KeraFAST
Kerafast is a Boston-based e-commerce marketplace enabling life science researchers worldwide to discover, purchase, and supply unique academic reagents, bypassing traditional MTA processes through a self-serve platform serving 200+ contributing institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What KeraFAST does
Kerafast is a Boston-based e-commerce marketplace that connects academic life science researchers with unique laboratory-made reagents contributed by investigators at 200+ institutions worldwide. The platform offers more than eleven product categories, including antibodies, plasmids, lentiviruses, virus vectors (including a proprietary VSV-G Pseudotyped ΔG system), cell lines, proteins, and labeling/detection reagents, with specialty product lines targeting infectious disease, gene delivery, and structural biology research. Its operating model bypasses traditional Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) processes through a self-serve catalog and global shipping, while a "Reagents for the Greater Good" royalty mechanism returns a share of each sale to the contributing scientist and institution, supported by formal provider programs such as Kerafast Partners (KFP) and Kerafast Fellows.
Commercially, Kerafast generates revenue primarily through direct transactional reagent sales at unit prices ranging from $132 to over $1,400, supplemented by higher-margin services such as custom lentivirus production and ELISA/multiplex assay services. Customers span academic institutions, pharmaceutical/biotech firms, and government agencies (including the FDA and Department of Veterans Affairs), with global reach across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Since 2018, Kerafast has operated under Vector Laboratories, Inc., following its merger with UK-based Absolute Antibody; the broader Vector portfolio also includes Everest Biotech, Exalpha Biologicals, Nordic-MUbio, and LifeSpan BioSciences. The company is private, has not raised institutional capital since 2016, and runs a lean organization of 11-50 employees with a digital-first, self-serve go-to-market motion and email/blog marketing channels.
KeraFAST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KeraFAST
- Legal name
- Vector Laboratories, Inc.
- Website
- https://kerafast.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kerafast is a Boston-based e-commerce marketplace enabling life science researchers worldwide to discover, purchase, and supply unique academic reagents, bypassing traditional MTA processes through a self-serve platform serving 200+ contributing institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KeraFAST industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Science Research Reagents
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where KeraFAST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
KeraFAST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Reagent Product Sales: Direct sales of research reagents including antibodies, cell lines, plasmids, lentiviruses, virus vectors, proteins, and other laboratory materials. Transaction-based pricing with listed catalog prices.
- Royalty Revenue Sharing: Generous royalty payments returned to scientists and institutions that contribute reagents to the platform, funded from every sale.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual reagent products sold at catalog prices |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
KeraFAST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KeraFAST operates an online marketplace that aggregates unique, hard-to-obtain research reagents contributed by academic laboratories worldwide and makes them directly purchasable by life science researchers. The platform bypasses traditional Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) processes, offering reagents across categories including antibodies, cell lines, plasmids, lentiviruses, VSV vectors, proteins, enzymes, and kits. Proceeds from sales are shared with contributing laboratories via a royalty model branded 'Reagents for the Greater Good'.
Product overview
KeraFAST is a Boston-based reagent company offering an extensive portfolio of unique research products sourced from university laboratories worldwide. The company operates as a multi-category reagent marketplace featuring over 11 product types including Antibodies & Secondary Detection Reagents, Buffers & Chemicals, Cell Culture & Transfection Reagents, Cells & Tissue Samples, DNA Vectors/Clones/Nucleic Acids, Kits & Assays, Labeling & Detection Products, PCR Products, Proteins/Enzymes/Peptides, Virus Vectors and Particles, and Services. Core product lines include Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) reagents (antibodies, cell lines, plasmids, pseudotyped viruses), Premade Lentiviruses, and the VSV-G Pseudotyped ΔG Virus System for producing chimeric viruses. The company also offers Custom Lentivirus Production services. Products are sourced from academic researchers and distributed through an online platform, with proceeds returning to the providing laboratories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Antibodies & Secondary Detection Reagents Catalog of primary antibodies, secondary antibodies, antibody labeling reagents, tag and loading control antibodies, and hybridomas supplied by academic laboratories for life science research applications.
- Buffers & Chemicals Laboratory buffers, compounds, isolated natural products, and unique chemistry reagents sourced from academic providers for research applications.
- Cell Culture & Transfection Reagents Reagents for cell culture maintenance and genetic transfection experiments, distributed via the marketplace.
- Cells & Tissue Samples Bacterial cells, eukaryotic cells, primary cells, stem cells, and tissue samples supplied by academic laboratories for research use.
- DNA Vectors, Clones, Purified Nucleic Acids & Libraries GFP-dependent transcription system plasmids, general plasmids, and purified nucleic acid reagents for molecular biology research.
