Nanosurf
Nanosurf AG, founded 1997 in Liestal, Switzerland, designs and manufactures atomic force microscopes (AFMs) for academic research, semiconductor metrology, industrial quality control, and OEM integrators, distributed globally through direct offices in six countries and a 30+ country partner network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLiestal, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Nanosurf does
Nanosurf AG, founded in 1997 in Liestal, Switzerland, designs, manufactures, and sells atomic force microscopy (AFM) instruments and operates as a subsidiary within the Lab14 Group, a diversified network of eight high-tech companies serving nano- and microfabrication and surface analysis markets. The company's portfolio spans four product tiers: research AFMs (DriveAFM flagship, FlexAFM mid-range, CoreAFM compact), industrial AFMs (Alphacen 300 Drive and Flex for semiconductor and QC), integratable systems (LensAFM, Nanite, Flex-Mount), and entry-level units (NaioAFM, NaioSTM), supplemented by add-on modules including FluidFM (via Cytosurge partnership), Scanning Microwave Microscopy, and PicoBalance (co-developed with ETH Zürich).
The core technology platform combines proprietary AFM methods including WaveMode (the first commercial photothermal off-resonance tapping mode, launched February 2022), CleanDrive cantilever excitation, and a Python-based control interface, supporting 30+ measurement modes across the product range. Hardware pricing ranges from entry-level units at a few thousand USD to Alphacen industrial systems exceeding $500,000, with configurations customized for sub-Angstrom roughness metrology, large/heavy sample handling up to 300mm/45kg, and PLC-integrated factory automation for cleanroom semiconductor QA.
Nanosurf operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining direct sales and service offices in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, the US (East and West Coast), China, and Singapore with a distributor network covering more than 30 countries across the Americas, Asia, Europe, MEA, and Oceania. Revenue is generated primarily through instrument hardware sales, with secondary streams from accessories, consumables, software subscriptions, service contracts, and bespoke industrial engineering projects. Customers include leading semiconductor corporations, prestigious research universities, and national laboratories, with sales and support delivered by PhD-level AFM specialists.
Nanosurf firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nanosurf
- Legal name
- Nanosurf AG
- Website
- https://nanosurf.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nanosurf AG, founded 1997 in Liestal, Switzerland, designs and manufactures atomic force microscopes (AFMs) for academic research, semiconductor metrology, industrial quality control, and OEM integrators, distributed globally through direct offices in six countries and a 30+ country partner network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nanosurf industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Metrology & Dimensional Measurement (CMMs, laser trackers, gauges, surface/roughness) (IMAGAFAD)
Keywords
Where Nanosurf is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liestal
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
Nanosurf business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- AFM Instruments: Sale of atomic force microscopes across various product tiers: entry-level (NaioAFM, CoreAFM), mid-range research (FlexAFM, DriveAFM), industrial solutions (Alphacen series), and integratable systems (LensAFM, Nanite, Flex-Mount)
- Accessories and Consumables: Cantilevers, probes, and other AFM accessories including specialized options like diamond probes (AD-450-AS) for specific applications
- Software Licenses: AFM control software (Studio) and data analysis software (MountainsSPIP integration), with Python interface capabilities
- Service and Support: Customer service, troubleshooting, support tickets, warranty, user training, and maintenance contracts
- Custom Industrial Solutions: Bespoke AFM system design and development for unique industrial requirements, leveraging decades of engineering expertise
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Entry-level AFM systems for education and basic research |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mid-range research AFMs for advanced academic and industrial research |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Industrial-grade AFM systems for semiconductor and manufacturing quality control |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Integratable AFM systems for OEM and custom integration |
| Subscription | Annual | Service, support, and training packages |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Nanosurf product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nanosurf designs, manufactures, and sells atomic force microscope (AFM) instruments for nanoscale surface characterization, imaging, and measurement. Its portfolio spans entry-level educational systems, mid-range and high-end research AFMs, industrial metrology systems for semiconductor and quality-control use, and integrable AFM components for OEM customization. Revenue is generated through instrument sales, accessories, software, service contracts, and bespoke industrial solutions.
