ASD
ASD designs portable near-infrared spectrometers and spectroradiometers (FieldSpec, TerraSpec, LabSpec) for mineral exploration, remote sensing validation, and academic research, sold globally through Malvern Panalytical.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ASD does
ASD is a Boulder, Colorado-based designer and manufacturer of portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers and spectroradiometers, operating as a spectral instruments brand under SciAps, a Malvern Panalytical company (itself part of UK-listed Spectris plc). Founded in 1990, ASD has held a gold-standard position in field spectroradiometry for over 25 years, with its three core product lines — FieldSpec (full-range field spectroradiometers with 350nm–2500nm wavelength coverage and factory-installed fiber optics for best signal-to-noise ratio), TerraSpec (portable ruggedized mineral analyzers with field-swappable SMA 905 cables), and LabSpec (laboratory-grade portable spectrometers with built-in fiber optic light sources) — addressing mineral exploration, remote sensing validation, ground truthing, and molecular structure analysis.
The underlying technology is field-ready full-range NIR spectroscopy built around a direct optics-to-diffraction gratings architecture. Spectral resolution is 3nm at 700nm and 6–10nm at 1400/2100nm across the product family. The company's economic model is one-time enterprise instrument sales with quote-based pricing and configuration-driven SKUs, sold globally through Malvern Panalytical's direct sales organization and a branded online storefront. Customer segments are horizontal across mining and mineral exploration (primary), academic and government research institutions, and industrial manufacturing quality control. Post-acquisition, ASD benefits from Malvern Panalytical's multinational sales coverage in 8 languages and SciAps's engineering and innovation pipeline, while the Boulder operation remains the product and brand hub.
ASD firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ASD
- Legal name
- ASD (spectral instrument brand under Malvern Panalytical)
- Website
- https://asdi.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ASD designs portable near-infrared spectrometers and spectroradiometers (FieldSpec, TerraSpec, LabSpec) for mineral exploration, remote sensing validation, and academic research, sold globally through Malvern Panalytical.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ASD industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Spectroscopy Instruments
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mass Spectrometry & Spectroscopy Instruments (HLAGAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Material Characterization & Spectroscopy (NMR/FTIR/MS) (HLAGADAK), Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE), Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)
Keywords
Where ASD is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
ASD business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Spectrometer and Spectroradiometer Sales: ASD generates revenue through the sale of high-precision spectroscopic instruments including FieldSpec, TerraSpec, and LabSpec product lines. The 'Request a quote' sales model indicates customized pricing based on instrument configuration and accessories, typical of precision scientific instrumentation sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Enterprise scientific instrumentation with quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
ASD product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ASD designs, manufactures, and sells portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers and spectroradiometers across three core product ranges: FieldSpec full-range field spectroradiometers for remote sensing and ground truthing, TerraSpec portable mineral analyzers for rugged mining and field applications, and LabSpec laboratory-grade spectrometers for controlled lab settings. The instruments cover the full 350nm-2500nm spectral range and serve mining, research, and industrial customers globally through Malvern Panalytical's direct sales and online store channels.
Product overview
ASD offers a portfolio of portable spectrometers and spectroradiometers for near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy analysis, now part of SciAps (a Malvern Panalytical company). The product line includes three core ranges: the FieldSpec spectroradiometers (gold standard for field measurements with factory-installed fiber optics), TerraSpec mineral analyzers (portable ruggedized mineral analysis for mining and fieldwork), and LabSpec spectrometers (laboratory-grade portable instruments). The FieldSpec 4 delivers the fastest spectral field measurements for remote sensing and ground truthing, while the TerraSpec 4 Hi-Res provides high-resolution mineral exploration capabilities. These spectrometers cover the full 350nm-2500nm spectral range and are designed for research, exploration, and industrial environments including aerial survey validation, ground-level mineral confirmation, and material composition analysis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ASD FieldSpec: Full-range spectroradiometers for remote sensing, ground truthing, and molecular structure analysis in field conditions.
- ASD TerraSpec
- ASD LabSpec
Products and services
- ASD FieldSpec Range Gold-standard full-range spectroradiometers designed for the fastest and most accurate spectral field measurements, featuring a 350nm-2500nm wavelength range, factory-installed fiber optic cable with direct optics to diffraction gratings for best signal-to-noise ratio, and capabilities for remote sensing, ground truthing, and molecular structure analysis in outdoor high-accuracy conditions. Targeted at mining companies, research institutions, and remote sensing specialists.
