Tetracore
Tetracore is a Rockville, Maryland-based molecular diagnostics company developing PCR reagents, lateral flow assays, ELISA kits, and portable instruments (T-COR 8, BioThreat Alert Reader VII) for infectious disease and biothreat detection, serving veterinary labs, government agencies, and clinical laboratories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersRockville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Tetracore does
Tetracore, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, founded in 1999 and operating for over two decades in the molecular diagnostics space. The company develops and manufactures diagnostic reagents, assays, and instruments for the detection of infectious diseases and biological threat agents. Its core technology stack centers on real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction), lateral flow assays (LFA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and multiplex bead-based immunoassays. Key proprietary platforms include the T-COR 8 portable real-time PCR thermocycler (eight independently programmable wells, five-channel multiplex, field-deployable with two-hour battery life), the BioThreat Alert Reader VII handheld lateral flow reader, the FlexImmArray multiplex serology suite (7-, 18-, and 43-plex configurations), and room-temperature-stable dry reagent technology that eliminates cold-chain logistics. The catalog spans 172 products across veterinary disease detection, biothreat agents, clinical diagnostics, antibodies, and sample extraction workflows.
The company's revenue model combines one-time sales of consumable reagent kits (PCR assays for ASFV, PRRSV, FMD, Johne's disease, SARS-CoV-2; BioThreat Alert LFA strips for anthrax, ricin, plague, tularemia, and other select agents; ELISA kits; antibodies; sample extraction kits) with hardware sales of proprietary instruments and accessories. Pricing is quote-based rather than list-published, consistent with regulated B2B sales. Tetracore sells primarily through direct sales to specialized diagnostic laboratories, veterinary clinics, government agencies, and clinical facilities, supported by an e-commerce storefront and a CE-IVD-cleared EU distribution footprint. Primary customer segments are Animal Health (veterinary diagnostic labs, livestock producers, USDA-approved labs) and Domestic Preparedness (federal/state agencies, military, first responders, public health laboratories), with secondary segments in Global Health/Clinical Diagnostics, Forensic Biology/Sentinel Labs, and K9 Detection Services. The company holds USDA veterinary licenses, FDA Emergency Use Authorization for SARS-CoV-2 testing, ISO 9001:13485, ISO 17025, and A2LA accreditations, and operates a wholly owned Forensic Services Division for DNA testing services.
Tetracore firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tetracore
- Legal name
- Tetracore, Inc.
- Website
- https://tetracore.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Tetracore is a Rockville, Maryland-based molecular diagnostics company developing PCR reagents, lateral flow assays, ELISA kits, and portable instruments (T-COR 8, BioThreat Alert Reader VII) for infectious disease and biothreat detection, serving veterinary labs, government agencies, and clinical laboratories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tetracore industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Molecular Diagnostics
- NAICS
- In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151)
- SIC
- In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes) (HLAGAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Veterinary Microbiology & Infectious Disease Testing (Culture/PCR/Serology) (HLAMADAC), Laboratory & Point-of-Care Diagnostic Devices (Analyzers, Test Kits, Microscopy) (HLAMAFAI), Forensic & Anti-Counterfeit Testing (Product Integrity) (HLAGADAM)
Keywords
Where Tetracore is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rockville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tetracore business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Diagnostic Instruments and Equipment: Sale of PCR thermocyclers (T-COR 8), lateral flow readers (BioThreat Alert Reader VII), and accessories including tubes, magnetic mixers, and sample collection devices. Instruments represent significant capital equipment purchases with potential recurring revenue from consumables and service.
- PCR Reagent Kits and Assays: Sale of real-time PCR reagents and kits for detection of animal diseases (ASFV, PRRSV, FMD, Johne's disease), human pathogens (SARS-CoV-2), and biothreat agents. Products include wet assays and dry-format reagents in various reaction sizes (64, 96, 192 reactions).
