Functional Fluidics
Functional Fluidics is a CLIA-certified specialty diagnostic lab and contract research organization that provides proprietary red blood cell function assays — including Flow Adhesion, Mechanical Fragility, and Dynamic Sickling — to pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and clinical customers, with a primary focus on sickle cell disease drug development and patient monitoring across the U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDetroit, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Functional Fluidics does
Functional Fluidics is a CLIA-certified, high-complexity specialty diagnostic laboratory and contract research organization founded in 2014 by Dr. Patrick Hines, based on research conducted in the Hines Lab at Wayne State University. The company's core offering is a proprietary suite of five red blood cell function assays — Flow Adhesion, Mechanical Fragility, Dynamic Sickling, Oxygenscan, and Osmoscan — unified under a trademarked framework called Red Blood Cell Functionomics™ that quantifies RBC deformability, membrane stability, oxygen-dependent mechanical response, adhesion, and microvascular flow behavior. Its initial and primary therapeutic focus is sickle cell disease (SCD), where its assays are positioned to predict vaso-occlusive crises, stratify patient risk, and serve as biomarkers for drug development. The company also extends its platform into validation of manufactured red blood cells for cell therapy developers (e.g., Safi Biotherapeutics) and mechanical fragility assessment for ventricular assist device safety work.
The company monetizes through two primary streams: (1) contract research services sold to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic research sponsors on multi-year B2B agreements for clinical trial biomarker support and large-scale validation studies, and (2) clinical diagnostic lab services offered to healthcare providers nationally for SCD and hematology patient monitoring. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting pharma/biotech sponsors and academic medical centers, supplemented by scientific publication output, ASH/ASGCT/ASCAT conference presence, and a podcast/media footprint. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per engagement.
Operationally, the company is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan (440 Burroughs Street, Suite 447) with 11–50 employees, and expanded internationally in 2023–2024 with the opening of a Nigeria Clinical Research Center & Specialty Laboratory in Awka to address the disproportionately high SCD burden in Sub-Saharan Africa. Capital backing includes disclosed funding activity in 2020 and an investment from NYBC Ventures in December 2023. The company continues to scale commercial capacity, most recently appointing Bert Bruce (former U.S. President of Rare Disease at Pfizer) as Senior Advisor in December 2025.
Functional Fluidics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Functional Fluidics
- Legal name
- Functional Fluidics
- Website
- https://functionalfluidics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Functional Fluidics is a CLIA-certified specialty diagnostic lab and contract research organization that provides proprietary red blood cell function assays — including Flow Adhesion, Mechanical Fragility, and Dynamic Sickling — to pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and clinical customers, with a primary focus on sickle cell disease drug development and patient monitoring across the U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Functional Fluidics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hematology Diagnostics
- NAICS
- Medical Laboratories (621511), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hematology & Coagulation Laboratories (HLAFAMAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Blood Bank, Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (HLAHAAAH), Central Laboratory & Clinical Trial Testing CROs (HLAGAAAE), Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD), Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (Blood Bank) (HLAFAMAG)
Keywords
Where Functional Fluidics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Detroit
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Functional Fluidics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Contract Research Services: Provides contract research services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research companies for large-scale validation studies and patient-level response analysis supporting drug development and personalized medical applications.
- Clinical Diagnostic Services: CLIA-certified diagnostic lab offering proprietary cell function assays nationally to clinical providers to support patient care in sickle cell disease and hematological disorders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Contract Research Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Functional Fluidics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Functional Fluidics operates a CLIA-certified high-complexity diagnostic laboratory that delivers proprietary red blood cell function assays (Flow Adhesion, Mechanical Fragility, Dynamic Sickling, Oxygenscan, Osmoscan) under its Red Blood Cell Functionomics framework to assess RBC health in conditions such as sickle cell disease. The company also provides contract research services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic partners for large-scale validation studies and clinical trial biomarker support, with clinical providers accessing assays via direct lab ordering for patient care.
