InnovaPrep
InnovaPrep is a private Drexel, Missouri-based developer of patented Wet Foam Elution sample-preparation instruments and consumables (FluidPrep and AirPrep platforms) that concentrate microbial, viral, and particulate targets from air and liquid samples for government, defense, research, and industrial customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersDrexel, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What InnovaPrep does
InnovaPrep is a private Delaware-incorporated microbiological sample preparation company headquartered in Drexel, Missouri. Its commercial activity centers on two hardware platforms — FluidPrep for liquid samples and AirPrep for air samples — both built around the patented Wet Foam Elution (WFE) process. FluidPrep includes the CP Select Concentrating Pipette System and the EasyElute Large Volume Concentration Kit, which concentrate target microorganisms, particles, exosomes, and molecular species from fluid volumes ranging from sub-milliliter to 100+ liters using hollow-fiber ultrafiltration followed by foam-based elution. The AirPrep Cub (ACD-210/220) and AirPrep Bobcat (ACD-200) collect bioaerosols on dry electret filters that are then eluted via the same WFE chemistry. Recurring revenue is generated by single-use consumables — Concentrating Pipette Tips in multiple pore sizes and formats, Filter and Elution Kits, Elution Fluids, EasyElute Resupply Kits, and clarification pre-filters — all locked to the company's instruments.
The firm sells into government, defense, life science research, environmental and disease monitoring, product quality and safety, biopharma/diagnostics, and industrial customers. Direct field sales target enterprise, military, and research accounts; a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront and an international distributor network broaden reach into smaller accounts and non-U.S. markets. Notable government relationships include an AirPrep Bobcat platform trusted by the U.S. Military since 2012, JE-RDAP IDIQ contract holder status since 2017, NIST 800-171 compliance, an AirPrep-on-JBTDS Low-Rate Initial Production role with Chemring, an IARPA PICARD subcontract via Leidos, NASA ISS potable-water sample-concentrator development, and DHS SenseNet collaboration. Selected named end users include Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, UC Berkeley, University of Arizona, Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, BioMérieux, Université Laval, CSIC, and the University of Salento.
The company's revenue mechanics combine instrument/hardware sales, recurring consumables, defense procurement revenue, and aerosol science testing and OEM/custom manufacturing services. Pricing is largely quote-based for enterprise and government buyers, with select list pricing such as the $9,995 AirPrep Bobcat ACD-200 published on the e-commerce storefront. InnovaPrep holds 40+ patents covering the Wet Foam Elution core and ancillary technologies and was admitted to the inaugural BioTools Innovator 2025 cohort for Life Science Tools and Diagnostics companies. Leadership comprises Dave Alburty (CEO), Andrew Page (Co-Founder, President and CTO), and Carol Pranulis (Co-Founder).
InnovaPrep firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- InnovaPrep
- Legal name
- INNOVAPREP INC.
- Website
- https://innovaprep.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- InnovaPrep is a private Drexel, Missouri-based developer of patented Wet Foam Elution sample-preparation instruments and consumables (FluidPrep and AirPrep platforms) that concentrate microbial, viral, and particulate targets from air and liquid samples for government, defense, research, and industrial customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
InnovaPrep industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Microbiological Sample Preparation Equipment
- 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 industries
- Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD), Sample Preparation, Storage & Cryogenics (Freezers, Cryovials, Cryostats) (HLAGAIAJ)
Keywords
Where InnovaPrep is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Drexel
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
InnovaPrep business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Instrument/Hardware Sales: Sale of sampling instruments including CP Select, AirPrep Cub, AirPrep Bobcat, and accessories.
- Consumables: Recurring revenue from single-use consumables including Concentrating Pipette Tips (CPTs), Elution Fluids, Filter and Elution Kits, and EasyElute Resupply Kits.
- Government Defense Contracts: Revenue from defense contracts including JBTDS program with Chemring, IARPA PICARD program with Leidos, and JE-RDAP IDIQ contract holder since 2017.
- R&D and Testing Services: Aerosol science, testing and evaluation services including custom manufacturing, OEM partnerships, and specialized analytical platform development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | AirPrep Bobcat Air Sampler (ACD-200) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
InnovaPrep product offering
Product offeringCore offering
InnovaPrep develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary sample preparation instruments and consumables that concentrate microorganisms, particles, and molecular targets from air and liquid samples. The company's two flagship platforms — FluidPrep™ for liquid concentration and AirPrep™ for bioaerosol collection — both leverage its patented Wet Foam Elution™ technology to deliver analysis-ready concentrates used in pathogen detection, environmental monitoring, and biodefense workflows.
