Aquaneering
Aquaneering manufactures modular aquatic housing and multi-stage filtration rack systems for zebrafish, Xenopus, and other model-organism research labs. It sells hardware, consumables, custom engineering, and the AutoFeedZ autonomous feeder to universities, NIH-funded institutes, biotechs, and K-12 programs across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Aquaneering does
Aquaneering is a specialized manufacturer of aquatic housing and life-support systems for biomedical research laboratories, founded in the late 1980s and headquartered in San Marcos, California. The company designs and builds modular rack systems — primarily the AquaGenZ platform in single-sided, double-sided, and multi-rack central filtration configurations, alongside AquaFlex, UltraFlex, and the compact eRack for educational use — that house model organisms such as zebrafish, Xenopus, axolotl, medaka, killifish, cavefish, stickleback, lamprey, and sea urchin in freshwater, brackish, or saltwater conditions. All systems share a common multi-stage filtration architecture anchored by the proprietary Fluidized Bed Bio-Filter (claimed to deliver approximately 10x the colonizable surface area of conventional biofilters), combined with Beckhoff PLC-based AquaTouch monitoring for facility-wide pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature tracking. Recent additions include the AutoFeedZ vision-guided robotic feeder, extending the offering from life-support hardware into autonomous facility automation.
The company's commercial model combines hardware sales, replacement parts and consumables, 24/7 technical support, and custom engineering and installation services delivered through a consultative, three-step enterprise sales process (book a call, specify a custom system, deliver and commission). Pricing is quote-based and typically embedded in multi-year contracts tied to institutional research grants and AAALAC-compliant facility build-outs. Customers span academic and institutional research labs (the primary segment, including NIH-funded institutions, universities, and hospitals), educational institutions from K-12 through college, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies conducting drug discovery and toxicology. Distribution is direct for the U.S. market with a small international distributor footprint, supported by a recently decentralized field service team distributed across the country. Marketing is built on scientific credibility through conference participation, a webinar series, customer case studies, and educational outreach including a partnership with SeaWorld San Diego.
Aquaneering firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aquaneering
- Legal name
- Aquaneering LLC
- Website
- https://aquaneering.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Aquaneering manufactures modular aquatic housing and multi-stage filtration rack systems for zebrafish, Xenopus, and other model-organism research labs. It sells hardware, consumables, custom engineering, and the AutoFeedZ autonomous feeder to universities, NIH-funded institutes, biotechs, and K-12 programs across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aquaneering industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Aquatic Research Equipment
- NAICS
- Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511)
- SIC
- Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hatchery Equipment, Systems & Technology (RAS Hatcheries, Incubation, Grading, Transport Systems) (AFAEAKAL)
Keywords
Where Aquaneering is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Aquaneering business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Aquatic Housing Systems (Hardware): Sale of aquatic rack systems including eRack, AquaGenZ (single and double-sided), AquaFlex, UltraFlex, and Multi-Rack Central Filtration Systems. Systems are available in freshwater and saltwater configurations. Custom engineering solutions are built to customer specifications.
- Replacement Parts and Consumables: Ongoing sales of replacement parts, filter media, UV lamps, and consumables for installed systems. Full consumables and replacement parts available online.
- Technical Support Services: 24/7 technical support by phone and email. Distributed service team provides installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting services across the U.S.
- Custom Engineering and Installation: Custom design, engineering, and installation services for aquatic research facilities. Central filtration plants are custom-engineered per project with timeline quoted individually.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Systems - Tailored aquatic housing solutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Aquaneering product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aquaneering designs, manufactures, and sells advanced aquatic housing and filtration systems for zebrafish and other aquatic model organisms used in research and education. Its portfolio includes the AquaGenZ modular rack platform (Single-Sided, Double-Sided, and Multi-Rack Central Filtration), the UltraFlex and AquaFlex racks for larger species, the compact eRack for classrooms, and add-on modules such as the AutoFeedZ autonomous robotic feeder and the AquaTouch remote monitoring system. All systems share a proprietary multi-stage filtration architecture built around the Fluidized Bed Bio-Filter and Beckhoff PLC-based controls.
Product overview
Aquaneering offers a unified portfolio of aquatic research housing systems and components. The core product line centers on the AquaGenZ modular rack platform available in Single-Sided, Double-Sided, and Multi-Rack Central Filtration configurations, complemented by the UltraFlex Rack for maximum tank size flexibility (0.8L to 30G) and AquaFlex Rack for larger species housing. The eRack serves educational and pilot-scale needs. Key add-on modules include the AutoFeedZ robotic feeder and AquaTouch remote monitoring system. All systems share common filtration architecture (Fluidized Bed Bio-Filter, UV Sterilizer, Carbon Filter) and Beckhoff PLC-based controls. Supported species include zebrafish, Xenopus, axolotl, killifish, medaka, cavefish, stickleback, lamprey, and sea urchin across freshwater, brackish, and saltwater environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AquaGenZ: Modular rack system brand for aquatic research housing, available in single-sided and double-sided configurations
- AquaFlex
- UltraFlex
- eRack
- AutoFeedZ
- Aquatouch
Products and services
- eRack Compact, portable stand-alone aquatic housing system designed for educational and pilot-scale research environments. Supports zebrafish and other aquatic model organisms and operates from a standard 115-volt outlet, making it suitable for school and college settings and early-stage research.
