What Cherwell Laboratories does

Cherwell Laboratories, now operating as AnalytiChem UK following a September 2025 rebranding, is a UK-based specialist manufacturer of cleanroom microbiology solutions serving pharmaceutical and healthcare manufacturers. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Bicester, Oxfordshire, the company designs, manufactures, and supplies prepared culture media under the Redipor® brand — including settle plates, contact plates, Petri dishes, bottled media, broth bags, and ampoules — alongside SAS microbial air samplers (hand-held, isolator, and compressed air variants), the BAMS real-time continuous microbial air monitor, and supporting accessories and calibration services. Core technical capabilities include gamma irradiation, 100% batch inspection processes, bespoke media formulation, and CFR 21 Part 11 compliant data management, with all manufacturing conducted at an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility (certified continuously since 1997) producing products validated against BP/EP/JP and US Pharmacopoeia standards and aligned with EU GMP Annex 1 contamination control requirements.

The company operates a direct enterprise field sales motion supported by regional Business Development Managers (including a newly created Midlands role filled October 2025), an approved Redipor distributor network, and post-acquisition access to the AnalytiChem Group's eight-site global channel spanning Europe, North America, and Australia. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales of prepared media and equipment, calibration and servicing contracts for SAS air samplers, and bespoke product development engagements with pharmaceutical QC microbiologists. Customers include pharmaceutical manufacturers, NHS hospitals, contract manufacturing organizations, cell therapy firms, and clinical bio-manufacturing facilities. Pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed price list, and each batch is delivered with a Certificate of Analysis.

Following its January 2024 acquisition by the AnalytiChem Group and September 2025 leadership transition (Stuart Hall succeeding founder-family member Andy Whittard as Managing Director), the business is in an integration phase focused on portfolio expansion (TwistLock plates, BetaBag sterile-transfer media, BAMS continuous monitoring) and cross-selling through the parent group's international footprint.

Name

Cherwell Laboratories

Legal name

AnalytiChem UK Limited

Website

https://cherwell-labs.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cherwell Laboratories (now AnalytiChem UK) is a UK-based specialist manufacturer of Redipor-branded prepared culture media, microbial air samplers, and continuous monitoring systems used for environmental monitoring and contamination control in pharmaceutical and healthcare cleanrooms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cleanroom Microbiology Consumables and Equipment

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Monitoring & Cleanroom Testing (GMP) (HLAGADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Cleanroom microbiology products
• Prepared culture media
• Environmental monitoring solutions
• Microbial air samplers
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing consumables

Headquarters

HQ city

Bicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Prepared Culture Media Products: Sale of Redipor® branded prepared media including plates (settle plates, contact plates, Petri dishes), bottled media, broth bags, and ampoules. Both standard and gamma-irradiated options available. Revenue generated through direct product orders with per-batch QC certification provided.
2. Microbial Air Samplers and Equipment: Sale and servicing of SAS microbial air samplers including hand-held units, isolator samplers, and compressed air samplers. Equipment sales supplemented by calibration services and accessories.
3. Calibration and Service: Calibration services for SAS air samplers (recommended every 12 months). Service includes flow rate checking, functionality verification, and Certificate of Calibration issuance. Free telephone advice provided to sampler customers.
4. Bespoke Products and Packaging: Custom media formulations, specialized packaging solutions (including barrier packs for VHP resistance, triple-wrapped gamma irradiated packaging), and tailored accessories developed to meet specific customer requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cherwell Laboratories (now AnalytiChem UK) manufactures and supplies Redipor® prepared culture media (settle plates, contact plates, Petri dishes, bottled media, broth bags, ampoules) and SAS microbial air samplers for pharmaceutical and healthcare cleanroom environmental monitoring and process validation. The offering also includes the BAMS real-time continuous microbial monitor, bespoke media and packaging formulations, and air sampler calibration services, all manufactured at its ISO 9001:2015-certified facility in Bicester, UK.

