Tomtec
Tomtec designs and manufactures precision laboratory automation instruments for liquid handling, cell harvesting, homogenization, and plate processing, serving pharmaceutical, biotech, clinical diagnostics, and drug testing laboratories globally through direct sales and a 25+ country distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersHamden, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Tomtec does
Tomtec, Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures precision laboratory automation instruments for biological and biochemical liquid transfer workflows. Founded in 1967 by Thomas Astle in Hamden, Connecticut, the company launched the industry's first automated microliter liquid-handling workstation in 1968 and has built a portfolio centered on the Quadra series of liquid handling workstations (Quadra4, Quadra2, Quadra Tower), complemented by the Quadra Wash 2 plate washer, AutoSeal thermal plate sealer, Harvester 96 cell harvester, and Autogizer/Autogizer2 tissue homogenization systems. The company's core proprietary technology is its patented Timed Dispense air displacement pipettor, which enables controlled blow-out of air pressure through the tip orifice under program control, allowing pipetting of aqueous and organic fluids without tip changes. Instruments are custom-crafted to exact customer specifications at the Connecticut facility using in-house CAD, tool and die design, and manufacturing capabilities.
The company serves enterprise pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, clinical diagnostics, drug testing, agriculture and food safety, genomics, proteomics, and ELISA laboratories, with a particular focus on Contract Research Organizations executing automated pipetting workflows for drug discovery. Tomtec generates revenue through four streams: capital hardware sales (workstations, washers, sealers, harvesters, homogenizers), consumables (proprietary pipette tips manufactured from Pro-fax PF511 Polypropylene), recurring service contracts and extended warranties (up to five years), and a recently introduced equipment rental program targeting capital-constrained new laboratories. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales and factory-trained service technicians in the United States and Canada with a worldwide distributor network spanning more than 25 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas.
In December 2023, Tomtec was jointly acquired by Hudson Robotics Inc. and Art Robbins Instruments as part of laboratory automation industry consolidation, and the company continues to operate as a brand under Hudson Robotics ownership. Tomtec holds FDA Registered Medical Device Manufacturer status, EU In Vitro Diagnostic Directive (IVDD) compliance, and offers FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliant software tools with IQ/OQ/PQ validation for Good Laboratory Practice environments. The company has 101-250 employees and operates within a global laboratory automation market estimated at $3 billion.
Tomtec firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tomtec
- Legal name
- Tomtec, Inc.
- Website
- https://tomtec.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Tomtec designs and manufactures precision laboratory automation instruments for liquid handling, cell harvesting, homogenization, and plate processing, serving pharmaceutical, biotech, clinical diagnostics, and drug testing laboratories globally through direct sales and a 25+ country distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tomtec industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Automation Instruments
- NAICS
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where Tomtec is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamden
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tomtec business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Laboratory Automation Hardware: Sale of automated liquid handling workstations (Quadra4, Quadra2, Quadra Tower), plate washers (Quadra Wash 2), plate sealers (AutoSeal), cell harvesters (Harvester 96), and homogenizers (Autogizer, Autogizer2). Instruments are custom-crafted to customer specifications at the Connecticut facility.
- Service Contracts and Extended Warranties: Standard one-year manufacturer's warranty covering parts and labor. Extended warranty available for up to five years at discounted prices. Service contracts available after warranty expiration for up to five years with multi-year discounts. Preventive maintenance services available for purchase as needed.
- Consumables: Pipette tips (20μl, 50μl, 250μl, 450μl capacity) in various configurations (sterile/non-sterile) sold in racks and cartons. Manufactured with Pro-fax PF511 Polypropylene Homopolymer free of slip agents, surfactants, plasticizers, and bisphenol A.
- Equipment Rental: Rental program for new laboratories with limited capital, offering Quadra2, Quadra4, and Harvester96 to avoid large capital outlay.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Standard one-year warranty included with purchase |
| Subscription | Monthly | Equipment rental program for new labs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Tomtec product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tomtec designs, manufactures, and sells automated liquid handling workstations (Quadra series), plate washers, plate sealers, cell harvesters, and tissue homogenizers for life science, pharmaceutical, and clinical research laboratories. The instruments are custom-crafted in the company's Hamden, Connecticut facility and built around patented Timed Dispense air-displacement pipetting technology supporting 96, 384, and 1536 well formats.
