What Inpeco does

Inpeco SA is a Swiss-headquartered (Novazzano) designer, manufacturer, and seller of Total Laboratory Automation (TLA) systems for clinical laboratories, founded in 1990 by Gian Andrea Pedrazzini. The company's core product is the open-architecture FlexLab platform (now anchored by the FlexLab X flagship launched in 2024), which connects pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical modules to analyzers from over 50 manufacturers — including Roche, Abbott, Siemens, Beckman Coulter, Sysmex, Hologic, Diasorin, and Mindray — across clinical chemistry, immunoassay, hematology, hemostasis, urinalysis, molecular diagnostics, and microbiology. Around this backbone, Inpeco sells the ProTube suite (sample collection point-of-care traceability), the FlexPath family (anatomical pathology automation), a broad catalog of pre-/post-analytical modules, and the IBIS cloud analytics layer. Manufacturing is concentrated at a 27,000 sqm Industry 4.0 facility in Val della Torre, Italy, with an R&D team of more than 150 engineers.

Inpeco generates revenue through capital equipment sales (hardware systems, modules, tracks) and a recurring service and support stream on its installed base. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales — particularly for the FlexLab brand — with two flagship channel partnerships: Siemens Healthineers (which distributes Inpeco technology under the Aptio Automation brand) and Abbott (Aa3600). Additional regional and vertical partnerships (Mindray in China, Grifols in transfusion medicine, QIAGEN/Diasorin in latent TB, Copan in microbiology, Tosoh, Genes Laboratories in Korea) extend reach into specific clinical verticals and geographies. Pricing is negotiated case-by-case on lab size and configuration.

The company is privately held by its founder family and employs 501-1,000 people globally. Its installed base spans 2,600+ systems in 2,800+ laboratories across 78+ countries, with named customers including Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Dr. Lal Pathlabs, Santa Chiara Hospital (Trento), Viollier (Switzerland), and Centro de Medicina Laboratorial Germano De Sousa (Portugal). In June 2024, Riccardo Triunfo was appointed CEO with a mandate to accelerate commercial expansion and broaden the portfolio into anatomical pathology, blood banking, life sciences, and data processing.

Name

Inpeco

Legal name

Inpeco SA

Website

https://inpeco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Inpeco SA designs and manufactures open-architecture Total Laboratory Automation systems (FlexLab X, FlexLab, ProTube, FlexPath) for clinical and hospital laboratories worldwide, connecting analyzers from 50+ manufacturers and serving 2,800+ labs across 78+ countries through direct sales and Siemens/Abbott channel partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Laboratory Automation

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Laboratory Automation, Sample Prep & Liquid Handling (IVD Lab Diagnostics) (HLAHAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD), Lab Automation, Instrument Control & Workflow Orchestration Software (HLAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Clinical lab automation
• Total laboratory automation
• Sample collection automation
• Anatomical pathology automation
• Pre-analytical modules

Headquarters

HQ city

Novazzano

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Automation Hardware Systems: Inpeco designs, manufactures, and sells Total Laboratory Automation (TLA) systems including FlexLab X, FlexLab, FlexPath, and ProTube. Revenue is generated through the sale of automation tracks, modules, and related hardware components to clinical laboratories, hospitals, and healthcare institutions worldwide.
2. Partner Distribution Revenue: Inpeco generates revenue through distribution agreements with partners like Siemens Healthineers, where Inpeco's technology is sold under brands such as Aptio Automation. Additionally, Inpeco distributes its FlexLab portfolio through other channels globally.
3. Service and Support: Inpeco provides ongoing service, maintenance, and support for its installed automation systems. The company operates service offices in Europe and the U.S. to support its global installed base.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Inpeco designs, manufactures, and sells Total Laboratory Automation (TLA) systems for clinical laboratories and hospitals, centered on its open-architecture FlexLab and FlexLab X platforms that connect analyzers from more than 20 manufacturers. The company also sells the ProTube Suite for sample collection automation, the FlexPath family for anatomical pathology, modular pre-analytical/post-analytical/input-output components, and the IBIS analytics software. Systems are sold directly to clinical labs and hospitals and through OEM partnerships with Siemens Healthineers (Aptio Automation) and Abbott (Aa3600).

