LI-COR
LI-COR designs and manufactures high-precision environmental monitoring and biotechnology imaging instrumentation — including gas analyzers, eddy covariance systems, photosynthesis tools, and NIR fluorescence imagers — sold to universities, researchers, agricultural organizations, and industrial customers across 150+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersLincoln, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What LI-COR does
LI-COR, Inc. is a privately held precision instrumentation company founded in 1971 and headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, operating two distinct business divisions. The Environmental division manufactures high-precision instruments for measuring greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3), photosynthesis, soil flux, water quality, and meteorological parameters — including eddy covariance systems (LI-7500DS, LI-7700, LI-7200RS), trace gas analyzers (LI-7810/7820), the LI-6800 Portable Photosynthesis System, and the HOBO data logger line acquired from Onset in 2024. The Biotechnology division (LICORbio) sells near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems (Odyssey M/F/XF/DLx), small animal imagers (Pearl Trilogy), and associated reagents for proteomics and drug discovery research.
Revenue is generated through a mix of high-ASP quote-based hardware sales to academic, government, agricultural, and industrial customers; published-price perpetual software licenses (e.g., Empiria Studio at $323-$4,039 per seat); recurring reagent and consumable sales (IRDye dyes); and professional services for environmental monitoring projects including digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (dMRV) for carbon credit programs. Distribution combines direct regional sales offices in the US, Germany, the UK, and China with a worldwide distributor network spanning 150+ countries, supported by ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing. Since the 2021 acquisition by Battery Ventures and the installation of CEO Tom Reslewic, the company has executed a roll-up strategy including the 2022 acquisition of Anemoment and the 2024 acquisition of Onset, growing the platform beyond its original gas-analyzer roots.
LI-COR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LI-COR
- Legal name
- LI-COR, Inc.
- Website
- https://licor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- LI-COR designs and manufactures high-precision environmental monitoring and biotechnology imaging instrumentation — including gas analyzers, eddy covariance systems, photosynthesis tools, and NIR fluorescence imagers — sold to universities, researchers, agricultural organizations, and industrial customers across 150+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LI-COR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental and Life Science Scientific Instrumentation
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) & Stack Testing (EUAHADAA), Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)
Keywords
Where LI-COR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lincoln
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
LI-COR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Environmental Monitoring Instruments: Sale of high-precision field instruments for measuring greenhouse gases, photosynthesis, soil flux, water quality, and environmental parameters. Includes portable systems, fixed stations, and sensors.
- Data Loggers (HOBO, InTemp): Production and sale of data loggers for environmental monitoring applications, including temperature, humidity, light, and other environmental variables.
- Biotechnology Imaging Systems: Sale of near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems (Odyssey family, Pearl, C-DiGit) for Western blot, protein research, and small animal imaging applications.
- Software Licenses: Licensing of analysis software including EddyPro, SmartFlux, Tovi, SoilFluxPro, Image Studio, and Empiria Studio for data processing and analysis.
- Reagents and Consumables: Sale of IRDye infrared fluorescent dyes, secondary antibodies, and other reagents for imaging applications.
- Professional Services: Consulting, installation, and project management services for environmental monitoring projects including carbon credit verification with dMRV.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Empiria Studio 1 User License |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Empiria Studio 5 User License |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Empiria Studio 10 User License |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Empiria Studio 25 User License |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Environmental Instruments |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
LI-COR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LI-COR designs, engineers, and manufactures high-precision scientific instruments for environmental research (LI-6800 portable photosynthesis system, LI-7700 open-path CH4 analyzer, eddy covariance flux towers, weather stations, trace gas analyzers) and biotechnology imaging (Odyssey M near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems using FieldBrite XT2 optics and IRDye dyes). The company also licenses its eddy covariance data processing software (EddyPro, SmartFlux) and the LI-COR Cloud platform, and provides installation, custom engineering, and project management services.
Product overview
LI-COR is a diversified technology company operating two distinct product lines: Environmental Monitoring and Biotechnology. The Environmental division provides comprehensive solutions for measuring greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O), photosynthesis, soil flux, and plant physiology through instruments like the LI-6800 Photosynthesis System, LI-7500DS/LI-7700 gas analyzers, eddy covariance systems (EddyPro, SmartFlux, Tovi), and the HOBO data logger brand (acquired from Onset). The Biotechnology division offers near-infrared imaging systems (Odyssey M/F/DLx/XF, Pearl Trilogy), blot scanners (C-DiGit, D-DiGit), and analysis software (Empiria Studio, Image Studio) for proteomics, genomics, and small animal imaging research. Both divisions share electromagnetic radiation measurement technology and are supported by LI-COR Cloud for data management. The company employs over 330 people with ISO 9001:2015 certification and operates globally through subsidiaries in Germany, UK, and China.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Odyssey: Near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems for Western blots, protein analysis, and multi-well plate assays
- Pearl
- C-DiGit
- Empiria Studio
- EddyPro
- SmartFlux
- FluxSuite
- Tovi
- SoilFluxPro
Products and services
- LI-6800 Portable Photosynthesis System
Quantifiable outcome
- 73,000+ research publications using LI-COR instruments
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use LI-COR
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LI-COR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
LI-COR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Onset (Massachusetts)coreOnset, a Massachusetts-based company producing data loggers used for environmental monitoring applications, was acquired by LI-COR Environmental. HOBO data loggers are now part of the LI-COR product portfolio.
