Gel Company

What Gel Company does

Gel Company, Inc. is a privately-held life science supply company founded in 1995 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It develops, manufactures, and distributes more than 900 products for genomics and proteomics research workflows, spanning electrophoresis and imaging equipment (the Omega Gel Doc line distributed under partnership with Aplegen plus the Imagel smartphone imager), proprietary branded reagents (LavaPurple, LavaBlue, LavaCell, LavaPep, LavaDigest), PCR master mixes under the MegaMix family, DNA ladders and agarose, gel excision tools (GeneCatcher, GridCutter, the patented OneTouch SpotPicker), and a long tail of compatible replacement parts and consumables for major OEM instruments including Applied Biosystems, Bio-Rad, GE Healthcare, Leica, Li-COR, Hoefer, Qiagen, and Gibco-BRL.

The company's core economic proposition is price: replacement parts and consumables are positioned at 30–75% below original manufacturer pricing, with array regeneration offered at roughly 75% of the cost of new capillary arrays. Distribution is hybrid — direct e-commerce via Shopify plus phone/fax/email ordering in the US, and a network of 50+ regional distributors in more than 50 countries across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Technical differentiators include the SmartCapture automated imaging workflow for the Omega line, drop-in OEM compatibility, and patented/contra-branded reagent IP.

Gel Company serves proteomics and genomics laboratories and principal investigators in academic institutions, biotech companies, and government research labs, with a horizontal segmentation across use cases (1D/2D electrophoresis, Western blotting, DNA sequencing, PCR, microarray analysis). The company is small — reported at 1–10 employees — founder/management-led, with no disclosed outside funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and no leadership, M&A, or restructuring events are referenced in available materials.

Name

Gel Company

Legal name

Gel Company, Inc.

Website

https://gelcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gel Company, founded 1995 in San Francisco, supplies 900+ low-cost genomics and proteomics lab products — including Omega Gel Doc imagers, Lava-branded reagents, MegaMix PCR mixes, GeneCatcher tips, and OEM-compatible replacement parts — to academic and biotech researchers in 50+ countries via direct e-commerce and a global distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Research Supplies

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42345)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Electrophoresis equipment
• Gel imaging systems
• Life science reagents
• Replacement lab parts
• Proteomics consumables

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consumables and Reagents: One-time purchases of electrophoresis reagents, PCR master mixes, DNA ladders, protein stains, gel excision tips, tubes, and cuvettes. Includes MegaMix, CerLysis, MicroLysis, CleanSpin, and Lava branded products.
2. Imaging Equipment: Sale of Omega Lum and Omega Fluor gel doc imaging systems with integrated tablets and software. Hardware sales with associated software licenses.
3. Replacement Parts and Accessories: Compatible replacement parts and accessories for brand-name instruments (ABI, Bio-Rad, GE, Leica, Li-COR, Hoefer, Owl Scientific, Qiagen, Gibco-BRL). Lower-cost alternatives to original manufacturer parts.
4. Sequencing Consumables: Polymer for ABI 3130/3130xl genetic analyzers, sequencing reagents, formamide, and capillary array regeneration products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gel Company develops, manufactures, and supplies over 900 products for the life science research community, including Omega series gel doc imaging systems, electrophoresis equipment, PCR and protein reagents, DNA ladders, agarose, sequencing consumables, and compatible replacement parts for Applied Biosystems, Bio-Rad, GE Healthcare, Leica, Li-COR, Hoefer, Qiagen, and Gibco-BRL instruments. The company positions its offerings as innovative, high-quality products priced significantly below original manufacturer equivalents, distributed through direct e-commerce, phone/email sales, and a global distributor network across 50+ countries.

Product overview

Gel Company offers over 900 products across genomics, proteomics, cell biology, and microarray applications. The product portfolio centers on Omega Gel Doc Imagers (Omega Lum W, Omega Lum C, Omega Lum G, Omega Fluor, Omega Fluor Plus) and Imagel smartphone-based imaging, complemented by proprietary stains (LavaPurple, LavaBlue, LavaPep, LavaDigest, LavaCell), PCR reagents (MegaMix variants), and DNA analysis tools including GeneCatcher gel excision tips. Core electrophoresis equipment includes Mupid systems and OWL Scientific Gel Systems. The company specializes in replacement parts and accessories compatible with major brands (Applied Biosystems, Bio-Rad, GE Healthcare, Leica, Li-COR, Qiagen), positioned as lower-cost alternatives to original manufacturer parts. Additional products include ArraySlide microarrays, ThermoMix incubators, Tube Cappers, and various lab consumables.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aplegen: Omega series gel doc imaging systems including Omega Lum W, Omega Lum C, Omega Lum G, Omega Fluor, and Omega Fluor Plus
• LavaPurple
• LavaBlue
• LavaCell
• LavaPeptide
• LavaDigest
• GeneCatcher
• MegaMix
• Imagel
• ArraySlide
• Omega
• SmartCapture Technology

