What NECi does

NECi Superior Enzymes (legally The Nitrate Elimination Company, Inc.) is a privately held biotechnology firm founded in 1993 in Lake Linden, Michigan by Michigan Technological University professor Dr. W.H. (Bill) Campbell and Ellen R. Campbell. The company manufactures and sells recombinant enzyme reagents, principally nitrate reductase (AtNaR and YNaR variants) and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), for enzymatic detection of nitrate and phosphate. NECi's core commercial proposition is replacing toxic cadmium reduction methods with EPA-, USGS-, and ASTM-validated enzyme-based analytical methods that can be deployed in field or laboratory settings. The product portfolio includes on-site field test kits for water, soil, plant petiole, green forage, and dry forage; laboratory test kits in test tube and microplate formats; reagent packs compatible with major continuous flow analyzers (SEAL, LACHAT QuikChem, Thermo Scientific Aquakem, Smartchem, OI Analytical, Hitachi); a Bluetooth-enabled handheld photometer with Android mobile applications for data capture and export; and custom enzyme development services for specialized analytes including glycerol, galactose, and ethanol. Pricing spans roughly $20 for reagent packs to $130 for high-throughput microplate kits, with recurring revenue from consumable reagent repurchases. Distribution is hybrid: direct e-commerce through nitrate.com/store serves citizen scientists, educators, and small agricultural buyers, while Environmental Express (now part of Cole-Parmer) provides worldwide distribution into regulated laboratories and industrial customers. Research and product development has been sustained by SBIR grants from the NSF, NIH, and USDA, with strategic co-development partnerships including Michigan Technological University's Open Sustainability Technology Lab (MOST). The company has held the first EPA-approved enzymatic method for Safe Drinking Water Act nitrate reporting since 2016 and has continued to expand its method footprint into Clean Water Act wastewater reporting and adjacent analyte detection.

Name

NECi

Legal name

NECi: The Nitrate Elimination Company, Inc.

Website

https://nitrate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NECi Superior Enzymes manufactures recombinant enzyme-based test kits and reagents for nitrate and phosphate detection, replacing toxic cadmium methods with EPA-, USGS-, and ASTM-validated enzymatic alternatives. The company serves regulated laboratories, agriculture, aquaculture, education, and citizen science markets through direct e-commerce and global distribution partner Cole-Parmer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Analytical Chemistry Reagents

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes) (HLAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil Testing & Nutrient Analysis Services (AFACAKAA), On-Site Water Testing & Rapid Screening Services (Field Kits, Sensors, ATP) (AFALAJAI)

Keywords

• Enzymatic nitrate testing
• Recombinant enzyme reagents
• Water quality test kits
• Analytical chemistry reagents
• Phosphate detection kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Linden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Test Kit Sales: Direct sales of water nitrate test kits, soil nitrate test kits, and laboratory test kits (test tube and microplate formats) to regulated laboratories, agricultural operations, citizen scientists, and educational institutions. One-time purchase model with repeat reagent pack purchases.
2. Enzyme Reagent Packs: Recurring sales of enzyme reagent packs ($20-$90) as consumables for existing test kit users, providing recurring revenue from installed customer base.
3. Hardware Sales: Sales of open-source photometer hardware for quantitative measurement, complementing reagent kit sales.
4. SBIR Grant Funding: Small Business Innovation Research grants supporting R&D efforts, supplementing product revenue for technology development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NECi develops and manufactures recombinant enzyme reagents (AtNaR, YNaR, PNP) and assembles them into on-site field test kits, laboratory test kits (test tube and microplate formats), and reagent packs for continuous flow analyzers for nitrate and phosphate detection in water, soil, plant tissue, and forage. The company also sells a Bluetooth handheld photometer with a companion Android mobile app, and offers custom enzyme development services for applications including glycerol, galactose, and ethanol analysis.

