Eppendorf
Eppendorf SE is a Hamburg-based German life science company founded in 1945 that manufactures and sells laboratory instruments (pipettes, centrifuges, bioreactors, PCR systems) and consumables for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical, academic, and government laboratories worldwide through direct sales, distributors, and e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Eppendorf does
Eppendorf SE is a privately-held German life science company founded in 1945 and headquartered in Hamburg. The company develops, manufactures, and sells laboratory instruments and consumables for liquid handling (mechanical and electronic pipettes, automated pipetting systems), centrifugation (benchtop to ultracentrifuges), bioprocessing (single-use and glass bioreactors from 60 mL research scale to 250 L commercial manufacturing, controllers, and process software), cell incubation (CO2 incubators, incubator shakers), PCR (thermocyclers), cold storage (ultra-low temperature freezers), and digital lab management. Named proprietary products include BioNsight® cloud-based bioprocess monitoring software, SpinPro® centrifuges, CellXpert® CS220 CO2 incubator shakers, Research® 3 neo pipettes, and the BioBased sustainable consumables line.
Eppendorf serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology research companies (its primary segment), clinical and diagnostics laboratories, academic and research institutions, and government and public sector organizations including forensics. Customers use the equipment across cell culture, microbiology, molecular biology, stem cell research, next generation sequencing, bioprocessing, biofuels, pharmaceutical research, and clinical trial workflows. Named customers include Dubai Police for forensics laboratory automation. The company holds an estimated 60-70% share of the German automated mini bioreactor capital equipment market alongside Sartorius AG.
The business model combines hardware sales (instruments and capital equipment), recurring consumables revenue (pipette tips, plates, reaction vessels, tubes, deepwell plates), service contracts (maintenance, qualification, calibration, warranty extensions, pipette services), and bioprocess software (BioNsight cloud platform). Recurring consumables represent 50-55% of total supplier revenue in the German market, indicating a substantial installed-base annuity. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales for large bioprocessing accounts, a global distributor network for mid-market reach, and a direct eShop e-commerce platform. The company pursues geographic and product expansion through acquisitions (BioNex Solutions, Koki Holdings centrifuge business), strategic partnerships (New England Biolabs for NGS automation, Dubai Police for forensics), and an active event presence across major life science conferences globally.
Eppendorf firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Eppendorf
- Legal name
- Eppendorf SE
- Website
- https://dasgip.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Eppendorf SE is a Hamburg-based German life science company founded in 1945 that manufactures and sells laboratory instruments (pipettes, centrifuges, bioreactors, PCR systems) and consumables for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical, academic, and government laboratories worldwide through direct sales, distributors, and e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Eppendorf industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Instruments and Consumables
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC), Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers) (HLAGAIAG), Upstream Bioprocessing Systems & Equipment (cell culture/fermentation, bioreactors, feeds/media) (HLAAAJAA), Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)
Keywords
Where Eppendorf is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Eppendorf business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Laboratory Equipment and Instruments: Sale of laboratory instruments including pipettes, centrifuges, bioprocess equipment, CO2 incubators, shakers, PCR systems, ultra-low temperature freezers, and digital lab management solutions. Both single-use and reusable configurations are offered.
- Laboratory Consumables: Sale of consumables including pipette tips, reaction vessels, plates, deepwell plates, tubes, and specialized items such as BioBased consumables. Recurring consumables represent 50-55% of total supplier revenue in the German market.
- Service and Support: Service contracts, repair services, preventive maintenance, calibration services, qualification services, installation services, pipette services, and PCR cycler services. Also includes device warranty extensions and automated liquid handling service agreements.
- Bioprocess Software: Sale and subscription of bioprocess software including the BioNsight cloud-based monitoring and analytics platform, and device management software for digital lab management.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Eppendorf product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Eppendorf SE develops, manufactures, and sells laboratory instruments and consumables for liquid handling, centrifugation, bioprocessing, cell incubation, PCR, and cold storage used in life science research and pharmaceutical laboratories. The portfolio spans pipettes, automated liquid handling systems, bioreactors (60 mL to 250 L), centrifuges, CO2 incubators, thermocyclers, ultra-low temperature freezers, and proprietary BioNsight cloud-based monitoring software, complemented by recurring consumables (tips, plates, vessels) and global service and support contracts.