Product overview
Nanosurf provides a comprehensive portfolio of atomic force microscopy (AFM) instruments spanning research, industrial, integratable, and entry-level categories. The research line includes DriveAFM (flagship high-performance), FlexAFM (mid-range versatile), and CoreAFM (compact affordable), all supporting 30+ measurement modes including WaveMode (photothermal off-resonance tapping). The industrial line features Alphacen 300 Drive and Alphacen 300 Flex for semiconductor and quality control applications, with bespoke solutions available. Integratable options include LensAFM, Nanite, and Flex-Mount for combining with existing setups. Entry-level offerings include NaioAFM and NaioSTM for education and basic research. Add-on modules include FluidFM (via Cytosurge partnership), Scanning Microwave Microscopy, and PicoBalance (for live cell mass monitoring). The portfolio is anchored by Nanosurf's proprietary Python interface for instrument control and data processing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DriveAFM: The ultimate tool for nanoscale research from biological molecules to advanced new materials, and flagship AFM by Nanosurf that offers fast, intuitive performance without compromise.
- FlexAFM
- CoreAFM
- NaioAFM
- NaioSTM
- Alphacen 300 Drive
- Nanite
- LensAFM
- WaveMode
- FluidFM
Quantifiable outcome
- WaveMode enables 15x faster imaging than piezo-based off-resonance modes
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Nanosurf
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Nanosurf technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Nanosurf partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- LAB14 GmbHcoreGerman corporate network uniting eight high-tech companies focused on nanofabrication, microfabrication, and surface analysis. LAB14 joined MIT.nano Consortium providing equipment including VPG 300 DI maskless stepper and EnviroMETROS XPS tool for MIT.nano cleanroom.
- CytosurgeflagshipLong-standing and successful partnership establishing FluidFM system solutions, resulting in more than 40 publications generated by 30+ systems in leading universities globally. This premium partnership provides the best possible FluidFM experience to end-users with Nanosurf AFM.
- European Soft Matter Infrastructure (EUSMI)coreEUSMI provides European soft-matter researchers with open-access infrastructure. As one of the 15 partners, Nanosurf provides transnational access to a Flex-ANA system in Langen, Germany - an automated solution for AFM-based nanomechanical analysis.
- ETH ZürichcoreCollaboration on PicoBalance product development for cell mass monitoring under physiological conditions. ETH lab worked with Nanosurf to develop this commercial product now part of the Drive product family.
- Nanoinitiative Bayern (Cluster Nanotechnologie)coreMajor objective is continuous development of nanotechnology competence network for efficient transfer of R&D results into marketable products and promotion of cooperations for concrete projects. Nanosurf is involved in cluster activities.
- NFP4CryoEM (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research)coreProject with TU Delft concerning advances in cryo-electron microscopy. Uses AFM to make better samples by directly extracting specific components from cells and preparing them for research.
- InnosuissecoreSwiss Innovation Promotion Agency. Nanosurf involved in several Innosuisse projects (formerly CTI/KTI) in cooperation with partners including ETH, EPFL, and University of Basel.
- Lab14 GroupflagshipNanosurf is part of Lab14 Group, a group of successful high-tech companies providing advanced manufacturing solutions with complementary products and services for nano- and microfabrication and surface analysis applications.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nanosurf competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bruker: Bruker is a leading direct competitor in the AFM market through its Dimension, Icon, and Resolve AFM product families, serving the same academic, materials science, and life science customer base with overlapping tip-scanning and sample-scanning architectures.
- Oxford Instruments: Oxford Instruments manufactures the Cypher AFM series, one of the highest-resolution AFMs in the market, competing head-to-head with Nanosurf's DriveAFM in materials and life science research at leading universities and national labs.
