What Biolin Scientific does

Biolin Scientific AB, headquartered in Västra Frölunda, Sweden, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nasdaq Stockholm-listed AddLife AB and a niche provider of analytical instruments for surface and interface analysis. Founded around 1995, the company employs 51-100 staff and operates from offices in Sweden, Finland (software R&D), and the UK (regional sales), with a global footprint of 6,500+ installed instruments across 86+ countries.

The product portfolio is organized around three technology platforms: Attension force tensiometers (Sigma Peak, Sigma CMC, Sigma Solo, Sigma Transformer Oil, Sigma Base) for surface and interfacial tension measurement; QSense Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) systems and proprietary sensors for real-time nanoscale thin-film and molecular interaction analysis; and KSV NIMA Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett instruments for thin film fabrication and characterization. Supporting software (OneAttension) handles instrument control and data analysis. Biolin is ISO 9001 certified and holds registered trademarks for Biolin Scientific, Attension, QSense, and Butterfly.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time capital sales of instruments, recurring sales of proprietary QCM-D sensors and consumables, and associated service and calibration contracts. The company sells predominantly via a request-a-quote model through its own website and a network of regional distributors, with localized storefronts in China and Germany. End markets are concentrated in academic and research institutions and in industrial R&D and quality control for pharmaceuticals, electronics, biotechnology, chemicals, and energy/utilities. Pricing is opaque (not publicly listed) and products are labeled for research use only, not for diagnostic procedures.

Name

Biolin Scientific

Legal name

Biolin Scientific AB

Website

https://biolinscientific.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Biolin Scientific is a Swedish analytical instruments provider specializing in surface and interface analysis. It sells force tensiometers, QCM-D systems, and Langmuir-Blodgett tools to academic researchers and industrial labs in pharmaceuticals, electronics, biotech, chemicals, and energy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surface Analysis Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Material Characterization & Spectroscopy (NMR/FTIR/MS) (HLAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mass Spectrometry & Spectroscopy Instruments (HLAGAIAB)

Keywords

• Surface tension instruments
• Force tensiometry equipment
• QCM-D analysis systems
• Langmuir-Blodgett deposition
• Interfacial analysis tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Analytical Instruments Sales: Sale of high-precision analytical instruments including force tensiometers, QCM-D systems, and Langmuir-Blodgett tools for research and quality control applications in pharmaceuticals, electronics, biotechnology, and chemicals industries
2. Sensors and Consumables: QCM-D sensors and accessories for the instruments, providing recurring revenue through consumable purchases
3. Service and Support: Technical support, calibration, and maintenance services for instruments

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Biolin Scientific manufactures and sells high-precision analytical instruments for surface and interface analysis at the nanoscale, including Attension force tensiometers, QSense Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) systems and sensors, and KSV NIMA Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett thin film fabrication tools. These instruments are used by pharmaceutical, electronics, biotechnology, chemical, and energy companies, as well as academic and research institutions, for measuring surface and interfacial tension, real-time nanoscale thin film behavior, and quality control. The portfolio is supported by the OneAttension software platform and recurring revenue from consumable sensors plus service and calibration.

Product overview

Biolin Scientific provides world-leading analytical instrument solutions for advanced surface and interface analysis. The product portfolio centers on three main instrument families: Attension force tensiometers (including Sigma Peak, Sigma CMC, Sigma Solo, Sigma Transformer Oil, and Sigma Base) for measuring surface and interfacial tension; QSense QCM-D instruments and sensors for real-time nanoscale analysis; and KSV NIMA instruments for Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett thin film fabrication and characterization. These solutions serve pharmaceuticals, electronics, biotechnology, chemicals, and other industries requiring precision surface science measurements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Attension: Force tensiometers product line for surface and interfacial tension measurements
• QSense
• KSV NIMA

