ECHA Microbiology
ECHA Microbiology manufactures microbiological test kits, biocides, and sampling tools for industrial contamination and corrosion monitoring, serving aviation, marine, oil & gas, energy, and industrial customers globally from its Cardiff, UK headquarters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersCardiff, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ECHA Microbiology does
ECHA Microbiology Ltd is a Cardiff, UK-based private company founded in 1983 that designs, manufactures, and supplies microbiological contamination test kits, sampling tools, and biocides for industrial applications, primarily supporting aviation, marine, oil & gas, energy, water, and industrial manufacturing sectors. Its flagship product, MicrobMonitor2, is a fully quantitative test kit for fuels, oils, and associated waters conforming to ASTM D7978 and IP613 standards, and is listed in Boeing and Airbus Aircraft Maintenance Manuals and NATO-codified. The portfolio is complemented by Sig Sulphide and Sig Nitrite kits for sulphate- and nitrite-reducing bacteria detection, the HY-LiTE ATP rapid test, the Biocide Rapide efficacy test, and a sampling tools range, plus licensed biocide brands (grotamar, Kathon Fuel 15, FuelClear M15).
The company operates a hybrid revenue model combining product sales (one-time hardware purchases with repeat orders) and professional services (laboratory analysis, tailored training, technical consultancy, and on-site site surveys at refineries, terminals, offshore platforms, and airfields). Distribution is primarily through a global authorized distributor network with direct sales from Cardiff for enterprise customers; pricing is quote-based with credit account or prepayment terms. The company is ISO 9001:2015 accredited, serves named enterprise customers including Lufthansa Technik, Gulfstream Aerospace, and Air Atlanta Icelandic, and employs 11-50 staff including PhDs and laboratory technicians. ECHA is privately held with no external funding, no parent company, and no M&A activity disclosed.
ECHA Microbiology firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ECHA Microbiology
- Legal name
- Echa Microbiology Ltd
- Website
- https://echamicrobiology.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ECHA Microbiology manufactures microbiological test kits, biocides, and sampling tools for industrial contamination and corrosion monitoring, serving aviation, marine, oil & gas, energy, and industrial customers globally from its Cardiff, UK headquarters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ECHA Microbiology industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Microbiology Testing Products
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microbiology & Sterility Assurance (Bioburden/Endotoxin/Sterility) (HLAGADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Rapid On-Site Environmental Testing Kits & Instruments (Lateral Flow, PCR, ATP Devices) (AFALAEAK)
Keywords
Where ECHA Microbiology is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cardiff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ECHA Microbiology business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Test Kit Products: Sale of proprietary microbial test kits including MicrobMonitor®2, Sig Sulphide®, Sig Nitrite®, HY-LiTE®, Biocide Rapide™, and related accessories. Products sold globally via authorized distributors and direct from UK. One-time purchase model with repeat customer orders.
- Biocide Products: Sale of biocides including grotamar®71, grotamar®82, Kathon™ Fuel 15, and FuelClear™ M15 for treating microbial contamination in fuels and oils.
- Laboratory Services: Microbiological analysis services including testing of fuels, oils, and environmental waters. Provides written review and interpretation of analytical results. Fully equipped laboratory at Cardiff headquarters.
- Training Courses: Tailored microbiology training courses delivered at client facilities, company headquarters, or online. Courses cover microbiological contamination of fuels, water systems, and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC).
- Consultancy Services: Technical consultancy including incident investigation, quality audits, expert witness work, problem remediation, and best practice development. Provided globally at refineries, terminals, offshore platforms, and manufacturing facilities.
- Site Surveys: On-site scientific surveys conducting sampling, site audits, and contamination assessments. Includes tank composite sampling, fuel quality investigation, corrosion risk assessment, and effluent testing.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
ECHA Microbiology product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ECHA Microbiology designs, manufactures and supplies proprietary microbial test kits (e.g., MicrobMonitor®2, Sig Sulphide®, Sig Nitrite®, HY-LiTE®, Biocide Rapide™) for detecting microbial contamination in fuels, oils and water systems. The company also produces sampling tools, test kit accessories and fuel biocides, and provides complementary laboratory analysis, technical training, on-site consultancy and site survey services globally from its Cardiff, UK headquarters.