Product overview

Cherwell Laboratories (now AnalytiChem UK) offers a unified cleanroom microbiology solutions portfolio comprising Redipor-branded prepared media products (settle plates, contact plates, Petri dishes, bottled media, broth bags, and ampoules), SAS microbial air samplers (hand-held, isolator, and compressed air variants), the BAMS real-time continuous monitoring system, and supporting accessories and calibration services. The product range supports environmental monitoring and process validation for pharmaceutical and healthcare cleanroom manufacturing, with recent additions including TwistLock locking plates with GS1 DataMatrix codes for automated tracking and BetaBag for sterile transfer in continuous manufacturing, all designed to meet EU GMP Annex 1 compliance requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Redipor Prepared Media Comprehensive range of prepared culture media including settle plates, contact plates, Petri dishes, bottled media, broth bags, and ampoules for environmental monitoring and process validation in pharmaceutical cleanrooms.
• Redipor TwistLock Plates Locking lid prepared media plates with side-positioned GS1 DataMatrix codes ensuring environmental monitoring sample security throughout the microbial monitoring process and enabling automated colony counting. Features two locking positions (Vent and No Vent) for secure closure during transport and incubation.
• Redipor BetaBag Gamma-irradiated ready-to-use microbiology media plates in bag format enabling validated sterile transfer into Grade A environments via Alpha-Beta connection system for continuous manufacturing. Supports continuous manufacturing workflows and reduces transfer time and risk.
• SAS Microbial Air Samplers Active air monitoring equipment including hand-held samplers (SAS Super 100, SAS Super 180, SAS Duo 360), isolator samplers, and compressed air samplers for pharmaceutical and healthcare cleanroom environmental monitoring. Features USB technology and CFR 21 Part 11 compliant data management.
• BAMS Real-time Microbial Monitor Continuous real-time air monitoring system using laser technology to identify viable and non-viable particles instantaneously, eliminating wait times and consumables required by traditional air sampling methods and offering real-time alerts.
• Air Sampler Calibration Service Calibration service for all SAS air sampler models covering flow rate checking, functionality verification and Certificate of Calibration issuance. Recommended every 12 months and complemented by free telephone advice to sampler customers.
• Bespoke Products and Packaging Custom media formulations and specialised packaging solutions developed in partnership with pharmaceutical manufacturers, including barrier packs for VHP resistance, triple-wrapped gamma irradiated packaging, and tailored accessories.
• Broth Bags and Ampoules Bagged media products from 100ml to 10 litres and 10ml glass ampoules designed for operator validation processes and media fill simulations in pharmaceutical and healthcare settings.
• Poured Culture Media Plates Agar plates in various formats including Petri dishes (50mm, 90mm, 140mm), contact plates with grip lids, and dipslides for environmental monitoring applications in pharmaceutical and healthcare cleanrooms.
• Prepared Media Accessories Settle plate stands (tabletop and floor standing), contact plate carriers for up to 20 plates, and surface sampling equipment designed to support environmental monitoring programmes, with bespoke options available on request.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gamma irradiation extends room temperature shelf life of prepared media
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AnalytiChem GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Cherwell joined the AnalytiChem Group in January 2024. The group develops and manufactures specialised laboratory equipment, reagents, and consumables with eight global sites spanning Europe, North America, and Australia. Integration enables shared expertise, increased investment, and expanded product offerings. Cherwell renamed to AnalytiChem UK on 1st September 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hardy Diagnostics: US-based manufacturer of prepared culture media and microbiology supplies for clinical, pharmaceutical, and food safety applications. Directly comparable product portfolio (prepared plates, bottled media, contact plates) and similar B2B distribution model serving pharma cleanrooms.
• Rapid Micro Biosystems: Developer of the Growth Direct system for automated, rapid microbial enumeration in pharmaceutical quality control. Directly competes with Cherwell's BAMS real-time monitor as a next-generation alternative to traditional settle plates and incubation workflows.

Broad incumbents

• bioMérieux: Global leader in industrial microbiology with its BioBall reference strains, prepared media, and air samplers (e.g., MAS-100). Overlaps with Cherwell on pharma cleanroom environmental monitoring but operates at much larger scale across diagnostics and food safety.
• Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma): Life science tools giant offering a comprehensive prepared media and environmental monitoring portfolio (EMD Millipore) for pharma manufacturing. Competes with Cherwell on Redipor plates, broths, and air samplers but bundles them into much broader bioprocessing solutions.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Major life science tools provider with microbiology product lines including prepared culture media and quality control reagents for pharmaceutical and clinical labs. Overlaps with Cherwell's media portfolio while also serving broader clinical diagnostics markets.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Largest life sciences tools company, offering prepared media, environmental monitoring consumables, and air sampling equipment through its Microbiology and Pharma Services segments. Competes across Cherwell's entire product range as part of a comprehensive pharma services bundle.
• Sartorius: Major bioprocessing supplier serving pharmaceutical manufacturing with filtration, fermentation, and quality solutions. Adjacent peer whose contamination control and quality product portfolio overlaps with Cherwell's prepared media and EM offerings for pharma customers.

Emerging players

• 3M Food Safety: Offers environmental monitoring products (Petrifilm, ATP hygiene monitoring, Clean-Trace) serving both food and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Comparable in adjacent environmental monitoring workflows, though stronger in food safety than pharma EM.
• Nelson Laboratories: Sterility and microbiology testing services provider for medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Complementary peer offering outsourced testing that overlaps with Cherwell's environmental monitoring and validation customer use cases.
• Neogen: Food and animal safety testing company with environmental monitoring and microbiology product lines. Comparable in environmental monitoring consumables and surface sampling, though primarily anchored in food safety rather than pharma cleanrooms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/analytichem
• Xx.com/CherwellLabs

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cherwell Laboratories