SmartCatch
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersToulouse, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SmartCatch does
SmartCatch is a French medtech company headquartered in Toulouse, France, that designs and manufactures microfiltration-based devices for the isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood. Founded in September 2016 as a spin-off of CNRS, the company was created jointly by an academic micro/nanotechnology team from LAAS-CNRS and urology surgeons from the University Institute of Cancer (IUCT) and Montauban Uropole, after 7 years of collaborative R&D. The commercial product portfolio comprises three offerings: CTC-Station (benchtop instrument for research use and drug development), CTC-Pheresis (portable system for clinical routine use, prognosis, and treatment monitoring), and X-Tracker (a fully-automated benchtop system for single-step CTC enrichment from 6-45 ml of untreated biofluid). Underlying technology relies on proprietary microengineered 3D traps that exploit physical differences between CTCs and normal blood cells (larger size, lower deformability) to enable one-step, label-free isolation under physiological conditions without pre-analytical steps. The technology also incorporates bio-impedance spectroscopy via a micro-perforated sensing membrane for retained cell detection.
The business model is B2B hardware sales of specialized laboratory instruments and consumable capture devices, with pricing that is quote-based and negotiated directly with research and clinical buyers; no public price list exists. Revenue is generated by deploying instruments and consumables into academic research centers, clinical research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies, with the go-to-market executed via consultative, technical enterprise field sales supported by peer-reviewed publications, conference participation (e.g., Hello Tomorrow Global Summit, Prix Galien USA Awards nomination in 2024), and professional network engagement. The company has raised EUR 3.2 million in seed financing from Kurma Partners, IRDI Capital Investissement, and M-Capital, and operates with approximately 9 personnel covering R&D, industrial operations, regulatory affairs, and commercial leadership. A CINTLPHARMA partnership signed in July 2025 extends the platform into precision oncology and pharmaceutical applications.
Strategically, SmartCatch's competitive position is anchored on a physically differentiated CTC capture approach that addresses limitations of existing isolation methods (complexity, cost, loss of cell viability) and a founding team that combines clinical oncology domain expertise with academic microtechnology capability. Key constraints are the early commercial stage, research-use labeling on certain products, absence of disclosed revenue or recurring customer logos, and concentration of operating geography in France with emerging activity in Mexico.
SmartCatch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SmartCatch
- Legal name
- SMARTCATCH
- Website
- https://smartcatch.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SmartCatch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Liquid Biopsy Medical Devices
- NAICS
- In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)
- SIC
- In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Oncology Diagnostics (tumor profiling, MRD, liquid biopsy) (HLAAALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers (ctDNA/ctRNA/CTCs/exosomes) (HLAAAMAH), Multiplex & High-Throughput Diagnostics Platforms (microarrays, digital PCR, lab automation-enabled assays) (HLAAALAL), Specialty & Biomarker Laboratory Services (Immunoassays/Flow/Cytometry) (HLAGAEAB)
Keywords
Where SmartCatch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toulouse
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SmartCatch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Medical Device Sales: SmartCatch generates revenue through the sale of specialized medical laboratory equipment including the X-Tracker benchtop system and consumable capture devices. The company targets academic research centers and clinical research institutions with hardware products for cancer diagnostics and research applications.
- Research Equipment: Sale of laboratory instruments adapted for clinical routine use, including compact and portable products for CTC liquid biopsy applications. The X-Tracker is deployed into academic research centers and clinical research institutes for research purposes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
SmartCatch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SmartCatch designs and manufactures microfiltration-based medical devices for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) directly from whole blood without pre-analytical steps. The product line includes the X-Tracker automated benchtop system, CTC-Station benchtop instrument, and CTC-Pheresis portable system, targeting academic research centers, clinical research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies for cancer diagnostics, treatment monitoring, and oncology research.
Product overview
SmartCatch offers a portfolio of microfiltration-based medical devices for circulating tumor cell (CTC) isolation and analysis. The product line centers on three offerings: X-Tracker (an automated benchtop system for CTC enrichment), CTC-Station (a benchtop instrument for research applications), and CTC-Pheresis (a portable system for clinical routine). All products leverage proprietary microtechnology to capture CTCs directly from whole blood without pre-analytical steps, maintaining cell viability for downstream molecular analysis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- X-Tracker Fully-automated benchtop system that reproduces in vivo conditions to ensure optimal capture of circulating tumor cells from blood samples (6-45 ml) without pre-treatment, for subsequent multi-omic analysis including proteomics, transcriptomics, and functional studies. Designed for research and clinical routine use in academic and clinical settings.
