What Serva Electrophoresis does

Serva Electrophoresis GmbH is a Heidelberg, Germany-based laboratory consumables and equipment supplier founded in 1953, specializing in electrophoresis reagents, gels, buffers, instruments, and broader life-science workflow products. Its core technology spans isoelectric focusing, SDS-PAGE, 2D gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, nucleic acid electrophoresis, and ancillary sample preparation, complemented by a proprietary enzyme portfolio (including the patented SD Polymerase with strand displacement activity stable to 93°C, SuperHotTaq DNA Polymerase, collagenase, and neutral protease), mass spectrometry reagents, microscopy preparation products (including cryo-EM grid supports), and SERDOLIT ion exchange resins.

The company's revenue model is one-time unit sales of consumables and instruments priced in EUR (typical SKUs ranging from €74 to €516 per unit), distributed through a direct B2B online shop (www.serva.de) and a global distributor network spanning Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. Serva also functions as a channel for third-party brands — Hoefer Inc. (electrophoresis instruments), Bioron (PCR enzymes), NZYTech (molecular biology/glycobiology), Gel Company, and Next Advance — making it a one-stop-shop for protein, DNA, and RNA analysis workflows. Customer segments are horizontal across life science research laboratories, proteomics/mass spectrometry users, cell biology researchers, and electron microscopy users. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and operates under German law as a GmbH.

In July 2025, Serva was acquired by LICORbio, a US-based life-science imaging company, for an undisclosed sum, and now operates as a subsidiary with its contact domain migrated to licorbio.com. The acquisition is positioned to integrate Serva's electrophoresis reagents and consumables with LICORbio's imaging platforms to deliver comprehensive protein, DNA, and RNA analysis workflows.

Name

Serva Electrophoresis

Legal name

SERVA Electrophoresis GmbH

Website

https://serva.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Serva Electrophoresis GmbH is a Heidelberg, Germany-based supplier of electrophoresis reagents, gels, buffers, instruments, enzymes, and microscopy prep reagents serving life-science research laboratories globally, acquired by LICORbio in July 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Laboratory Reagents and Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays) (HLAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes) (HLAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Electrophoresis reagents
• Laboratory consumables
• Protein analysis kits
• Molecular biology enzymes
• Western blot supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Heidelberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electrophoresis reagents and consumables: Sale of electrophoresis gels, buffers, reagents, staining kits, and related consumables to research laboratories and life science companies.
2. Laboratory instruments and equipment: Sale of electrophoresis instruments, power supplies, gel documentation systems, and workflow equipment including Hoefer branded systems.
3. Enzymes and molecular biology reagents: Sale of enzymes (collagenase, neutral protease, SD Polymerase, SuperHotTaq DNA Polymerase), mass spectrometry reagents, and molecular biology products for protein and DNA/RNA workflows.
4. Life sciences and microscopy products: Sale of cell analysis, albumins, antibiotics, molecular biology, microbiology, plant biology, cell culture, enzymology products, and microscopy preparation reagents.
5. Third-party distributed products: Serva distributes and resells products from partner brands including Hoefer Inc. (USA), Gel Company, Next Advance, Bioron (PCR, reverse transcription, enzyme products), and NZYTech (molecular biology, glycobiology). Revenue from margin/resale of third-party products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Serva Electrophoresis manufactures and sells electrophoresis reagents (gels, buffers, staining kits), laboratory instruments (power supplies, staining automatons, gel documentation), enzymes (collagenase, neutral protease, SuperHotTaq DNA Polymerase, SD Polymerase), mass spectrometry reagents, microscopy preparation products, and ion exchange resins. The company also distributes complementary brands such as Hoefer Inc., Bioron, NZYTech, Gel Company, and Next Advance to provide a one-stop shop for life science research laboratories conducting protein, DNA, and RNA analysis workflows.

Product overview

SERVA Electrophoresis GmbH is a Germany-based provider of electrophoresis reagents, gels, buffers, instruments, and related life science products. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on its core electrophoresis product line (including isoelectric focusing, SDS PAGE, 2D gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, and nucleic acid electrophoresis), complemented by supporting product categories: sample preparation solutions, mass spectrometry reagents, laboratory equipment, enzymology products, life sciences reagents (cell analysis, molecular biology, microbiology, cell culture), microscopy products, ion exchange media, and collagenase/neutral protease products. The company also distributes products from partner brands including Hoefer Inc. (electrophoresis instrumentation), Bioron (PCR enzymes and reagents), and NZYTech (molecular biology and glycobiology products). Following its acquisition by LICORbio in July 2025, SERVA operates as part of LICORbio's portfolio while maintaining its product catalog for protein, DNA, and RNA analysis workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GEL-FIX™: Gel carrier system for electrophoresis applications
• NetFix™
• SERDOLIT®
• SuperHotTaq DNA Polymerase
• SuperHot Master Mix
• SD Polymerase

