What Capitainer does

Capitainer is a Swedish medtech company developing volumetric microsampling devices that enable patients and laboratory personnel to collect precisely metered dried blood spot (DBS), plasma, and urine samples at home or in clinical settings without phlebotomy or cold-chain logistics. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Solna, Sweden, the company commercializes its proprietary qDBS (quantitative Dried Blood Spot) microfluidic technology, which uses capillary channels to automatically meter fixed blood volumes (typically 10 µL) into pre-cut filter discs, eliminating the hematocrit-dependent volume bias that compromises conventional DBS sub-punch methods. The portfolio comprises five core hardware products—Capitainer B10 and B50 for whole blood, B10 Vanadate (which incorporates sodium metavanadate to inhibit post-sampling PEth formation) for alcohol-biomarker testing, SEP10 for capillary plasma microsampling without centrifugation, and DIP70 for urine microsampling—supplemented by lab-solution services, TSH testing, kitting support, and sampling-instruction packages.

The go-to-market combines direct digital sales through capitainer.com, enterprise sales to clinical laboratories, hospital systems, and public health agencies, and an emerging channel distribution network that includes Triolab for Sweden (June 2026) and consortium-led reach into Sub-Saharan Africa through the Karolinska Institutet-coordinated UTI-Diag project (11 partners across 7 countries). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; new customers complete request-pricing/sample flows and undergo credit assessment. The company's commercial validation is anchored in peer-reviewed publications across multiple high-impact journals (Eurosurveillance, Nature Communications, Nature Medicine, Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis) and includes named enterprise deployments at Region Västerbotten, the Public Health Agency of Sweden, Uppsala and Oslo University Hospitals, Sundsvall Hospital, Xerum AB, and First Wellness Testing, with documented outcomes such as a 500%+ increase in testing frequency in rural Västerbotten and >95% correct-sample arrival rates in the Swedish national COVID-19 antibody study.

Capitainer is privately held with a 11–50-employee headcount, a US subsidiary (Capitainer Inc) in East Providence, Rhode Island, and a leadership team led by CEO Christopher Aulin and CSO/Co-founder Olof Beck. Capital formation has totaled approximately $16M USD across multiple 2019–2024 tranches, with Sciety (a Swedish life-sciences investor) as the consistent lead investor across the 2020, 2022 and 2024 rounds and We Venture Capital joining as co-investor in early 2024.

Name

Capitainer

Legal name

Capitainer AB

Website

https://capitainer.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Capitainer AB is a Swedish medtech company developing volumetric microsampling devices for at-home, cold-chain-free collection of dried blood, plasma, and urine samples. It serves clinical laboratories, hospitals, public health agencies, and pharmaceutical research organizations across Europe, North America, and Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diagnostic Microsampling Devices

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Laboratory Automation, Sample Prep & Liquid Handling (IVD Lab Diagnostics) (HLAHAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cardiometabolic RPM & Chronic Disease Management (diabetes, hypertension, CHF, obesity) (HLALAFAA)

Keywords

• Volumetric microsampling devices
• Dried blood spot technology
• Remote blood collection
• Microfluidic sampling devices
• Clinical diagnostics tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Microsampling Device Sales: Capitainer generates revenue through the sale of its microsampling devices (Capitainer B10, B50, B10 Vanadate, SEP10, DIP70) and associated accessories and lab solutions, sold directly to healthcare providers, clinical laboratories, research institutions, and through distribution partners.
2. Laboratory Testing Services: Capitainer offers laboratory testing services including TSH Testing, supporting diagnostic workflows where the company's sampling devices are used in combination with lab analysis services.
3. Kitting Support Services: The company provides kitting support services and sampling instruction packages to help customers integrate Capitainer devices into their diagnostic or research workflows.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Capitainer develops and manufactures proprietary volumetric microsampling devices (qDBS technology) that enable patients to self-collect precise volumes of capillary blood, plasma, and urine at home via finger-prick. The microfluidic-based devices automatically meter exact sample volumes (e.g., 10 µL blood) into pre-cut filter discs with a built-in colorimetric success indicator, allowing quantitative dried blood spot analysis shipped at ambient temperature without cold chain logistics. The company also offers associated lab solutions, kitting support, sampling instruction packages, and TSH testing services.

Product overview

Capitainer offers a portfolio of volumetric microsampling devices for collecting precise volumes of blood, plasma, and fluids. The core product line includes Capitainer®B10 and B50 for whole blood collection (10µL and 50µL respectively), Capitainer®SEP10 for plasma microsampling, Capitainer®B10 Vanadate for specialized PEth alcohol biomarker testing, and Capitainer®DIP70 for dried urine microsampling. All devices use proprietary microfluidic technology to automatically meter exact sample volumes to pre-cut filter discs, eliminating the hematocrit effect and enabling quantitative analysis. The portfolio also includes lab solutions, kitting support, and sampling instruction packages. The qDBS technology platform underlies all blood sampling products, providing consistent volumetric sampling with built-in success indicators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capitainer®B10