- Kits & Assays Complete assay kits for various research applications, assembled from reagents contributed by academic laboratories.
- Labeling & Detection Products Click chemistry probes, biotin-related reagents, fluorescent probes, nanoparticles, reactive dyes, GFP reagents, chelators, and protein conjugation kits for detection workflows.
- PCR Products
Companies that use KeraFAST
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
KeraFAST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
KeraFAST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Absolute AntibodycoreUK-based company merged with Kerafast in 2018 with shared commitment to improving selection of research tools. Absolute Antibody focuses on recombinant antibody technology. Kerafast handles North and South American sales and customer service as well as global marketing for Absolute Antibody.
- Vector LaboratoriescoreKerafast is owned and operated by Vector Laboratories Inc. Part of the Vector family including Everest Biotech, Exalpha Biologicals, Nordic-MUbio, LifeSpan BioSciences, Inc., and Absolute Antibody, Ltd.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KeraFAST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Addgene: Non-profit plasmid repository operating a similar community-driven reagent sharing model for life science researchers. Highly comparable as a peer-to-peer reagent exchange marketplace serving academic scientists, though Addgene focuses specifically on plasmids and associated tools.
- Santa Cruz Biotechnology: Antibody and reagent supplier serving academic and pharmaceutical researchers across multiple research areas. Comparable as a direct competitor in antibody and reagent sales to life science researchers, with overlapping product categories.
Broad incumbents
- ATCC (American Type Culture Collection): Established biological resource center offering authenticated cell lines, microorganisms, and related services. Comparable as a supplier of standardized biological materials to research institutions, though ATCC operates as a traditional distributor rather than a marketplace.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Largest life science reagent and instrument supplier globally, offering extensive catalogs across antibodies, cell culture, and molecular biology products. Represents the dominant incumbent against which Kerafast's marketplace model competes for research reagent budgets.
- Sigma-Aldrich (MilliporeSigma): Major chemical, biochemical, and reagent distributor under Merck KGaA. Comparable as a broad-line reagent supplier to academic and pharmaceutical researchers with established logistics and brand recognition.
- Bio-Techne: Life science reagent and instrument provider spanning proteins, antibodies, ELISA kits, and cell/gene therapy workflow tools. Comparable as a multi-category reagent supplier serving academic and pharma researchers with overlapping product categories.
- Abcam: Major specialty antibody supplier serving life science research. Comparable as a high-quality reagent distributor with strong academic customer base, though Abcam focuses on antibodies rather than operating a broad marketplace model.
- Cell Signaling Technology: Specialty antibody and reagent provider for cell signaling research. Comparable as a research-grade reagent supplier with strong academic and pharma relationships, particularly in antibody products that overlap with Kerafast's catalog.
Others
- Absolute Antibody: Recombinant antibody technology provider that merged with Kerafast in 2018 under Vector Laboratories. Comparable as a sister company operating within the same Vector Labs portfolio with overlapping customer base and shared infrastructure.
Emerging players
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research: Non-profit biomedical research organization maintaining cell line and DNA repositories for the research community. Comparable as a specialized biorepository serving academic researchers, though Coriell is more focused on biobanking than an active marketplace.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KeraFAST social profiles
Digital presenceKeraFAST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KeraFAST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
KeraFAST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KeraFAST 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 KeraFAST
What does KeraFAST do?
KeraFAST operates an online marketplace that aggregates unique, hard-to-obtain research reagents contributed by academic laboratories worldwide and makes them directly purchasable by life science researchers. The platform bypasses traditional Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) processes, offering reagents across categories including antibodies, cell lines, plasmids, lentiviruses, VSV vectors, proteins, enzymes, and kits. Proceeds from sales are shared with contributing laboratories via a royalty model branded 'Reagents for the Greater Good'.
Is KeraFAST a public or private company?
KeraFAST is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was KeraFAST founded?
KeraFAST was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KeraFAST based?
KeraFAST is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does KeraFAST make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Reagent Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are royalty Revenue Sharing.
Who are KeraFAST's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Addgene and Santa Cruz Biotechnology. Broad incumbents are ATCC (American Type Culture Collection), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Sigma-Aldrich (MilliporeSigma), Bio-Techne, Abcam and Cell Signaling Technology. Absolute Antibody is listed as an others. Coriell Institute for Medical Research is listed as an emerging player.
Does KeraFAST have an API?
No public API is recorded for KeraFAST.
What industry is KeraFAST in?
KeraFAST's product category is Life Science Research Reagents. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAL, Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms. Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 5122.