Light Labs
Light Labs is a US-based, privately held e-commerce distributor of laboratory consumables and equipment, founded in 2002, offering 10,000+ SKUs from brands such as Zymo, NEST, CELLTREAT, and Falcon to academic, biotech, and government research buyers nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersAurora, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Light Labs does
Light Labs is a privately held, US-based distributor of laboratory consumables and equipment, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. The company sells more than 10,000 SKUs spanning pipettes and pipette tips, cell culture products, PCR supplies, molecular biology kits, histology cassettes, gloves, lab safety items, and capital equipment such as centrifuges, incubators, thermal cyclers, and shakers. Product is sourced through distribution agreements with third-party brands including Zymo Research, NEST, CELLTREAT, Falcon (Corning), MultiMax (Sorenson BioScience), Aurelia (Supermax), Excel Scientific, Benchmark, Hermle, HourGlass (HandPRO), MediaTech, MTC Bio, and DiversifiedBiotech; the company also markets an own-brand sub-line, Pure•Amp PCR supplies.
The operating model is a single-channel B2B e-commerce storefront at lightlabsusa.com, built on BigCommerce, with standard transactional features (shopping cart, wishlist, account login, order tracking) and accepting purchase orders with NET-30 terms from approved institutional accounts. Pricing is per-unit with no subscription plans; current promotions include a Buy 3 Get 1 Free offer on Pure•Amp PCR strips. The company targets three named segments: academic and research institutions (university labs and core facilities), biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and government research facilities (including NIH-funded labs). Geographic footprint is United States only.
Light Labs employs 1–10 people, has no disclosed external funding, no parent company or subsidiaries, and no acquisitions or leadership changes on record. In 2024 the company relaunched its website and rebuilt the digital storefront, requiring returning customers to re-create accounts, and broadened its brand-partner portfolio and own-brand PCR offering in the same period.
Light Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Light Labs
- Legal name
- Light Labs
- Website
- https://lightlabsusa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Light Labs is a US-based, privately held e-commerce distributor of laboratory consumables and equipment, founded in 2002, offering 10,000+ SKUs from brands such as Zymo, NEST, CELLTREAT, and Falcon to academic, biotech, and government research buyers nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Light Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Supplies Distribution
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Medical Laboratories (621511), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346)
- SIC
- Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Central Laboratory Services (Core Lab Operations) (HLAGAEAA)
Keywords
Where Light Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aurora
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Light Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Direct product sales of laboratory supplies including pipettes, cell culture products, PCR supplies, gloves, centrifuge tubes, and lab equipment. Revenue generated through transactional e-commerce purchases with individual product pricing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for laboratory supplies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Light Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Light Labs is a laboratory consumables and equipment distributor that sells more than 10,000 SKUs from multiple third-party brands (Zymo Research, NEST, CELLTREAT, Benchmark, MultiMax, Aurelia, Excel Scientific, Falcon, HourGlass, MTC Bio, and others) along with its own Pure•Amp™ PCR sub-line. Customers order directly through the company's e-commerce storefront (lightlabsusa.com) or via purchase orders with NET-30 terms, with the company handling fulfillment and shipping nationwide to U.S. research facilities.
Product overview
Light Labs is a laboratory supplies and equipment distributor (established 2002) offering over 10,000 SKUs of products primarily from third-party brands. The company operates as a single e-commerce platform rather than a modular software product. The core offering centers on distributing branded laboratory supplies across categories including pipettes/pipette tips (MultiMax brand), cell culture products (NEST, CELLTREAT, Falcon brands), PCR supplies (Pure•Amp™ own brand sub-line plus Excel Scientific films), molecular biology kits (Zymo as featured partner), histology supplies (Swingsette, Unisette cassettes), lab safety equipment, and general lab consumables. Equipment includes centrifuges (Benchmark, Hermle brands), incubators, pipettes, and thermal cyclers. The company positions itself as a one-stop supplier for academic institutions, biotech companies, and government research facilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pure•Amp™ PCR Supplies Light Labs' own sub-brand of PCR plastics including PCR tubes, PCR plates, and sealing films. Precision-manufactured from RNase/DNase-free medical-grade polypropylene, designed for molecular biology and qPCR workflows in academic, biotech, and government labs.
