What Teknova does

Teknova (Alpha Teknova, Inc., NASDAQ: TKNO) is a publicly traded life sciences reagent manufacturer founded in 1996 and headquartered in Hollister, California. The company produces critical reagents for the life sciences industry, including buffers, agar plates, microbial culture media, cryopreservation media (PluriFreeze), water products (including WFI Quality Water), and a proprietary AAV•Tek Solutions line covering adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy workflows—comprising AAV Stabilizer (yield gains up to 50%), AEX Buffer Screening Kit (85%+ full capsid enrichment), and PCR Sample Prep Kit. Operations run from over 180,000 square feet of ISO 13485-certified manufacturing space with more than 10,000 square feet of ISO 7 and 8 cleanrooms, supporting lot sizes up to 2,000 liters and serving more than 3,000 customers across academic, biotechnology, and biopharmaceutical end markets.

The company's revenue is generated through three streams: off-the-shelf catalog products (1,400+ ready-to-use formulations sold via direct e-commerce and global distributors Fisher Scientific and VWR), custom manufacturing services (minimums as low as 8 sleeves or 8 liters, plus the expedited Express•Tek Production service), and ISO 13485 GMP manufacturing for clinical and commercial production including OEM kitting. Pricing is predominantly unit-based and quote-based, with GMP contracts typically structured as multi-year agreements. The proprietary modular manufacturing platform—featuring a bracketed quality management system, continuous production, and burst capacity—enables seamless tech transfer from RUO through the new RUO+ grade and into GMP. Financial reporting is split between Lab Essentials (catalog/reagent products, $8.4M in Q1 2026, +3% YoY) and Clinical Solutions (GMP and clinical-grade products, $2.1M in Q1 2026, +85% YoY), with FY2025 total revenue of $40.5 million (+7% YoY), gross margin of 33.2% (a 1,400 bps improvement), and FY2026 guidance of $42–$44 million.

Strategic positioning centers on capturing growth in cell and gene therapy bioprocessing through proprietary reagent IP (AAV•Tek, PluriFreeze), strategic co-development partnerships (notably with Sartorius BIA Separations for combined AAV purification workflows), and a content-marketing-driven demand generation model supported by 80+ peer-reviewed publication citations and an industry webinar series (Teknova Talks). Distribution combines direct e-commerce, a custom order configurator, and a global distributor network, with procurement integrations into SAP Ariba and Coupa for enterprise customers.

Name

Teknova

Legal name

Alpha Teknova, Inc.

Website

https://teknova.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Teknova manufactures critical life sciences reagents—buffers, agar plates, microbial culture media, cryopreservation media, water, and proprietary AAV•Tek gene therapy solutions—for 3,000+ academic, biotech, and biopharma customers across RUO and GMP grades.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Sciences Reagents and Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw Materials & Critical Reagents Supply (Media/Resins/Cytokines) (HLAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

GMP Scale-Up, Tech Transfer & Process Validation (PPQ) (HLAGAHAL), Sample Preparation, Storage & Cryogenics (Freezers, Cryovials, Cryostats) (HLAGAIAJ), Manufacturing Quality Assurance & GMP Compliance (batch release, deviation/CAPA, tech transfer QA) (HLAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Life science reagents
• Custom reagent manufacturing
• GMP manufacturing services
• Cell therapy reagents
• Buffer solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Hollister

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Off-the-shelf Catalog Products: Sale of over 1,400 ready-to-use reagent formulations including buffers, agar plates, culture media, cryopreservation media, and water products. Products available in various formats from tubes to 200L bags. Revenue from standard product catalog with various container sizes and grades (RUO, GMP).
2. Custom Manufacturing Services: Custom reagent formulation and manufacturing services with low minimum orders (as low as 8 sleeves of agar plates or 8 L of broths/buffers). Includes custom formats, formulations, and quality control testing. Features Express•Tek Production for expedited turnaround in days instead of weeks.
3. GMP Manufacturing: ISO 13485 certified manufacturing services for GMP-grade products supporting clinical and commercial production. Services include custom GMP reagents, OEM kitting, and stability studies for shelf-life determination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Teknova manufactures and sells critical reagents and buffers for the life sciences industry across product lines including AAV•Tek Solutions (proprietary AAV gene therapy reagents), Agar Plates, Buffers and Reagents, PluriFreeze Cryopreservation Media, Dry Powders, Microbial Culture Media, and Water products available in RUO, RUO+, and GMP grades. The company complements its catalog with custom manufacturing, GMP manufacturing, OEM kitting, and Express•Tek expedited production services, serving over 3,000 customers in gene therapy, cell therapy, molecular diagnostics, synthetic biology, and academic research through 180,000+ square feet of ISO 13485 certified manufacturing facilities.