- Anemoment LLCminorAnemoment LLC, a developer of lightweight sonic anemometers for meteorological applications, was acquired by LI-COR on December 13, 2022. The acquisition enhanced LI-COR's technology in environmental monitoring.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LI-COR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Picarro: Picarro manufactures cavity ring-down spectroscopy-based trace gas analyzers for greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3) monitoring and eddy covariance studies, directly competing with LI-COR's LI-7810/7820/LI-7700 families for the same environmental and climate research customers.
- Campbell Scientific: Campbell Scientific builds data loggers, eddy covariance systems, and environmental measurement instruments used in atmospheric and soil research, overlapping with LI-COR's eddy covariance, soil flux, and HOBO data logger product lines across the same university and government customer base.
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad's ChemiDoc and Gel Doc systems are leading Western blot and gel imaging instruments that directly compete with LI-COR's Odyssey, C-DiGit, and D-DiGit product lines in proteomics and molecular biology research labs.
- Vaisala: Vaisala provides environmental and industrial measurement instruments, including carbon dioxide, humidity, and weather sensors, competing with LI-COR in trace gas monitoring, weather stations, and environmental sensor markets globally.
Broad incumbents
- MKS Instruments: MKS Instruments offers a broad portfolio of measurement, control, and analytical instrumentation used in semiconductor, environmental, and research applications, with overlapping capabilities to LI-COR's gas analyzers and process analytical instruments.
- Analytik Jena: Analytik Jena manufactures analytical laboratory instruments including spectrophotometers, PCR, and elemental analyzers used in life sciences and environmental testing, overlapping with LI-COR's analytical instrument footprint in European academic and industrial labs.
- LI-COR Biosciences vs Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher is a broad incumbent that offers analytical laboratory instruments, chromatography, and life sciences research tools that overlap with LI-COR's biotech imaging (Odyssey) and certain environmental measurement workflows, competing at the high end of the same university and pharma customers.
- Sick AG: Sick AG provides gas analyzers, emissions monitoring systems, and environmental sensors used in industrial emissions and ambient air quality, competing with LI-COR's trace gas and continuous emissions monitoring capabilities in industrial and stack applications.
Emerging players
- Azure Biosystems: Azure Biosystems offers NIR and visible fluorescent Western blot imagers (Azure Imaging Systems) that compete directly with LI-COR's Odyssey family, with comparable dynamic range and channel counts at typically lower price points for academic core facilities.
- Syngene (Synoptics): Syngene provides gel documentation and chemiluminescent imaging systems (G:BOX, GeneGnome) for molecular biology labs, competing with LI-COR's C-DiGit and Odyssey systems in the same Western blot and gel imaging use cases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LI-COR social profiles
Digital presenceLI-COR compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
LI-COR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LI-COR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
LI-COR subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
LI-COR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LI-COR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LI-COR
What does LI-COR do?
LI-COR designs, engineers, and manufactures high-precision scientific instruments for environmental research (LI-6800 portable photosynthesis system, LI-7700 open-path CH4 analyzer, eddy covariance flux towers, weather stations, trace gas analyzers) and biotechnology imaging (Odyssey M near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems using FieldBrite XT2 optics and IRDye dyes). The company also licenses its eddy covariance data processing software (EddyPro, SmartFlux) and the LI-COR Cloud platform, and provides installation, custom engineering, and project management services.
Is LI-COR a public or private company?
LI-COR is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was LI-COR founded?
LI-COR was founded in 1971. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is LI-COR based?
LI-COR is headquartered in Lincoln, United States, in the North America region.
How does LI-COR make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Environmental Monitoring Instruments are the primary driver. The others are data Loggers (HOBO, InTemp), biotechnology Imaging Systems, software Licenses, reagents and Consumables and professional Services.
Who are LI-COR's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Picarro, Campbell Scientific, Bio-Rad Laboratories and Vaisala. Broad incumbents are MKS Instruments, Analytik Jena, LI-COR Biosciences vs Thermo Fisher Scientific and Sick AG. Emerging players are Azure Biosystems and Syngene (Synoptics).
Does LI-COR have an API?
No public API is recorded for LI-COR.
What industry is LI-COR in?
LI-COR's product category is Environmental and Life Science Scientific Instrumentation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAFAE, Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity), with a secondary code of EUAHADAA, Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) & Stack Testing. Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.