- Lateral Flow Assay Products: Sale of BioThreat Alert lateral flow test strips for biothreat agents including anthrax, ricin, abrin, plague, tularemia, SEB, botulinum toxins, and multiplex bacterial/toxin panels. Available in single-target and multiplex configurations.
- ELISA Kits and Antibodies: Sale of ELISA kits for detection of biological threat agents and proprietary antibodies (rabbit, goat, horse monoclonal and polyclonal) for research and diagnostic applications.
- Sample Extraction and Workflow Solutions: Sale of sample extraction kits (MagBead Total NA Extraction Kit, MAP Extraction System), internal control systems, and workflow optimization products.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Tetracore product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tetracore develops, manufactures, and sells diagnostic reagents and instruments used to detect infectious diseases and bioterrorism threat agents. Its catalog spans real-time PCR kits, lateral flow assay strips, ELISA kits, multiplex serology panels, and field-portable instruments including the T-COR 8 real-time PCR thermocycler and the BioThreat Alert Reader VII handheld assay reader. Products are sold to veterinary laboratories, federal and state preparedness programs, clinical and public health laboratories, and forensic/canine detection units.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VetAlert: Real-time PCR kits and reagents for veterinary disease detection including Johne's Disease, African Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, and other animal health applications.
- BioThreat Alert
- T-COR 8
- FlexImmArray
- RedLine Alert
- C2T (Collect-to-Test)
Products and services
- T-COR 8 Real-Time PCR Thermocycler Portable real-time PCR thermocycler instrument that runs Tetracore PCR reagent kits in field and laboratory settings; designed for veterinary, biodefense, clinical, and forensic diagnostic users who need laboratory-grade molecular results outside fixed labs.
- BioThreat Alert Reader VII Handheld lateral flow assay reader used to interpret BioThreat Alert test strips; intended for first responders, domestic preparedness programs, and field laboratories performing presumptive biothreat and infectious-disease screening.
- EZ-SARS-CoV-2 Real-Time RT-PCR Test Real-time reverse-transcription PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 distributed under FDA Emergency Use Authorization; intended for clinical and public health laboratories performing molecular diagnostic testing for COVID-19.
- VetAlert African Swine Fever Virus DNA Test Kit USDA-regulated real-time PCR kit for detection of African Swine Fever Virus; intended for veterinary diagnostic laboratories and animal health programs performing surveillance and outbreak screening in swine populations.
- VetAlert Johne's Disease Real-Time PCR Kit Real-time PCR kit for detection of Johne's disease in livestock; intended for veterinary diagnostic laboratories and animal health programs.
- VetAlert MagBead Total NA Extraction Kit Magnetic-bead-based kit for total nucleic acid extraction from veterinary samples; intended as sample-preparation reagent used alongside Tetracore VetAlert PCR kits in veterinary laboratories.
- BioThreat Alert Rapid Test Strips Lateral flow assay strips for presumptive detection of biothreat agents; intended for first responders, security personnel, and preparedness programs and read using the BioThreat Alert Reader VII.
- BioThreat Alert ELISA Kits Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits for detection of biothreat and infectious-disease targets in laboratory settings; intended for clinical, public health, and preparedness laboratories.
- FlexImmArray ArboVirus 18-Plex
Quantifiable outcome
- T-COR 8 thermocycler runs multiple protocols simultaneously with 8 independently programmable wells
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Tetracore
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Tetracore technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature6 records
Tetracore partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tetracore competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- QIAGEN: QIAGEN is a global molecular diagnostics and sample preparation incumbent. It competes with Tetracore in PCR reagents, nucleic acid extraction kits (analogous to VetAlert MagBead), and broader infectious disease testing workflows across human and veterinary markets.
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad is a broad life science tools and clinical diagnostics incumbent whose Bio-Plex multiplex bead platform is explicitly compatible with Tetracore's FlexImmArray assays, while also competing with Tetracore in PCR reagents and immunoassays across research and veterinary markets.
