IMS, Inc.

What IMS, Inc. does

IMS, Inc. operates as a division of Florida Suncare Testing, Inc., headquartered in Bunnell, Florida, and was founded in 1992 by Dr. John P. Sottery before being sold to its current parent in 2019. The company manufactures and sells proprietary synthetic in vitro testing substrates—VITRO-SKIN® N-19, VITRO-CORNEUM®, and VITRO-NAILS®—engineered to replicate the surface properties, topography, pH, critical surface tension, visco-elasticity, and chemical reactivity of human skin, stratum corneum, and fingernails. These substrates are used by R&D teams at consumer packaged goods, personal care, cosmetic, OTC drug, and pharmaceutical companies for SPF/UVA testing, water resistance testing, photostability evaluation, sunless tanning assessment, makeup and nail polish formulation testing, skin adhesion studies, and microbiological testing.

IMS monetizes through two channels: (1) one-time consumable sales of substrate sheets at tiered per-unit pricing ($70–$105 depending on product and volume) plus a $225 VITRO-SKIN Starter Kit, distributed via the ims-usa.com e-commerce storefront with FedEx domestic and international shipping; and (2) fee-for-service laboratory testing for static SPF, UVA protection, water resistance, and photostability, with results typically delivered within one week of sample receipt. The company supports its offerings with downloadable protocols, scientific publications dating back to 1993, and presentations at IFSCC and SCC industry venues, positioning itself as a specialized niche provider rather than a broad portfolio testing lab.

The customer base includes leading global raw material suppliers and personal care companies; substrates are cited in patents held by L'Oréal, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, BASF, Colgate-Palmolive, 3M, Hallstar, Gillette, Avery Dennison, and others. Over 175 leading companies worldwide use VITRO-SKIN, and the company claims more than 25 years of leadership in in vitro SPF measurement. The business is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no public revenue figures, and operates from a single U.S. facility.

Name

IMS, Inc.

Legal name

Florida Suncare Testing, Inc.

Website

https://ims-usa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IMS, Inc. is a Bunnell, Florida-based division of Florida Suncare Testing, Inc. that manufactures proprietary synthetic skin, stratum corneum, and nail testing substrates (VITRO-SKIN®, VITRO-CORNEUM®, VITRO-NAILS®) and provides in vitro SPF/UVA testing services for R&D teams at personal care, cosmetic, OTC drug, and pharmaceutical companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bunnell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. VITRO-SKIN Substrate Sales: Sale of VITRO-SKIN N-19 testing substrate sheets in various quantities (3–200 sheets) at tiered per-sheet pricing ($70–$85). Also sold as a Starter Kit bundle at $225. One-time purchase with volume discounts for larger orders.
2. VITRO-CORNEUM Substrate Sales: Sale of VITRO-CORNEUM testing substrate sheets at tiered pricing ($100–$105 per sheet for 3+ sheets). One-time purchase model.
3. VITRO-NAILS Substrate Sales: Sale of VITRO-NAILS testing substrate sheets at tiered pricing ($84–$90 per sheet). One-time purchase model.
4. In Vitro SPF/UVA Testing Services: Fee-for-service laboratory testing providing highly predictive in vitro SPF and UVA measurements using proprietary VITRO-SKIN substrate. Results typically provided within one week of sample receipt.
5. Water Resistance and Photostability Testing Services: Specialized testing services for water resistance and photostability evaluation using proprietary methods and substrates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IMS, Inc. manufactures and sells proprietary synthetic testing substrates (VITRO-SKIN, VITRO-CORNEUM, and VITRO-NAILS) that mimic the surface properties of human skin, stratum corneum, and fingernails for in vitro product testing. The company also provides fee-for-service laboratory testing, including in vitro SPF/UVA measurement, water resistance, and photostability testing, using these substrates on behalf of consumer packaged goods, personal care, cosmetic, OTC drug, and pharmaceutical R&D teams.

Product overview

IMS, Inc. offers a portfolio of synthetic skin testing substrates and related testing services. The core products are VITRO-SKIN® (human skin mimetic), VITRO-CORNEUM® (stratum corneum mimetic), and VITRO-NAILS® (fingernail mimetic) substrates. These substrates are sold as standalone products (sheets) or bundled in starter kits. IMS also provides laboratory testing services including in vitro SPF/UVA testing, water resistance testing, and photostability testing using VITRO-SKIN as the testing substrate. An In Vitro Sunless Kit combines substrate with colorimetry equipment and software for sunless tanning formulation testing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VITRO-SKIN® N-19
• VITRO-CORNEUM®
• VITRO-NAILS®
• VITRO-SKIN® Starter Kit
• In Vitro Sunless Kit
• In Vitro SPF/UVA Testing Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Results typically available within one week of sample receipt
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS SA: SGS operates a global network of testing laboratories including personal care and cosmetics testing services covering product safety, efficacy, and regulatory compliance. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlap with IMS's in vitro testing service line.
• Intertek Group: Intertek provides testing, inspection, and certification services across multiple industries including personal care and cosmetics, with capabilities in performance, claims substantiation, and regulatory testing. Comparable as a broad testing services incumbent addressing similar buyer needs in personal care R&D.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas operates a global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) network including consumer products laboratories with personal care testing capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering analytical and product testing services.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is one of the world's largest testing services providers with dedicated personal care and cosmetics testing divisions offering in vitro safety/efficacy testing, SPF measurement, and claim substantiation. Comparable as a testing services incumbent overlapping with IMS's service offerings.

Direct peers

• Charles River Laboratories: Charles River offers contract research and laboratory testing services including in vitro safety and efficacy testing for pharmaceutical and consumer products. Comparable in delivering contract-based analytical and biological research services to consumer products R&D teams.
• MatTek Corporation: MatTek produces EpiDerm, EpiCornea, and other reconstructed human tissue models used for in vitro safety and efficacy testing in personal care, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Highly comparable to IMS as a provider of standardized, reproducible biological substrates for product R&D testing.
• EpiSkin (L'Oréal): EpiSkin, a subsidiary of L'Oréal, produces reconstructed human epidermis models for in vitro safety and efficacy testing of cosmetics and personal care products. Directly comparable to IMS as a leading supplier of standardized in vitro skin models for the same customer set.

Emerging players

• Labskin: Labskin offers in vitro skin testing services and 3D reconstructed human skin models for personal care R&D, focused on skincare, microbiome, and claims substantiation. Emerging player with overlapping in vitro skin testing services for IMS's primary customer segment.
• Stratatech (Mallinckrodt): Stratatech develops living tissue skin substitutes (e.g., StrataGraft) and engineered skin models for research and clinical use. Comparable as an emerging developer of biological substrates relevant to in vitro skin testing in personal care and adjacent markets.

Others

• BASF Personal Care: BASF Personal Care supplies cosmetic ingredients and raw materials and is both a customer (referenced in VITRO-SKIN patent US 9,669,243) and a developer of formulation testing methodologies. Comparable as a key customer and adjacent ingredient supplier in the personal care R&D ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 IMS, Inc.