Products and services

• Omega Lum W Multicolor and chemiluminescent Western imaging system with 8.3 MP resolution, SmartCapture Technology, and a 6-motorized filter wheel for fluorescence and chemiluminescence detection. Sold to life science research labs.
• Omega Lum C
• Omega Lum G
• Omega Fluor
• Omega Fluor Plus
• Imagel
• GeneCatcher
• MegaMix
• LavaPurple
• Chemi FP
• ArraySlide
• Mupid Electrophoresis System
• OWL Scientific Gel Systems
• ThermoMix 500
• Tube Capper
• UltraThin LED Illuminator
• GelPOP7-7
• KingFisher 96 Deep-Well Tip Combs
• Bio-Rad Replacement Accessories
• ABI Sequencing Replacement Accessories
• GridCutter
• DNA Ladders
• Agarose
• DNA Release Kits

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-75% cost reduction on replacement parts and accessories
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• AplegencoreTechnology or IntegrationAplegen is the manufacturer of Omega Gel Doc Imaging systems that Gel Company distributes. The Omega series includes Lum W, Lum C, Lum G, Fluor, and Fluor Plus systems with SmartCapture Technology. Gel Company provides sales, support, and service for Aplegen products globally through their distributor network.
• DiaMed Lab Supplies (Canada)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company products in Canada, serving the Ontario region from Mississauga location.
• Mandel Scientific (Canada)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company and Aplegen products in Canada, serving the Ontario region from Guelph location.
• APG BIO Ltd. (China)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company products in China, serving the Shanghai region.
• Dakewe Biotech Co, Ltd (China)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company products in China, with offices in Beijing and Hong Kong.
• Labconsult (Belgium)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company and Aplegen products serving Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Brazil.
• Cosmo Bio, Ltd. (Japan)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company products in Japan.
• Chayon Laboratories (Korea)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company products in Korea.
• THISTLE Scientific (UK)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company products in the United Kingdom, located in Rugby.
• Seoulin BioScience, Ltd. (Korea)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Gel Company products in Korea, located in the Korea BIO PARK.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• VWR International (Avantor): Broad incumbent — VWR/Avantor distributes a broad catalog of life science consumables and competes with Gel Company both as a supplier (selling competitor brands) and as a procurement channel through which institutional labs consolidate their purchasing.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Broad incumbent — owns the Invitrogen, Applied Biosystems, and Gibco-BRL brands for which Gel Company sells replacement parts. Competes across Gel Company's full genomics/proteomics consumables portfolio through its own catalog and through the Fisher Scientific distribution channel.
• Eppendorf: Broad incumbent — Eppendorf supplies premium lab consumables (tubes, tips, plates) and instruments, competing with Gel Company's consumables line on the higher-quality end of the same academic and biotech researcher base.

Direct peers

• LI-COR Biosciences: Direct peer — LI-COR sells Odyssey and similar infrared Western blot and gel imaging systems, and Gel Company explicitly markets compatible Li-COR supplies. Overlaps directly in Western blot imaging hardware and consumables sold to the same proteomics researcher base.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Direct peer — Bio-Rad is the dominant manufacturer of electrophoresis systems, gel doc imagers (GelDoc Go, ChemiDoc), Western blot reagents, and the exact consumables/accessories Gel Company supplies as lower-cost alternatives. Overlaps on products, customers (academic and biotech labs), and channel.
• Azure Biosystems: Direct peer — Azure sells the c600 and Sapphire gel/multimodal imaging systems and Western blot consumables targeting the same price-sensitive academic and biotech researchers that Gel Company serves with the Omega line.
• Cleaver Scientific: Direct peer — Cleaver manufactures electrophoresis tanks, power supplies, and gel doc imaging equipment, and competes with Gel Company's Mupid/OWL Scientific systems and replacement parts in academic and teaching labs globally.
• Syngene (Synoptics): Direct peer — Syngene manufactures the G:BOX, Chemi:XX, and similar gel documentation systems competing directly with the Omega Lum/Fluor line. Competes for the same academic and biotech imaging hardware budgets.
• CBS Scientific: Direct peer — CBS manufactures vertical and horizontal electrophoresis systems, gel dryers, and accessories, overlapping with Gel Company's OWL Scientific Gel Systems and consumables offering to similar research customers.
• Analytik Jena (UVP): Direct peer — through the UVP product line, Analytik Jena sells GelDoc-It and ChemiDoc-It gel imaging systems plus laboratory equipment. Competes head-to-head with Omega series imagers for bench scientist capex dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzXf8YJcT2RbFDwmI3rIdaw
• Xx.com/GelCompany
• Facebookfacebook.com/117667634927921
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gelcompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Gel Company