Product overview
Tomtec is a laboratory automation company offering a portfolio of automated liquid handling and bioanalytical instruments. The core product line centers on the Quadra series of liquid handling workstations (Quadra4, Quadra2, Quadra Tower), supported by complementary instruments including the Quadra Wash 2 plate washer, AutoSeal thermal plate sealer, Harvester 96 cell harvester, and Autogizer/Autogizer2 tissue homogenization systems. These instruments work together to provide walk-away automation for life science workflows including ELISA, solid phase extraction, genomics, proteomics, clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical research, agriculture, and drug testing applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Quadra4 A rugged, cost-effective liquid handling workstation for life science workflows, featuring a fixed-head air displacement syringe design servicing a six-station shuttle with support for 96 and 384-well pipetting, SPE, and optional plate stacker for walk-away automation up to 50 assays.
- Quadra2 A budget-friendly liquid handling workstation built around the time-tested reliability of the Quadra320 design, equipped with upgraded internal electronics and the same user-friendly software and 450uL pipetting head as the Quadra4.
- Quadra Tower A low-cost, small footprint liquid handler based on Quadra4 technology, designed to accelerate workflows traditionally serviced by 8 and 12-channel hand-held pipettors with support for 96-tip or 384-tip positive displacement heads.
- Quadra Wash 2 A small footprint, self-contained automated microtiter plate washing station with support for 96 or 384-well assays, featuring dual heads with concentric wash/aspirate needle design and optional microplate stacker for walk-away automation up to 25 plates per run.
- AutoSeal A thermal plate sealer designed to hermetically seal 96, 384, or 1536 assay plates within a single run, featuring bidirectional stackers, temperature control from 100°C to 210°C, and seal times from 1 to 99 seconds.
- Harvester 96 A cost-effective bench-top cell harvester designed to harvest biologics from 96-well microplates or microtubes onto a glass fiber filter map, available in manual and automated versions with up to 16 programmable workflows.
- Autogizer A fully automated mechanical tissue homogenization system that can accommodate five small Pro Scientific Model 200 homogenizers or four powerful 3/4 horsepower Model 250 homogenizers with variable speed cutters for processing sturdy samples.
- Autogizer2 A fully automated tissue homogenization system with five variable-speed brushless cutter motors with embedded Windows GUI, capable of processing up to 19 unique tissue groups per run for a total of 95 samples.
- Ultrasonic Autogizer An ultrasonic homogenization system utilizing Sonic & Materials microtips and probes, handling liquid volumes from 150µL to 150mL at varying intensities with five probes and optional custom system design.
- Autotrap A safety trap with high-level float control for hot or cold waste containment, interlocked with the Harvester 96 to prevent operation when full, with easy switching from trap to drain function.
Quantifiable outcome
- Instruments designed to last 20+ years and still remain in service
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Tomtec
Customer profileSegments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Tomtec technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Tomtec partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered regional.
- HVD Life Science Vertriebs GmbH (Austria)regionalAustria-based distributor for Tomtec laboratory automation products, represented by Mr. Werner Buergler.
- Skudtek Scientific Pty, Ltd. (Australia)regionalAustralia-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Mr. Dieter Hofmann.
- Synchron Labs (Belgium/Netherlands)regionalBelgium and Netherlands distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Mr. Derk Wilten.
- Esensing Analytical Technology Co., Ltd (China)regionalChina-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Cindy Zhu in Shanghai.
- Tomtec Plastics KFT (Czech Republic & Slovakia)regionalCzech Republic and Slovakia distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Balazs Nagy Lanotos in Budapest, Hungary.
- Zinsser Analytic GmbH (Denmark)regionalDenmark-based distributor for Tomtec products, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany.
- Medi Analytika India Pvt. Ltd (India)regionalIndia-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Mr. R. Ramesh in Chennai.
- Manyara Biotech Pte. Ltd. (Indonesia)regionalIndonesia-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Mr. Bryan Zhong, headquartered in Singapore.
- Sislab S.a.s. (Italy)regionalItaly-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Riccardo Sacco in Cornaredo.
- Greenmate Biotech Corp. (South Korea)regionalSouth Korea-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Info Desk in Seoul.
