Columbia Biosciences
Columbia Biosciences is a privately held Frederick, Maryland biotech firm founded in 2007 that cultivates algae to produce proprietary SureLight fluorescent dyes and conjugates them to antibodies for life-science research, pharma, and clinical diagnostics customers via e-commerce and custom services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersFrederick, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Columbia Biosciences does
Columbia Biosciences Corporation is a privately held biotechnology firm founded in 2007 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, that develops and manufactures fluorescent proteins and antibody conjugates for the life-science research and diagnostics markets. Its core technology is a vertically integrated pipeline: the company cultivates algae, extracts and purifies fluorescent dyes (phycoerythrins, allophycocyanin, peridinin-chlorophyll and related phycobiliproteins) in-house, and conjugates them to antibodies and streptavidin for use in flow cytometry, Luminex multiplex assays, TR-FRET, Western blot, ELISA, microscopy, and point-of-care diagnostics. The proprietary SureLight line of dyes and conjugates — including SureLight 488, APC, R-PE, BPE, PerCP, polymeric SAPE (8–10x brighter than standard streptavidin-R-PE), and SureLight P3 for point-of-care use — is the company's commercial centerpiece, alongside epitope-tag and secondary antibody conjugates, isotype controls, streptavidin conjugates, and assay kits (Cyclic AMP TR-FRET, Cell Viability, LANCE TR-FRET).
The firm sells standard catalog products primarily through direct e-commerce on its own website at unit prices ranging from approximately $40 to $15,000 depending on product and quantity, with lyophilized powder format and one-time purchase pricing. Higher-value custom and contract services — including custom biotin and sulfo-tag conjugation with HPLC/LC-MS characterization, mass spectrometry, custom assay development, protein purification, and cell line labeling — are priced by quote and engage directly with the company, with global coverage extended through an approved distributor network. Customer segments are horizontal: research laboratories and academic institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and (to a lesser extent) clinical diagnostics developers. Revenue, funding history, and ownership structure beyond the founders are not disclosed; the only capital event in the data is a $59,217 Maryland Department of Commerce grant dated February 2025.
Columbia Biosciences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Columbia Biosciences
- Legal name
- Columbia Biosciences Corporation
- Website
- https://columbiabiosciences.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Columbia Biosciences is a privately held Frederick, Maryland biotech firm founded in 2007 that cultivates algae to produce proprietary SureLight fluorescent dyes and conjugates them to antibodies for life-science research, pharma, and clinical diagnostics customers via e-commerce and custom services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Columbia Biosciences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Science Fluorescent Reagents
- NAICS
- In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes) (HLAGAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cell-Based & Potency Assays (Bioassays) (HLAGADAH), Specialty & Biomarker Laboratory Services (Immunoassays/Flow/Cytometry) (HLAGAEAB)
Keywords
Where Columbia Biosciences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Frederick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Columbia Biosciences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Standard Product Sales: Sale of fluorescent dyes, antibody conjugates, streptavidin conjugates, assay kits, and related reagents through e-commerce platform. Products are sold as lyophilized powders with one-time purchase pricing.
- Custom Conjugation Services: Custom conjugation services for biotin and sulfo-tag labeling of peptides and proteins with characterization services. Quote-based pricing for custom work.
- Contract Manufacturing Services: Additional services including mass spectrometry, custom assay development, protein purification, and cell line labeling.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard conjugated antibodies and dyes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Columbia Biosciences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Columbia Biosciences manufactures and sells proprietary fluorescent dyes and antibody conjugates for life science research and diagnostic applications. The company grows algae, extracts and purifies its SureLight® fluorescent dyes, and conjugates them to primary and secondary antibodies, streptavidin, and assay reagents for flow cytometry, Luminex immunoassays, TR-FRET, Western Blot, ELISA, microscopy, and point-of-care diagnostics. It also provides fee-for-service custom biotin and sulfo-tag conjugation, mass spectrometry characterization, custom assay development, protein purification, and cell line labeling.