Product overview
Eppendorf offers a comprehensive portfolio of laboratory equipment and consumables organized into distinct product lines: Bioprocess Technology (single-use and glass bioreactors from 60 mL to 250 L, controllers, software, accessories, and services), Centrifugation (benchtop, floor-standing, refrigerated, microcentrifuges, high-speed, and ultracentrifuges), Liquid Handling (manual and electronic pipettes, multi-channel pipettes, automated systems, and consumables), PCR (thermocyclers and consumables), Cell Incubation (CO2 incubators), Lab Shakers (incubator shakers), Cold Storage (ULT freezers and accessories), Lab Consumables (tips, plates, vessels), Digital Lab Management (device management software), and Temperature Control/Mixing devices. Key named products include BioNsight® cloud-based monitoring software, SpinPro® 6 R centrifuges, CellXpert® CS220 CO2 incubator shakers, and Research® 3 neo pipettes. The company also provides comprehensive service offerings including maintenance, qualification, and calibration services. Eppendorf positions itself as a platform provider offering both capital equipment and recurring consumables across the life science research workflow.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BioNsight Cloud Software
- SpinPro 6 R Centrifuge
- CellXpert CS220 CO2 Incubator Shaker
- Eppendorf Research 3 neo Pipette
- Bioprocess Technology Portfolio
- Centrifugation Portfolio
- Liquid Handling Portfolio
- PCR Instruments and Consumables
- Cold Storage Portfolio
- Cell Incubation Portfolio
- Lab Shakers Portfolio
- Temperature Control and Mixing Devices
- Lab Consumables
- Consumables BioBased
- Digital Lab Management
- Laboratory Equipment Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Eppendorf SE and Sartorius AG together command an estimated 60-70% of the German automated mini bioreactor capital equipment market
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Eppendorf
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Eppendorf technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Eppendorf partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.
- Dubai PolicenotableEppendorf collaborates with Dubai Police to automate forensics laboratories, providing laboratory automation solutions for government forensic analysis operations.
- New England Biolabs (NEB)coreNew England Biolabs collaborates with Eppendorf along with Beckman Coulter, Hamilton Company, Revvity, and SPT Labtech to support automated NGS library preparation workflows. The collaboration focuses on developing standardized, transferable, and scalable methods to improve performance across various laboratory automation platforms globally. Eppendorf contributes its automated liquid handling systems to automate NEBNext products and verify performance across different platforms.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Eppendorf competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hamilton Company: Automated liquid handling workstation manufacturer competing with Eppendorf in laboratory automation and NGS library prep workflows, where Hamilton is a multi-vendor partner with New England Biolabs alongside Eppendorf.
- Sartorius AG: German-headquartered bioprocessing and lab equipment company sharing the 60-70% German automated mini bioreactor market with Eppendorf. Sartorius is a direct competitor in single-use bioreactors, fermentation, and bioprocess consumables, serving the same pharma and biotech customer base.
- Tecan Group: Swiss liquid handling and automated pipetting specialist. Competes with Eppendorf's automated liquid handling systems and pipette portfolio, serving similar pharma, biotech, and diagnostics customers.
- Beckman Coulter (Danaher): Major centrifuge manufacturer and laboratory automation provider, competing directly with Eppendorf in centrifugation and biopharmaceutical liquid handling. Part of Danaher Corporation, which provides substantially greater R&D and acquisition firepower.
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Life science research and clinical diagnostics company competing with Eppendorf in PCR systems, laboratory instruments, and consumables for research and clinical markets.
Broad incumbents
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life sciences giant competing with Eppendorf across centrifuges, liquid handling, bioprocessing, PCR, and consumables. Listed as a key market player alongside Eppendorf in bioreactors, fermentation, PCR, and laboratory automation.
- Agilent Technologies: Broad analytical and life science instrumentation company with overlapping offerings in liquid handling systems and laboratory automation. Competes with Eppendorf in pharma/biotech research instrumentation.
- Danaher Corporation: Diversified life sciences conglomerate owning Beckman Coulter, Cytiva, and other life science brands. Competes with Eppendorf across centrifuges, bioprocessing, and laboratory automation through multiple operating companies.
- Mettler-Toledo International: Precision instruments manufacturer with liquid handling, pipetting, and laboratory product lines that overlap with Eppendorf's pipette and liquid handling portfolio.
Emerging players
- SPT Labtech: Specialist in liquid handling and sample preparation automation, competing with Eppendorf in NGS library prep workflows as a multi-vendor partner with New England Biolabs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Eppendorf social profiles
Digital presenceEppendorf financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Eppendorf leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Eppendorf funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Eppendorf M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Eppendorf
What does Eppendorf do?
Eppendorf SE develops, manufactures, and sells laboratory instruments and consumables for liquid handling, centrifugation, bioprocessing, cell incubation, PCR, and cold storage used in life science research and pharmaceutical laboratories. The portfolio spans pipettes, automated liquid handling systems, bioreactors (60 mL to 250 L), centrifuges, CO2 incubators, thermocyclers, ultra-low temperature freezers, and proprietary BioNsight cloud-based monitoring software, complemented by recurring consumables (tips, plates, vessels) and global service and support contracts.
Is Eppendorf a public or private company?
Eppendorf is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Eppendorf founded?
Eppendorf was founded in 1945. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Eppendorf based?
Eppendorf is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Eppendorf make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Laboratory Equipment and Instruments are the primary driver. The others are laboratory Consumables, service and Support and bioprocess Software.
Who are Eppendorf's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hamilton Company, Sartorius AG, Tecan Group, Beckman Coulter (Danaher) and Bio-Rad Laboratories. Broad incumbents are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Agilent Technologies, Danaher Corporation and Mettler-Toledo International. SPT Labtech is listed as an emerging player.
Does Eppendorf have an API?
No public API is recorded for Eppendorf.
What industry is Eppendorf in?
Eppendorf's product category is Laboratory Instruments and Consumables. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAD, Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations), with a secondary code of HLAGAIAC, General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3821.