R&D Systems
R&D Systems is a Bio-Techne subsidiary that sells over 30,000 life sciences research products — recombinant proteins, antibodies, ELISA kits, cell culture reagents, and proprietary analytical instruments — to academic, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology customers worldwide, with growing GMP offerings for cell and gene therapy manufacturing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What R&D Systems does
R&D Systems, Inc., founded in 1976 and headquartered in Minneapolis, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bio-Techne (NASDAQ: BIO) and operates as the lead brand within the Bio-Techne family of life sciences companies, alongside Novus Biologicals, Tocris Bioscience, ProteinSimple, and Advanced Cell Diagnostics. The company sells a catalog of over 30,000 research products spanning recombinant proteins, antibodies, ELISA kits (Quantikine), cell culture reagents, Luminex multiplex assays, small molecules and peptides under the Tocris brand, fluorescent dyes and probes, enzymes, and Proteome Profiler antibody arrays. It complements this reagent catalog with a portfolio of proprietary analytical instruments integrated from prior Bio-Techne acquisitions: Maurice/MauriceFlex for imaged capillary isoelectric focusing (icIEF) and CE-SDS protein characterization, Ella for Simple Plex microfluidic immunoassays, Jess/Leo/Abby for automated Simple Western capillary Western blots, MFI 5000 for micro-flow imaging particle analysis, and Pala for microfluidic single cell sorting and dispensing.
The company's commercial model is a sales-led, catalog-driven operation with global direct e-commerce through rndsystems.com, bulk-order and quick-order functionality, and a network of international distributors providing localized English and Chinese language support. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly listed, with 'Request Pricing,' 'Talk to an Expert,' and bulk/custom formulation CTAs reflecting enterprise and institutional sales motions. Revenue streams include one-time reagent sales, instrument hardware sales, GMP-grade reagents and consumables for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, and professional services such as custom antibody development, bioactivity testing, custom protein production, and GMP antibody services. Customers are segmented primarily into academic and government research institutions (apoptosis, cancer, cardiovascular, stem cell, neuroscience, immunology research) and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies (cell therapy, regenerative medicine, biologics development requiring GMP supply), with CROs as a secondary segment. Strategic partnerships such as ScaleReady with Wilson Wolf integrate R&D Systems reagents with G-Rex bioreactors and TcBuster non-viral genome engineering for cell therapy manufacturing workflows, and named enterprise customers include Pfizer and AstraZeneca alongside academic users such as NIBRT, University of Queensland, and Temple University.
R&D Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- R&D Systems
- Legal name
- R&D Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://rndsystems.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- R&D Systems is a Bio-Techne subsidiary that sells over 30,000 life sciences research products — recombinant proteins, antibodies, ELISA kits, cell culture reagents, and proprietary analytical instruments — to academic, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology customers worldwide, with growing GMP offerings for cell and gene therapy manufacturing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
R&D Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Sciences Reagents and Analytical Instruments
- NAICS
- In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes) (HLAGAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB), Protein Interaction & Structural Biology Platforms (cryo-EM, X-ray, NMR, biophysics) (HLAAAIAH), Specialty & Biomarker Laboratory Services (Immunoassays/Flow/Cytometry) (HLAGAEAB)
Keywords
Where R&D Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
R&D Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Research Reagents: Sale of recombinant proteins, antibodies, ELISA kits, enzymes, fluorescent dyes, and small molecules for life sciences research
- Analytical Instruments: Sale and service of protein analysis instruments including capillary electrophoresis, immunoassay systems, and flow imaging systems
- GMP Products: GMP-grade cytokines, media, antibodies, and small molecules for cell therapy and biopharmaceutical manufacturing
- Custom Services: Bioactivity testing, custom antibody development, custom protein services, and GMP antibody services
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
R&D Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
R&D Systems manufactures and sells biological research reagents (recombinant proteins, antibodies, Quantikine ELISA kits, cell culture products, Luminex assays, Tocris small molecules, enzymes, and fluorescent probes) and a suite of proprietary analytical instruments (Ella Simple Plex, Simple Western, Maurice capillary electrophoresis, MFI micro-flow imaging, Pala single cell dispenser) used by life sciences researchers and biopharmaceutical manufacturers. The company also supplies GMP-grade reagents for cell therapy and clinical manufacturing, and offers custom development services including bioactivity testing, custom antibody and protein production, and GMP antibody services.
Product overview
R&D Systems offers a comprehensive portfolio of biological reagents and analytical instruments for life science research. The core offering includes recombinant proteins, antibodies, ELISA kits, cell culture products, Luminex assays, and small molecules under the Tocris brand. The company also provides a suite of automated analytical instruments: Simple Plex (Ella) for automated immunoassays, Simple Western (Jess, Leo) for automated Western blotting, Maurice/MauriceFlex for capillary electrophoresis, Pala for single cell sorting, and MFI for micro-flow imaging. For therapeutic manufacturing, R&D Systems supplies GMP-grade reagents, TcBuster genome engineering tools, and partners with ScaleReady for scalable cell therapy solutions. Custom development services complement the product portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Quantikine: ELISA kits product line for immunoassays
- Simple Plex
- Maurice
- Ella
- Jess
- Leo
- Abby
- MFI
- Pala
- Tocris
- Proteome Profiler
Products and services
- Recombinant Proteins
Quantifiable outcome
- Simple Western delivers results in as little as 3 hours of hands-free run time
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use R&D Systems
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
R&D Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
R&D Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wilson Wolf (ScaleReady)coreScaleReady partnership combines R&D Systems reagents with Wilson Wolf's G-Rex Bioreactor and automated cell processing systems to provide integrated cell therapy manufacturing solutions. The partnership aims to reduce complexity and cost while providing superior repeatability for immune cell therapy programs including CAR-T, NK cells, and hematopoietic stem cells.
- Bio-Techne Brand FamilycoreR&D Systems operates as a brand within Bio-Techne, alongside Novus Biologicals, Tocris Bioscience, ProteinSimple, and Advanced Cell Diagnostics, enabling cross-brand collaboration and integrated solutions.
- NIBRT (National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training)minorCollaboration with NIBRT for training and research applications of MauriceFlex capillary electrophoresis systems in biopharmaceutical characterization.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
R&D Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
R&D Systems social profiles
Digital presenceR&D Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
R&D Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
R&D Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
R&D Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about R&D Systems
What does R&D Systems do?
R&D Systems manufactures and sells biological research reagents (recombinant proteins, antibodies, Quantikine ELISA kits, cell culture products, Luminex assays, Tocris small molecules, enzymes, and fluorescent probes) and a suite of proprietary analytical instruments (Ella Simple Plex, Simple Western, Maurice capillary electrophoresis, MFI micro-flow imaging, Pala single cell dispenser) used by life sciences researchers and biopharmaceutical manufacturers. The company also supplies GMP-grade reagents for cell therapy and clinical manufacturing, and offers custom development services including bioactivity testing, custom antibody and protein production, and GMP antibody services.
Is R&D Systems a public or private company?
R&D Systems is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was R&D Systems founded?
R&D Systems was founded in 1976. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is R&D Systems based?
R&D Systems is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does R&D Systems make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Research Reagents are the primary driver. The others are analytical Instruments, GMP Products and custom Services.
Does R&D Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for R&D Systems.
What industry is R&D Systems in?
R&D Systems's product category is Life Sciences Reagents and Analytical Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAI, Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes), with a secondary code of HLAAAIAB, Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering). Its NAICS code is 325413 and its SIC code is 2835.