What Postnova Analytics does

Postnova Analytics GmbH is a privately held German scientific instrumentation manufacturer founded in 1997 and headquartered in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. The company designs, builds, and sells Field-Flow Fractionation (FFF) analytical systems for the characterization of nanoparticles, proteins, viruses, polymers, and macromolecules, an open-channel separation technique in which a perpendicular field (flow, electrical, centrifugal, or thermal) separates analytes in the nano- to lower micrometer range without the shear forces and matrix interactions of column-based chromatography. Its product portfolio spans six core systems (AF2000 MultiFlow, EAF2000 Electrical AF4, CF2000 Centri, TF2000 Thermal, GF2000 SPLITT, and the SC2000 Modular SEC), a modular detector and accessory stack (PN3621 21-angle MALS, PN3700 DLS, UV/Vis, RI, fluorescence, viscometry, Raman Flow Cell PN3460, ICP-MS interface PN9050), and software (NovaFFF Suite, NovaAnalysis, NovaDMax, NovaSEC). The company sells through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Germany, the USA (Salt Lake City), and the UK (Malvern), supported by a global distributor network, and also distributes third-party chromatography supplies from Agilent, Hamilton, IDEX Health & Science, Merck Millipore, and MicroSolv.

The business operates across four primary verticals: biopharmaceutical (protein aggregate analysis for monoclonal antibodies, AAV and virus characterization for gene therapy, liposome drug-delivery QC), environmental (nanoparticle detection in water and soil), food-agro-cosmetics (nanoparticle and ingredient characterization), and polymer-materials (high-molecular-weight polymer, branching, and thermal-diffusion analysis). Revenue is generated through one-time instrument sales, recurring consumables (FFF channels, membranes, standards, chemicals, filtration), service contracts, training, and software licenses; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Notable end-users and collaborators include Biogen (virus/AAV characterization), KWR Watercycle Research Institute, the University of Alberta, and EU Horizon 2020 / FP7 consortia (SMARTNANO, ACEnano) where Postnova has demonstrated hyphenation of FFF with ICP-MS, DLS/NTA, and Raman microspectroscopy. The company was founded by Prof. Calvin Giddings' former team, linking it directly to the 1966 invention of Field-Flow Fractionation, and is led by founder Thorsten Klein.

Name

Postnova Analytics

Legal name

Postnova Analytics GmbH

Website

https://postnova.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Postnova Analytics is a German manufacturer of Field-Flow Fractionation analytical systems and related detectors, software, and consumables, serving biopharmaceutical, environmental, food-agro-cosmetics, and polymer-materials laboratories worldwide via direct sales in Germany, the USA, and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Analytical Instrumentation

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems (HLAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mass Spectrometry & Spectroscopy Instruments (HLAGAIAB)

Keywords

• Field-flow fractionation
• Analytical instrumentation
• Nanoparticle characterization
• Protein characterization systems
• Polymer separation technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Landsberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Analytical Instrumentation Systems: Sale of FFF and SEC analytical systems including hardware platforms (AF2000, EAF2000, CF2000, TF2000, GF2000, SC2000) and associated detectors and modules.
2. Consumables and Supplies: FFF supplies including filtration products, sample preparation materials, FFF standards, chemicals, channels, membranes. Also supplies from partner brands including Agilent, IDEX Health & Science, Hamilton, Merck Millipore, MicroSolv.
3. Service and Support: Training courses, installation services, maintenance services, relocation services, and service contracts for FFF systems and components.
4. Software Licenses: Software products including NovaDMax DLS Software, NovaFFF Suite, NovaAnalysis Software for data acquisition and analysis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Postnova Analytics manufactures and sells Field-Flow Fractionation (FFF) and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) analytical systems for the separation and characterization of nanoparticles, proteins, macromolecules, and polymers in the 1 kDa/1 nm to several MDa/10 µm range. The offering includes six core instrumentation platforms (AF2000, EAF2000, CF2000, TF2000, GF2000, SC2000), modular detectors (MALS, DLS, UV, RI, fluorescence, viscometry, Raman), ICP-MS and HRMS interfaces, dedicated FFF software, consumables, and service contracts targeted at biopharmaceutical, environmental, food-cosmetics, and polymer-materials customers.