Product overview

Teknova is a manufacturer of critical reagents for the life sciences industry, operating as a platform of modular product lines supported by manufacturing services. The core portfolio includes AAV•Tek Solutions (proprietary AAV gene therapy reagents including PCR Sample Prep Kit, AAV Stabilizer, and AEX Buffer Screening Kit), Agar Plates, Buffers and Reagents, Cryopreservation Media (PluriFreeze), Dry Powders, Microbial Culture Media, and Water products—all available in RUO, RUO+, and GMP manufacturing grades. These product lines are complemented by service offerings including GMP Manufacturing, OEM Kitting, Express•Tek Production, and Custom Manufacturing, enabling customers to transition from research through commercialization. The company supports end-to-end workflows for AAV gene therapy and plasmid production, with over 1,400 ready-to-use formulations and more than 3,000 customers across academia, biotechnology, and biopharmaceuticals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AAV•Tek Solutions: Proprietary suite of novel reagents designed to streamline gene therapy workflows, including AAV Stabilizer, AEX Buffer Screening Kit, and PCR Sample Prep Kit for adeno-associated virus applications.
• PluriFreeze Cryopreservation System
• Express•Tek Production
• Pluristyx

Products and services

• AAV•Tek Solutions Proprietary suite of innovative reagents designed to streamline adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy workflows, addressing critical pain points in downstream processing including polishing, sample preparation, and capsid enrichment. Targeted at biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing gene therapies.
• Agar Plates Pre-poured agar plates including bacterial culture media (Brain Heart Infusion, LB, M9, MacConkey, Mannitol Salt, m-Endo, Middlebrook, MRS, Mueller Hinton, Nutrient, Plate Count, Pseudomonas, R2A, Reinforced Clostridial, Salmonella Shigella, SOB/SOC, TB, Tryptic Soy, XLD, 2xYT) and yeast and fungal culture media. Used by life sciences researchers and microbiology labs.
• Buffers and Reagents Comprehensive range of buffers and reagents including acids and bases, additives, alcohol solutions, antibiotic solutions, biological buffers (Bis-Tris, HEPES, Histidine, MES, MOPS, PBS, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Tris), chaotropic agents, molecular biology solutions, salt solutions, sugar solutions, and surfactants/detergents. Used across life sciences research, molecular biology, and bioprocessing.
• PluriFreeze Cryopreservation Media PluriFreeze cryopreservation media system including PluriFreeze Base and PluriFreeze PF10, both available in RUO and GMP grades. Novel low-viscosity solution designed for large-scale cryopreservation in closed systems. Targeted at cell therapy developers and manufacturers.
• Dry Powders Dry powder products including additives (amino acids, plating beads), antibiotic powders, bacterial culture media (Brain Heart Infusion, LB, M9, Mueller-Hinton, SOB/SOC, Super Broth, TB, Tryptic Soy, 2xYT), salt solutions, surfactants/detergents, and yeast/fungal media. Used for microbiology and molecular biology applications.
• Microbial Culture Media Liquid microbial culture media including bacterial culture media (Brain Heart Infusion, LB, M9 Minimal, Mueller-Hinton, Nutrient Broth, SOB/SOC, Super Broth, Synthetic Defined, TB, Tryptic Soy, 2xYT) and yeast and fungal media (Buffered Complex Broths, Complete Minimal, Sabouraud Dextrose, Synthetic Defined, Yeast Peptone Dextrose).
• Water Products Water products including PCR Certified Water (DNase/RNase/Endotoxin Tested), Reagent Grade Water, and WFI Quality Water, available in various formats from tubes to 200L bags. Used in molecular biology, bioprocessing, and pharmaceutical applications.
• GMP Manufacturing Services ISO 13485 certified GMP manufacturing services with over 10,000 square feet of ISO 7 and 8 cleanrooms, featuring cutting-edge automation, continuous production, and burst capacity for lot sizes up to 2,000 L. Serves clinical and commercial-stage biopharmaceutical and biotechnology customers.
• OEM Kitting Original equipment manufacturer kitting services for assembling and packaging custom reagent configurations. Serves companies that require private-label or bundled reagent kits for their customers or distribution channels.