- Zymo Molecular Biology Kits Distributed line of Zymo Research DNA/RNA purification kits, epigenetics products, and PCR reagents, including plasmid isolation, DNA clean-up, and maxiprep/midiprep/miniprep kits, sold to research labs for molecular biology workflows.
- MultiMax Barrier Pipette Tips Distributed extended-length barrier pipette tips (MultiMax/Sorenson BioScience) with hydrophobic filter matrix for aerosol contamination protection and low-binding polypropylene construction, available in volumes from 20µL to 1000µL for research pipetting workflows.
- NEST Tissue Culture Products Distributed NEST brand cell culture supplies including BioFactory systems, dishes, flasks, plates, inserts, chamber slides, deep well plates, filtration products, and multi-layer cell culture flasks, for research labs running cell-based assays and scale-up culture.
- CELLTREAT Tissue Culture Supplies Distributed CELLTREAT brand tissue culture supplies including bottles, centrifuge tubes, cryovials, deep well plates, dishes, Erlenmeyer flasks, filtration, multiwell plates, pipette tips, reservoirs, scrapers and lifters, and serological pipettes for routine cell culture workflows.
- Excel Scientific Sealing Films Distributed Excel Scientific sealing films including ThermalSeal® RTS™ optically clear qPCR sealing films (sterile and non-sterile), X-Pierce™ piercable sealing films for robotic automation, and AlumaSeal® aluminum foil microplate seals for cold storage applications.
- Lab Equipment Distributed laboratory equipment including Benchmark and Hermle centrifuges, shaking incubators, thermal cyclers, vortex mixers, hotplates and stirrers, aspirators, autoclaves, homogenizers, Ovation LTS pipettes, freezers, refrigerators, and other instruments used in research labs.
- Histology Supplies Distributed tissue processing and embedding cassettes including Swingsette, Unisette, Microsette I, and cassettes in QuickLoad™ Sleeves, molded from high-density polymer for histological solvent resistance, for histology labs.
- Nitrile and Latex Gloves Distributed disposable examination gloves including Supermax Aurelia Ignite®, BoldMAX®, Sonic®, and Bold™ nitrile gloves, Aurelia RoyalTouch300 purple nitrile gloves, and Hourglass HandPRO FreeStyle1100 accelerator-free nitrile gloves, with chemo- and fentanyl-rated options available for laboratory use.
- Lab Safety Products Distributed lab safety equipment including disposable shoe covers, PP non-woven masks (3-layer and 4-layer acticarbon), mushroom caps, and NEST latex gloves with oat extract FDA-recognized coating, for routine lab PPE needs.
Companies that use Light Labs
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Light Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Light Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.
- Zymo ResearchmajorFeatured molecular biology partner. Light Labs distributes Zymo Research DNA/RNA purification kits, epigenetics, and PCR reagents. Zymo products are prominently featured on the website as top sellers.
- NESTmajorMajor brand partner offering tissue culture products including cell culture dishes, flasks, plates, filtration products, and multi-layer culture flasks.
- CELLTREAT ScientificmajorBrand partner distributing CELLTREAT tissue culture supplies including bottles, centrifuge tubes, cryovials, multiwell plates, and serological pipettes.
- Benchmark ScientificminorEquipment brand partner providing centrifuges, homogenizers, and other lab equipment through Light Labs distribution.
- MultiMax (Sorenson BioScience)minorBrand partner for pipette tips including barrier pipette tips and extended length XL tips.
- Aurelia Gloves (Supermax)minorGloves brand partner distributing nitrile examination gloves including Ignite, BoldMAX, Sonic, and Blush product lines.
- Excel ScientificminorBrand partner for PCR sealing films and products including ThermalSeal RTS, X-Pierce, and AlumaSeal product lines.
- Falcon (Corning)minorBrand partner distributing Falcon cell culture products including serological pipettes and other plastic consumables.
- HourGlass (HandPRO)minorGlove brand partner providing accelerator-free nitrile exam gloves (FreeStyle1100) and RoyalTouch300 nitrile gloves.
- MediaTech IncminorBrand partner for cell culture media products.
