What BUCHI Corporation does

BUCHI Corporation, headquartered in Flawil, Switzerland, is a family-owned manufacturer of laboratory and process analytical instruments founded in 1939. The company designs and builds precision equipment for sample preparation, separation, purification, and material analysis — most notably the Rotavapor line of rotary evaporators (introduced commercially in 1957 and now present in essentially every R&D laboratory worldwide), Pure Excellence flash and prep HPLC chromatography systems, Lyovapor freeze dryers, Mini Spray Dryer S-300 (a category BUCHI has led globally for 40 years), ProxiScout and NIRFlex NIR spectrometers, and Kjeldahl/steam distillation systems for nitrogen and protein determination. Supporting these are proprietary consumables (FlashPure cartridges, PrepPure columns), accessories (Interface I-300 Pro, vacuum pumps, recirculating chillers), and the BUCHI Cloud Services platform with the BUCHI Monitor App for remote instrument management. Recent acquisitions of Sepiatec (SFC, 2022) and the NeoSpectra Platform (NIR, 2025) have broadened the chromatography and NIR footprints.

BUCHI generates revenue through a mix of capital equipment sales (rotary evaporators, chromatography, NIR, spray and freeze dryers, Kjeldahl), recurring consumables and parts, professional services (installation, calibration, maintenance, training under the START, EXACT, CARE, and ACADEMY brands), and subscription-style software (NIRCal, BUCHI Cloud). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with the consultative enterprise field-sales motion. The company sells via a global network of wholly-owned subsidiaries (US, Switzerland, Taiwan, Iberia) and channel partners (e.g., DKSH in Australia), reaching pharmaceutical and chemical R&D labs, food and feed quality control, environmental analysis, industrial manufacturing, and academic customers across more than 25 countries.

BUCHI is privately held by the founding family, with no external parent, no disclosed venture or PE backing, and no public listing. The firm holds no patents in its name in the source data but relies on category-defining brands (Rotavapor, Lyovapor, ProxiScout), a 25-country direct-sales infrastructure, and 85+ years of operational track record. Strategic moves in 2022-2026 — Sepiatec and NeoSpectra acquisitions, Taiwan and Iberia expansion, DKSH Australia partnership, and a sustained cadence of product launches (R-80, L-250, R-180, Pure Excellence) — indicate measured, family-controlled expansion rather than venture-fueled hyper-growth.

Name

BUCHI Corporation

Legal name

BÜCHI Labortechnik AG

Website

https://buchi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

BUCHI Corporation is a family-owned Swiss manufacturer of laboratory analytical instruments founded in 1939, producing rotary evaporators, chromatography systems, NIR spectrometers, spray dryers, and freeze dryers for pharmaceutical, chemical, food/feed, environmental, and academic laboratories worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Analytical Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Drying & Evaporation Equipment (Dryers, Evaporators, Crystallizers) (IMAHAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sample Preparation, Storage & Cryogenics (Freezers, Cryovials, Cryostats) (HLAGAIAJ)

Keywords

• Rotary evaporation systems
• Laboratory analytical instruments
• NIR spectroscopy systems
• Freeze drying equipment
• Kjeldahl distillation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Flawil