Product overview

Inpeco offers a modular platform-plus-products architecture for clinical laboratory automation. The core offerings include FlexLab X (latest-generation flagship total laboratory automation system) and FlexLab (legacy TLA system) as the central automation backbone, both providing open connectivity to over 50 analyzers from various manufacturers. The ProTube Suite (comprising Station, Mobile, Transport, and Analytix software) addresses pre-pre-analytical sample collection with 100% traceability from collection point. The FlexPath family (Trace, Blox, Move, Store) extends automation to anatomical pathology laboratories. Supporting modules include pre-analytical modules (centrifuge, decapper, aliquoter, sample integrity detection), post-analytical modules (recapper, storage systems), and check-in/out modules for sample handling. The IBIS analytics platform provides business intelligence across the total testing process. Inpeco also distributes its automation systems through partnerships including Siemens Healthineers (Aptio Automation) and Abbott (A3600).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FlexLab: Total Laboratory Automation system - the only truly open TLA system enabling laboratories to connect analyzers of their choice
• FlexLab X
• ProTube
• FlexPath
• Aptio Automation
• Alifax
• IBIS

Products and services

• FlexLab X Latest-generation flagship Total Laboratory Automation system with open connectivity to analyzers from different vendors, standardized track components enabling space-saving layouts, intuitive graphical user interface, data analytics dashboards, four levels of sample priority, ~30% noise reduction, and ~14% footprint reduction versus prior generation. Designed for hospital and reference laboratories.
• FlexLab Iconic legacy Total Laboratory Automation system that connects over 50 analyzers from various manufacturers across clinical chemistry, immunoassay, hematology, hemostasis, urinalysis, molecular diagnostics, and microbiology, enabling laboratories of any size to combine analyzers of their choice.
• ProTube Station Compact automation and traceability solution for sample collection centers that guides phlebotomists through every step of specimen collection to mitigate pre-pre-analytical errors. Provides positive patient identification, correct patient-tube verification, perfect tube labeling in front of the patient, and optimal order of blood draw.
• ProTube Mobile Mobile sample collection solution working as a smartphone-sized device paired with a Bluetooth printer for bedside sample collection and labeling, extending traceability to mobile phlebotomy workflows.
• ProTube Transport Sample transport solution for managing rack transportation and logistics between collection points and the laboratory, completing the ProTube end-to-end collection traceability chain.
• ProTube Analytix Data analytics software platform that transforms sample collection data into valuable insights for predictive analytics and process optimization, offering dashboards and KPIs for sample collection monitoring, order status monitoring, single patient history, and non-conformity detection.
• FlexPath Trace Software that tracks histological samples from the collection point to microtomy, ensuring full specimen traceability in anatomical pathology laboratories and addressing specimen misidentification risks.
• FlexPath Blox Automated tissue embedding module that manages non-technical steps in the preparation of paraffin blocks, guaranteeing complete traceability and individual sample management to avoid mismatching. EU market availability.
• FlexPath Move Automatic sample transport system that moves paraffin blocks from the embedding station to the microtomy area, prioritizing sample processing based on lab-defined rules. EU market availability.
• FlexPath Store Automated archive for FFPE tissue blocks in anatomical pathology laboratories, completing the FlexPath family with archival storage.
• FlexLab Pre-analytical Modules Modular automation components for sample preparation within the FlexLab system, including Centrifuge Module (up to 300 tubes/hour), Decapper Module (up to 800 tubes/hour), Aliquoter Module (up to 500 tubes/hour), Desealer Module (up to 200 tubes/hour), Sample Integrity Module (up to 650 tubes/hour), Sample Volume Detection (up to 800 tubes/hour), Universal Shaker (up to 700 tubes/hour), Over-Underpass (up to 10,000 tubes/hour), Vertical Transportation Module (up to 2,400 tubes/hour), and Wide Belt Buffer.
• FlexLab Post-analytical Modules Modular automation components for sample storage and finishing within the FlexLab system, including Recapper Module (up to 400 tubes/hour), Pressure Recapper Module (up to 600 tubes/hour), Sealer Module (up to 800 tubes/hour), Storage and Retrieval Module (up to 800 tubes/hour), and High Volume Storage with 90,000 to 350,000 tube capacity and 7,200 tubes/hour input throughput.
• FlexLab Check In/Out Modules Input/output automation modules for the FlexLab system including IOX Open Access (up to 1,000 tubes/hour), Rack Input Module (up to 1,000 tubes/hour), Rack Output Module (up to 800 tubes/hour), Bulk Input Module (up to 1,000 tubes/hour), and Bulk Output Module (up to 1,200 tubes/hour).
• IBIS (Inpeco Business Intelligence Service) Cloud-based intelligence service providing real-time KPIs, trend analysis, and root cause insights across the complete total testing process, including total turnaround time, sample quality indicators, tools utilization, and bottleneck detection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce pre-analytical errors by up to 90% (from 11% to below 1%)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration22 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• QIAGENcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Inpeco partnered with QIAGEN and Diasorin to launch a fully automated Sample to Insight workflow for QuantiFERON latent TB testing, targeted for late 2027. Inpeco provides purpose-built laboratory automation that integrates QuantiFERON testing with Inpeco's automation platform, reducing hands-on time by up to 80% and decoupling volume growth from staffing requirements. The AI-enabled risk stratification tool is built on approximately 13 million de-identified patient records.
• DiasorincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Inpeco partnered with QIAGEN and Diasorin to integrate QuantiFERON latent TB testing on Diasorin's LIAISON detection systems with Inpeco's automation platform. This partnership targets the approximately 75 million annual tests in the global latent TB testing market.
• Genes LaboratoriesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025Inpeco and Genes Laboratories joined forces to advance clinical laboratory automation in Korea, expanding Inpeco's presence in the Korean market.
• Pinnacles MedicalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2025Inpeco SA and Pinnacles Medical established a joint venture for the production and commercialization of Inpeco automation solutions in China, including FlexLab X and ProTube.
• GrifolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2025Inpeco and Grifols partnered to deliver the transfusion medicine 'lab of the future'. Inpeco brings its FlexLab X open automation system to transfusion medicine labs, where blood and plasma samples are handled with maximum precision, significantly reducing manual intervention. Inpeco's technology automatically dispatches tubes to Grifols analyzers and routes them to refrigerated storage, ensuring full sample traceability.
• MindraycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2024Inpeco and Mindray signed a strategic cooperation agreement at Mindray's Shenzhen headquarters. Starting from this collaboration, Mindray's hematology solution is connected to Inpeco's TLA systems. Future integration will extend to data management with other IVD products in biochemistry and immunology, combining Inpeco's automation expertise with Mindray's IVD leadership in China.
• Siemens HealthineersflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 May 2023Siemens Healthineers and Inpeco reached an agreement to continue and expand their relationship. Siemens Healthineers continues to distribute Inpeco's current and future TLA portfolio (sold as Aptio Automation). Both companies continue joint provision of TLA solutions integrating automation, IT, and clinical analyzers. Inpeco also distributes FlexLab through other channels worldwide.
• AbbottflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAbbott distributes Inpeco's automation technology under the Aa3600 brand, providing global distribution of Inpeco's TLA systems to clinical laboratories through Abbott's commercial network.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Healthineers: Both an Inpeco OEM distribution partner (Aptio Automation) and a broader diagnostics incumbent with its own automation, IT, and analyzer portfolio. Operates in the same hospital lab automation market with overlapping capabilities and larger enterprise reach.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Provides specialty diagnostics and life sciences lab instrumentation, with adjacent offerings in clinical chemistry, immunoassay (Phadia allergy), and lab equipment. Broader portfolio player competing for lab capex across multiple disciplines.
• Abbott Diagnostics: Distributes Inpeco's TLA under the A3600 brand and is a global diagnostics incumbent with its own immunoassay, chemistry, hematology, and point-of-care offerings. Comparable in addressing the same clinical lab buyer with integrated automation-plus-assay solutions.

