MatTek
MatTek Corporation is a 1985-founded life sciences company producing 3D reconstructed human epithelial tissue models as validated alternatives to animal testing, serving pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical, and academic research customers globally through direct sales and a distributor network, now a subsidiary of Sartorius AG.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersAshland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What MatTek does
MatTek Corporation is a life sciences company founded in 1985 by MIT scientists that develops and manufactures 3D reconstructed human epithelial tissue models used as alternatives to animal testing in toxicology, drug development, and biomedical research. The company's core technology grows living, metabolically active human tissue constructs at an air-liquid interface, replicating native tissue architecture for endpoints including skin irritation/corrosion (EpiDerm), eye irritation (EpiOcular), respiratory toxicity (EpiAirway), intestinal absorption (EpiIntestinal), vaginal irritation (EpiVaginal), hepatotoxicity (HUREL micro livers), and nephrotoxicity (EpiKidney), among 18+ tissue models. The platform is augmented by Visikol tissue clearing reagents for 3D imaging and AIM Biotech organ-on-a-chip microfluidic systems.
MatTek operates a hybrid revenue model with three streams: (1) catalog and per-unit sales of tissue models, reagents, and cultureware via direct sales in the US/Europe and regional distributors in Japan (Kurabo, Phoenix Science), Korea (Dail Scientific), and India (MS Clinical Research); (2) fee-for-service contract testing, histology, and image analysis; and (3) technology licensing to pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and chemical companies. Primary customers are cosmetics/personal care companies needing REACH and EU Cosmetics Regulation compliance, pharmaceutical/biotech firms running preclinical ADMET and DMPK studies, and academic/government research institutions. Catalog pricing ranges from $168 to $990 per unit with tiered volume discounts, while custom tissues and contract services are quote-based.
Following its July 2025 acquisition by Sartorius AG (a public German life science group), MatTek operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary with manufacturing in Ashland, Massachusetts and Bratislava, Slovakia. The company is differentiated by regulatory validations from OECD (TG 439, 431, 492, 498), ECVAM, the US EPA, and ISO 10993-23 for medical device testing, plus marquee validations including NASA use of EpiOcular for lunar dust ocular toxicity assessment.
MatTek firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MatTek
- Legal name
- MatTek Corporation
- Website
- https://mattek.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- MatTek Corporation is a 1985-founded life sciences company producing 3D reconstructed human epithelial tissue models as validated alternatives to animal testing, serving pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical, and academic research customers globally through direct sales and a distributor network, now a subsidiary of Sartorius AG.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MatTek industry classification
Industry- Product category
- In Vitro Tissue Models
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)
- akta.pro primary industry
- In Vitro Toxicology (Cell-based/Organ-on-chip) (HLAGAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organoids & Organ-on-Chip (regenerative models) (HLAAAGAD), In Vitro Model Systems & Organoid Platforms (iPSC/organoids, microphysiological systems) (HLAAAIAJ)
Keywords
Where MatTek is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ashland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
MatTek business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tissue and Reagent Product Sales: MatTek's primary revenue stream is the sale of 3D reconstructed human tissue models (EpiDerm, EpiOcular, EpiAirway, EpiIntestinal) along with associated reagents, cultureware, and assay kits. Products include tissues, cells, tissues-on-chips, and Visikol branded reagents. Revenue is generated through direct sales and distributor channels on a per-unit and per-product basis.
- Contract Testing and Laboratory Services: MatTek offers fee-for-service testing services including histology, image analysis (Confocal, HCR, H&E, IHC), and custom contract testing programs. These services provide a recurring revenue stream from existing customers seeking to outsource in vitro testing without internal capabilities.
