Name

Aerosol Dynamics

Legal name

Aerosol Dynamics Inc.

Website

https://aerosol.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerosol Measurement Instrumentation

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (Criteria Pollutants & Air Toxics) (EUAHACAA)

Keywords

• Aerosol measurement instruments
• Condensation particle counters
• Airborne particle detection
• Bioaerosol collection systems
• Atmospheric research instrumentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing: ADI develops proprietary aerosol measurement technology and licenses it to manufacturing partners. The company holds core patents and licenses water-based condensation particle counter (WCPC) technology to TSI Inc. for commercial production and sale.
2. Instrument Sales through Partners: ADI-developed instruments are sold through channel partners: TSI Inc. (WCPCs, vWCPCs, AeroTrak), Aerosol Devices Inc. (BioSpot-VIVAS, BioSpot-GEM, Spot Sampler), Aerodyne Research Inc. (TAG), and Handix Scientific (BioCascade systems).
3. R&D Services: The company conducts R&D contracts and collaborations with universities and national laboratories for instrument development and atmospheric research applications.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aerosol Dynamics designs and develops proprietary instruments for measuring and characterizing airborne particles, including water-based condensation particle counters (WCPCs), cascade impactors, bioaerosol collectors, and thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatographs. Instruments are used for atmospheric research, environmental monitoring, epidemiology studies, and global climate research, measuring particles from near 1 nm to 25 µm. The company develops the core technology and licenses it to channel partners (TSI Inc., Aerosol Devices, Aerodyne Research, Handix Scientific) for commercial manufacturing and distribution, while also conducting R&D contracts and academic collaborations.

