Protein Fluidics

What Protein Fluidics does

Protein Fluidics, Inc. is a privately held life-sciences tools company headquartered in Newark, California, that develops and sells bench-top pneumatic microfluidic instruments under the Pu·MA System brand, along with proprietary single-use flowchip consumables, for the automation of 3D cell-based assays. The core technology is the patent-pending Valve-less Fluidic Switching (VLFS) platform, which uses hydrophobic barriers and pneumatic pressure gradients rather than mechanical microvalves to move fluids, enabling precise reagent exchange on organoid, spheroid, and tumoroid samples without disturbing them. The product line spans the original Pu·MA System, the Pu·MA System 3D for automated 3D cell assays, the Pu·MA System EC (Environmental Control) variant that adds temperature, CO2, and humidity regulation for on-instrument cell culture, and the 3D MAG magnetic variant for handling magnetically coated spheroids. Standard and low-attachment (ISurCell ULA-coated) flowchips are sold as recurring consumables in 384-well plate format.

The company targets academic and pharmaceutical researchers in drug discovery, precision oncology, immuno-oncology, toxicology, and disease modeling, where manual handling of delicate 3D cell models causes sample loss and limits readouts. Its revenue model combines capital-equipment sales (instruments) with recurring consumable revenue (flowchips) and reagent sales, with quote-based pricing and no publicly disclosed price points. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct sales in the US and Canada handled by a dedicated technical sales manager, plus exclusive regional distribution covering 11 EU countries (I&L Biosystems), the UK and Ireland (Labtech), and Italy (Twin Helix). The company drives demand through a heavy content and conference program — webinars, peer-reviewed publications, application notes, and presence at SLAS, AACR, ISSCR, Cell Symposia, and MPS World Summit — and has built a network of technology integration partnerships with major life-sciences vendors including Yokogawa, Molecular Devices, Promega, Greiner Bio-One, Cellenion, Scienion, and TheWell Bioscience. The company has closed three rounds of funding from strategic investors since its 2016 seed, with Incubic Venture Fund as one disclosed participant.

Name

Protein Fluidics

Legal name

Protein Fluidics, Inc.

Website

https://proteinfluidics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Protein Fluidics develops the Pu·MA System, a bench-top microfluidic instrument using proprietary Valve-less Fluidic Switching (VLFS) technology, paired with single-use flowchip consumables, to automate assays on 3D cell models including organoids, spheroids, and tumoroids for academic and pharmaceutical researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlingame

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pu·MA System Instruments: Bench-top instruments sold as capital equipment. The Pu·MA System is an affordable bench-top system for automating 3D cell-based assays. System footprint is 11(L) x 13(W) x 8(H) inches, weighs 20 lbs.
2. Flowchip Consumables: Disposable single-use flowchip consumables designed for 384-well plate format. Flowchips are sold as recurring consumables for use with the Pu·MA System. Includes standard 3D flowchips and Low Attachment 3D Assay Flowchips.
3. Assay Reagents and Kits: Validated immunoassays and reagents for small animal research. Open platform accommodates wide range of assays using existing antibody pairs or commercially available ELISA kits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Protein Fluidics manufactures and sells the Pu·MA System, a family of bench-top pneumatic microfluidic instruments that automate biochemical and cell-based assays on single-use flowchip consumables. The platform is purpose-built for functional profiling of 3D cell models (organoids, spheroids, tumoroids) used by life sciences researchers, and includes environmental control and magnetic variants plus recurring flowchip consumables.

Product overview

Protein Fluidics offers the Pu·MA System product line — a family of bench-top pneumatic microfluidic instruments for automated biochemical and cell-based assays. The core Pu·MA System uses proprietary Valve-less Fluidic Switching (VLFS) technology to automate reagent transfers on single-use flowchip consumables. The product line includes the standard Pu·MA System for ELISA automation, the Pu·MA System 3D and Pu·MA System 3D MAG variants purpose-built for 3D cell models (organoids, spheroids, tumoroids), and the Pu·MA System EC (Environmental Control) variant with temperature, CO2, and humidity regulation for combined cell culture and assay automation. Consumable flowchips — available in standard and Low Attachment (ISurCell ULA-coated) formats — are loaded with samples and reagents, then placed in the instrument for automated multi-step protocols including media exchange, drug treatment, immunofluorescence staining, in situ supernatant sampling, and imaging. The platform is complemented by flowchip holders, touchscreen-based protocol software, and is compatible with third-party imaging systems (Yokogawa CellVoyager CQ1, Etaluma Lumascope) and dispensing tools (Cellenion spheroONE) for an integrated 3D cell assay workflow.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pu·MA System: Bench-top instrument for automated precision experiments with 3D cell models including patient-derived organoids and spheroids.
• Pu·MA System 3D
• Pu·MA System EC
• Pu·MA System 3D MAG
• Flowchips
• ISurCell ULA coating