- Technology Licensing: MatTek licenses its proprietary tissue model technologies and methodologies to pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and chemical companies for internal research and regulatory submissions. Licensing arrangements may include upfront fees, milestone payments, and royalties.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Per-product unit pricing with tiered volume discounts |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing for custom products and contract services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
MatTek product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MatTek manufactures and sells lab-grown 3D reconstructed human epithelial tissue models (EpiDerm, EpiOcular, EpiAirway, EpiIntestinal, EpiVaginal, EpiAlveolar, EpiKidney, EpiLiver, HUREL Micro Livers and others) along with Visikol tissue clearing reagents, cultureware, primary human cells, and organ-on-a-chip systems. The company also provides fee-for-service contract testing including histology, image analysis, and custom in vitro assays. Products serve pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical, and academic research customers for safety and efficacy assessment as validated alternatives to animal testing.
Product overview
MatTek is a life sciences company specializing in human-relevant in vitro testing solutions. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of lab-grown human epithelial tissue models (EpiDerm, EpiOcular, EpiAirway, EpiIntestinal, EpiVaginal, EpiAlveolar, EpiKidney, EpiLiver, and others) for safety testing, drug discovery, and biomedical research. The product portfolio spans three main categories: Human Tissue Models (3D reconstructed tissues for toxicology and drug testing), Cultureware (glass bottom dishes, multi-well plates, spheroid culture plates, organ-on-a-chip systems), and Visikol Products (tissue clearing reagents and buffers for 3D imaging). Additional offerings include primary human cells, HUREL micro liver products for hepatotoxicity screening, and specialized accessories. The company was founded in 1985 by MIT scientists and is now part of Sartorius AG, acquired in July 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- EpiDerm A reconstructed human skin tissue model for skin irritation, corrosion, phototoxicity testing, and dermatological research. ECVAM validated and OECD TG 439/431/498 accepted as a full replacement for animal-based skin testing.
- EpiOcular A reconstructed human cornea-like tissue model for eye irritation testing. OECD TG 492 accepted (third OECD-accepted assay globally) and US EPA accepted as an alternative method for antimicrobial pesticide classification.
- EpiAirway A lab-grown human respiratory airway tissue model used for inhalation toxicology, drug delivery, and respiratory infection research.
- EpiIntestinal A 3D human small intestinal tissue model reconstructed from primary human cells for drug absorption, safety assessment, and intestinal inflammation studies.
- EpiVaginal A reconstructed human vaginal tissue model used for vaginal irritation assessment, microbicide testing, and STD infection research. The only commercially available model referenced in FDA guidance for vaginal irritation.
- EpiAlveolar A human alveolar tissue model for pulmonary drug delivery, inhaled drug testing, and respiratory toxicology applications featuring air-blood barrier reconstruction.
- EpiKidney A human kidney tissue model used for nephrotoxicity assessment and kidney-related drug discovery applications.
- HUREL Micro Livers Primary hepatocyte-based micro liver models representing multiple mammalian species for hepatotoxicity screening, metabolic stability, and metabolite identification services.
- HUREL ZooPlates Micro liver plates featuring multiple mammalian species (12 different models representing 10 species) custom-configured on a single labware plate for cross-species hepatotoxicity comparison.
- EpiDermFT A full-thickness human skin model containing both epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts, used for wound healing studies, anti-aging research, and comprehensive dermatological testing.
- MelanoDerm A human epidermal model containing functional melanocytes used for skin lightening studies and pigmentation research.
- Psoriasis Model An organotypic 3D psoriatic tissue model for evaluation of anti-psoriasis drug therapeutics and dermatological research.
- EpiCorneal A reconstructed human corneal tissue model for corneal drug delivery studies of ophthalmic formulations and eye irritation testing.
- EpiLiver A human liver tissue model for hepatotoxicity assessment and liver disease research applications.
- EpiNasal A human nasal tissue model for nasal drug delivery and respiratory toxicology research.
- Melanoma Model A human melanoma tissue model for anti-melanoma drug screening and skin cancer research.
- EpiOral and EpiGingival Human oral mucosal and gingival tissue models for oral irritation testing, absorption studies, oral candidiasis research, and oral mucosal drug delivery.