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Instruments Sales: Sale of core laboratory equipment including Rotavapor systems, chromatography instruments, NIR spectrometers, freeze dryers, spray dryers, and extraction systems. Hardware sales constitute the primary revenue stream with product categories ranging from entry-level benchtop units to fully automated industrial-scale systems.
2. Service & Maintenance: Comprehensive service offerings including installation (START solutions), qualification & calibration (EXACT), maintenance & repair (CARE), and training (ACADEMY). Services are tailored to customer needs with customized maintenance programs based on device usage and condition.
3. Parts & Accessories: Extensive portfolio of spare parts and accessories for BUCHI products including glassware, vacuum pumps, condensers, seals, sensors, and specialized consumables like FlashPure prefilled cartridges and PrepPure columns.
4. Software & Apps: Software solutions including NIRCal for calibration development, NIRWise Plus, BUCHI Monitor App for process monitoring, and cloud services for instrument management and updates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BUCHI Corporation manufactures and sells Swiss-made laboratory analytical and process instruments for R&D, quality control, and production. Its portfolio covers rotary evaporation (Rotavapor line), preparative chromatography (Pure Excellence and Sepiatec SFC systems), freeze drying (Lyovapor), spray drying (Mini Spray Dryer S-300), NIR spectroscopy (ProxiScout, NIRFlex, NIR-Online, ProxiMate), Kjeldahl/steam distillation (KjelMaster, SpeedDigester), extraction systems (FatExtractor, SpeedExtractor, UniversalExtractor), and the BUCHI Cloud Services software platform, complemented by consumables, parts, and ACADEMY training services.

Product overview

BUCHI Corporation offers a comprehensive portfolio of Swiss-made laboratory instruments for research & development, quality control, and production. The core portfolio includes the renowned Rotavapor® rotary evaporation line (R-80, R-180, R-300), Pure Excellence Chromatography Systems for flash and prep HPLC purification, Lyovapor™ freeze dryers (L-210, L-250), Mini Spray Dryer S-300 for particle formation, and NIR spectroscopy solutions (ProxiScout™, NIRFlex N-500, NIR-Online X-Sential™, ProxiMate™). Supporting these are Kjeldahl/steam distillation systems (KjelMaster, SpeedDigester), extraction equipment (FatExtractor E-500, SpeedExtractor E-916, UniversalExtractor E-800), Glass Oven G-300, and Melting Point determination systems. The portfolio is complemented by consumables (FlashPure, GlasPure, PrepPure cartridges/columns), auxiliaries (Interface I-300 Pro, Recirculating Chillers, Vacuum Pumps), and cloud-connected software services. Acquired technologies include Sepiatec SFC Systems and the NeoSpectra NIR platform. BUCHI serves pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food & feed, beverage, environmental analysis, and academia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pure Excellence: Chromatography systems product line including C-905, C-910, C-915, and C-950 models for flash and prep HPLC purification.
• Rotavapor
• Lyovapor
• ProxiScout
• NIR-Online