Products and services

• Electrophoresis Products Electrophoresis reagents including isoelectric focusing, SDS PAGE, 2D gel electrophoresis, native electrophoresis, Western blotting, and nucleic acid electrophoresis products such as gels, buffers, and staining reagents for life science research laboratories.
• Laboratory Equipment (Laborgeräte) Workflow instrumentation for electrophoresis including devices for electrophoresis, staining automatons/shakers, and power supplies for gel electrophoresis systems.
• Mass Spectrometry Reagents Enzymes for molecular biology applications including proteases for mass spectrometry sample preparation, glycosidases, endoproteases, and isotopically labeled proteins for research applications.
• Sample Preparation (Probenvorbereitung) Sample preparation products for proteins, DNA/RNA, and dialysis applications used prior to electrophoresis analysis.
• Enzymology Products Enzymes including collagenases, neutral proteases, standard enzymes, co-enzymes, co-factors, nucleotides, enzyme substrates and detection reagents, and enzyme inhibitors for research applications.
• Life Sciences Products Products for cell analysis, albumins, antibiotics, molecular biology, microbiology, plant biology, and cell culture for life science research.
• Microscopy Products Microscopy products including embedding, fixation, dehydration, buffers, staining reagents, cryo-EM support grids, and accessories for electron microscopy sample preparation.
• Ion Exchange Media Ion exchange media including DOWEX ion exchanger resins, SERDOLIT ion exchanger resins, SERDOLIT polymer adsorption resins, and SERDOLIT chelate resins.
• Collagenase & Neutral Protease Collagenases and neutral proteases for tissue dissociation and cell isolation applications in research.
• Reagents According to Pharmacopoeia Reagents meeting pharmacopoeia standards for pharmaceutical and research quality requirements.
• Hoefer Inc. Products 2D gel electrophoresis systems, standard vertical systems, mini-vertical systems, gradient mixers, glass plate washers, submarine gel chambers, protein blotting equipment, and power supplies for electrophoresis distributed under the Hoefer Inc. brand.
• Bioron PCR Products PCR enzymes including SD Polymerase Hotstart with strand displacement activity for LAMP and other isothermal amplification methods, various dNTPs, and ready-to-use PCR master mixes distributed under the Bioron brand.
• NZYTech Products Molecular biology and glycobiology products including reverse transcriptase, DNA/RNA purification, real-time and endpoint PCR products, and glycobiology enzymes distributed under the NZYTech brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global electrophoresis market projected to grow from USD 2.35 billion (2025) to USD 3.96 billion by 2034 at CAGR of 5.95%; protein electrophoresis segment to reach USD 4.27 billion by 2030 at CAGR of 6.3%

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LICORbiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025In July 2025, LICORbio, a US-based life-science imaging company, acquired SERV A Electrophoresis for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition aims to expand LICORbio's product lineup and create comprehensive workflows for protein, DNA, and RNA analysis by integrating SERV A's technologies with LICORbio's imaging platforms. SERV A's contact email domain was changed to licorbio.com following the acquisition.
• Hoefer Inc., USAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHoefer Inc. is a US-based manufacturer of electrophoresis equipment. Serva distributes Hoefer products including 2D gel electrophoresis systems, standard vertical systems, mini-vertical systems, gradient mixers, glass plate washers, submarine gel chambers, protein blotting equipment, and power supplies.
• BioronminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBioron is a manufacturer of PCR enzymes and DNA reagents. Serva distributes Bioron products including PCR enzymes (SD Polymerase, SuperHotTaq DNA Polymerase, SuperHot Master Mix), dNTPs, reverse transcription enzymes, and phage T7 DNA.
• NZYTechminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNZYTech provides molecular biology and glycobiology products. Serva distributes NZYTech products including reverse transcriptase, products for DNA & RNA purification, Real Time and endpoint PCR enzymes, and glycobiology enzymes. NZYTech catalog 2025 is available through Serva.
• Gel CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorServa distributes Gel Company products including accessories for Hoefer and Bio-Rad electrophoresis equipment.
• Next AdvanceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorServa distributes Next Advance products as part of its expanded laboratory equipment and accessories portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Lonza Group: Lonza provides cell and gene therapy manufacturing services and life science reagents including enzymes and media components, with partial overlap to Serva's collagenase, neutral protease, and ion exchange resin portfolio for cell biology workflows.

Direct peers

• QIAGEN: QIAGEN provides molecular biology reagents, enzymes (PCR, reverse transcription), and nucleic acid sample preparation products serving an overlapping research customer base and competing in PCR/qPCR reagent categories.
• Promega Corporation: Promega is a specialty reagent provider in molecular biology, protein analysis, and enzymes, with a comparable focus on research-grade consumables and enzymes sold directly to life science labs.
• Cleaver Scientific: Cleaver Scientific is a specialty manufacturer of electrophoresis equipment and accessories (gel systems, power supplies, blotters) closely comparable to Serva's Hoefer-distributed instrument portfolio.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad is a leading global supplier of electrophoresis instruments, gels, reagents, and protein analysis workflows directly overlapping with Serva's core product portfolio and serving the same life science research customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Cytiva: Cytiva (part of Danaher) supplies reagents, columns, and ion exchange media used in protein and nucleic acid workflows, overlapping with Serva's enzyme, ion exchange (SERDOLIT), and chromatography-adjacent offerings.
• Avantor: Avantor distributes a comprehensive catalog of laboratory reagents, enzymes, and life science consumables globally, with overlapping electrophoresis and molecular biology reagent offerings distributed through similar channels.
• Agilent Technologies: Agilent supplies analytical instruments and consumables for genomics, proteomics, and mass spectrometry workflows, overlapping with Serva's mass spectrometry reagent and nucleic acid analysis offerings.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher offers electrophoresis reagents and instruments (e.g., Invitrogen, Thermo Scientific brands) as part of a much broader life sciences portfolio, providing overlapping capability with Serva but at a vastly larger scale and scope.
• Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma): MilliporeSigma supplies a broad portfolio of electrophoresis reagents, enzymes, buffers, and life science consumables directly comparable to Serva's reagent and enzyme categories, but across a global catalog spanning thousands of SKUs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/serva_d
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/serva-electrophoresis-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Serva Electrophoresis