Products and services

• Pu·MA System Bench-top pneumatic microfluidic instrument that automates ELISA and 3D cell-based assays on single-use flowchip consumables using proprietary Valve-less Fluidic Switching (VLFS) technology; targeted at academic and pharmaceutical research labs.
• Pu·MA System EC (Environmental Control) Environmental control variant of the Pu·MA System that regulates temperature, CO2, and humidity within the flowchip chamber, enabling 3D cell model formation and automated assays inside a standard incubator.
• Pu·MA System 3D Instrument variant purpose-built for automated assays with 3D cell models (organoids, spheroids, tumoroids) using 3D flowchips, supporting immunofluorescence staining, drug treatment, in situ sampling, and confocal imaging within the flowchip.
• Pu·MA System 3D MAG
• 3D Assay Flowchips Single-use microfluidic flowchip consumables with protected sample chambers and reagent reservoirs in 384-well plate format, designed for automated assays with organoids, spheroids, and tumoroids on the Pu·MA System.
• Low Attachment 3D Assay Flowchips Microfluidic flowchip consumables coated with ISurCell ULA coating from ISurTec, designed for culturing and assaying 3D cell models in low-attachment conditions within the Pu·MA System EC.
• Flowchip Holders Accessory components that hold flowchips in the Pu·MA System, compatible with standard microplate format and multichannel pipetting workflows.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20X reduction in pipetting steps
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BioLegendcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2018Partnership to provide assay products. Announced December 4, 2018.
• Case Western Reserve UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Dr. Michelle Cruz on primary co-cultures of intestinal spheroids and peripheral blood derived T-cells. Study on bidirectional communication in health and disease.
• Tulane University (Burow Lab)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with Dr. Matthew Burow's group on patient-derived organoids for triple negative breast cancer research, drug resistance studies. Study funded by NIH and Krewe de Pink.
• Greiner Bio-OnecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for NanoShuttle magnetic bioprinting technology integration with Pu·MA System for magnetically coated 3D cell models. Joint webinar presented May 4, 2021.
• Yokogawa Electric CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration partnership for high-content imaging. CellVoyager CQ1 and CellPathfinder software integration with Pu·MA System flowchips for confocal imaging and analysis.
• Molecular DevicescoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration partnership. ImageXpress Micro Confocal High-Content Imaging System and FLIPR Penta High-Throughput Cellular Screening System integration for 3D cell model analysis.
• Promega CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationJoint webinar partnership and technology integration. Lactate-Glo and Glutamate-Glo metabolite assays optimized for 3D cell models with Pu·MA System for dynamic metabolite secretion analysis.
• TheWell BiosciencecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for VitroGel xeno-free hydrogel system integration with Pu·MA System for 3D cell culture applications. Joint webinar presented June 1, 2022.
• MatTekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on primary colorectal tumor model research using EpiIntestinal tissue models with spheroONE and Pu·MA System EC automated workflow.
• ScienioncoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration partnership for spheroONE automated spheroid sorting and dispensing integration with Pu·MA System EC. Joint poster at AACR 2025.
• CellenioncoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for spheroONE integration enabling automated workflow for tumoroid dispensing and high-throughput drug testing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• InSphero: InSphero provides 3D cell-based assay platforms, organoid services, and automation-friendly microtissue workflows for drug discovery. It competes with Protein Fluidics for organoid-focused pharma and academic researchers and operates in the same precision-oncology and toxicology use cases.
• MIMETAS: MIMETAS develops OrganoPlate organ-on-chip platforms for 3D cell culture and high-throughput screening. It is a direct comparable in microfluidic 3D cell model assay automation and serves overlapping pharma/biotech drug discovery customers.
• Cellenion: Cellenion's spheroONE is an automated spheroid/organoid dispensing and sorting platform. Protein Fluidics has a documented technology integration with Cellenion and presents joint workflows, indicating both companies directly compete and collaborate in the 3D cell model automation stack.

Emerging players

• Emulate: Emulate develops organ-on-chip technology (Liver-Chip, etc.) for preclinical drug testing and disease modeling. It overlaps with Protein Fluidics' 3D cell model thesis and competes for pharma organ-on-chip and organoid research dollars, though with a different technological approach.
• CN Bio: CN Bio provides organ-on-chip systems (PhysioMimix) and 3D liver models for drug discovery and toxicology. It targets similar pharma and academic customers as Protein Fluidics in microphysiological systems and 3D cell-based assay workflows.

Broad incumbents

• Tecan: Tecan is a major provider of laboratory automation instruments, liquid handlers, and detection/readers used across life sciences research and diagnostics. It competes with Protein Fluidics in cell-based assay automation and serves the same pharma/biotech research customers.
• Molecular Devices: Molecular Devices (part of Danaher Life Sciences) offers the ImageXpress Micro Confocal and FLIPR Penta high-content screening systems with formal integration partnerships with Protein Fluidics. It is a broad incumbent in cell-based assay instrumentation and competes for the same pharma screening budgets.
• Hamilton Company: Hamilton is a leading provider of automated liquid handling workstations and laboratory automation solutions used in drug discovery and screening labs. It competes broadly with Protein Fluidics for laboratory automation budget, especially in high-throughput screening environments.
• Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (part of Danaher) provides automated liquid handlers, cell sorters, and laboratory automation solutions for life sciences research. It competes broadly for laboratory automation budget at academic and pharmaceutical research sites.
• Yokogawa Electric: Yokogawa's CellVoyager CQ1 high-content confocal imaging system and CellPathfinder software are integrated with Protein Fluidics' Pu·MA System. Yokogawa competes broadly in life sciences imaging and lab instrumentation for 3D cell analysis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ProteinFluidics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pfi_bio
• Facebookfacebook.com/proteinfluidics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/proteinfluidics
• Instagraminstagram.com/pfi_bio

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Protein Fluidics