Planton

What Planton does

Industrial progress is constantly presenting biotechnology with new challenges. The demand for innovative active ingredients, efficient production systems and sensitive detection methods is increasing with the awareness of customers and their demand for new but safe products. The maxim of their company is a step ahead to be in order of product and services to offer their customers the optimum.

Name

Planton

Legal name

PLANTON GmbH

Website

https://www.planton.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Planton is a bio-analysis, DNA analysis, GMO analysis and pharmaceutical research company

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Analytical Laboratory Services (Food & Feed Safety Testing)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Pesticide Residue & Agrochemical Screening Services (Soil/Plant/Water) (AFACAKAF)

Keywords

• Food safety testing
• Analytical laboratory services
• GMO detection services
• Feed analysis testing
• Drinking water testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Analytical testing services: PLANTON provides accredited analytical testing services for food, feed, seed, pet food, raw materials, additives, enzymes, drinking water, and other biological materials. Testing covers pesticides, mycotoxins, allergens, GMOs, species identification, ergot alkaloids, tropane alkaloids, microbiology, fatty acids, heavy metals, sensory analysis, food fraud, DNA, and other parameters. Turnaround times are offered within 10 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, or 3-5 days. This is a B2B laboratory services model where customers pay per test/sample submitted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PLANTON is an ISO 17025-accredited service laboratory that performs molecular-biological and biochemical analytical testing for food, feed, seed, drinking water, pet food, raw materials, additives, cosmetics, enzymes, and other biological materials. Tests cover pesticides, mycotoxins, allergens, GMOs, animal and plant species identification, ergot and tropane alkaloids, microbiology, fatty acids, heavy metals, sensory analysis, food fraud detection (NGS), and forensic/medical diagnostics, with turnaround options of 10 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, or 3–5 days. The company also develops new detection methods and licenses its patented PLANTEGG in-ovo sex determination technology, which ALDI adopted in 2020 to eliminate chick culling.

Product overview

Planton is a German biotechnology laboratory offering a comprehensive portfolio of analytical testing services for food, feed, seed, drinking water, and biological materials. The core service is accredited (ISO 17025) chemical and molecular biological analysis covering pesticides, mycotoxins, allergens, GMOs, species identification, and microbiology. Key offerings include: Food Analysis, Feed Analysis, Seed Analysis, Drinking Water Testing, Medicine/Veterinary Medicine, Paternity Testing, and Research & Development services. Planton also developed proprietary technology including the PLANTEGG in-ovo sex determination system and offers accredited NGS-based services for microbiome analysis and food fraud detection. Since 2025, Planton belongs to the Eurofins Labornetzwerk for food and feed analysis in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PLANTEGG: Patent-protected in ovo sex determination technology for poultry to avoid killing of one-day-old chicks; marketed under PLANTEGG brand