- Park Systems: Park Systems produces the NX-series AFMs and is a direct competitor to Nanosurf, particularly in academic research and industrial metrology applications; Park's AFM leadership shares headcount and management experience with Nanosurf via the same PhD-level scientific sales talent pool.
- Hitachi High-Tech: Hitachi High-Tech supplies AFM systems, including the AFM5300E and related nanoscale measurement instruments, directly competing with Nanosurf in materials science and semiconductor research customers globally.
Emerging players
- Renishaw: Renishaw offers combined Raman-AFM systems and high-precision scientific instrumentation, competing with Nanosurf in correlative microscopy and materials characterization use cases, particularly where researchers want simultaneous chemical and nanoscale topographical data.
- WITec (Oxford Instruments WITec): WITec specializes in correlative Raman and scanning probe microscopy, providing adjacent nanoscale chemical imaging capability that overlaps with Nanosurf's life science and materials research use cases, including integrated AFM modes.
Broad incumbents
- Carl Zeiss Microscopy: Carl Zeiss offers a broad microscopy portfolio including optical, electron, and ion-beam systems; while not a direct AFM specialist, Zeiss competes for materials science and life science imaging budgets and increasingly bundles AFM-style surface analysis into integrated workflows.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher's Analytical Instruments segment encompasses electron microscopes, spectrometers, and surface analysis tools, competing with Nanosurf for industrial QC and semiconductor metrology budgets at large enterprise customers.
- KLA Corporation: KLA dominates semiconductor process control and metrology; while focused on optical and e-beam inspection, KLA represents a broad incumbent whose wafer-level metrology ambitions overlap with Nanosurf's Alphacen 300 industrial offerings in fab environments.
Others
- Leica Microsystems (Danaher): Leica provides high-end optical microscopy used alongside Nanosurf's LensAFM integratable AFMs; the two are complementary in correlative workflows, with Leica's distribution and customer base in life sciences serving as an adjacent ecosystem for Nanosurf integration sales.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nanosurf social profiles
Digital presenceNanosurf compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Nanosurf financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nanosurf leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Nanosurf subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Nanosurf funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nanosurf 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 Nanosurf
What does Nanosurf do?
Nanosurf designs, manufactures, and sells atomic force microscope (AFM) instruments for nanoscale surface characterization, imaging, and measurement. Its portfolio spans entry-level educational systems, mid-range and high-end research AFMs, industrial metrology systems for semiconductor and quality-control use, and integrable AFM components for OEM customization. Revenue is generated through instrument sales, accessories, software, service contracts, and bespoke industrial solutions.
Is Nanosurf a public or private company?
Nanosurf is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Nanosurf founded?
Nanosurf was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nanosurf based?
Nanosurf is headquartered in Liestal, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Nanosurf make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. AFM Instruments are the primary driver. The others are accessories and Consumables, software Licenses, service and Support and custom Industrial Solutions.
Who are Nanosurf's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bruker, Oxford Instruments, Park Systems and Hitachi High-Tech. Emerging players are Renishaw and WITec (Oxford Instruments WITec). Broad incumbents are Carl Zeiss Microscopy, Thermo Fisher Scientific and KLA Corporation. Leica Microsystems (Danaher) is listed as an others.
Does Nanosurf have an API?
Yes. Nanosurf provides a Python interface (nanosurf Python library) for controlling its AFM instruments programmatically. The library enables developers to read and write tip position, control feedback parameters, initiate approaches, and manage scan operations. A companion library (NSFopen / nsflib) also enables reading and parsing Nanosurf .nid and .nhf file formats for data manipulation. Both libraries are available via PyPI (pypi.org/project/nanosurf/). Developer documentation is at pypi.org/project/nanosurf.
What industry is Nanosurf in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAE, Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments, with a secondary code of IMAGAFAD, Metrology & Dimensional Measurement (CMMs, laser trackers, gauges, surface/roughness). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.