Products and services

• Rotavapor R-300 Modular rotary evaporator for laboratory evaporation with flask sizes from 50 to 5000 mL and temperature range 20-220 °C; designed for pharmaceutical, chemical, and academic R&D labs requiring versatile, fully integrable evaporation workflows.
• Rotavapor R-180 Mid-range rotary evaporator accommodating evaporating flasks up to 3L with electric lift and temperature range up to 95 °C; engineered for simplicity and reliability in routine daily laboratory evaporation workflows.
• Rotavapor R-80 Entry-level compact rotary evaporator accommodating flasks up to 1000 mL; the most energy-efficient and smallest-footprint Rotavapor, designed as an affordable eco-friendly solution for space-constrained and budget-sensitive labs.
• Pure Excellence Chromatography System High-performance preparative chromatography system (C-905, C-910, C-915 flash models plus C-950 integrating flash and prep HPLC) with flexible detection including a patented ELSD; designed for demanding API and natural-product purification workflows in pharmaceutical and chemical labs.
• ProxiScout Portable NIR Spectrometer Rugged portable FT-NIR spectrometer covering 1350-2550 nm with MIL-PRF-2800 Class 2 durability and up to 800 scans per battery charge; delivers instant in-field material composition analysis via a mobile app even when offline, for agricultural, food, and feed operators.
• Lyovapor L-250 Freeze Dryer Freeze dryer with proprietary EcoStream technology for continuous 24/7 sublimation using alternately working condensers; delivers eco-friendly freeze drying with extended temperature range for pharmaceutical and research labs.
• Lyovapor L-210 Freeze Dryer Freeze dryer combining EcoStream and Infinite-Control technologies for efficient, reliable, and stable cooling performance with advanced automation; intended for laboratory-scale freeze drying applications.
• Mini Spray Dryer S-300 Next-generation lab-scale spray dryer combining novel automation and innovative design for particle formation in pharmaceutical, chemistry, and food R&D; BUCHI is the long-standing global market leader in spray drying equipment.
• KjelMaster K-375 & KjelSampler K-376/K-377 Automatic Kjeldahl distillation and titration system with optional autosampler (24 or 48 positions) for nitrogen and protein analysis in food, feed, and environmental laboratories; intelligent software reduces hands-on time.
• Glass Oven G-300 Compact all-in-one glass oven that performs distillation, drying, sublimation, and freeze-drying of small samples with heating temperatures up to 300 °C; fits inside a glovebox for air-sensitive samples.
• FatExtractor E-500 Fat extraction system with interchangeable glass assemblies supporting Soxhlet, Randall, and Twisselmann methods; delivers quick, compliant fat determination for food, feed, and environmental QC labs.
• SpeedExtractor E-916 High-throughput pressurized solvent extraction system optimized for environmental and food analysis applications.
• UniversalExtractor E-800 High-throughput true Soxhlet extraction system providing maximum applicative flexibility for laboratories requiring large-volume extraction.
• SpeedDigester K-425 / K-436 / K-439 IR-heated high-speed digester (K-425, K-436, K-439) for higher-throughput Kjeldahl digestion, optimized for flexible use and reproducible nitrogen determination.
• NIRFlex N-500 Modular FT-NIR benchtop spectrometer delivering reliable results in QC and R&D across applied science and multiple industries, with a wide range of measuring cells and accessories.
• NIR-Online X-Sential Real-time process NIR spectrometer for online production environments, optimizing every stage from incoming goods inspection through finished product release.
• NIR-Online X-One Online process analyzer for continuous, accurate measurement of key parameters such as moisture, fat, and protein in real-time production environments.
• ProxiMate NIR Instrument At-line NIR instrument designed for the harshest food and feed production environments, featuring a simple interface and pre-calibration packages for fast, reliable QC.
• Melting Point M-565 Automated melting and boiling point determination system providing highest-accuracy QC measurements with full compliance to international standards.
• SyncorePlus Parallel Evaporation Parallel evaporation system supporting up to 96 simultaneous samples to maximize throughput for environmental and chemistry laboratories.
• Sepiatec SFC Systems Supercritical Fluid Chromatography systems acquired from Sepiatec in Berlin, offering fast compound isolation with smart system design as a green standard for purification.
• HydrolEx H-506 Acid hydrolysis sample preparation system for total fat determination, used alongside the FatExtractor E-500 in food, feed, and environmental QC workflows.
• Scrubber K-415 Four-step occupational safety scrubber that neutralizes poisonous fumes and reaction gases from Kjeldahl digestion while minimizing cooling water consumption.
• FlashPure Cartridges Prefilled flash chromatography cartridges in multiple sizes, stationary phases, particle sizes, and geometries for flash chromatography users.
• GlasPure Columns Empty user-fillable glass chromatography columns for maximum flexibility in scale and separation requirements for samples over 300g.
• PrepPure Columns High-quality silica-filled chromatography columns offering easy scalability and phases for standard and targeted prep HPLC and SFC applications.
• BUCHI Cloud Services Cloud-based monitoring and management platform that enables remote monitoring of all BUCHI instruments on mobile devices, delivers free software updates, and provides smart self-service tools to maximize system uptime.
• BUCHI Monitor App Mobile and PC application providing live views and graphical displays of instrument process parameters, push notifications, and reduced hands-on time at the instrument.
• BUCHI Service Programs (START, EXACT, CARE, ACADEMY) Comprehensive service and training portfolio covering instrument installation (START), qualification and calibration (EXACT), maintenance and repair (CARE), and professional training (ACADEMY), tailored to customer needs with customized maintenance programs based on device usage and condition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced reagent and catalyst use, waste, and cost per analysis with Micro-Kjeldahl method
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• CRA-W (Centre de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies Agronomiques)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026Partnership to make in-field agricultural analysis accessible. Empowers agricultural professionals with accessible and accurate portable NIR solutions through educational and analytical services. Combines BUCHI's ProxiScout NIR technology with CRA-W's agricultural expertise.
• Si-Ware SystemscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2025BUCHI acquired Si-Ware Systems' NeoSpectra Platform to establish a fully integrated quality assurance ecosystem based on NIR spectroscopy. Transaction enables BUCHI to offer tailored solutions for quality assurance at key stages of the supply chain.
• Si-Ware Systems (Strategic Collaboration)coreTechnology or Integration · 2 July 2024BUCHI began selling Si-Ware Systems' handheld NIR solution NeoSpectra in selected markets. Strategic collaboration in NIR spectroscopy field precedes full platform acquisition in May 2025.
• DKSH Australia Pty. Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2024Strategic cooperation to expand BUCHI's reach and enhance presence in the Australian market. DKSH's Business Unit Technology serves as channel partner for distribution and support.
• SepiateccoreTechnology or Integration · 31 August 2022Acquisition of Sepiatec, an innovative pioneer in Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) Systems headquartered in Berlin. Strengthens BUCHI's preparative chromatography portfolio with SFC technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mettler Toledo: Swiss-listed precision instrument leader covering lab balances, pipettes, titrators, and analytical instruments. Competes with BUCHI on lab workflow integration and as a procurement partner for larger pharma accounts, though BUCHI's evaporation/drying specialty is distinct from Mettler's core.
• Waters Corporation: Specialist in chromatography, mass spectrometry, and lab informatics with strong overlap to BUCHI's preparative chromatography (Pure Excellence, Sepiatec SFC) portfolio in pharma purification workflows.
• Agilent Technologies: Major analytical instrument and chromatography provider with direct overlap on chromatography (BUCHI Pure Excellence) and spectroscopy (BUCHI NIR) product lines. Competes for pharma QC and food testing capital expenditure.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Largest global lab tools and instruments incumbent covering chromatography, spectroscopy, sample preparation, and lab services. Overlaps with BUCHI in pharma R&D and food/feed testing, but operates at vastly larger scale and via integrated workflow platforms.
• Shimadzu Scientific Instruments: Japanese analytical instrument manufacturer covering chromatography, spectroscopy, and lab equipment with direct overlap to BUCHI's chromatography and NIR product categories, particularly across Asian pharma and food markets.