Product overview
ECHA Microbiology provides a comprehensive portfolio of microbiological testing products and services for industrial applications. The core offering consists of test kits (MicrobMonitor®2, Sig Sulphide®, Sig Nitrite®, HY-LiTE®, Biocide Rapide™, Dip Slides) for detecting microbial contamination in fuels, oils, and water systems, complemented by sampling tools (Fuel Sampling Bottles, Swabs & Pipettes, Sampling Devices, Sampling Winders), test kit accessories (Incubator, MicrobMonitor®2 Accessories, Fuel Extractant Kit), and biocides (FuelClear™ M15, grotamar®, Kathon® FP 1.5). The company also offers laboratory services, training courses, consultancy, and site surveys. Products are designed, manufactured, and packed at their Cardiff, UK headquarters and distributed globally through an authorised distributor network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MicrobMonitor®2 A fully-quantitative microbiological test kit for detecting microbial contamination in fuels, oils, and associated waters, conforming to ASTM D7978 and IP613 standards. Provides colony forming unit (CFU) results comparable to laboratory testing; detects bacteria, yeasts, moulds, and dormant spores. Listed in Boeing and Airbus Aircraft Maintenance Manuals and NATO Codified (66640-99-834-3573). For aviation, marine, oil & gas and industrial operators.
- Sig Sulphide® SRB Test Kit A test kit for detecting Sulphate Reducing Bacteria (SRB) that generate corrosive sulphide, used to mitigate risk of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion. Provides semi-quantitative results via colour change and correlates with the NACE TMO 194 standard; requires no specialized training or equipment. For oil & gas, water systems and industrial corrosion monitoring.
- Sig Nitrite® Test Kit A semi-quantitative test kit for evaluating Nitrite and Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria (NRB) activity in water system samples, assessing corrosion inhibitor depletion risk in cooling waters and closed water systems.
- HY-LiTE® Fuel ATP Test Kit A rapid instrument-based test kit detecting ATP associated with active microbial contamination in fuels, conforming to ASTM D7463 and delivering results in under 10 minutes using luminometer technology. Distributed under licence from Merck KGaA.
- Biocide Rapide™ Test A test kit evaluating biocide or anti-microbial concentrations in samples using Bacillus spore-based colour-change technology, producing results in 3.5 hours at 64°C incubation.
- Dip Slides A semi-quantitative test for evaluating microbiological contamination in water samples, revealing the type and extent of bacterial or fungal contaminants.
- FuelClear™ M15 A fuel biocide designed to inhibit microbial growth on contact and quickly result in cell death, used to treat microbial contamination in fuels and oils.
- grotamar® Biocide (71 and 82) A biocidal additive (grotamar 71 and 82 formulations) for treatment and prevention of microbial contamination in diesel, marine fuels and oils. NATO-codified and approved by MAN, DAF, MTU, and Mercedes-Benz AG. Distributed under licence from Vink Chemicals GmbH & Co.
- Kathon® FP 1.5 Fuel Biocide An EPA-registered liquid biocide (CMIT/MIT active ingredient) for killing and preventing microorganisms in hydrocarbon fuels.
- Fuel Sampling Bottles One-litre irradiation-sterilised twin-neck fuel sampling bottles with a separate water chamber for easy water testing of fuel samples.
- Sampling Devices (Bottom, Any-Level, Running, Combined) Stainless steel samplers including bottom, any-level, running and combined types for fuel tanks and liquid systems.
- Sampling Winders Stainless steel and brass sampling winders with earth connection for safe lowering and raising of sampling devices in fuel tanks and liquid systems.
- Swabs & Pipettes Sterile individually-wrapped swabs and pipettes for sampling corrosion deposits, surfaces, liquids and non-liquid materials.
- Laboratory Services Microbiological analysis services performed at the fully equipped Cardiff laboratory for fuels, oils and environmental waters, including written review and interpretation of analytical results. For industrial customers requiring laboratory-grade confirmation.
- Training Courses Tailored microbiology training courses delivered at client facilities, ECHA's headquarters or online, covering microbial contamination of fuels, water systems and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC).
- Microbiology Consultancy Technical consultancy services including incident investigation, quality audits, expert witness work, problem remediation and best practice development, provided globally at refineries, terminals, offshore platforms, tank farms, airfields, ships and manufacturing facilities.
- Site Surveys On-site scientific surveying, sampling and audits for detecting microbiological contamination, including tank composite sampling, fuel quality investigation, corrosion risk assessment and effluent testing.
Quantifiable outcome
- MicrobMonitor2 provides fully quantitative CFU results comparable to laboratory testing per ASTM D7978/IP613
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ECHA Microbiology
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
ECHA Microbiology technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
ECHA Microbiology partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Airbus (ALFA-BIRD Project)minorECHA was instructed by Airbus to investigate susceptibility of alternative jet fuels to microbial growth as part of the ALFA-BIRD (Alternative Fuels and Biofuels for Aircraft Development) Project. This was a multi-partner EU partially funded project coordinated by the European Virtual Institute for Integrated Risk Management (EEIG). Paper published and listed on CAAFI website.
- The European Virtual Institute for Integrated Risk Management (EEIG)minorCoordinator of the ALFA-BIRD (Alternative Fuels and Biofuels for Aircraft Development) Project in which ECHA participated to investigate microbial growth in sustainable jet fuels.