Product overview
InnovaPrep offers two complementary platform systems for microbiological sample preparation: the FluidPrep™ platform for liquid sample concentration and the AirPrep™ platform for air sample collection. The FluidPrep™ platform centers on the CP Select™ Concentrating Pipette System and EasyElute™ Large Volume Concentration Kit, both utilizing the proprietary Wet Foam Elution™ technology to recover and concentrate targets from fluid samples. The AirPrep™ platform includes the Cub Sampler (ACD-210/220) and Bobcat Air Sampler (ACD-200) for bioaerosol collection, along with consumables like Filter and Elution Kits. Both platforms support a wide range of downstream applications including PCR, sequencing, culture-based methods, and multi-omics workflows. The company also provides supporting accessories, clarification filters, and the InnovaPrep® 4C Workflow Framework™ methodology to guide users through sample preparation protocols.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- FluidPrep™ Concentrating Pipette System (CP Select™) A liquid sample concentration instrument using hollow-fiber ultrafiltration combined with patented Wet Foam Elution™ technology to recover and concentrate microorganisms, particles, and molecular targets from fluid samples ranging from 0.5 mL to 100+ L into analysis-ready concentrates. Used by environmental labs, food safety, and life science researchers.
- FluidPrep™ EasyElute™ Large Volume Concentration Kit A large-volume liquid concentration system designed to process 5, 10, and 100+ liter samples via ultrafiltration with Wet Foam Elution™ recovery. Targeted at environmental water, wastewater monitoring, and industrial fluid applications.
- FluidPrep™ Concentration Tips (CPTs) Single-use hollow-fiber concentration devices for use with the CP Select™ system, offered in multiple pore sizes (Ultra, 0.05 µm, 0.2 µm, 0.45 µm) and formats (Standard and Mini), with irradiated and non-irradiated options. Generates recurring consumable revenue.
- AirPrep™ Cub Sampler (ACD-210 / ACD-220) A next-generation portable bioaerosol sampler using high-flow dry electret filter collection with Wet Foam Elution™ recovery, optimized for 0.01 µm to 10.0 µm particles. Includes an internal rechargeable battery and is used for indoor air quality, healthcare, and biosurveillance monitoring.
- AirPrep™ Bobcat Air Sampler (ACD-200) A rugged, high-flow (200 LPM) portable dry filter air sampler with built-in tripod and advanced mass flow sensor. Originally designed for U.S. Army tactical bio-surveillance; collects particles from 0.01 µm to 10+ µm. Listed at $9,995.00 with battery and consumables sold separately.
- PITT120V Aerosol Generator A fluidized bed aerosol generator that produces consistent aerosols from biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical powders, with an integrated control unit supporting remote operation. Used in research, defense testing, and industrial aerosol studies.
- AirPrep™ Filter and Elution Kit A single-use consumable kit containing elution buffer, elutor adapter, dry electret filter, and sample cup for collecting air samples and eluting them with Wet Foam Elution™ technology on AirPrep™ samplers.
- BeFlat™ Degassing Jar A patented, reusable sample-preparation tool that reduces dissolved CO₂ in carbonated beverages before concentration, enabling reliable CP Select™ processing for beer-spoilage organism detection and beverage QC workflows.
- Aerosol Science, Testing & Evaluation Services Aerosol research, testing, and evaluation services including custom manufacturing, OEM partnerships, and specialized analytical platform development for defense, government, and commercial clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35% time reduction for Hepatitis A and Norovirus testing from fresh and frozen produce compared to ISO method
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use InnovaPrep
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
InnovaPrep technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
InnovaPrep partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- BioTools InnovatorminorSelected by BioTools Innovator as one of the Top 31 Life Science Tools and Diagnostics Companies for their 2025 cohort - the first-ever accelerator focused on Life Science research tools.
- Chemring Sensors and Electronic SystemscoreContract award from Chemring Systems and Electronic Systems (Prime) to supply hardware and consumables in support of the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) phase of the Department of Defense's Joint Biological Tactical Detection System (JBTDS) program.
- Leidos (Supporting IARPA PICARD Program)coreAwarded contract to supply chemical aerosol system design and testing expertise to Leidos. Leidos is supporting IARPA's Pursuing Intelligent Complex Aerosols for Rapid Detection (PICARD) program for advanced aerosol detection.
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)coreSupports DHS SenseNet Project developing and demonstrating a tiered aerosol detection sensor architecture combining low-cost rapid dedicated environmental monitoring detectors with emerging commercial sensors for air quality, pollution tracking, and building efficiency.
- NASAcorePartnership with NASA scientists to develop an International Space Station Smart Sample Concentrator. Adapted patented sample concentration technology for testing potable water safety onboard the ISS, demonstrating superior bacteria capture and recovery efficiency.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
InnovaPrep competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA Life Science): MilliporeSigma is the lab products arm of Merck KGaA and is the dominant provider of ultrafiltration sample-prep consumables (Amicon family). It is comparable to InnovaPrep because it serves the same downstream applications (concentrating proteins, viruses, and particles from biological fluids) with overlapping core functionality, but at much larger portfolio scale.