Direct peers

• IKA Works: German laboratory and process technology company offering rotary evaporators (RV series), magnetic stirrers, and dispersers that compete directly with BUCHI's evaporation and stirring portfolio. Similar mid-sized, family-influenced structure with comparable go-to-market in academic and industrial labs.
• Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen: German specialist manufacturer of laboratory and production-scale freeze dryers (lyophilizers) that directly competes with BUCHI's Lyovapor L-210 and L-250 lines in pharma, biotech, and academic markets.
• Heidolph Instruments: German-based laboratory equipment manufacturer with a direct rotary evaporator product line (Hei-VAP series) competing head-to-head with the BUCHI Rotavapor across pharma, chemistry, and academic labs. Closely comparable in customer base, business model, and price tier.
• Labconco: US manufacturer of laboratory equipment including freeze dryers (FreeZone), fume hoods, and sample preparation tools with overlapping coverage of BUCHI's freeze drying and extraction product categories in academic, government, and pharma labs.
• SP Scientific (ATS Life Sciences): US-based manufacturer of laboratory and production freeze dryers (VirTis, Hull, FTS Systems brands) directly competing with BUCHI Lyovapor across pharma, biotech, and academic lyophilization applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buchilabeqpt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/buchilabequipment
• Facebookfacebook.com/buchilabequipment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b%C3%BCchi-labortechnik-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/buchi_corp

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 BUCHI Corporation