- Global Authorized DistributorscoreECHA maintains a global network of authorized distributors supplying products and accessories worldwide. Distributors include companies like Latis Scientific, Trafalgar Scientific, Solenis Especialidades Químicas, Craig International, and others serving various regions and industry sectors.
- Gulfstream AerospaceminorGulfstream Aerospace selected MicrobMonitor2 following independent evaluation and is updating their Aircraft Maintenance Manual to recommend the test kit to all operators worldwide. ECHA will support Gulfstream operators globally with maintaining good fuel quality.
- Focus ResourcingminorRecruitment partner managing the hiring process for the Research Technician position at ECHA's Cardiff facility.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ECHA Microbiology competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification giant with industrial fuel-quality and water-testing laboratories worldwide. Competes for the same oil-major and industrial lab-services spend that ECHA addresses with its Cardiff microbiology lab and on-site surveys.
- Eurofins Scientific: Global contract laboratory network offering microbiological, environmental, and industrial testing services. Comparable on lab-services side of ECHA's portfolio and increasingly on industrial microbiology consumables.
- Bureau Veritas: International testing, inspection, and certification company with marine, oil & gas, and industrial commodity-testing laboratories. Overlaps with ECHA on marine fuel quality, bunker testing, and oil & gas asset integrity work.
- ALS Limited: International testing services group with environmental, water, and asset-integrity laboratories. Comparable on water-microbiology and industrial environmental testing that overlaps with ECHA's water and environmental segment.
- Intertek: Global TIC provider with strong oil & gas, marine, and aerospace testing lines. Competes for fuel-quality and asset-integrity testing work that overlaps with ECHA's industrial contamination and MIC services.
Emerging players
- IDEXX Laboratories: Water microbiology testing provider (Colilert, Enterolert) primarily for potable and environmental water. Comparable technology (defined-substrate microbiology) and customer base for ECHA's water and environmental segment.
Direct peers
- Conidia Bioscience: UK-based maker of FUELSTAT, a rapid on-site immunoassay test for microbial contamination in jet and diesel fuel. Directly competes with ECHA's MicrobMonitor2 in the aviation and military fuel-testing channel with a faster-result alternative format.
- LuminUltra Technologies: Canadian provider of ATP-based microbial monitoring kits (PhosphoGene, Quench-Gone) for industrial water, fuel, and process systems. Closely comparable on ATP-test kit technology (overlapping with ECHA's HY-LiTE line) and on industrial-water customer base.
Others
- Solenis: Specialty chemicals supplier of biocides and water-treatment chemistries to industrial customers. Distributes to many of the same fuel, marine, and industrial water accounts that ECHA serves with biocides and test kits, making it adjacent rather than directly competitive.
- LANXESS: Global specialty chemicals company with a material biocide and industrial preservative portfolio serving fuel, water, and oilfield markets. An adjacent supplier/peer through overlapping biocide customers rather than direct microbial-test kit competition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ECHA Microbiology social profiles
Digital presenceECHA Microbiology financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ECHA Microbiology leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ECHA Microbiology funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ECHA Microbiology 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 ECHA Microbiology
What does ECHA Microbiology do?
ECHA Microbiology designs, manufactures and supplies proprietary microbial test kits (e.g., MicrobMonitor®2, Sig Sulphide®, Sig Nitrite®, HY-LiTE®, Biocide Rapide™) for detecting microbial contamination in fuels, oils and water systems. The company also produces sampling tools, test kit accessories and fuel biocides, and provides complementary laboratory analysis, technical training, on-site consultancy and site survey services globally from its Cardiff, UK headquarters.
Is ECHA Microbiology a public or private company?
ECHA Microbiology is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ECHA Microbiology founded?
ECHA Microbiology was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ECHA Microbiology based?
ECHA Microbiology is headquartered in Cardiff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ECHA Microbiology make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Test Kit Products are the primary driver. The others are biocide Products, laboratory Services, training Courses, consultancy Services and site Surveys.
Who are ECHA Microbiology's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SGS, Eurofins Scientific, Bureau Veritas, ALS Limited and Intertek. IDEXX Laboratories is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Conidia Bioscience and LuminUltra Technologies. Others are Solenis and LANXESS.
Does ECHA Microbiology have an API?
No public API is recorded for ECHA Microbiology.
What industry is ECHA Microbiology in?
ECHA Microbiology's product category is Industrial Microbiology Testing Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGADAE, Microbiology & Sterility Assurance (Bioburden/Endotoxin/Sterility), with a secondary code of AFALAEAK, Rapid On-Site Environmental Testing Kits & Instruments (Lateral Flow, PCR, ATP Devices). Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 3826.