What Orchid Cellmark does

Orchid Cellmark Ltd, trading as Cellmark Forensic Services, is a UK-based private forensic science provider founded in 1987 as the world's first private DNA fingerprinting company. It delivers multi-disciplinary forensic services — DNA profiling (PACE, crime stain, major crime, high sensitivity, mitochondrial DNA, Y-STR, and Massively Parallel Sequencing), forensic casework (scene attendance, sexual offence investigation, cold case review, blood pattern analysis, fire investigation, GSR, footwear, glass, paint, fibres), forensic toxicology, disaster victim identification, specialist forensic anthropology and archaeology, and wildlife forensics — from ISO 17025- and 17020-accredited laboratories in Abingdon and Chorley with a third site in Durham. Its proprietary DNA Enhancement and Sperm Elution techniques, plus a 5m+ sample cumulative testing base and exclusive early-mover ISO accreditations (first UK ISO 17025-accredited MPS service, first ISO 17020 crime scene attendance accreditation), underpin technical differentiation.

The business operates a direct enterprise sales model: revenue is generated through framework contracts with UK police forces, government agencies (Ministry of Defence, JCCC), Sexual Assault Referral Centres, and a smaller set of international law enforcement clients (e.g., Royal Bhutan Police) for laboratory design and training services. The company is privately held following its August 2024 acquisition by Eurofins Scientific Group and now sits as a sister company to Eurofins Forensic Services, with sub-brands (ID Secure, DNA Protected, DNA at Home) targeting adjacent B2B and consumer markets. Go-to-market is anchored by account managers, CPD-accredited training programmes and conferences, with no disclosed pricing.

Name

Orchid Cellmark

Legal name

Orchid Cellmark Ltd.

Website

https://cellmarkforensics.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Orchid Cellmark is a UK-based private forensic science provider founded in 1987, delivering ISO-accredited DNA profiling, forensic casework, toxicology, and disaster victim identification services primarily to UK police forces, government agencies, and international law enforcement clients from laboratories in Abingdon and Chorley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forensic Science Services

akta.pro primary industry

Forensic & Anti-Counterfeit Testing (Product Integrity) (HLAGADAM)

Keywords

• Forensic DNA services
• Crime scene investigation
• DNA profiling analysis
• Forensic toxicology testing
• Disaster victim identification

Headquarters

HQ city

Abingdon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Police and Law Enforcement Contracts: Primary revenue stream from contracts with UK police forces for forensic science services including DNA analysis, crime scene attendance, and forensic casework. Services provided under government procurement frameworks.
2. Government Agency Services: Services to government agencies including the Ministry of Defence, Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), and international law enforcement agencies.
3. Forensic Training and Consultancy: Bespoke forensic training packages, laboratory design consultancy, and ISO accreditation support services to police, military, and overseas law enforcement clients.
4. SARC Support Services: Environmental monitoring and forensic awareness training services for Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
5. ID Secure Personal DNA Profiling: Personal DNA profiling and storage service for organisations with employees in high-risk occupations, providing identity verification and disaster management support.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Orchid Cellmark (trading as Cellmark Forensic Services) is a UK-based forensic science provider that delivers multi-disciplinary forensic analysis, DNA profiling, crime scene investigation, toxicology, anthropology, archaeology, and disaster victim identification services to law enforcement, government agencies, and the military. The company operates state-of-the-art forensic laboratories in Abingdon and Chorley, complemented by on-site crime scene attendance, and underpins its work with proprietary DNA techniques and extensive ISO accreditations.

Product overview

Cellmark Forensic Services is a leading provider of multi-disciplinary forensic science services operating as a single unified offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core service portfolio centers on DNA Services (including PACE processing, crime stain DNA, major crime DNA, high sensitivity DNA, mitochondrial DNA, Y-STR profiling, and Massively Parallel Sequencing), Forensic Casework (scene attendance, sexual offences, cold case review, blood pattern analysis, fibres, fire investigation, footwear, glass, GSR, hair, paint, tools and tyres), Specialist Forensic Services (anthropology, archaeology, SAMS, UAVs, 3D modelling), Disaster Victim Identification, Forensic Toxicology, and Wildlife Forensics. Supporting services include Forensic Training, SARC Support Service, and Consultancy. Sub-brands include ID Secure (personal DNA profiling) and DNA Protected (dog DNA database). Established in 1987, the company operates from laboratories in Abingdon and Chorley, UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DNA Protected: Dog DNA database and identification service launched to help combat dog theft, providing dog owners with peace of mind and helping return stolen dogs to their owners.
• Forensic Dog DNA Database
• ID Secure
• DNA at Home
• Great Crested Newt eDNA Testing