- UltraFlex Rack The most flexible aquatic housing rack in the portfolio, supporting tank sizes from 0.8L through 30 Gallons (120L) with modular shelves. Includes integrated automated dosing and monitoring for freshwater, brackish, and saltwater species.
- AquaFlex Rack Professional-grade rack system for larger aquatic species requiring tank sizes from 4 Gallons through 30 Gallons. Delivers comprehensive controls, sensors, and life-support capabilities scaled for larger housing volumes and a variety of underwater species.
- AquaGenZ Single-Sided Stand-Alone Rack Compact, self-contained aquatic housing system with 16-inch depth and 1–8 shelf capacity. Features fully integrated PLC-controlled life support including Beckhoff controller, UV sterilizer, and four-stage filtration; targeted at small to medium-size projects.
- AquaGenZ Double-Sided Stand-Alone Rack High-capacity stand-alone rack with a 30-inch dual-access design supporting 2–16 shelves and up to 4,320 adult zebrafish. Centralized life-support infrastructure powers both sides through a single Beckhoff PLC controller with under-rack filtration, providing a more cost-effective footprint than single-sided equivalents.
- AquaGenZ Multi-Rack Central Filtration System Institutional-scale shared life-support architecture connecting 3 to over 200 single and/or double-sided AquaGenZ racks. Features a centralized high-capacity sump, gravity drum filter, FSI filters, and facility-wide AquaTouch monitoring with Beckhoff PLC. Supports approximately 215,000–860,000+ fish capacity in large 50–200+ rack configurations, with self-cleaning tanks and adaptable, scalable solutions for commercial and educational facilities.
- AutoFeedZ Vision-guided, fully autonomous robotic feeder designed for zebrafish research facilities. Uses advanced robotics, intelligent navigation, and closed-loop confirmation systems to automate feeding without altering existing rack infrastructure, delivering precision and safety in aquatic research feeding operations.
- AquaTouch Monitoring System Remote monitoring system built on a Beckhoff PLC that tracks pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and other critical parameters facility-wide. Provides instant email/text alerts and web server access for real-time monitoring, and integrates with mobile applications for immediate notifications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Systems can scale from 3 to 200+ racks in a single facility
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Aquaneering
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Aquaneering technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Aquaneering partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Aquaneering competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lab Products: Broad lab animal housing and caging manufacturer whose product lines reach into aquatic and zebrafish housing, making it an adjacent competitor with greater distribution breadth.
- Allentown: Established lab animal caging and housing provider with broader vivarium offerings; competes in adjacent rodent and aquatic research housing categories where Aquaneering also operates.
- Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems: Pentair's aquatic eco-systems division supplies pumps, filtration, and life-support equipment across commercial aquaculture and aquatic research, overlapping with Aquaneering's filtration architecture but at broader scale.
- Iwaki Aquatic / Iwaki America: Manufacturer of water pumps and fluid handling systems for aquaculture and aquatic research; supplies core components used in recirculating aquaculture systems similar to those Aquaneering builds.
Direct peers
- Tecniplast: Italian lab animal caging and housing manufacturer with its ZebTEC line directly competing with Aquaneering's AquaGenZ platforms in zebrafish research facilities worldwide.
- Thoren Caging Systems: Manufacturer of lab animal housing and caging systems used in research vivaria, with aquatic and rodent housing products that overlap Aquaneering's rack-based life-support category.
- Aquatic Habitats: Specialty provider of zebrafish and aquatic research housing systems; historically a direct competitor to Aquaneering in the North American academic and biomedical research market.
Emerging players
- Aqua Logic: Designer and manufacturer of aquatic life-support systems and filtration equipment for aquaculture and research facilities, overlapping with Aquaneering's filtration architecture for smaller and emerging installations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Aquaneering social profiles
Digital presenceAquaneering financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aquaneering leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Aquaneering funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aquaneering 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 Aquaneering
What does Aquaneering do?
Aquaneering designs, manufactures, and sells advanced aquatic housing and filtration systems for zebrafish and other aquatic model organisms used in research and education. Its portfolio includes the AquaGenZ modular rack platform (Single-Sided, Double-Sided, and Multi-Rack Central Filtration), the UltraFlex and AquaFlex racks for larger species, the compact eRack for classrooms, and add-on modules such as the AutoFeedZ autonomous robotic feeder and the AquaTouch remote monitoring system. All systems share a proprietary multi-stage filtration architecture built around the Fluidized Bed Bio-Filter and Beckhoff PLC-based controls.
Is Aquaneering a public or private company?
Aquaneering is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Aquaneering founded?
Aquaneering was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aquaneering based?
Aquaneering is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aquaneering make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Aquatic Housing Systems (Hardware) is the primary driver. The others are replacement Parts and Consumables, technical Support Services and custom Engineering and Installation.
Who are Aquaneering's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lab Products, Allentown, Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems and Iwaki Aquatic / Iwaki America. Direct peers are Tecniplast, Thoren Caging Systems and Aquatic Habitats. Aqua Logic is listed as an emerging player.
Does Aquaneering have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aquaneering.
What industry is Aquaneering in?
Aquaneering's product category is Laboratory Aquatic Research Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAKAL, Hatchery Equipment, Systems & Technology (RAS Hatcheries, Incubation, Grading, Transport Systems). Its NAICS code is 112511 and its SIC code is 3821.