Emerging players

• Grifols: Strategic partner for transfusion medicine automation with Inpeco, while also a diagnostics and blood-banking solutions provider. Comparable in serving transfusion medicine and donor screening labs with integrated diagnostic workflows.
• Tecan: Provides laboratory automation, liquid handling, and workflow solutions primarily for life sciences and diagnostics. Comparable in offering modular automation components and integration services, with stronger presence in research rather than clinical labs.
• Hologic: Panther molecular diagnostics automation integrates with FlexLab. Hologic competes in molecular lab automation and women's health diagnostics, with overlapping hospital lab customers and a meaningful but narrower specialty footprint than Inpeco's full TLA.
• Mindray: Strategic partner connecting Mindray hematology to Inpeco TLA, and a leading Chinese IVD company. Comparable in providing clinical chemistry, immunoassay, and hematology analyzers integrated into lab automation workflows, especially in Asia.

Direct peers

• Beckman Coulter (Danaher): Power Express Automation is a competing TLA platform for clinical chemistry, immunoassay, and hematology. Comparable in target customer (hospital core labs) and in providing modular automation around a broad analyzer portfolio.
• Sysmex: Provides hematology and urinalysis automation that integrates with Inpeco's FlexLab via direct analyzer connections. Competes in the same specialty automation niches while also offering total lab workflow solutions for hematology-focused labs.
• Roche Diagnostics: Roche's cobas-based Total Lab Automation competes directly with Inpeco's FlexLab in clinical chemistry and immunoassay workflows. Both serve large hospital and reference lab customers seeking integrated pre- to post-analytical automation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inpecohealth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/InpecoAutomation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inpeco
• Facebookfacebook.com/InpecoHealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Inpeco