Products and services

• DNA Services Comprehensive DNA profiling and analysis services for law enforcement and government clients, including PACE DNA processing, crime stain DNA, major crime DNA, high-sensitivity DNA, mitochondrial DNA sequencing, Y-STR profiling, and Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) for criminal investigations.
• Forensic Casework Multi-disciplinary forensic casework services covering scene attendance, sexual offence investigation, cold case review, blood pattern analysis, fibres, fire investigation, footwear, glass, gunshot residue, hair, paint, tools and toolmarks, and tyres analysis for police and criminal justice clients.
• Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Specialist services for identification of victims in mass fatality incidents, including accidents and disasters with multiple fatalities, delivered for police, military, and government agencies.
• Specialist Forensic Service (SFS) Specialist forensic anthropology and archaeology services including forensic anthropology, archaeology, spatial analysis and mapping (SAMS), UAV aerial remote sensing, walkover surveys, archaeological excavation, 3D crime scene modelling, diatoms analysis, 3D digital body reconstruction, entomology, soils/botany/pollen, and bones ID.
• Forensic Toxicology ISO 17025 accredited toxicology services including full S5A drugs panel, prescription and DFSA drugs panels, and hair drug and alcohol testing, delivered to police, coroners, and the criminal justice system.
• Wildlife Forensics Specialist DNA and casework services for wildlife and rural crime investigations, or those involving domestic species, supporting police, rural crime teams, and government agencies.
• Forensic Training Services Bespoke forensic training packages including DNA awareness, sexual offences investigation, cold case review, blood pattern analysis, fire investigation, marks and traces, spatial analysis and mapping, forensic anthropology and archaeology, and photogrammetry training for police, military, and international clients.
• SARC Support Service Support service for Sexual Assault Referral Centres including environmental monitoring for DNA contamination, forensic awareness training, and consultancy to help meet the Forensic Science Regulator's Code of Practice.
• Forensic Consultancy Services Forensic consultancy services including laboratory design, building project consultancy, software selection and implementation, and support for achieving ISO quality accreditation, for police, military, and overseas law enforcement clients.
• ID Secure Personal DNA profiling and storage service for organisations with employees in high-risk occupations or regions with political unrest, providing identity assurance through voluntary mouth swab DNA profile generation and storage.
• DNA Protected Forensic Dog DNA database and identification service to help combat dog theft, providing DNA testing to deter thieves and help return stolen dogs to owners, in partnership with police forces.
• Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) Service First UK forensic laboratory ISO 17025 accredited service for sequence-based forensic DNA profiling (MPS / Next-Generation Sequencing), analysing 27 autosomal STRs, 24 Y-STRs, 7 X-STRs, 94 identity SNPs, 22 phenotypic SNPs, and 56 biogeographical ancestry SNPs in a single assay for law enforcement clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 6-fold increase in DNA profile strength through DNA Enhancement technique
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Eurofins Scientific GroupcoreOthers · 20 August 2024On 20th August 2024, Orchid Cellmark Limited (trading as Cellmark Forensic Services) became part of Eurofins Scientific Group. Both Cellmark Forensic Services and Eurofins Forensic Services now work together as sister companies under Eurofins ownership to better serve customers and service existing contracts.
• VerogencoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2019Collaboration agreement with Verogen, the leading provider of forensic MPS technology, to establish Cellmark as a UK centre of excellence for forensic Next Generation Sequencing (NGS/MPS). Verogen completed installation of Illumina MiSeq FGx platform at Cellmark's Abingdon laboratory. Partnership enables Cellmark to offer advanced forensic DNA analysis including phenotypic intelligence and ancestry estimation.
• FlythrucoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016Long-standing partnership with Flythru, an experienced UAV builder and operator licensed by UK Civil Aviation Authority, to provide advanced aerial remote sensing capabilities for forensic scene examination. Together pioneered first use of UAV-captured LiDAR data in UK forensic casework. Flythru provides bespoke fixed-wing and multi-rotor platforms.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eurofins Forensic Services: Sister company under Eurofins Scientific Group since the August 2024 acquisition; offers overlapping UK forensic casework and DNA services under the same parent portfolio. Highly comparable in scope, customer base, and go-to-market against law enforcement in England & Wales.
• Key Forensic Services: UK-based private forensic science provider offering crime scene investigation, DNA, toxicology and other casework services to police forces. Closest direct competitor to Cellmark in the UK private forensic services market.
• Niche Health & Forensics (Niche Forensics): UK private forensic services provider delivering DNA profiling, toxicology, sexual offence and casework services to police, coroners and public sector clients. Directly comparable mid-sized competitor in the UK private forensic market.
• DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC): International private DNA testing company offering paternity, relationship and forensic DNA services. Comparable as a peer DNA testing services business operating in adjacent consumer/private DNA segments.
• AlphaBiolabs: UK-based private DNA and drug/alcohol testing laboratory serving legal, workplace and private client markets. Comparable as a UK-headquartered private DNA testing competitor with overlapping paternity, relationship and forensic DNA testing capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• LGC Group (LGC Forensics): UK-headquartered life sciences, genomics and forensic services group offering forensic DNA, toxicology and analytical services alongside broader measurement science activities. Provides overlapping forensic capabilities as part of a much wider diagnostics and science services portfolio.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Diversified life sciences and analytical instruments supplier with a forensic-focused Applied Biosystems product line (capillary electrophoresis, STR kits, NGS). Functions as both technology provider and adjacent capability to private forensic service providers.

Emerging players

• Verogen: Forensic NGS technology provider (MiSeq FGx, ForenSeq) and Cellmark's MPS technology partner; now part of Illumina. Comparable because Verogen's chemistry and platform directly underpin Cellmark's accredited MPS service.

Others

• Promega Corporation: Global provider of forensic DNA extraction, quantification and STR amplification kits widely used by forensic labs. Comparable as a key enabling reagent supplier whose products are consumed by Cellmark and other private forensics providers.
• Illumina: Owner of Verogen and the dominant NGS platform supplier used in forensic sequencing; comparable as the underlying technology stack for MPS-based forensic DNA analysis, including Cellmark's accredited service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cellmarkcfs
• Facebookfacebook.com/cellmarkforensicservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cellmark-forensic-services

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Orchid Cellmark