Product overview

Postnova Analytics offers a comprehensive Field-Flow Fractionation (FFF) platform comprising six core analytical systems: SC2000 Modular SEC (GPC/SEC chromatography), AF2000 MultiFlow FFF (asymmetrical flow FFF), EAF2000 Electrical AF4 (with simultaneous electrical field for charge characterization), CF2000 Centri FFF (centrifugal FFF), TF2000 Thermal FFF (temperature-gradient FFF for polymers), and GF2000 Splitt FFF (SPLITT fractionation). The platform is modular, supporting interchangeable detectors including PN3621 MALS (multi-angle light scattering), PN3700 DLS (dynamic light scattering), UV/Vis, RI, fluorescence, viscosity, and Raman Flow Cell (PN3460), plus accessory modules for pumps, injectors, thermostats, degassers, and fraction collection. Software includes NovaAnalysis (simulation/optimization), NovaFFF Suite, NovaDMax, and NovaSEC for data acquisition and analysis. The company also provides FFF supplies (membranes, channels, standards, chemicals, filtration) and distributes third-party chromatography supplies from Agilent, Hamilton, IDEX Health & Science, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AF2000 MultiFlow FFF MultiFlow Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation system for high-resolution separation and characterization of nanoparticles, proteins, and macromolecules using cross-flow separation technology. Supports hyphenation with MALS, DLS, UV, RI, ICP-MS and other detectors.
• SC2000 Modular SEC Modular Size Exclusion Chromatography (GPC/SEC) system providing polymer and biopolymer analysis with customizable configuration options and hyphenation capability with MALS, RI, and viscometry detectors.
• EAF2000 Electrical AF4 Electrical Asymmetrical Flow FFF system that applies simultaneous cross-flow and electrical field for separation and surface charge characterization of charged particles, proteins, and nanoparticles. Enables simultaneous size and surface charge measurement in a single run.
• CF2000 Centri FFF Centrifugal Field-Flow Fractionation system using centrifugal force as the separation field for analysis of nanoparticles and microparticles in biopharmaceutical and environmental applications, providing mass-based separation.
• TF2000 Thermal FFF Thermal Field-Flow Fractionation system for separation of synthetic and natural polymers using temperature gradient (up to 120°C), providing two-dimensional separation based on hydrodynamic size and thermal diffusion coefficient.
• GF2000 Splitt FFF Split-Flow Thin Cell (SPLITT) Fractionation system for continuous, preparative-scale separation and fractionation of particles and cells based on diffusion and sedimentation.
• NovaAnalysis Software Advanced FFF simulation, method optimization, and data evaluation software launched in 2020 for improved FFF method development and analysis workflows.
• NovaFFF Suite Comprehensive software suite for FFF system control, data acquisition, and processing of field-flow fractionation results.
• NovaDMax DLS Software Dynamic Light Scattering data analysis software for processing and interpreting DLS measurements from FFF hyphenated detectors.
• NovaSEC Software Software for GPC/SEC data processing, molecular weight calculations, and calibration for size exclusion chromatography applications.
• Sample Analysis Service Contract sample characterization service where Postnova performs analytical separations on customer-submitted samples using its FFF and SEC instrumentation platforms.
• FFF Supplies (Filtration, Standards, Chemicals, Channels & Membranes) Recurring consumables for FFF systems including filtration and sample preparation materials, FFF standards, chemicals, FFF channels and membranes. Available through Postnova's supplies catalog alongside partner-brand chromatography supplies from Agilent, IDEX Health & Science, Hamilton, Merck Millipore, and MicroSolv.

Quantifiable outcome

• AF4 detected 28% aggregates vs 1% by SEC in monoclonal antibody characterization, demonstrating superior detection capability
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Malvern PananalyticalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration within the Horizon 2020 ACEnano project for nanoparticle characterization combining FFF with NTA (Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis). Successful hyphenation of FFF and NTA for analysis of exosomes and liposomes in complex biological media.
• European Union (SMARTNANO Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU FP7 Programme funded project (contract no. 280779) focused on nanoparticle analysis in commercial products using inverse supercritical fluid extraction and miniaturized AF4. Postnova contributed analytical expertise and equipment.
• Horizon 2020 ACEnano ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research initiative for characterization of nanomaterials. Postnova contributed FFF technology expertise for comprehensive nanoparticle characterization methods.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wyatt Technology: Wyatt Technology is the leading pure-play multi-angle light scattering (MALS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) instrument maker for macromolecule, polymer, and nanoparticle characterization. It is the closest direct comparable to Postnova — competing head-to-head on MALS detectors and overlapping in polymer/protein/biologics characterization workflows.
• Malvern Pananalytical: Malvern Pananalytical (now part of Spectris) makes Zetasizer DLS, NTA, and has historical FFF capability; it is both a Postnova integration partner (AF4-MALS-NTA coupling in ACEnano) and a direct competitor on DLS and broader nanoparticle characterization platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher is the largest analytical instrument major, with Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (used in Postnova-FFF hyphenation per published work), chromatography, and biopharma characterization products. Comparable as a broad incumbent overlapping with Postnova in protein/biologics and nanoparticle analysis.
• Bruker Corporation: Bruker manufactures analytical instruments including mass spectrometry, NMR, and biophysical characterization tools. It overlaps with Postnova in protein/biologics and nanomaterial characterization workflows as a broad incumbent.
• Waters Corporation: Waters is the global leader in GPC/SEC chromatography and HPLC/UPLC systems with the Empower informatics platform. It is the dominant incumbent in the size-exclusion chromatography market that Postnova's SC2000 Modular SEC and FFF platforms compete against or complement.
• Agilent Technologies: Agilent is a leading analytical instrument major with the dominant ICP-MS portfolio (7700/7900 — used with Postnova systems), LC/GC/CE chromatography, and broad spectroscopy offerings. Comparable as both a critical Postnova partner and a broad- incumbent competitor across chromatography and atomic spectroscopy.
• Shimadzu: Shimadzu Scientific Instruments offers LC, GPC, light scattering, and mass spectrometry systems serving polymer and biopharma labs. It is a broad analytical incumbent with overlapping chromatography and spectroscopy portfolios.
• Sciex (Danaher): Sciex, a Danaher operating company, is a major mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis instrument maker serving biopharma and academic labs. Comparable as a broad incumbent in adjacent analytical techniques used by the same biopharma and academic customers as Postnova.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/postnova-analytics-gmbh

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 Postnova Analytics