- CTC-Station Benchtop instrument for isolating circulating tumor cells from whole blood using microfiltration technology, designed for research use in studying tumor biology and accelerating drug development in academic and pharmaceutical research settings.
- CTC-Pheresis Portable system for clinical routine use, enabling prognosis and real-time monitoring of cancer treatment through circulating tumor cell analysis. Designed for hospital and clinical research deployment.
Quantifiable outcome
- CTC isolation from fresh blood samples without pre-treatment, yielding unaltered/viable cells in minutes
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SmartCatch
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SmartCatch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
SmartCatch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- CINTLPHARMAcoreNew partnership signed in July 2025 to strengthen work in precision oncology and expand the use of SmartCatch's CTC technology for better cancer diagnosis and monitoring. This collaboration supports the company's mission to make liquid biopsy accessible while expanding into pharmaceutical applications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SmartCatch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Menarini Silicon Biosystems: Developer of CELLSEARCH, the first and only FDA-cleared CTC enumeration platform for metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Most direct competitor in CTC isolation with significantly larger commercial scale and clinical evidence base.
- ANGLE plc: UK-based liquid biopsy company with Parsortix system for CTC isolation from blood, used in research and clinical applications. Competes directly in the microfiltration-based CTC capture space targeted by SmartCatch.
- RareCyte: US-based company developing the AccuCyte and RarePlex CTC isolation and analysis platforms for research and clinical oncology applications. Competes in the same CTC liquid biopsy market as SmartCatch with similar research-and-clinical use cases.
- Vortex Biosciences: Developer of the VTX-1 liquid biopsy system for automated CTC isolation using microfluidic technology. Direct competitor in microtechnology-based CTC capture for oncology research and clinical applications.
- EPIC Sciences: US-based company with a CTC platform for liquid biopsy applications including treatment monitoring and minimal residual disease detection. Competes in the same precision oncology CTC analysis market.
Broad incumbents
- Bio-Techne: Large life sciences tools company with a portfolio including protein biomarkers, diagnostics, and reagents used in oncology research. Acts as a broad incumbent supplying tools and consumables to the same research customer base as SmartCatch.
- QIAGEN: Global leader in sample preparation and molecular diagnostics with liquid biopsy offerings including circulating nucleic acid isolation kits. Broad incumbent in the liquid biopsy workflow serving the same oncology research and clinical customers.
Emerging players
- BioFluidica: Early-stage company developing microfluidic CTC isolation platforms for liquid biopsy applications. Similar technology profile to SmartCatch and a comparable emerging player in the rare-cell capture space.
- CytoLumina: Early-stage liquid biopsy company focused on CTC and circulating rare cell isolation. Emerging player with partial overlap in microtechnology-based CTC capture applications.
Others
- Miltenyi Biotec: Provider of cell separation and analysis technologies including MACS-based CTC isolation kits for research use. Adjacent technology provider and ecosystem participant serving the same oncology research customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SmartCatch social profiles
Digital presenceSmartCatch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SmartCatch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SmartCatch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SmartCatch 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 SmartCatch
What does SmartCatch do?
SmartCatch designs and manufactures microfiltration-based medical devices for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) directly from whole blood without pre-analytical steps. The product line includes the X-Tracker automated benchtop system, CTC-Station benchtop instrument, and CTC-Pheresis portable system, targeting academic research centers, clinical research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies for cancer diagnostics, treatment monitoring, and oncology research.
Is SmartCatch a public or private company?
SmartCatch is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SmartCatch founded?
SmartCatch was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SmartCatch based?
SmartCatch is headquartered in Toulouse, France, in the Europe region.
How does SmartCatch make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Medical Device Sales are the primary driver. The others are research Equipment.
Who are SmartCatch's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Menarini Silicon Biosystems, ANGLE plc, RareCyte, Vortex Biosciences and EPIC Sciences. Broad incumbents are Bio-Techne and QIAGEN. Emerging players are BioFluidica and CytoLumina. Miltenyi Biotec is listed as an others.
Does SmartCatch have an API?
No public API is recorded for SmartCatch.
What industry is SmartCatch in?
SmartCatch's product category is Liquid Biopsy Medical Devices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAALAE, Oncology Diagnostics (tumor profiling, MRD, liquid biopsy), with a secondary code of HLAAAMAH, Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers (ctDNA/ctRNA/CTCs/exosomes). Its NAICS code is 325413 and its SIC code is 2835.