Product overview
Functional Fluidics offers a unified diagnostic platform centered on Red Blood Cell Functionomics, a comprehensive framework that makes RBC health measurable and clinically actionable. The company's portfolio includes five proprietary diagnostic assays: Flow Adhesion Assay, Mechanical Fragility Assay, Dynamic Sickling Assay, Oxygenscan, and Osmoscan. These assays are offered nationally through the company's CLIA-certified diagnostic laboratory and are complemented by contract research services for pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic partners. The company has expanded globally with operations in Sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria), providing red blood cell health assays to address the high sickle cell disease burden in those regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Red Blood Cell Functionomics Comprehensive framework that makes red blood cell health measurable and clinically actionable by assessing how RBCs behave under physical and biochemical stresses, capturing characteristics such as deformability, membrane stability, oxygen-dependent mechanical response, adhesion, and microvascular flow behavior. Used by pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and clinical partners to support drug development and patient care in sickle cell disease and hematology.
- Flow Adhesion Assay Microfluidic-based flow adhesion assay that measures sickle red blood cell adhesion to endothelial cells and adhesion molecules (VCAM-1, P-selectin) under physiologic flow conditions, supporting SCD biomarker research and clinical testing.
- Mechanical Fragility Assay Assay that measures red blood cell susceptibility to hemolysis under mechanical stress, assessing membrane stability and sub-haemolytic damage for research and clinical applications.
- Dynamic Sickling Assay Assay that evaluates sickling kinetics of red blood cells under controlled conditions to assess sickle cell disease severity and therapeutic response.
- Oxygenscan Oxygen-dependent assay that assesses red blood cell behavior and sickling response under varying oxygen conditions using LORRCA technology, used to characterize RBC function in SCD and transfusion medicine research.
- Osmoscan Osmoscan assay that evaluates red blood cell response to osmotic stress conditions, used to characterize RBC membrane and hydration properties in research and clinical settings.
- Contract Research Services B2B contract research services providing biomarker specialty lab expertise to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research companies for large-scale validation studies and patient-level response insights supporting drug development in sickle cell disease, hematology, and transfusion medicine.
- Clinical Diagnostic Lab Services CLIA-certified high-complexity clinical lab services offering Functional Fluidics' proprietary red blood cell function assays nationally to clinical providers for patient diagnostic testing, disease monitoring, and clinical decision support in sickle cell disease and hematological disorders.
- Nigeria Clinical Research Center Sub-Saharan Africa regional laboratory and clinical research center in Awka, Nigeria offering Functional Fluidics' red blood cell health assays to local healthcare providers and researchers in a region with high sickle cell disease prevalence.
Quantifiable outcome
- FA-WB-VCAM blood test biomarkers can predict SCD severity and vaso-occlusive crisis risk
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Functional Fluidics
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Functional Fluidics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Functional Fluidics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Safi BiotherapeuticscoreCollaboration to validate the health and quality of Safi's manufactured red blood cells (mRBCs) to support Safi's IND data package for use of mRBCs in sickle cell disease chronic transfusion therapy. Safi received FDA Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Orphan Drug Designation for their mRBC product.
- ARMI | BioFabUSAminorSafi Biotherapeutics collaboration with ARMI | BioFabUSA, a non-profit organization and Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institute, focused on transitioning mRBCs to cGMP manufacturing at clinically meaningful scale.
- Wayne State University / Hines LabcoreCompany originated from research in the Hines Lab at Wayne State University. Founder Dr. Patrick Hines was Pediatric ICU Physician at Detroit Medical Center. Ongoing academic research partnerships for scientific publications and studies.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Functional Fluidics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins operates a global network of central laboratories and specialty biomarker services supporting pharmaceutical clinical trials. Comparable to Functional Fluidics in providing laboratory testing for pharma sponsors across multiple therapeutic areas, though Eurofins is far broader in scope and scale.
- ICON plc (PRA Health / Central Labs): ICON runs a global central laboratory network supporting clinical trials with biomarker and specialty testing services for pharmaceutical sponsors. Comparable to Functional Fluidics' contract research services arm serving pharma clinical-trial demand, but operates at enterprise scale across all therapeutic areas.