Product overview

NECi Superior Enzymes develops and manufactures recombinant enzyme reagents for analytical chemistry applications, primarily focused on nitrate and phosphate detection. The product portfolio centers on proprietary enzyme reagents (AtNaR, YNaR, PNP) that offer superior stability compared to crude enzyme preparations. These reagents are packaged into multiple testing formats: field-ready on-site test kits for water, soil, plant tissue, and forage materials; laboratory test kits in both test tube and microplate formats for high-throughput analysis; reagent packs for integration with major continuous flow analyzers (SEAL, LACHAT, Thermo Scientific, and others); and a handheld photometer instrument with Bluetooth connectivity to Android mobile devices. The company complements its product offerings with custom enzyme development services for specialized analytical applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nitrate Reductase (AtNaR) Recombinant nitrate reductase enzyme (AtNaR) produced in E. coli for enzymatic nitrate analysis in water, soil, plant tissue, and plant petiole samples, offering superior stability and shelf life compared to crude enzyme preparations.
• Nitrate Reductase (YNaR) Recombinant nitrate reductase enzyme (YNaR) variant produced in E. coli for high-performance nitrate detection in analytical applications including environmental and agricultural testing.
• Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase (PNP) Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase enzyme used in coupled enzymatic assay systems for phosphate and nucleotide analysis, working in conjunction with MESG substrate for colorimetric detection.
• Handheld Photometer Battery-powered handheld photometer device for on-site nitrate and phosphate testing that sends data to mobile Android devices via Bluetooth technology for result tracking, GPS-tagged data collection, and CSV export.
• On-Site Nitrate Water Test Kit Rapid on-site colorimetric test kit for nitrate detection in water samples, designed for field use with quick results for at-home users, citizen scientists, and agricultural operations.
• Soil Nitrate Test Kit On-site soil nitrate testing kit for agricultural and environmental applications to support precision agriculture and fertilizer management.
• Plant Petiole Nitrate Test Kit Rapid plant petiole nitrate test kit for on-site field testing to assess plant nitrogen status during the growing season.
• Green Forage Nitrate Test Kit On-site nitrate test kit designed for green forage analysis to monitor nitrate levels in livestock feed for nitrate toxicity prevention.
• Dry Forage Nitrate Test Kit On-site nitrate test kit for dry forage testing to ensure safe nitrate levels in preserved livestock feed.
• Laboratory Nitrate Test Tube Kit Laboratory-format nitrate test kit in test tube configuration for quantitative analysis in laboratory settings with EPA, USGS, and ASTM validated methodology.
• Laboratory Nitrate Microplate Kit Laboratory-format nitrate test kit in microplate (96-well) configuration for high-throughput quantitative analysis in regulated laboratories.
• Water Phosphate Test Kit On-site phosphate test kit for water samples using enzymatic colorimetric method based on Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase.
• Soil Phosphate Test Kit On-site phosphate test kit for soil analysis using enzymatic colorimetric method.
• Reagent Packs for Continuous Flow Analyzers Reagent packs compatible with major continuous flow analyzers including SEAL, Astoria-Pacific, LACHAT QuikChem, Thermo Scientific Aquakem, Unity Smartchem, OI Analytical, Gallery, and Hitachi 717 for automated nitrate analysis in high-throughput laboratories.
• PNP + MESG Reagent Pack Combined reagent pack containing Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase and MESG substrate for phosphate analysis using the colorimetric method.
• Custom Enzyme Development Services Custom enzyme development services for creating tailored enzyme solutions for specific analytical applications including glycerol, galactose, and ethanol detection methods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eliminated toxic cadmium from nitrate testing processes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Environmental Express (now part of Cole-Parmer)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 July 2016Partnership announced July 8, 2016 to broaden NECi's distribution network worldwide. Environmental Express serves as a major channel partner distributing NECi test kits to laboratories and industrial customers globally. The company has since been acquired by Cole-Parmer, expanding the distribution reach.
• Michigan Technological University - Open Sustainability Technology LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration with Michigan Tech's Open Sustainability Technology Lab (MOST) for joint development of open-source photometer technology. Dr. Joshua Pearce's research group worked with NECi to develop low-cost, open-source digital colorimeter hardware for quantitative nitrate measurement.
• Dr. Joshua Pearce's MOST Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Joshua Pearce's Open Sustainability Technology research group at Michigan Technological University collaborated with NECi to develop open-source photometer technology, combining academic research expertise with industrial product development capabilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life sciences and laboratory supplies giant offering analytical reagents, continuous flow analyzer consumables (e.g., Aquakem), and instruments. Overlaps with NECi through reagent-pack supply for high-throughput analyzers and the broader laboratory reagents category.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Global life science research and clinical diagnostics company supplying reagents, assay kits, and laboratory instruments. Overlaps with NECi in the recombinant protein/reagent manufacturing category and in supplying biochemical reagents to research and analytical laboratories.
• SEAL Analytical: Manufacturer of continuous flow analyzers (AutoAnalyzer, QuAAtro) and consumables for water and soil nutrient testing. Comparable in serving regulated water/soil testing laboratories; NECi supplies enzyme reagent packs compatible with SEAL analyzers.
• Hach (Danaher): The dominant global supplier of water quality testing reagents, instruments, and test kits (including cadmium-based nitrate methods). Direct overlap in nitrate detection reagents and continuous-flow analyzer consumables, though Hach operates across a far broader portfolio of analytes.
• Merck / MilliporeSigma (MQuant): Major supplier of analytical test strips (MQuant), reagents, and laboratory chemicals. Overlaps with NECi in water testing consumables and reagent-grade enzymes/chemicals for analytical chemistry laboratories.
• YSI (Xylem): Manufacturer of water quality sensors and analyzers (e.g., IQ SensorNet) used in environmental and aquaculture monitoring. Comparable target end-use applications (water quality testing) though YSI focuses on electrochemical sensor-based instruments rather than enzymatic reagents.

Direct peers

• LaMotte Company: Specialist manufacturer of colorimetric and titration-based water/soil testing kits for environmental, agricultural, and educational markets. Closely comparable product format (field colorimetric kits) and customer segments, including K-12 and citizen science users.
• R-Biopharm: German manufacturer of enzyme-based analytical test kits for food, feed, and environmental testing. Closely comparable enzymatic reagent chemistry and product format; serves regulated laboratories with validated analytical methods.
• Lachat Instruments (Hach): Specialist in continuous flow injection analysis (QuikChem) for nitrate, phosphate, and other nutrients in water and soil extracts. NECi explicitly lists LACHAT QuikChem among analyzers its reagent packs support, making it a direct ecosystem peer for high-throughput QA/QC.
• Industrial Test Systems (ITS): Manufacturer of colorimetric test strips and field test kits for water analysis including nitrate/nitrite detection. Closely comparable in field-deployed water testing kits targeted at consumers, agriculture, and education segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about NECi