MSALABS
MSALABS is a private Canadian global geochemical laboratory services company serving mining and exploration clients with PhotonAssay™ x-ray assay, sample preparation, geochemical analysis, and on-site mine lab construction across 16 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLangley, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MSALABS does
MSALABS is a private Canadian geochemical laboratory services company headquartered in Langley, British Columbia, founded in 2015 and operating 25+ laboratories across 16 countries (Canada, USA, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, plus franchise sites in Ecuador, Finland, and Sweden). The company serves mining and exploration clients globally, providing sample preparation (drill core, soil, sediment, vegetation), geochemical analysis (Fire Assay, ICP-OES/ICP-MS, XRF, multi-element packages, specialty assays, metallurgical and biogeochemistry services), and on-site mine laboratory construction and management.
The company's core technical differentiator is PhotonAssay™, a trademarked x-ray assay technology delivering quantitative gold, silver and copper results in hours rather than days or weeks, with environmental and safety advantages over traditional fire assay. MSALABS was an early adopter of the technology and the first to install a PhotonAssay unit outside Australia, where the technology was developed, and now operates the largest installed capacity globally. Complementing PhotonAssay, MSALABS owns MSALIMS 2.0, a customized Laboratory Information Management System with proprietary API integration into client databases and 24/7 sample-progress visibility. The company holds ISO17025 accreditation across multiple sites and ISO9001, ISO14001, and ISO45001 certifications.
MSALABS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capital Limited, a London-listed mining services firm. The company uses a direct enterprise sales motion with dedicated account teams and a franchise program for local laboratory partnerships. Revenue is generated through quote-based multi-year contracts with annual Rise and Fall provisions, 30-day quote validity, 30-day payment terms, and batch charges for sub-20-sample orders. The pricing structure is not publicly disclosed. Recent named customers include Barrick (Reko Diq, Pakistan), Kinross (Tasiast, Mauritania), WIA Gold (Kokoseb, Namibia), Allied Gold (Côte d'Ivoire), Toubani Resources (Mali), and Ongwe Minerals (Namibia). MSALABS shifted from loss-making to profitable in H2 2025 according to its parent's reporting.
MSALABS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MSALABS
- Legal name
- MSALABS
- Website
- https://msalabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- MSALABS is a private Canadian global geochemical laboratory services company serving mining and exploration clients with PhotonAssay™ x-ray assay, sample preparation, geochemical analysis, and on-site mine lab construction across 16 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MSALABS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mining laboratory analytical services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Elemental Impurities & Trace Metals (ICP-MS) (HLAGADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)
Keywords
Where MSALABS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Langley
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices24 records
Markets served
MSALABS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Geochemical Laboratory Services: Full range of geochemical laboratory services for the mining and exploration industries including sample preparation, geochemical analysis, PhotonAssay, and specialty assay services. Services are provided through owned laboratories and franchise partnerships globally.
- Laboratory Construction & Management: High-quality design, construction and management of mine-site laboratories. MSALABS provides modular laboratory facilities built to specific project requirements on site, including engineering design, construction and installation management, software, systems and process implementation, technical support, laboratory staffing and management, and laboratory audits.
- Franchise Opportunities: Local laboratory partnerships through franchise services model. Partners gain access to MSALABS international network of laboratory knowledge while providing local expertise in geology, minerology and logistical conditions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Professional laboratory services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
MSALABS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MSALABS provides geochemical laboratory services to the global mining and exploration industries, including sample preparation, geochemical analysis (precious metals by Fire Assay, multi-element packages, ICP-OES/MS, XRF, specialty assays) and proprietary PhotonAssay™ x-ray analysis for gold, silver and copper. The company also designs, builds and operates on-site mine laboratories, runs a franchise laboratory program, and offers MSALIMS 2.0, a customized Laboratory Information Management System with API integrations for client data systems.
Product overview
MSALABS is an innovative assay services company offering a full suite of geochemical laboratory services for the exploration and mining industries. The core offering centers on PhotonAssay™ technology, a groundbreaking x-ray assay solution for gold, silver, and copper analysis, complemented by comprehensive Sample Preparation services (drill core, soil, sediment, vegetation), Geochemical Analysis (Fire Assay, ICP-OES/MS, XRF, multi-element packages, metallurgical services), and Laboratory Construction & Management for on-site mine laboratories. Additional offerings include Franchise Opportunities for local laboratory partnerships and MSALIMS 2.0, the company's proprietary Laboratory Information Management System with API integration capabilities. The company operates the largest global network of PhotonAssay™ units and maintains ISO17025 accreditation along with ISO9001, ISO14001, and ISO45001 certifications across its global laboratory network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PhotonAssay™: A groundbreaking x-ray assay technology providing faster, safer, and more accurate gold, silver, and copper analysis in hours rather than days or weeks. It is an environmentally friendly alternative to fire assay.
- MSALIMS 2.0
- MSALABS Franchise Opportunities
Products and services
- PhotonAssay™ Revolutionary x-ray assay technology providing faster, safer, and more accurate analysis of gold, silver and copper in hours rather than days or weeks; an environmentally friendly alternative to fire assay for mining and exploration clients.
- Sample Preparation Comprehensive sample preparation services covering drill and rock core (crushed to 70% passing 2mm, pulverized to 85% passing 75µm), soil and sediment (dried and screened), vegetation (dried and macerated or ashed), plus core sawing, composite preparation, and specific gravity services for mining and exploration clients.
- Geochemical Analysis Complete range of geochemical analysis services for exploration and mining companies across all commodities, including precious metals by Fire Assay, multi-element packages (Basic, Trace, Ultra-trace), Fusion ICP-OES and ICP-MS, XRF, specialty assays, metallurgical services, biogeochemistry, and hydrogeochemistry.