Products and services

• Sigma Peak The most versatile force tensiometer in the Attension portfolio, designed for surface tension, interfacial tension, and liquid density measurements with high precision, intended for R&D and QC laboratories.
• Sigma CMC Fully automated critical micelle concentration (CMC) determination with high accuracy, built on the Sigma Peak platform and including dispensers for minimizing contamination, intended for surfactant and formulation research.
• Sigma Solo A standalone force tensiometer with full automation for surface and interfacial tension measurements, operated through an intuitive touch display, suited for routine QC environments.
• Sigma Transformer Oil Transformer oil analyzer specifically designed for interfacial tension measurements of transformer oil according to ASTM D971 and IEC 62961 standards, used by energy and utility quality control labs.
• Sigma Base A manual standalone force tensiometer with electronic balance for simple surface and interfacial tension measurements, intended for budget-conscious or basic laboratory use.
• QSense QCM-D Instrument The leading Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) instrument for real-time, label-free analysis of thin film properties and molecular interactions at the nanoscale, used in pharmaceuticals, electronics, biotechnology, and academic research.
• QSense Sensors Specialized sensors used as the core consumable component of QCM-D experiments, generating recurring revenue and supporting nanoscale measurements.
• KSV NIMA Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett Instruments Smart Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett instruments for thin film fabrication and surface characterisation, used in research and industrial labs for nanoscale film deposition and analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 scientific publications using Biolin Scientific instruments across multiple research areas
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local DistributorsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBiolin Scientific works with local distributors in various regions to provide customized service and contact to customers worldwide. The company transfers customer data to local distributors to offer more suitable service based on geographic location.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Nanoscience Instruments: US distributor and developer of AFM, QCM-D, and related nanoscale characterization tools. Partially overlaps with Biolin's QSense QCM-D franchise, particularly in North American academic accounts, but with a smaller proprietary product portfolio.

Direct peers

• DataPhysics Instruments: German manufacturer of optical contact angle and tensiometry instruments for surface and interfacial characterization. Directly comparable to Biolin's Attension portfolio with overlapping use cases in coatings, surfactants, and materials research.
• AWSensors: Spanish fabless developer and supplier of advanced QCM and QCM-D sensors and instrumentation. Directly competes with Biolin's QSense line in piezoelectric sensor-based nanoscale characterization, especially for biosensing research.
• Kibron Inc. Finnish maker of surface tensiometers and Langmuir troughs for small sample volumes. Direct niche competitor to both Biolin's Attension tensiometers and KSV NIMA Langmuir-Blodgett product lines, particularly for academic and biotech research.
• First Ten Ångstroms: US-based specialist in contact angle and surface tensiometry instruments. Closely comparable niche vendor to Biolin's Attension line, serving academic and industrial surface science laboratories.
• Krüss GmbH: German manufacturer of force tensiometers, contact angle instruments, and foam analysis tools. Direct head-to-head competitor to Biolin's Attension force tensiometer line, serving the same academic and industrial surface science customers across pharmaceuticals, coatings, and chemicals.

Broad incumbents

• Bruker: Large US-listed analytical instrument company with AFM, stylus profilometry, and surface analysis systems. Competes with Biolin's nanoscale tools at the high end of academic and semiconductor research labs, with a much broader product line and global service footprint.
• Malvern Panalytical: UK-based analytical instrument vendor (owned by Spectris) covering particle characterization, X-ray, and surface analysis. Overlaps with Biolin on Zeta potential and thin film/surface characterization, but as part of a much larger materials characterization portfolio.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: US-listed analytical instruments giant with extensive surface science, electron microscopy, and materials characterization capabilities. Competes indirectly across most of Biolin's customer base from a position of substantially greater scale, R&D budget, and global service infrastructure.
• Anton Paar: Austrian precision measurement company with a broad portfolio including surface tension, rheology, and particle characterization instruments. Overlaps with Biolin in tensiometry but offers a much wider analytical instrument catalog across many industries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BiolinSci
• Facebookfacebook.com/biolinscientific
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biolin-scientific-ab
• Instagraminstagram.com/biolinsci

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Biolin Scientific