Product overview

Aerosol Dynamics is a small R&D company founded in 1991 specializing in airborne particle measurement instruments for atmospheric research, routine monitoring, epidemiology studies, and global climate research. The company offers a portfolio of proprietary instruments including water-based condensation particle counters (MAGIC Model 250, Spider MAGIC Model 810), cascade impactors (BioCascade), and particle monitors (CAPM), alongside thermal desorption gas chromatography systems (TAG, C-TAG) developed jointly with UC Berkeley and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Several products are commercialized through licensing partners: water-based CPCs (WCPC, vWCPC) through TSI Inc., and bioaerosol collectors (BioSpot-VIVAS, BioSpot-GEM, Spot Sampler) through Aerosol Devices Inc. The AMI system provides rapid particle sizing research capabilities. The product line spans from compact portable instruments for field deployment to research-grade systems with molecular-level chemical analysis capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MAGIC® Model 250 Water-based Condensation Particle Counter Compact, motion-tolerant, battery-operable water-based condensation particle counter that measures number concentration of airborne particles larger than 7 nm in diameter using moderated condensational growth with internal water cycling. Used by atmospheric research institutions and field researchers for portable aerosol measurement.
• Spider MAGIC® Model 810 Particle Mobility Spectrometer Combines the MAGIC water-based CPC technology with a compact radial-flow Differential Mobility Analyzer. Provides particle sizing across the 9.5–500 nm range with 30-second time resolution over the full size range. Used by atmospheric researchers for size-resolved aerosol measurements.
• BioCascade Impactor Planar cascade impactor for gentle, viable collection of bioaerosol samples into liquid media. Collects particles in three size fractions with D50 cut-points of 10 µm, 4 µm, and 1.5 µm. Used by public health and bioaerosol researchers for size-fractionated collection.
• Community Airborne Particle Monitor (CAPM) Model 160 Dual-sensor instrument that counts ultrafine particles as small as 5 nm using a condensation particle counter and optically sizes particles from 0.3 to 25 µm across 30 size channels. Used for community air quality monitoring applications.
• BioSpot-VIVAS™ Biological collection system using a water-condensation growth tube for efficient, viable capture of virus, bacteria, and bioaerosols into water solution. Collection efficiencies above 90% for particles 8 nm to 10 µm. Demonstrated more than 10x more efficient virus collection than the BioSampler for influenza H1N1. Sold through Aerosol Devices Inc.
• BioSpot-GEM™ Bioaerosol sampler providing fast and easy high-efficiency collection of bioaerosol particles directly onto a swab. Sold through Aerosol Devices Inc.
• Spot Sampler™ Aerosol particle collector using moderated condensational growth technology to capture fine and ultrafine particles in concentrated manner for offline analysis. High collection efficiency down to less than 8 nm with no particle bounce. Sold through Aerosol Devices Inc.
• WCPC (Water-Based Condensation Particle Counter) Series Water-based condensation particle counters measuring number concentration of airborne particles as small as a few nanometers. Licensed to and commercially manufactured and sold by TSI Inc. Includes TSI Models 3783, 3787, 3788, and Model 9001 Clean Room CPC.
• vWCPC (Versatile WCPC) / TSI Model 3789 Versatile water-based CPC using the latest water-based condensation technology for particle detection near 1 nm. Features a three-stage approach lowering temperature and water vapor content ahead of optics, enabling sub-2 nm particle detection. Sold by TSI Inc. as Model 3789.
• TAG (Thermal Desorption Aerosol Gas Chromatograph) Instrument for hourly in-situ molecular speciation and quantitation of semi-volatile organic aerosols. Collects ambient samples into a thermal desorption cell, then heats and transfers evolved gases via a focusing trap to a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. Supports month-long field deployments with hourly resolved composition data. Sold through Aerodyne Research, Inc.
• C-TAG (Comprehensive TAG) Extends the TAG platform to include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile vapors in addition to particles, spanning C5 to C30 compounds. Built around two independent collection and GC modules coupled to a shared time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Developed with UC Berkeley.
• AMI (Aerosol Mobility Imaging) Instantaneous electrical mobility particle sizing system providing 1-second size distribution measurements for particles between 10 nm and 300 nm. Developed jointly with Brookhaven National Laboratory and Jian Wang at Washington University in St. Louis. Used for rapid aerosol sizing in field and laboratory settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sub-2nm particle detection with vWCPC technology
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• TSI Inc.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2010TSI acquired the Water-CPC license from Quant Instruments in 2010. TSI manufactures and sells WCPC products including Models 3783, 3787, 3788, 3789 vWCPC, and Model 9001 AeroTrak Cleanroom CPC. ADI developed the core technology and licenses it exclusively to TSI for commercial applications.
• Aerosol Devices Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAerosol Devices is the exclusive distributor for ADI-developed BioSpot-VIVAS (biological collection), BioSpot-GEM (bioaerosol sampler), and Spot Sampler products. These instruments use ADI's condensational growth technology for biological and chemical sampling applications.
• Aerodyne Research Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAerodyne Research manufactures and sells the TAG (Thermal Desorption Aerosol Gas Chromatograph) instrument developed jointly with UC Berkeley. The TAG system provides hourly in-situ molecular speciation of organic aerosols.
• Handix ScientificsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHandix Scientific is the exclusive distributor for the combined BioCascade-VIVAS complete bioaerosol collection system. This partnership extends viable sample collection down to 5nm for comprehensive bioaerosol monitoring.
• Brookhaven National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of AMI (Aerosol Mobility Imaging) technology. AMI provides rapid 1-Hz mobility-based particle sizing from 10nm to 500nm, with applications in aircraft studies and particle hygroscopicity measurements.
• University of California, BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of TAG and C-TAG instruments with UC Berkeley researchers (Goldstein Group). TAG provides hourly molecular speciation of organic aerosols; C-TAG extends to include VOCs spanning C5-C30 compounds.
• California Institute of TechnologysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration in aerosol research. Postdoctoral work for founder Susanne Hering conducted at Caltech. Ongoing research collaboration in atmospheric aerosols.
• University of FloridasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with University of Florida researchers demonstrated VIVAS virus capture efficiency. Studies with influenza H1N1 virus showed VIVAS is more than an order of magnitude more efficient than the BioSampler for viable virus collection.
• University of California, IrvinesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration in aerosol research and instrumentation development.
• Washington University in St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of AMI (Aerosol Mobility Imaging) with Jian Wang at Washington University. AMI provides instantaneous electrical mobility particle sizing for particles 10-300nm at 1 Hz time resolution.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Palas GmbH: German manufacturer of fine dust and aerosol measurement instruments, including condensation particle counters (UF-CPC series with sub-2nm detection), aerosol spectrometers, and dilution systems. Palas is one of the closest direct competitors to ADI on ultrafine particle detection technology.
• Brechtel Manufacturing Inc. Hayward, CA-based manufacturer of aerosol instrumentation for atmospheric research, including single-particle soot photometers (SP2) and aerosol mass spectrometers. Brechtel serves an overlapping set of national laboratory and university customers with research-grade aerosol instruments.
• Cambustion: UK-based specialist in aerosol and particle measurement instrumentation, including centrifugal particle mass spectrometers, fast particle sizers, and DMS500 series instruments. Cambustion serves automotive emissions, materials, and atmospheric research customers with comparable instrumentation to ADI's particle sizers.
• Handix Scientific: Boulder-based developer of portable aerosol instrumentation that distributes ADI's BioCascade-VIVAS system. Handix develops condensation-based particle counters and bioaerosol sensors for atmospheric and air quality applications, overlapping with ADI's portable instrument portfolio.
• Quant Technologies (Quant Instruments): Original developer of water-based condensation particle counter technology whose license was acquired by TSI in 2010. Quant continues to develop and supply aerosol measurement instrumentation, particularly bioaerosol and ultrafine particle counters, placing it in direct technical overlap with ADI's WCPC portfolio.
• Aerosol Devices Inc. Channel partner that sells ADI's BioSpot-VIVAS, BioSpot-GEM, and Spot Sampler products. Aerosol Devices develops its own bioaerosol collection instrumentation (e.g., BioSampler family) and is both a customer-facing distributor and a partial competitor in viable bioaerosol sampling.
• MSP Corporation: Minnesota-based manufacturer of aerosol instrumentation, including differential mobility analyzers, condensation particle counters (e.g., Model 1720), and aerosol generation equipment. MSP is a longstanding supplier to atmospheric and inhalation research laboratories and competes with ADI in particle sizing and counting.
• Aerodyne Research Inc. Privately-held atmospheric and aerosol instrumentation company that licenses and distributes ADI's TAG and C-TAG instruments. Aerodyne develops its own aerosol mass spectrometers (ToF-AMS) and serves overlapping atmospheric research and air quality monitoring customers.

Broad incumbents

• Droplet Measurement Technologies: Long-established manufacturer of cloud, aerosol, and air quality instrumentation for atmospheric research, including condensation particle counters, cloud probes, and optical particle counters. Now part of the larger scientific instrument ecosystem, it competes with ADI on broader aerosol measurement suites while serving similar research and government customers.
• TSI Incorporated: Global leader in particle measurement instruments and ADI's most important licensing partner. TSI manufactures and sells WCPCs, vWCPCs, and cleanroom particle counters based on ADI's water-based condensation technology, and is the largest commercial producer of condensation particle counters worldwide.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Aerosol Dynamics