- Alphatech Systems Limited (New Zealand)regionalNew Zealand-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Conway Bishop in Auckland.
- Houm A/S (Norway)regionalNorway-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Mr. Pascal Morch in Oslo.
- TECNASA Technologies (Spain)regionalSpain-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Mr. Jose Monso in Madrid.
- POLIMED ILAC VE TAV. TIC. Ve SAN. LTD. STI. (Turkey)regionalTurkey, Azerbaijan, and North Cyprus distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Murat Tascioglu in Istanbul.
- Receptor Technologies Ltd (UK)regionalUK-based distributor for Tomtec products, represented by Mr. Steve Summers and Mr. Martin Grant in Warwick.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tomtec competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gilson: Family-owned US/French manufacturer of PIPETMAN manual pipettes and the PIPETMAX liquid handling system, directly competing with Tomtec in the precision liquid transfer category with similar heritage and customer overlap.
- Tecan Group: Swiss-headquartered global leader in laboratory automation for life sciences and diagnostics, offering the Freedom EVO and Fluent liquid handling workstations directly competing with Tomtec's Quadra platform in pharma, biotech, and clinical diagnostics workflows.
- Hamilton Company: US-based manufacturer of precision liquid handling robotics including the Microlab STAR and Nimbus lines, directly competing with Tomtec's Quadra4 in pharmaceutical and biotech high-throughput screening applications.
- Hudson Robotics: US-based manufacturer of plate handling robotics and integrated lab automation that jointly acquired Tomtec in December 2023, with overlapping pharma/biotech customers and now part of the same parent organization.
- Eppendorf: German manufacturer of laboratory equipment offering the epMotion liquid handling workstations, directly competing with Tomtec in academic, pharma, and biotech benchtop automation segments.
Emerging players
- MGI Tech: China-based genomics automation provider offering liquid handling workstations and sample prep systems, increasingly competing with Tomtec in NGS sample prep and emerging-market genomics workflows.
- Art Robbins Instruments: Crystal dispensing and protein crystallization instrumentation provider that jointly acquired Tomtec in December 2023, sharing adjacent life science workflows and now part of the same parent platform.
Broad incumbents
- Revvity (formerly PerkinElmer): Broad life sciences and diagnostics platform offering the JANUS and Zephyr liquid handling workstations, as well as plate readers and reagents, competing across Tomtec's pharma, genomics, and clinical diagnostics use cases.
- Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Major life science instrumentation provider (part of Danaher) offering the Biomek liquid handling series plus cell washers and plate readers, overlapping with Tomtec's liquid handling and cell harvesting product lines in pharma and clinical diagnostics.
- Agilent Technologies (Cell Analysis / BioTek): Acquired BioTek to enter cell analysis and microplate readers, with washers and dispensers (EL406, MultiFlo) that overlap with Tomtec's Quadra Wash 2 and AutoSeal in drug discovery and ELISA workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
Tomtec social profiles
Digital presenceTomtec compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Tomtec financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tomtec leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Tomtec funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tomtec M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tomtec
What does Tomtec do?
Tomtec designs, manufactures, and sells automated liquid handling workstations (Quadra series), plate washers, plate sealers, cell harvesters, and tissue homogenizers for life science, pharmaceutical, and clinical research laboratories. The instruments are custom-crafted in the company's Hamden, Connecticut facility and built around patented Timed Dispense air-displacement pipetting technology supporting 96, 384, and 1536 well formats.
Is Tomtec a public or private company?
Tomtec is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Tomtec founded?
Tomtec was founded in 1967. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Tomtec based?
Tomtec is headquartered in Hamden, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tomtec make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Laboratory Automation Hardware is the primary driver. The others are service Contracts and Extended Warranties, consumables and equipment Rental.
Who are Tomtec's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gilson, Tecan Group, Hamilton Company, Hudson Robotics and Eppendorf. Emerging players are MGI Tech and Art Robbins Instruments. Broad incumbents are Revvity (formerly PerkinElmer), Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Agilent Technologies (Cell Analysis / BioTek).
Does Tomtec have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tomtec.
What industry is Tomtec in?
Tomtec's product category is Laboratory Automation Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAC, General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens). Its NAICS code is 33451 and its SIC code is 3826.