What Microscope.com does

Microscope.com is an online direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer of microscopes, microscope cameras, and laboratory equipment, operating domestically from Roanoke, Virginia since its 1998 founding by a high school biology teacher. The legal entity, Microscope LLC, remains family-owned with no disclosed external investors or parent company.

The storefront spans six primary microscope categories (compound, inverted, stereo, digital, specialty, and kids' models) plus four camera configurations (USB, HDMI, Wi-Fi, LCD displays). Beyond optics, the catalog extends into industrial metrology tools from Mitutoyo (calipers, micrometers, optical comparators, measuring microscopes up to $50,000+) and a broad laboratory equipment line (autoclaves, centrifuges, balances, freezers, mixers, ovens, vaccine storage, PPE). Microscope.com simultaneously resells third-party brands (Motic, Meiji Techno, Dino-Lite, Euromex, Labomed, Mitutoyo, OptixCam) and operates the Omano house brand across microscopes, cameras, and accessories.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through hardware sales, with unit pricing ranging from approximately $89 (kids' microscopes) to over $50,000 (high-end industrial systems). The go-to-market is hybrid: self-serve e-commerce supported by toll-free phone, live chat, email, same-day shipping, free delivery over $150, and quote-based purchasing with purchase-order acceptance for institutional buyers. Customer concentration is distributed across primary verticals of education (K-12 through university), medical and clinical laboratories, and industrial inspection and quality control, with secondary segments in electronics/PCB, life sciences research, forensics, geology/gemology, and hobbyists. Awards include six consecutive Top Ten Reviews Gold Awards for Best Online Microscope Retailer (2009-2014) and a 2014 Excellence Award.

Name

Microscope.com

Legal name

Microscope LLC

Website

https://microscope.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Microscope.com is an online retailer of microscopes, microscope cameras, and laboratory equipment serving education, clinical, industrial inspection, and research customers. Founded in 1998, the family-owned company operates from Roanoke, Virginia, retailing multiple major brands plus its own Omano house brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microscopy Equipment

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (456130), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (423460)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lenses & Optical Accessories (Lenses, Filters, Adapters, Teleconverters) (CRACAPAF)

Keywords

• Optical microscopes retail
• Laboratory equipment
• Digital microscopy cameras
• Industrial inspection equipment
• Scientific instrument supplier

Headquarters

HQ city

Roanoke

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Microscopes: Microscope.com generates revenue primarily through direct sales of microscopes ranging from entry-level student models (under $100) to advanced research-grade and industrial inspection microscopes (up to $50,000+). The company sells various microscope types including compound, stereo, inverted, digital, and specialty microscopes along with compatible accessories.
2. Microscope Cameras and Imaging Equipment: Sales of digital microscope cameras including USB, HDMI, Wi-Fi, and LCD display models ranging from budget options under $100 to advanced scientific-grade cameras priced over $1,500.
3. Laboratory Equipment and Industrial Products: Revenue from laboratory equipment including autoclaves, centrifuges, balances, freezers, as well as industrial products such as Mitutoyo calipers, micrometers, optical comparators, and precision measurement tools.
4. Accessories and Consumables: Sales of microscope accessories including slides, stains, lighting, stands, cases, eyepieces, objective lenses, filters, and maintenance supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Microscope.com is an online retailer that sells optical microscopes, microscope cameras, laboratory equipment, and microscopy accessories. It offers compound, inverted, stereo, digital, specialty, and children's microscopes alongside USB/HDMI/Wi-Fi/LCD cameras, slides, lighting, and metrology tools from third-party manufacturers and its own Omano house brand. The company serves education, clinical, research, industrial inspection, and hobbyist customers through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform with assisted phone/chat sales.

Product overview

Microscope.com is an e-commerce platform and online retailer offering a comprehensive portfolio of microscopes and laboratory equipment. The core offering centers on multiple microscope types (compound, inverted, stereo, digital, specialty, and children's models) supplemented by microscope cameras in USB, HDMI, Wi-Fi, and LCD display configurations. The company operates both as a direct retailer of third-party brands (Motic, Meiji Techno, Dino-Lite, Euromex, Labomed, Mitutoyo, OptixCam) and as the creator of its proprietary Omano house brand, which spans microscopes, cameras, and accessories. Accessories including slides, lighting, stands, stages, eyepieces, objective lenses, filters, and adapters enable system customization. The portfolio extends to industrial equipment (calipers, micrometers, optical comparators), laboratory equipment (autoclaves, centrifuges, freezers), and education products for K-12 through university settings. This multi-brand, multi-category structure positions Microscope.com as a one-stop supplier serving education, clinical, research, industrial inspection, and hobbyist segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Omano: House brand of microscopes offered by Microscope.com, including compound, stereo, digital, and specialty microscopes along with microscope cameras and accessories.