Products and services

• Food Analysis (Lebensmittelanalysen) Accredited testing services for food products, raw materials, additives, and ingredients covering declaration testing, allergens (ELISA, PCR, NGS), GMO detection, animal and plant species identification, norovirus and hepatitis A detection, ingredients, and authenticity verification. Used by food producers, manufacturers, and retailers for quality assurance and regulatory compliance.
• Feed Analysis (Futtermittelanalysen) Analytical services for compound feeds, raw materials, additives, and pet food including sensory analysis, GMO detection (VLOG standard), animal and plant species identification, ergot alkaloids, microbiology, QS feed monitoring, heavy metals, and GMP+ certification support.
• Seed Analysis (Saatgutanalysen) Quality assurance testing for seeds including GMO detection, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Clearfield detection by NGS, marker analyses, pesticides, mycotoxins, cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) identification, and development of new detection methods for seed companies.
• Drinking Water Testing (Trinkwasseranalysen) Official drinking water testing in accordance with the German Drinking Water Decree including microbiological parameters, Legionella analysis, chemical parameters (metals such as copper, lead, nickel), and certified sampling. PLANTON is the officially designated drinking water examination laboratory for the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.
• Medical / Veterinary Medicine / Forensic Analysis Molecular and microbiological testing for healthcare, veterinary, and forensic clients including microbiome analysis by NGS, Salmonella detection, species identification by real-time PCR and NGS, SARS-CoV-2 detection, norovirus detection, and forensic genetics (STR genotyping). Accredited under § 44 Infection Protection Act and ISO 17025.
• Paternity Testing (Vaterschaftstest) Genetic paternity and parentage testing services delivering accredited paternity and ancestry reports for individual and institutional clients.
• Research & Development / Process Development (Verfahrensentwicklung) Custom process development and R&D services covering PCR systems, Next Generation Sequencing (Illumina NGS), genotyping, DNA isolation systems, forensic trace identification, molecular biology, immunological detection (ELISA), and chromatography (LC-MS/MS, HPLC, GC-MS/MS), including customer-specific analytical solutions.
• Service & Quality (Service & Qualität) Quality assurance and testing-strategy consulting including fast turnaround times (10 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, or 3–5 days), method development, expert consultation per §43 LFGB, interlaboratory comparison participation, and accredited reporting through a customer document-management portal.
• PLANTEGG In-Ovo Sex Determination Technology Patented in-ovo sex determination procedure for poultry that determines the sex of a chicken embryo inside the egg before hatching, enabling egg producers to avoid killing day-old male chicks. European patent granted in 2019. ALDI adopted the technology in 2020 to enforce chick-culling-free egg production.
• Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Services Accredited high-parallel DNA sequencing on the Illumina platform for microbiome identification and characterisation, species identification, food fraud detection, allergen analysis, Clearfield crop variety detection, and GMO analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fast turnaround: results available within 10 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, or 3-5 days
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eurofins Labornetzwerk (Eurofins)coreOthers · 1 January 2025Since 2025, PLANTON belongs to the Eurofins laboratory network for food and feed analysis in Germany. This acquisition/merger provides PLANTON with access to the extensive service portfolio and expert teams of all Eurofins laboratories worldwide, significantly expanding its capabilities and reach.
• Non GMO ProjectcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPLANTON is an approved laboratory of the Non GMO Project, certified for qualitative and quantitative testing of all major potential GM crops including alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, soybeans, sugar beets, and zucchini/summer squash.
• VLOG (Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPLANTON is a recognised VLOG laboratory for GMO testing according to the VLOG standard (association for food without genetic engineering). VLOG develops analytical requirements for GMO analysis and PLANTON has developed corresponding analysis strategies.
• GMP+ Feed Safety AssuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPLANTON is a GMP+ recognised laboratory, participating in the GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance scheme for feed and feed ingredient monitoring.
• Bundesverband Naturkost Naturverfahren (BNN)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPLANTON is a recognised laboratory member of the Bundesverband Naturkost Naturverfahren (BNN), the German Federal Association of Organic Processors, Wholesalers and Retailers.
• QS. Ihr Prüfsystem für LebensmittelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPLANTON is a QS-recognised laboratory, participating in the QS food quality assurance system for food monitoring in Germany.
• Kiel University (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, CAU Kiel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLANTON was founded by four scientists from CAU Kiel and UKSH in 2000. Managing Director Dr. Michael Kleine holds an associate professorship at CAU Kiel. PLANTON collaborates with the university on research projects including a soil microbiome study published in Nature Communications (2025). Minister-President Günther emphasised the company's strong links with the university.
• ALDIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerALDI adopted PLANTON's patented PLANTEGG technology (in ovo sex determination) to enforce egg production without killing day-old male chicks. ALDI issued a press release on 11 March 2020 announcing this enforcement, representing a major commercial deployment of PLANTON's technology.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Scientific: Global market leader in food, feed, environmental and pharmaceutical testing services. PLANTON joined the Eurofins laboratory network for food and feed analysis in Germany in 2025, making Eurofins both parent and broad incumbent peer with overlapping accredited services.
• SGS: Swiss-based global testing, inspection and certification company with extensive food and agricultural testing capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering accredited food, feed and seed analytical services to multinational clients.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification group with agri-food and commodity testing services. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping agricultural commodity, food safety and authenticity testing offerings.
• Intertek: Global quality assurance and testing provider with strong agri-food and consumer products testing capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving similar enterprise food and feed customers with accredited analytical services.
• TÜV Rheinland: Global testing services provider with food, environmental and life sciences testing. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering accredited laboratory services overlapping with PLANTON's food, water and seed testing.
• ALS Limited: International testing services group with food, environmental and pharmaceutical divisions. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing accredited laboratory testing for food and agricultural products similar to PLANTON's scope.

Direct peers

• Mérieux NutriSciences: Food safety, quality and sustainability testing services across the agri-food value chain. Direct peer because both provide accredited laboratory testing for food manufacturers, retailers and feed producers with comparable scopes.
• GALAB Laboratories: German food and feed testing laboratory specialized in contaminants, residues, allergens and GMO analytics. Direct peer competing in the same German specialty food/feed testing market with overlapping accredited methods.
• Institut für Produktqualität (ifp): German accredited laboratory offering food, feed, water and pharmaceutical testing services. Direct peer competing with PLANTON in German food/feed analytical services with comparable accreditations and customer segments.

Emerging players

• bioMérieux: French in vitro diagnostics and microbiological testing company with overlap in pathogen detection, microbiology and NGS-based identification. Comparable as an emerging player intersecting with PLANTON's microbiology, pathogen detection and species identification capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planton-gmbh

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Planton