Kapa Biosystems
Kapa Biosystems was a South African-founded biotech that developed proprietary PCR enzymes and next-generation sequencing library preparation kits for life-sciences and diagnostic laboratories before being acquired by Roche for $445 million in 2015; the brand is now carried forward by AffiPCR Biosystems.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersWilmington, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Kapa Biosystems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kapa Biosystems
- Legal name
- Kapa Biosystems
- Website
- https://kapabiosystems.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Kapa Biosystems was a South African-founded biotech that developed proprietary PCR enzymes and next-generation sequencing library preparation kits for life-sciences and diagnostic laboratories before being acquired by Roche for $445 million in 2015; the brand is now carried forward by AffiPCR Biosystems.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kapa Biosystems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Molecular Biology Reagents
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays) (HLAGAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Molecular Diagnostics (PCR/qPCR, NGS-based assays) (HLAAALAA), Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF)
Keywords
Where Kapa Biosystems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wilmington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Kapa Biosystems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Kapa Biosystems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kapa Biosystems develops and manufactures high-performance PCR enzymes and next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation kits for whole-genome, RNA, and targeted sequencing applications. The company's KAPA-brand reagents are engineered for use in research and clinical genomics workflows, supporting life sciences laboratories, molecular diagnostics providers, and academic research institutions.
Product overview
Kapa Biosystems was a South African biotech company that developed and manufactured molecular biology reagents, primarily focused on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) products. The company's core product portfolio included PCR enzymes, dNTP mixes, library quantification kits for next-generation sequencing, and fast PCR solutions. In 2015, Kapa Biosystems was acquired by Roche for $445 million. The product line has continued through successor companies, with the AffiPCR brand representing the evolved molecular biology reagent offerings that maintain the Kapa technology foundation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kapa Library Quant Kits: Library quantification kits for next-generation sequencing applications
- KAPA
Products and services
- KAPA Library Quantification Kits
- KAPA Library Preparation Kits
- KAPA PCR Enzymes and Reagents
- KAPA Target Enrichment Reagents
- AffiPCR Biosystems Reagent Catalog
Companies that use Kapa Biosystems
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Kapa Biosystems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Kapa Biosystems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kapa Biosystems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Lucigen (LGC Biosearch Technologies): Lucigen, now part of LGC Biosearch Technologies, focused on PCR enzymes, master mixes, and NGS library preparation kits serving a similar specialty-molecular-biology customer base to Kapa.
Others
- Illumina: Illumina dominates the sequencing platform market whose library prep and quantification workflows consume Kapa's reagents; while not a direct reagent competitor, Illumina shapes the demand environment for Kapa's NGS-side products.
Direct peers
- QIAGEN: QIAGEN offers PCR and qPCR kits, enzymes, and sample-preparation technologies for molecular diagnostics and research, including NGS library prep — a core adjacent market to Kapa's library quantification and prep reagent offering.
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad manufactures PCR and qPCR instruments, reagents, and amplification kits used in research and clinical labs, directly mirroring Kapa's PCR enzyme, reagent, and amplification product line.
- Takara Bio: Takara Bio is a specialized PCR reagent and enzyme manufacturer with a strong footprint in NGS library preparation and molecular biology enzymes — directly comparable to Kapa's core competency in PCR polymerases and NGS prep kits.
- New England Biolabs (NEB): New England Biolabs is one of the closest direct peers, manufacturing PCR and qPCR polymerases, hot-start enzymes, and DNA-modification reagents for molecular biology and NGS workflows — the same product category where Kapa competes with Kapa2g Fast Hotstart and other enzyme kits.
- Promega Corporation: Promega produces PCR, qPCR, and reverse-transcription reagents, master mixes, and nucleic acid amplification systems used across life science research and clinical diagnostics, directly overlapping Kapa's PCR enzyme and reagent portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Agilent Technologies: Agilent operates in genomics and molecular biology, including qPCR reagents and NGS-related sample-prep offerings, overlapping with Kapa's molecular biology reagent products as part of a broader analytical instrumentation portfolio.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher Scientific is a broad life science tools incumbent offering PCR/qPCR reagents, master mixes, plastics, and enzymes through its Thermo Scientific and Applied Biosystems brands, competing with Kapa across essentially every molecular reagent category as part of a much larger portfolio.
- Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma / Sigma-Aldrich): MilliporeSigma supplies PCR reagents, enzymes, nucleotides, and molecular biology kits comparable to Kapa's product line, but as part of an expansive life science chemicals and reagents catalog.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Kapa Biosystems social profiles
Digital presenceKapa Biosystems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kapa Biosystems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kapa Biosystems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kapa Biosystems 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 Kapa Biosystems
What does Kapa Biosystems do?
Kapa Biosystems develops and manufactures high-performance PCR enzymes and next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation kits for whole-genome, RNA, and targeted sequencing applications. The company's KAPA-brand reagents are engineered for use in research and clinical genomics workflows, supporting life sciences laboratories, molecular diagnostics providers, and academic research institutions.
Is Kapa Biosystems a public or private company?
Kapa Biosystems is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Kapa Biosystems founded?
Kapa Biosystems was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kapa Biosystems based?
Kapa Biosystems is headquartered in Wilmington, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Kapa Biosystems's main competitors?
Lucigen (LGC Biosearch Technologies) is listed as an emerging player. Illumina is listed as an others. Direct peers are QIAGEN, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Takara Bio, New England Biolabs (NEB) and Promega Corporation. Broad incumbents are Agilent Technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma / Sigma-Aldrich).
Does Kapa Biosystems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kapa Biosystems.
What industry is Kapa Biosystems in?
Kapa Biosystems's product category is Molecular Biology Reagents. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAF, Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays), with a secondary code of HLAAALAA, Molecular Diagnostics (PCR/qPCR, NGS-based assays). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.