Products and services

• Omano House Brand Microscopes Microscope.com's proprietary house brand offering compound, stereo, digital, and specialty microscopes, microscope cameras, and accessories at accessible price points for education and professional use.
• Compound Microscopes High-resolution optical microscopes designed for viewing thin, transparent specimens such as cells, tissues, and prepared slides, featuring magnification ranges typically from 40x to 1000x for educational, clinical, and research applications.
• Inverted Microscopes Microscopes with objectives positioned beneath the stage, optimized for observing specimens in culture dishes and flasks, supporting live cell imaging, tissue culture inspection, and extended observation workflows.
• Stereo Microscopes Three-dimensional viewing microscopes with lower magnification (typically 50x or less) for inspecting larger specimens, circuit boards, insects, and solid objects, available in zoom and fixed magnification configurations.
• Digital Microscopes Camera-integrated microscopes enabling image capture, display, and sharing on monitors or computers without eyepieces, featuring USB and HDMI connectivity for documentation, inspection, and analysis workflows.
• Specialty Microscopes Purpose-built imaging systems including fluorescence, polarizing, darkfield, phase contrast, metallurgical, and measuring microscopes designed for specific scientific, industrial, or educational applications.
• Microscopes for Kids

Quantifiable outcome

• Customers have purchased 280+ microscopes from single orders, indicating institutional trust and repeat business.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OmanocoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOmano is Microscope.com's proprietary house brand offering microscopes, microscope cameras, and accessories. This brand represents Microscope.com's own product line, providing quality options at accessible price points and serving as a key differentiator in their portfolio. The brand includes compound microscopes, stereo microscopes, digital inspection systems, and various accessories.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Business: Generalist e-commerce marketplace that increasingly sells consumer and entry-level professional microscopes from multiple brands. Comparable as an alternative purchasing channel for Microscope.com's price-sensitive and self-serve customers.
• Fisher Scientific: One of the largest US distributors of laboratory equipment, chemicals, and supplies, including microscopes. Overlaps with Microscope.com's lab equipment and clinical microscopy categories but operates as a broad-line distributor rather than a microscope specialist.
• Carl Zeiss (ZEISS Microscopy): Global leader in research- and clinical-grade microscopy. Comparable as the upper-tier brand competing for advanced research, clinical, and industrial customers that Microscope.com also reaches via Mitutoyo and Meiji Techno.
• Leica Microsystems: Premium microscope and imaging systems manufacturer for life sciences and industrial applications. Competes for the high-end research and clinical demand that sits above Microscope.com's core price band.
• Avantor (VWR): Global distributor of lab products and services supplying academic, industrial, and clinical customers with microscopes and lab equipment. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving overlapping institutional buyers but not microscope-specialized.

Direct peers

• Motic: Microscope manufacturer whose compound, inverted, stereo, and digital scopes are sold through Microscope.com. Competes as both a brand partner and a direct channel for the same buyer demand in education and clinical labs.
• Dino-Lite: Handheld digital microscope and USB/HDMI camera brand carried by Microscope.com. Comparable digital microscopy products sold direct to education, hobby, and industrial inspection buyers that Microscope.com also targets.
• Meiji Techno: Premium Japanese microscope maker offering compound, polarizing, metallurgical, and specialty microscopes that Microscope.com resells. Direct competitor for higher-end industrial and clinical buyers and a key supply partner.
• Edmund Optics: Optical components and instruments supplier serving research, industrial, and educational buyers. Comparable as a specialty e-commerce destination for optics, including microscopy-adjacent lenses, filters, and illumination products.
• Euromex: European microscope manufacturer with strong education and lab product lines that Microscope.com distributes. Overlaps directly on upright, stereo, and inverted microscope SKUs for similar institutional customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MicroscopeDotCom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Microscope.com