- Visikol HISTO Tissue Clearing Reagents A tissue clearing reagent pair (HISTO-1 and HISTO-2) for rendering biological tissues transparent to enable 3D imaging without damaging cellular morphology, reversible for follow-up 2D histology.
- BIOFLOAT Plates Ultra-low attachment cell culture plates with cell-repelling polymer coating for rapid spheroid and organoid formation, available in 96-well and 384-well formats.
- Glass Bottom Dishes Glass bottom dishes combining the convenience of disposable plastic petri dishes with the optical quality of glass for superior microscopic imaging, available in 35mm, 50mm, 60mm, and 100mm sizes.
- Organ-on-a-Chip Systems 3D cell culture systems by AIM Biotech for microfluidic tissue modeling applications.
- Normal Human Primary Cells Primary cells isolated and expanded from native donor tissue including keratinocytes, melanocytes, dermal fibroblasts, bronchial epithelial cells, bronchial fibroblasts, and dendritic immune cells.
- Contract Testing and Laboratory Services Fee-for-service testing services including histology, image analysis (Confocal, HCR, H&E, IHC), and custom contract testing programs for customers seeking to outsource in vitro testing without internal capabilities. Includes hepatotoxicity assay services, HUREL Flux service, metabolic stability, metabolite identification, reaction phenotyping, digital pathology, and immunofluorescent panel services.
Quantifiable outcome
- EpiOcular EIT became the 3rd OECD-accepted assay globally, providing a validated alternative to animal-based eye irritation testing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use MatTek
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
MatTek technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
MatTek partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Kurabo Industries Ltd.coreKurabo Industries Ltd. serves as MatTek's exclusive distributor in Japan for tissue products. Kurabo, a diversified Japanese trading and manufacturing company with significant life science interests, provides local sales, distribution, regulatory support, and customer service for Japanese customers.
- Phoenix Science, Inc.corePhoenix Science, Inc. distributes MatTek products in Japan, complementing Kurabo's coverage. The company specializes in scientific instrumentation and reagents, providing local market access and technical support for MatTek's tissue models in the Japanese market.
- Dail Scientific Trade, Inc.coreDail Scientific Trade, Inc. is MatTek's distributor in South Korea. The company provides local sales, distribution, and customer support for MatTek's reconstructed human tissue models and reagents in the Korean market, supporting both cosmetics and pharmaceutical customers.
- MS Clinical Research Pvt LtdcoreMS Clinical Research Pvt Ltd serves as MatTek's distributor in India. The company supports local sales and distribution of MatTek's in vitro tissue models and services, addressing growing demand from Indian pharmaceutical companies, cosmetics firms, and research institutions seeking to replace animal testing.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MatTek competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Episkin (L'Oréal): Episkin is L'Oréal's reconstructed human skin model subsidiary, producing EpiSkin, SkinEthic, and other epithelial tissue equivalents for safety and efficacy testing. It is the most direct competitor to MatTek's EpiDerm line, sharing the same OECD/ECVAM validated endpoints and competing for the same cosmetics and chemical safety testing customers globally.
Emerging players
- Emulate: Emulate develops organ-on-chip platforms (Liver-Chip, Lung-Chip, etc.) used for drug toxicity and disease modeling. While MatTek's core is air-liquid-interface epithelial models, its organ-on-chip partnership with AIM Biotech targets the same predictive toxicology and drug discovery customers that Emulate serves with integrated microfluidic systems.
- Mimetas: Mimetas offers OrganoPlate microfluidic 3D cell culture platforms for organ-on-chip applications in toxicology and disease modeling. Both companies serve the same pharmaceutical preclinical safety and efficacy testing end-market with human-relevant in vitro alternatives, although Mimetas is differentiated by its plate-based microfluidic format rather than membrane-based tissues.
