drug discovery capabilities from gene through purified protein suitable for structural biology and biochemical studies.
Quantifiable outcome
- 76% of protein structures solved at 3.5 Å or better resolution from Krios-generated data
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use NanoImaging Services
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NanoImaging Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
NanoImaging Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- ProteoscoreNIS acquired Proteos, a contract research organization specializing in protein production, in January 2025. The acquisition enhances NIS's integrated protein sciences and structure-based drug discovery capabilities. Proteos was a US-based protein production CRO that strengthens NIS's gene-to-structure service offerings.
- Thermo Fisher ScientificstrategicNIS partners with Thermo Fisher Scientific for electron microscopy equipment. The partnership includes joint open house events where NIS showcases its cryo-EM laboratory capabilities using Thermo Fisher equipment including Titan Krios and Glacios microscopes. NIS was the first structural biology CRO with dedicated in-house Titan Krios.
- Discngine LabsminorNIS participated in a virtual roundtable with Discngine Labs discussing the future of cryo-EM in pharma. CSO Dr. Giovanna Scapin spoke alongside representatives from Sanofi, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Boehringer Ingelheim.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NanoImaging Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Proteros: Germany-based structural biology CRO offering X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM services to pharma/biotech. Closest direct peer to NIS, serving the same SBDD customer base with a similar project-based services model.
- SARomics Biostructures: Sweden-based structural biology CRO providing protein crystallography, cryo-EM, and NMR-based structure determination. Comparable as a specialist structural biology services provider competing for SBDD programs.
- Creative Biostructure: US-based provider of cryo-EM, X-ray, NMR, and other structural biology services. Competes with NIS for outsourced structure determination projects from pharma and biotech clients.
Broad incumbents
- WuXi AppTec: Global CRO/CDMO offering a broad portfolio that includes structural biology and biologics characterization. Overlaps with NIS in serving large pharma for structure-based drug design and biologics characterization, but as part of a much wider service menu.
- Charles River Laboratories: Large CRO with discovery and safety assessment services, including biologics and structure-related capabilities. Competes for portions of pharma R&D outsourcing spend and increasingly for biologics-related analytical work.
- Eurofins Scientific: Global lab services group with extensive bioanalytical, characterization, and biopharma product testing capabilities. Provides alternative analytical and characterization pathways for many of the same pharma/biotech sponsors.
- GenScript: Biotech services company offering protein production, biologics discovery, and related services. Now overlaps directly with NIS through Proteos-style protein production and broader drug discovery offerings.
- Curia Global: CDMO/CRO offering drug discovery and development services including biologics. CCO Kristin Rider's prior tenure at Curia/LakePharma underscores overlap in pharma services talent and customer relationships.
Others
- New York Structural Biology Center: Academic cryo-EM consortium (Simons Electron Microscopy Center and others) founded by co-directors Carragher and Potter. Provides subsidized cryo-EM access to academic and industry users, functioning as both a feeder of NIS talent and a partial alternative for clients.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Sole supplier of NIS's Titan Krios and Glacios microscopes and a strategic partner for open houses and training. Could emerge as a competitor if it expands cryo-EM services offerings, but currently an enabling equipment vendor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NanoImaging Services social profiles
Digital presenceNanoImaging Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NanoImaging Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
NanoImaging Services subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
NanoImaging Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NanoImaging Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NanoImaging Services
What does NanoImaging Services do?
NanoImaging Services is a US-based contract research organization (CRO) providing cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for drug discovery and biomanufacturing. The company operates in-house Thermo Fisher Scientific Titan Krios and Glacios microscopes across two US facilities (San Diego and Woburn, MA) to deliver single particle analysis, epitope mapping, feasibility assessments, and 3D structure reconstruction. Following the January 2025 acquisition of Proteos, NIS also offers integrated gene-to-structure protein production services, and separately performs cryo-TEM nanoparticle characterization for lipid nanoparticles, exosomes, VLPs, and viruses.
Is NanoImaging Services a public or private company?
NanoImaging Services is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was NanoImaging Services founded?
NanoImaging Services was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is NanoImaging Services based?
NanoImaging Services is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does NanoImaging Services make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Cryo-EM Structural Biology Services are the primary driver. The others are nanoparticle Characterization Services and protein Production Services.
Who are NanoImaging Services's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Proteros, SARomics Biostructures and Creative Biostructure. Broad incumbents are WuXi AppTec, Charles River Laboratories, Eurofins Scientific, GenScript and Curia Global. Others are New York Structural Biology Center and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Does NanoImaging Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for NanoImaging Services.
What industry is NanoImaging Services in?
NanoImaging Services's product category is Cryo-EM Contract Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAD, Bioanalytical & Biomarker CROs (PK/PD/Immunogenicity), with a secondary code of HLAAAJAN, Cold Chain, Cryopreservation & Biologics Storage/Handling Technologies. Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.