- Sartorius: Sartorius supplies Vivaspin and Vivacon centrifugal concentration devices that compete head-to-head with InnovaPrep's CP Select for liquid sample concentration in life-science and bioprocessing labs. It is comparable on both product functionality (sample volume reduction) and target customer base (academia, biotech, pharma QC).
- Pall Laboratory (Danaher): Pall's laboratory filtration and concentration portfolio overlaps with InnovaPrep's FluidPrep line, particularly for large-volume environmental and bioprocessing applications. It is comparable because it addresses the same concentration-from-complex-matrices workflow that CP Select and EasyElute are positioned around.
- Cytiva (Danaher): Cytiva supplies tangential-flow filtration, hollow-fiber concentration, and bioprocess sample-prep tools that compete in the same large-volume liquid-handling space as InnovaPrep's EasyElute. It is comparable because bioprocessing and life-science research labs evaluate Cytiva and InnovaPrep side by side for concentration workflows.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher's laboratory instruments division includes a broad set of sample-prep and concentration tools used in molecular biology and environmental testing labs. It is comparable as the scale benchmark for analytical lab equipment that InnovaPrep sells into, even though InnovaPrep is a more focused niche specialist.
- Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (Danaher): Beckman Coulter Life Sciences supplies ultracentrifugation and lab automation that historically serve as the legacy alternative InnovaPrep displaces (e.g., LLNL replacing ultracentrifugation with CP Select). It is comparable because researchers evaluate InnovaPrep versus Beckman workflows for exosome, EV, and viral-particle isolation.
Direct peers
- Bertin Instruments (Coriolis series): Bertin's Coriolis bioaerosol sampler is the most commonly benchmarked competitor to InnovaPrep's AirPrep Bobcat and Cub in air sampling for biodefense, hospital infection control, and environmental monitoring. It is a direct peer because the two products go head-to-head for the same end-user specifications (flow rate, particle recovery, downstream compatibility).
- Aerosol Devices: Aerosol Devices builds high-efficiency biological aerosol collectors used in biodefense and infectious disease research, directly comparable to AirPrep's role in biosurveillance and hospital air monitoring. Customers evaluating InnovaPrep for aerosol collection typically evaluate Aerosol Devices products as alternatives.
- Sceptor Industries (Biotest sampler line): Sceptor distributes the Biotest air sampler line in North America, which competes with InnovaPrep's AirPrep Bobcat and Cub for bioaerosol monitoring applications including cleanroom and pharmaceutical environmental monitoring. It is a direct peer on product, application, and target customer.
Emerging players
- 10x Genomics: 10x Genomics is a leading single-cell and spatial genomics sample-prep vendor with overlap to InnovaPrep in upstream sample handling for sequencing and cell isolation. It is an emerging-player peer because both companies serve next-generation sequencing sample preparation workflows, but 10x focuses on single-cell and spatial rather than environmental or bulk concentration.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
InnovaPrep social profiles
Digital presenceInnovaPrep compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
InnovaPrep financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
InnovaPrep leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
InnovaPrep funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
InnovaPrep 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 InnovaPrep
What does InnovaPrep do?
InnovaPrep develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary sample preparation instruments and consumables that concentrate microorganisms, particles, and molecular targets from air and liquid samples. The company's two flagship platforms — FluidPrep™ for liquid concentration and AirPrep™ for bioaerosol collection — both leverage its patented Wet Foam Elution™ technology to deliver analysis-ready concentrates used in pathogen detection, environmental monitoring, and biodefense workflows.
Is InnovaPrep a public or private company?
InnovaPrep is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was InnovaPrep founded?
InnovaPrep was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is InnovaPrep based?
InnovaPrep is headquartered in Drexel, United States, in the North America region.
How does InnovaPrep make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Instrument/Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are consumables, government Defense Contracts and R&D and Testing Services.
Who are InnovaPrep's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA Life Science), Sartorius, Pall Laboratory (Danaher), Cytiva (Danaher), Thermo Fisher Scientific and Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (Danaher). Direct peers are Bertin Instruments (Coriolis series), Aerosol Devices and Sceptor Industries (Biotest sampler line). 10x Genomics is listed as an emerging player.
Does InnovaPrep have an API?
No public API is recorded for InnovaPrep.
What industry is InnovaPrep in?
InnovaPrep's product category is Microbiological Sample Preparation Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHAAAN, Laboratory Automation, Sample Prep & Liquid Handling (IVD Lab Diagnostics), with a secondary code of HLAGAIAD, Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.