• Express•Tek Production Expedited custom formulation production service that delivers products in days instead of weeks, featuring pre-ordered raw materials, prioritized manufacturing, and overnight shipping with guaranteed turnaround. Serves customers requiring fast turnaround for time-sensitive research or production needs.
• Custom Manufacturing Custom reagent manufacturing with low minimum order quantities (as low as 8 sleeves of agar plates or 8 L of broths/buffers), flexible container formats, and comprehensive QC testing. Services include stability studies and a custom order configurator. Serves life sciences researchers and manufacturers needing tailored formulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 50% increase in AAV yield with AAV Stabilizer
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sartorius BIA SeparationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership focused on AAV downstream processing optimization. The collaboration demonstrated successful achievement of over 85% full AAV capsid enrichment with 80-90% recoveries when pairing Teknova's optimized AEX Buffer Screening Kit with Sartorius BIA Separations' CIMmultus QA monolith. Joint webinars and published data support the partnership. Quote from Managing Director Aleš Štrancar highlights the importance of combining purification platform with buffer composition for successful AAV empty and full capsid separation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Largest life sciences tools company, with Gibco-branded cell culture media, buffers, and bioproduction reagents overlapping directly with Teknova's catalog; also serves biopharma through Patheon CDMO services and Fisher Scientific distribution that competes with Teknova's own Fisher channel.
• Corning Life Sciences: Supplies cell culture media, sera, and bioprocess containers alongside its core lab consumables business; overlaps with Teknova's liquid microbial culture media and water products serving similar life sciences customers.
• Bio-Techne: Public developer and manufacturer of life science reagents, proteins, and cell/gene therapy workflow tools including the recently acquired BioLegend portfolio — overlapping with Teknova's reagent and cell therapy media offerings.
• Sartorius AG: Bioprocessing equipment and consumables leader, parent of BIA Separations — Teknova's explicit AAV downstream co-development partner. Overlapping reagent and buffer offerings make Sartorius a strategic competitor as well as collaborator.
• Avantor: Global supplier of products, services, and solutions for life sciences and advanced technology customers, including bioproduction buffers and reagents through the VWR distribution channel that also carries Teknova's products.
• Cytiva: Danaher-owned bioprocessing leader offering chromatography resins, buffers, and consumables including the CIMmultus QA monolith — Teknova's AAV•Tek AEX kit is paired with Cytiva/Sartorius platforms, making Cytiva a direct channel and technology peer with vastly greater scale.
• Merck KGaA / MilliporeSigma: Operates one of the broadest portfolios of buffers, reagents, and bioprocessing inputs including the BioReliance CDMO testing services; competes across Teknova's entire catalog and offers deeper customization for larger GMP customers.
• Lonza Group: Global biopharma CDMO and manufacturer of cell and gene therapy media and buffers; comparable to Teknova's GMP manufacturing and cryopreservation offerings but with substantially larger scale and broader service portfolio.

Direct peers

• STEMCELL Technologies: Privately held Canadian life sciences company specializing in cell culture media, cryopreservation reagents, and cell therapy workflow products — directly comparable to Teknova's PluriFreeze and microbial culture media lines serving similar academic and biopharma customers.
• FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific: Manufacturer of cell culture media, reagents, and GMP-grade bioprocessing inputs for cell and gene therapy — directly comparable to Teknova's GMP manufacturing services and PluriFreeze cryopreservation media targeting the same therapy developers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teknova-inc
• Xx.com/teknovascience

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Teknova