Quantifiable outcome

• Testing frequency increased by over 500% in rural areas of Västerbotten when home sampling replaced traditional venous blood draws for COVID-19 serology
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• TriolabcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 June 2026Capitainer entered a distribution partnership with Triolab for the Swedish market in June 2026. Triolab offers Capitainer's solutions for volumetric microsampling and self-sampling to laboratories and healthcare providers across Sweden. Triolab's experience in public procurement and established position within Swedish healthcare makes them a natural partner as more projects move toward clinical implementation of decentralized sampling solutions.
• Karolinska Institutet (UTI-Diag Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapitainer participates in the UTI-Diag international consortium coordinated by Karolinska Institutet, focused on improving diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project brings together 11 partner organizations across 7 countries and is co-funded by the European Union through Global Health EDCTP3 and UK Research and Innovation. Capitainer contributes its DIP70 microsampling device for DNA-based detection of UTI pathogens.
• Institut Pasteur de DakarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitut Pasteur de Dakar organized and hosted the International Conference on Diagnostic Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa and the first annual UTI-Diag consortium meeting in June. The conference brought together researchers, healthcare professionals, industry representatives, and consortium partners from across Europe and Africa. Capitainer's R&D Manager participated in scientific exchange, workshops, and training activities.
• Umeå UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers from Umeå University collaborated with Karolinska Institute and Xerum AB to conduct a major retrospective cohort study demonstrating that home sampling with Capitainer qDBS devices greatly increased access to COVID-19 diagnostics in rural northern Sweden. The study was published in Eurosurveillance and is the first to demonstrate the impact of increased access to diagnostics with home sampling in a western country.
• Xerum ABmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXerum AB collaborated on the Västerbotten COVID-19 serology surveillance study, serving as the clinical microbiology laboratory that analyzed qDBS samples alongside venous samples. Xerum CEO Julia Wigren Bystrom noted that large-scale serological testing was greatly simplified with Capitainer's DBS sampling, achieving near-100% successful sampling rates.
• Uppsala University HospitalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers at Uppsala University's Department of Medical Science conducted a clinical evaluation of Capitainer B10 for at-home HbA1c sampling in diabetes patients. The study demonstrated excellent agreement between qDBS and venous blood samples on a Roche cobas 6000 analyzer, with results published in the Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation.
• University Hospital Oslo / University of OslomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian researchers conducted a 6-month study in 2022 with 25 kidney transplant patients, comparing Capitainer B10 volumetric DBS microsampling with conventional venous blood sampling for routine monitoring of tacrolimus, creatinine, and hemoglobin. The study confirmed equal sampling success and analytical quality for self-sampling vs. healthcare-assisted sampling.
• AltasciencesmajorTechnology or IntegrationAltasciences, a global contract research organization working with pharmaceutical companies in drug development, evaluated Capitainer qDBS for the quantification of 15 anti-epileptic drugs. The evaluation found that the device delivered accurate and precise blood volumes, was straightforward to use, and was devoid of the limitations of conventional DBS. Results were presented at AAPS PharmSci 360 2021.
• DiatropixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWithin the UTI-Diag project, consortium participants visited Diatropix's ISO 13485-certified manufacturing facility for rapid diagnostic tests, as part of the training and capacity-building activities organized during the conference in Dakar, Senegal.
• Karolinska Institute, Stockholm County Council, ABC Labs (Sweden)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish research team from Karolinska Institute, Stockholm County Council, and ABC Labs developed and validated a multi-panel drug testing workflow combining Capitainer B10 qDBS with LC-MS/MS for detection of 35 analytes in clinical samples from a methadone maintenance clinic. The study demonstrated excellent agreement between qDBS and urine samples, with results published in Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Neoteryx (Trajan Scientific): Trajan-owned Neoteryx markets Mitra, a volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) device for capillary blood collection. Mitra is a direct competitor to Capitainer's B10/B50 series in the same microsampling category, targeting clinical research and remote sampling workflows.
• Tasso: Tasso develops OnDemand and Tasso-Mini devices for patient-friendly capillary blood collection at home. It competes directly with Capitainer's qDBS in the decentralized clinical trials and remote patient monitoring markets.

Emerging players

• Spot On Sciences: Spot On Sciences makes HemaSpot and HemaSpot-PRO dried blood spot devices that compete with Capitainer's qDBS for ambient-temperature blood collection. While smaller in scale, it overlaps in the same DBS-for-remote-sampling use cases.
• Drawbridge Health: Drawbridge Health developed the OneDraw device for virtually painless self-collected blood samples. It addresses the same self-sampling-at-home thesis as Capitainer, with applications in chronic disease monitoring and decentralized trials.
• Yourbio Health: Yourbio Health (formerly a Seventh Sense Biosystems spin-out) developed the TAP device for capillary blood collection at home. It is a comparable emerging microsampling player targeting the same home-based diagnostics and clinical trial use cases.
• Babson Diagnostics: Babson Diagnostics is building a small-volume, capillary-based diagnostic testing service in partnership with Becton Dickinson. It addresses the same at-home/retail blood-collection thesis as Capitainer, though with a service-led model rather than a device-only offering.

Broad incumbents

• PerkinElmer: PerkinElmer offers a broad portfolio of dried blood spot products and laboratory diagnostics services, including newborn screening and clinical research solutions. It is a larger incumbent with overlapping capabilities in DBS workflows and clinical diagnostics.
• GE Healthcare (Cytiva / Whatman): GE Healthcare's Whatman 903 Protein Saver Cards are the dominant legacy DBS card used in newborn screening and global health programs. As a broad incumbent, GE competes with Capitainer's qDBS in conventional DBS workflows and could expand into volumetric microsampling.
• Trajan Scientific and Medical: Trajan Scientific is a global analytical science company that owns Neoteryx and other microsampling assets. As the parent of Capitainer's closest direct competitor (Mitra), it represents the largest commercial-scale counterpart in the microsampling space.

Others

• Olink Holding: Olink provides proteomics biomarker platforms that are compatible with Capitainer's qDBS samples (validated in partnership studies). Although not a direct competitor, it is an enabling ecosystem partner whose adoption of remote sampling amplifies Capitainer's TAM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capitainer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors6 records

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 Capitainer