- MTC BiominorBrand partner for plastic lab supplies including EmbryoGuard MEA tested tubes.
- DiversifiedBiotechminorBrand partner for lab labels including cryo labels and identification products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Light Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lab Alley: Lab Alley is a US online distributor of laboratory chemicals, reagents, and supplies serving research and industrial customers. It is a direct peer of Light Labs in the e-commerce-first distribution model targeting US-based researchers with multi-brand catalogs.
- Ward's Science: Ward's Science is a distributor of science education and research laboratory supplies serving schools, universities, and clinical labs. It overlaps with Light Labs on lab consumables, reagents, and equipment sold to academic and research customers in the US.
- Thomas Scientific: Thomas Scientific is a US-focused B2B distributor of laboratory supplies, equipment, and consumables serving academic, government, and industrial customers. It is directly comparable to Light Labs in catalog breadth, customer mix, and channel model (online + account-based B2B).
- LabSource: LabSource is a small-to-mid size US online distributor of laboratory consumables and equipment serving academic, biotech, and clinical research customers. It directly competes with Light Labs in the same e-commerce-first B2B niche with overlapping supplier brands.
- Carolina Biological Supply: Carolina Biological Supply distributes lab supplies, equipment, and consumables with a strong footprint in education and academic research markets. It is a close peer to Light Labs in serving university core facilities and academic research labs with consumable catalog products.
Broad incumbents
- Grainger: Grainger is a broad-line US industrial and laboratory MRO distributor serving business, government, and institutional customers with a large e-commerce catalog. It competes with Light Labs in selected lab consumables, equipment, and safety supplies purchased by institutional buyers under NET-30 terms.
- Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher Scientific): Fisher Scientific, a channel of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is a leading global distributor of laboratory products across research, healthcare, and academic end markets. It overlaps with Light Labs across essentially every product category Light Labs carries but at a much larger scale, with deeper institutional contracts and proprietary logistics infrastructure.
- MilliporeSigma (Sigma-Aldrich): MilliporeSigma, the life science business of Merck KGaA, distributes laboratory chemicals, reagents, and consumables globally through the Sigma-Aldrich brand. It competes with Light Labs in reagents and consumables sold to academic and biotech researchers but operates as a global broad-line incumbent with deep catalog and brand strength.
- Avantor (VWR): Avantor, operating the VWR brand, is one of the largest global distributors of laboratory supplies, equipment, and services to biopharma, healthcare, academic, and government customers. It competes broadly with Light Labs across most product categories but operates at vastly greater scale, with integrated procurement systems and global supply chains.
Others
- Amazon Business: Amazon Business is the B2B procurement arm of Amazon, offering broad catalog access including lab consumables, gloves, and basic equipment to institutional buyers with NET-30 terms. While not a specialist lab distributor, it is an increasingly material competitor for routine lab consumables that Light Labs relies on for volume.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Light Labs social profiles
Digital presenceLight Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Light Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Light Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Light Labs 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 Light Labs
What does Light Labs do?
Light Labs is a laboratory consumables and equipment distributor that sells more than 10,000 SKUs from multiple third-party brands (Zymo Research, NEST, CELLTREAT, Benchmark, MultiMax, Aurelia, Excel Scientific, Falcon, HourGlass, MTC Bio, and others) along with its own Pure•Amp™ PCR sub-line. Customers order directly through the company's e-commerce storefront (lightlabsusa.com) or via purchase orders with NET-30 terms, with the company handling fulfillment and shipping nationwide to U.S. research facilities.
Is Light Labs a public or private company?
Light Labs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Light Labs founded?
Light Labs was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Light Labs based?
Light Labs is headquartered in Aurora, United States, in the North America region.
How does Light Labs make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are Light Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lab Alley, Ward's Science, Thomas Scientific, LabSource and Carolina Biological Supply. Broad incumbents are Grainger, Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher Scientific), MilliporeSigma (Sigma-Aldrich) and Avantor (VWR). Amazon Business is listed as an others.
Does Light Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Light Labs.
What industry is Light Labs in?
Light Labs's product category is Laboratory Supplies Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAEAA, Central Laboratory Services (Core Lab Operations). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3821.