- Labcorp (Central Laboratory Services): Labcorp operates a large reference and central lab network providing specialty diagnostic and clinical-trial testing. Comparable to Functional Fluidics in delivering CLIA-grade clinical diagnostics and pharma-facing lab services, but with vastly broader test menus and global footprint.
- ARUP Laboratories: ARUP is an academic-affiliated reference laboratory offering highly specialized hematology and esoteric diagnostic testing nationwide. Comparable to Functional Fluidics in operating a CLIA-certified high-complexity lab with strong hematology credentials, though ARUP serves a much broader specialty menu beyond SCD.
- Mayo Clinic Laboratories: Mayo Clinic Labs is an academic reference laboratory offering esoteric and specialty hematology testing on a national send-out basis. Comparable to Functional Fluidics in performing high-complexity specialty diagnostic testing for hematologic conditions, but with the broader academic-medical-center test catalog and reimbursement infrastructure.
- Quest Diagnostics (Specialty Hematology): Quest Diagnostics is a national reference laboratory with specialty hematology and esoteric testing capabilities serving clinicians and pharma. Comparable as a CLIA-certified reference lab providing advanced hematology diagnostics, though typically at much higher volume and with broader assay offerings than Functional Fluidics.
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad manufactures IVD instruments, reagents, and quality-control products with a notable hematology and blood-banking presence. Comparable to Functional Fluidics as an established player in hematology diagnostics with proprietary technology platforms, though Bio-Rad operates as an IVD manufacturer rather than a service laboratory.
Direct peers
- Medpace Holdings: Medpace is a mid-sized clinical research organization with embedded central lab and biomarker capabilities serving biotech and pharma sponsors. Comparable to Functional Fluidics in serving small-to-mid biotech clients with specialty biomarker support for clinical development, with similar focus on niche hematology and rare-disease sponsors.
- Sanguine Biosciences: Sanguine is a specialty lab and biobanking services provider supporting pharma and academic research with patient-centric biospecimen collection and analytics. Comparable as a specialty services partner for pharma/biotech research with biomarker capabilities, though more oriented toward autoimmune and inflammatory conditions than hematology.
Emerging players
- Streck: Streck develops hematology controls, cell-stabilization devices, and specialty lab consumables used in clinical and research hematology labs. Adjacent peer to Functional Fluidics given overlapping presence in the hematology lab ecosystem, especially around RBC quality control, though Streck is product-focused (controls/reagents) rather than a service-based diagnostic lab.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Functional Fluidics social profiles
Digital presenceFunctional Fluidics compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Functional Fluidics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Functional Fluidics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Functional Fluidics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Functional Fluidics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Functional Fluidics
What does Functional Fluidics do?
Functional Fluidics operates a CLIA-certified high-complexity diagnostic laboratory that delivers proprietary red blood cell function assays (Flow Adhesion, Mechanical Fragility, Dynamic Sickling, Oxygenscan, Osmoscan) under its Red Blood Cell Functionomics framework to assess RBC health in conditions such as sickle cell disease. The company also provides contract research services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic partners for large-scale validation studies and clinical trial biomarker support, with clinical providers accessing assays via direct lab ordering for patient care.
Is Functional Fluidics a public or private company?
Functional Fluidics is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Functional Fluidics founded?
Functional Fluidics was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Functional Fluidics based?
Functional Fluidics is headquartered in Detroit, United States, in the North America region.
How does Functional Fluidics make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Contract Research Services are the primary driver. The others are clinical Diagnostic Services.
Who are Functional Fluidics's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Eurofins Scientific, ICON plc (PRA Health / Central Labs), Labcorp (Central Laboratory Services), ARUP Laboratories, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics (Specialty Hematology) and Bio-Rad Laboratories. Direct peers are Medpace Holdings and Sanguine Biosciences. Streck is listed as an emerging player.
Does Functional Fluidics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Functional Fluidics.
What industry is Functional Fluidics in?
Functional Fluidics's product category is Hematology Diagnostics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAMAC, Hematology & Coagulation Laboratories, with a secondary code of HLAHAAAH, Blood Bank, Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology. Its NAICS code is 621511 and its SIC code is 8071.