- Laboratory Construction & Management High-quality design, construction and management of mine-site laboratories including engineering design, construction and installation management, software, systems and process implementation, technical support, laboratory staffing and management, and laboratory audits for mining operators.
- Franchise Opportunities High-quality management of local laboratories through a franchise services model, including design and construction of complete laboratories, implementation of software, systems and processes, and complete management of existing laboratory infrastructure combining local expertise with MSALABS global technical knowledge.
- MSALIMS 2.0 Proprietary Laboratory Information Management System completely customized, built and owned by MSALABS, enabling API design to integrate seamlessly to client-specific database requirements and providing 24/7 visibility of sample progress through login access for clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Results in as little as 2 minutes with quasi real-time analysis capability
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use MSALABS
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
MSALABS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
MSALABS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Mari Minerals (Mari Energies Limited)coreMari Minerals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mari Energies Limited, signed a joint venture agreement with MSALABS to establish an assay laboratory in Pakistan. The project aims to provide comprehensive minerals testing services to support mining activities in Pakistan, pending regulatory approvals.
- Chrysos CorporationcoreMSALABS has installed its third Chrysos PhotonAssay unit in the Elko, Nevada region. MSALABS was the first to install a PhotonAssay unit outside of Australia where the technology was developed.
- BarrickcoreMSALABS provides laboratory services at the Reko Diq copper-gold project in Pakistan, operated by Barrick. A new commercial laboratory has been installed in Elko, Nevada to serve Barrick operations.
- KinrosscoreMSALABS secured contract extensions with Kinross at the Tasiast gold mine in Mauritania for laboratory services.
- WIA GoldmajorMSALABS secured a three-year fire assay contract with WIA Gold for its Kokoseb project in Namibia.
- Allied GoldmajorMSALABS provides exploration drilling services through Capital Limited with Allied Gold in Côte d'Ivoire.
- Toubani ResourcesmajorMSALABS provides exploration drilling services through Capital Limited with Toubani Resources in Mali.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MSALABS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Intertek: Intertek provides minerals testing and on-site mine laboratory services as part of its broader commodities inspection and analytical portfolio. It competes head-to-head with MSALABS for assay and geochemical work for major mining houses.
- Activation Laboratories (Actlabs): Activation Laboratories is a Canadian-based analytical services firm specializing in geochemistry, mineralogy, and metallurgy for the mining and exploration industry, with labs in Canada, Mexico, and beyond. It is a direct mid-sized competitor for fire assay, ICP-MS, and PhotonAssay-style analytical work.
- Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas operates a Minerals & Metals division delivering geochemical analysis, fire assay, and on-site laboratory services for mining and exploration clients globally. Like MSALABS, it serves enterprise miners with a network of accredited labs across key regions.
- ALS Limited: ALS Limited is a global provider of geochemical, mineral, and environmental analytical services to the mining industry, with hundreds of labs across more than 60 countries. It is the most direct large-scale competitor to MSALABS for precious-metals fire assay and multi-element ICP analysis offered to explorers and miners.
- SGS SA: SGS is the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification company and a top-tier provider of geochemical and mine-site laboratory services to the minerals industry, including fire assay, multi-element, and metallurgical testing. Directly overlaps with MSALABS on enterprise mining assay contracts worldwide.
Broad incumbents
- Cotecna Group: Cotecna is an international testing, inspection, and certification company with a minerals and mining services practice covering sampling, analytical testing, and verification. It overlaps with MSALABS at the enterprise-mining services layer, though it is broader and less mining-focused than MSALABS.
- Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is a global testing-services conglomerate with environmental, agro, and minerals-related analytical labs. It is a broad incumbent that could expand its mining-assay offering to challenge MSALABS but does not specialise in precious-metals and PhotonAssay-style services today.
Emerging players
- Chrysos Corporation: Chrysos developed the PhotonAssay™ technology and supplies units to MSALABS and other commercial labs. While not a direct lab-services competitor, Chrysos is the enabling technology provider whose IP and rollout strategy materially shapes MSALABS's competitive positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MSALABS social profiles
Digital presenceMSALABS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
MSALABS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MSALABS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
MSALABS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MSALABS 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 MSALABS
What does MSALABS do?
MSALABS provides geochemical laboratory services to the global mining and exploration industries, including sample preparation, geochemical analysis (precious metals by Fire Assay, multi-element packages, ICP-OES/MS, XRF, specialty assays) and proprietary PhotonAssay™ x-ray analysis for gold, silver and copper. The company also designs, builds and operates on-site mine laboratories, runs a franchise laboratory program, and offers MSALIMS 2.0, a customized Laboratory Information Management System with API integrations for client data systems.
Is MSALABS a public or private company?
MSALABS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was MSALABS founded?
MSALABS was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is MSALABS based?
MSALABS is headquartered in Langley, Canada, in the North America region.
How does MSALABS make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Geochemical Laboratory Services are the primary driver. The others are laboratory Construction & Management and franchise Opportunities.
Who are MSALABS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Intertek, Activation Laboratories (Actlabs), Bureau Veritas, ALS Limited and SGS SA. Broad incumbents are Cotecna Group and Eurofins Scientific. Chrysos Corporation is listed as an emerging player.
Does MSALABS have an API?
Yes. MSALIMS 2.0 system is completely customized, built and owned by MSALABS enabling API design to integrate seamlessly to client-specific database requirements. The LIMS system provides 24/7 visibility of sample progress with login access. Specific API documentation, auth methods, or developer portal not publicly available.
What industry is MSALABS in?
MSALABS's product category is Mining laboratory analytical services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGADAJ, Elemental Impurities & Trace Metals (ICP-MS), with a secondary code of IMAKAKAA, Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling). Its NAICS code is 213114 and its SIC code is 8731.