- CN Bio: CN Bio provides multi-organ microphysiological systems (LiverChip, LungChip, gut models) for drug discovery and toxicology. It overlaps with MatTek's hepatotoxicity (HUREL), lung (EpiAirway), and intestinal (EpiIntestinal) product lines, targeting the same pharma DMPK and IND-enabling preclinical customers.
- TissUse: TissUse develops multi-organ-chip (MOC) platforms combining several organ models on a single chip for systemic toxicity and efficacy testing. It addresses the same next-generation human-relevant preclinical testing market as MatTek, but with a multi-organ integration angle that complements (rather than directly displaces) MatTek's single-tissue products.
- InSphero: InSphero provides 3D spheroid and organoid models (liver, pancreatic islet, tumor) for predictive toxicology and disease research. It competes with MatTek's HUREL micro-liver platform and serves overlapping pharma and chemical industry customers seeking human-relevant in vitro alternatives for hepatotoxicity and metabolism studies.
- Cell Microsystems: Cell Microsystems sells CellRaft AIR and other single-cell and organoid imaging platforms for 3D cell culture workflows. It is thematically adjacent to MatTek's cultureware and BIOFLOAT spheroid plate businesses, targeting similar academic and translational research customers investing in 3D in vitro model infrastructure.
- Reprocell: Reprocell (Japan-headquartered) provides iPSC-derived cell products and in vitro assay services for preclinical drug discovery and toxicology. It overlaps with MatTek's primary cells offering and EpiDerm/EpiAirway applications, particularly serving Japanese pharma customers where MatTek relies on Kurabo and Phoenix Science distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Corning Life Sciences: Corning Life Sciences is a major manufacturer of cell culture plasticware, media, and Matrigel basement membrane matrix widely used as substrates for tissue models. While not a direct tissue model vendor, Corning supplies cultureware and substrates to the same 3D cell culture customers, competing in some product overlap areas (e.g., Transwell inserts vs. MatTek PermaCell inserts).
- Cyprotex (Evotec): Cyprotex, an Evotec company, provides ADME and in vitro toxicology contract research services alongside some cell-based assay products. It overlaps with MatTek's contract testing service line, particularly for hepatotoxicity, DMPK, and metabolic stability work where HUREL micro livers are used, competing for pharma preclinical outsourcing budgets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MatTek social profiles
Digital presenceMatTek compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
MatTek financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MatTek leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
MatTek funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MatTek 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 MatTek
What does MatTek do?
MatTek manufactures and sells lab-grown 3D reconstructed human epithelial tissue models (EpiDerm, EpiOcular, EpiAirway, EpiIntestinal, EpiVaginal, EpiAlveolar, EpiKidney, EpiLiver, HUREL Micro Livers and others) along with Visikol tissue clearing reagents, cultureware, primary human cells, and organ-on-a-chip systems. The company also provides fee-for-service contract testing including histology, image analysis, and custom in vitro assays. Products serve pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical, and academic research customers for safety and efficacy assessment as validated alternatives to animal testing.
Is MatTek a public or private company?
MatTek is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was MatTek founded?
MatTek was founded in 1985. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is MatTek based?
MatTek is headquartered in Ashland, United States, in the North America region.
How does MatTek make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tissue and Reagent Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are contract Testing and Laboratory Services and technology Licensing.
Who are MatTek's main competitors?
Episkin (L'Oréal) is listed as a direct peer. Emerging players are Emulate, Mimetas, CN Bio, TissUse, InSphero, Cell Microsystems and Reprocell. Broad incumbents are Corning Life Sciences and Cyprotex (Evotec).
Does MatTek have an API?
No public API is recorded for MatTek.
What industry is MatTek in?
MatTek's product category is In Vitro Tissue Models. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAFAJ, In Vitro Toxicology (Cell-based/Organ-on-chip), with a secondary code of HLAAAGAD, Organoids & Organ-on-Chip (regenerative models). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.