Product overview
Columbia Biosciences is a biotech company that develops and manufactures fluorescent proteins and antibody conjugates. The company operates as a product catalog and service provider with a portfolio organized around two main pillars: (1) proprietary SureLight® fluorescent dyes including APC, R-Phycoerythrin (R-PE), B-PE, PerCP, and SureLight 488, along with SAPE (Streptavidin R-Phycoerythrin) conjugates for Luminex applications; and (2) a comprehensive range of antibody conjugates including primary antibodies against epitope tags (6-His, DYKDDDDK/Flag, C-MYC, HA, V5, S-tag, T7), secondary antibody conjugates for various species, isotype controls, and streptavidin conjugates. The product line spans unconjugated fluorescent dyes, conjugated antibodies, assay kits (Cyclic AMP TR-FRET, Cell Viability), and TR-FRET reagents. Columbia also offers custom conjugation services (Biotin, Sulfo-Tag), mass spectrometry services, custom assay development, protein purification, and cell line labeling as fee-for-service offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SureLight® Fluorescent Dyes
Companies that use Columbia Biosciences
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Columbia Biosciences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Columbia Biosciences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Columbia Biosciences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jackson ImmunoResearch: Specialty manufacturer of secondary antibodies and conjugation services across multiple fluorophores. Highly comparable niche specialty reagent business targeting research laboratories with custom labeling offerings.
- Cell Signaling Technology: Specialty antibody company offering a broad catalog of conjugated primary antibodies and fluorescent reagents for Western blot, flow cytometry, and immunoassay applications. Direct competitor in research-grade antibody conjugates.
- Miltenyi Biotec: Provider of cell labeling reagents, flow cytometry antibodies, and custom conjugation services. Directly comparable in cell line labeling services and fluorescent antibody conjugates for research and clinical applications.
- BioLegend: Specialty antibody and reagent company focused on fluorescent conjugated antibodies for flow cytometry and immunoassays. Closely comparable in product scope, target customers (research labs), and custom conjugation services.
- Luminex Corporation: Multiplexed assay platform and reagent provider where Columbia's SureLight SAPE products are deployed. Comparable as both a customer ecosystem for Columbia's reagents and a competing developer of multiplex immunoassay reagents.
Broad incumbents
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Major life science tools vendor with broad catalogs of fluorescent dyes, conjugated antibodies, and immunoassay reagents. Competes directly across flow cytometry and clinical diagnostics reagent categories.
- PerkinElmer: Life sciences tools vendor offering TR-FRET reagents, assay kits, and fluorescent labeling chemistries. Direct overlap in TR-FRET assay reagent and europium chelate conjugate categories.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life sciences leader offering fluorescent dyes, antibody conjugates, and SAPE products (e.g., S866) that Columbia's products are explicitly designed to be interchangeable with. Direct overlap across flow cytometry, Luminex, and immunoassay reagent categories.
- Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Flow cytometry and life science reagents provider within Danaher, offering fluorescent dyes and antibody conjugates. Comparable across flow cytometry reagent categories with substantially greater scale.
- BD Biosciences: Dominant flow cytometry reagent and instrument supplier with proprietary dye chemistry and antibody conjugates. Directly comparable in fluorescent labeling for cell analysis applications.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Columbia Biosciences social profiles
Digital presenceColumbia Biosciences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Columbia Biosciences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Columbia Biosciences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Columbia Biosciences 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 Columbia Biosciences
What does Columbia Biosciences do?
Columbia Biosciences manufactures and sells proprietary fluorescent dyes and antibody conjugates for life science research and diagnostic applications. The company grows algae, extracts and purifies its SureLight® fluorescent dyes, and conjugates them to primary and secondary antibodies, streptavidin, and assay reagents for flow cytometry, Luminex immunoassays, TR-FRET, Western Blot, ELISA, microscopy, and point-of-care diagnostics. It also provides fee-for-service custom biotin and sulfo-tag conjugation, mass spectrometry characterization, custom assay development, protein purification, and cell line labeling.
Is Columbia Biosciences a public or private company?
Columbia Biosciences is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Columbia Biosciences founded?
Columbia Biosciences was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Columbia Biosciences based?
Columbia Biosciences is headquartered in Frederick, United States, in the North America region.
How does Columbia Biosciences make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Standard Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Conjugation Services and contract Manufacturing Services.
Who are Columbia Biosciences's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jackson ImmunoResearch, Cell Signaling Technology, Miltenyi Biotec, BioLegend and Luminex Corporation. Broad incumbents are Bio-Rad Laboratories, PerkinElmer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and BD Biosciences.
Does Columbia Biosciences have an API?
No public API is recorded for Columbia Biosciences.
What industry is Columbia Biosciences in?
Columbia Biosciences's product category is Life Science Fluorescent Reagents. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAI, Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes), with a secondary code of HLAGADAH, Cell-Based & Potency Assays (Bioassays). Its NAICS code is 325413 and its SIC code is 2835.