- Zoetis: Zoetis is the largest pure-play animal health company, offering diagnostics, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals. While broader than Tetracore, it overlaps in livestock diagnostics and represents a key incumbent competitor for VetAlert veterinary PCR products.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (Applied Biosystems): Thermo Fisher's Applied Biosystems division supplies PCR instruments (including the ABI 7500 explicitly referenced by Tetracore's ASFV kit) and a broad PCR reagent catalog. It is a broad incumbent competitor across Tetracore's instrument, reagent, and biodefense product lines.
Direct peers
- BioFire Diagnostics (bioMérieux): BioFire Diagnostics, a bioMérieux subsidiary, develops FilmArray PCR systems for infectious disease and biothreat detection. It is a direct competitor to Tetracore in clinical PCR and biodefense molecular diagnostics, including EZ-SARS-CoV-2-class assays.
- IDEXX Laboratories: IDEXX is a leading veterinary diagnostics company offering PCR, ELISA, and rapid tests for livestock and companion animals. It directly competes with Tetracore's VetAlert animal health portfolio in livestock disease detection and reference laboratory workflows.
- Cepheid (Danaher): Cepheid's GeneXpert real-time PCR platform is a dominant molecular diagnostic system in clinical and biodefense applications. It directly competes with Tetracore's T-COR 8 thermocycler and PCR reagent portfolio across clinical infectious disease and emergency response markets.
- Gold Standard Diagnostics (Eurofins): Gold Standard Diagnostics, part of Eurofins, offers veterinary diagnostic kits including USDA-licensed PCR assays for livestock diseases. It directly competes with Tetracore's VetAlert product line in the regulated veterinary diagnostics channel.
- Mesa Labs (Sotera Health / Sterigenics): Mesa Labs (now part of Sotera Health) supplies biological indicators and sterility assurance products used in biodefense, pharmaceutical, and healthcare settings. It overlaps with Tetracore's domestic preparedness franchise in serving government and biodefense customers.
Emerging players
- Antech Diagnostics (Mars Science & Diagnostics): Antech Diagnostics is a major veterinary reference laboratory offering PCR and serology testing services. It is an emerging competitor in the channel where Tetracore's VetAlert products are deployed, particularly for livestock and companion animal infectious disease diagnostics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tetracore social profiles
Digital presenceTetracore financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tetracore leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Tetracore subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Tetracore funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tetracore 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 Tetracore
What does Tetracore do?
Tetracore develops, manufactures, and sells diagnostic reagents and instruments used to detect infectious diseases and bioterrorism threat agents. Its catalog spans real-time PCR kits, lateral flow assay strips, ELISA kits, multiplex serology panels, and field-portable instruments including the T-COR 8 real-time PCR thermocycler and the BioThreat Alert Reader VII handheld assay reader. Products are sold to veterinary laboratories, federal and state preparedness programs, clinical and public health laboratories, and forensic/canine detection units.
Is Tetracore a public or private company?
Tetracore is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tetracore founded?
Tetracore was founded in 2003. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Tetracore based?
Tetracore is headquartered in Rockville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tetracore make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Diagnostic Instruments and Equipment is the primary driver. The others are PCR Reagent Kits and Assays, lateral Flow Assay Products, ELISA Kits and Antibodies and sample Extraction and Workflow Solutions.
Who are Tetracore's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are QIAGEN, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Zoetis and Thermo Fisher Scientific (Applied Biosystems). Direct peers are BioFire Diagnostics (bioMérieux), IDEXX Laboratories, Cepheid (Danaher), Gold Standard Diagnostics (Eurofins) and Mesa Labs (Sotera Health / Sterigenics). Antech Diagnostics (Mars Science & Diagnostics) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Tetracore have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tetracore.
What industry is Tetracore in?
Tetracore's product category is Molecular Diagnostics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAI, Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes), with a secondary code of HLAMADAC, Veterinary Microbiology & Infectious Disease Testing (Culture/PCR/Serology). Its NAICS code is 325413 and its SIC code is 2835.