- ASD TerraSpec Range Portable mineral analyzers providing rapid, non-destructive analysis of minerals in laboratory or field environments, featuring jumper cables with SMA 905 connectors for field repairs and cable swaps in rugged mining applications. Targeted at mining and mineral exploration organizations requiring ruggedized, portable NIR spectroscopy in remote locations.
- ASD LabSpec Range Laboratory-grade spectrometers in a ruggedized, portable design with a built-in fiber optic light source, featuring user-connected SMA 905 fiber optic cables and sufficient signal-to-noise ratio for varied measurement setups. Targeted at budget-conscious buyers working with artificial light in controlled lab settings for materials analysis applications.
- ASD TerraSpec 4 Hi-Res Mineral Spectrometer High-resolution mineral spectrometer optimized for fast, precise mineral exploration with 3nm spectral resolution at 700nm and 6nm at 1400/2100nm, designed for mining environments with easy cable replacement capability. Targeted at mineral exploration teams requiring high-resolution spectral measurements in rugged environments.
Companies that use ASD
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ASD technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
ASD partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SciApscoreASD spectrometers are now part of SciAps, a Malvern Panalytical company. SciAps serves as the parent organization for the ASD product lines (FieldSpec, TerraSpec, LabSpec), with Malvern Panalytical handling global sales and support while SciAps provides engineering and innovation for the product range.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ASD competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spectral Evolution: Spectral Evolution offers portable and field spectroradiometers (e.g., PSR+, RS-5400) for geological, environmental, and remote sensing applications. It competes head-to-head with ASD FieldSpec in field spectral measurements and mining/mineral exploration ground-truthing.
- Bruker: Bruker manufactures FT-NIR and NIR spectrometers as well as handheld XRF analyzers (Tracer, Titan) used in mining and materials analysis. It directly overlaps with ASD's NIR product lines and competes in mining/materials analytical instrumentation globally.
- Evident (formerly Olympus Industrial Solutions): Evident sells handheld XRF (Vanta) and portable analytical instruments widely used in mining exploration and ore grade control. It competes with ASD TerraSpec for the mining exploration workflow, particularly at the material-analysis step where elemental and mineralogical information are both required.
- Spectra Vista Corporation (SVC): SVC manufactures the HR-1024i and other field portable spectroradiometers covering 350-2500nm for remote sensing, agricultural, and forestry applications. It is the closest direct competitor to ASD FieldSpec, competing on full-range field spectral measurements used as ground truth for aerial hyperspectral surveys.
Others
- Agilent Technologies: Agilent manufactures FTIR, NIR, and Raman spectroscopy systems (Cary, ExoSeries) primarily for laboratory analytical and pharmaceutical markets. It is a broad incumbent in analytical spectroscopy but does not specialize in field-portable NIR for mining exploration, where ASD's ruggedized offerings compete.
Broad incumbents
- PerkinElmer: PerkinElmer (now including the former Perten) provides NIR and FTIR analyzers for food, agricultural, and materials analysis. Its NIR portfolio overlaps with ASD LabSpec for laboratory materials analysis and with portable NIR offerings in industrial QC segments.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher offers a broad portfolio of analytical instruments including FTIR, NIR, Raman, and XRF spectrometers across laboratory and portable form factors. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities to ASD FieldSpec/TerraSpec/LabSpec but addresses a much wider customer base beyond mining exploration.
- Renishaw: Renishaw is a leader in Raman spectroscopy (inVia, RA802) used in materials characterization and increasingly in mineralogy. It represents an alternative analytical technique (Raman) competing with NIR spectroscopy for mineral identification and material characterization use cases that ASD addresses.
- Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science: Hitachi High-Tech offers handheld XRF (X-MET) and FTIR spectrometers used in mining, recycling, and materials analysis. It competes with ASD in mining materials characterization workflows, particularly at the elemental analysis step complementing NIR mineralogy.
- Shimadzu: Shimadzu manufactures UV-Vis, FTIR, and NIR spectrophotometers (UV-3600i Plus, IRTracer, Solis) for laboratory and research applications. It is a broad incumbent in analytical spectroscopy that competes with ASD LabSpec in controlled lab environments.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ASD social profiles
Digital presenceASD financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ASD leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ASD funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ASD 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 ASD
What does ASD do?
ASD designs, manufactures, and sells portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers and spectroradiometers across three core product ranges: FieldSpec full-range field spectroradiometers for remote sensing and ground truthing, TerraSpec portable mineral analyzers for rugged mining and field applications, and LabSpec laboratory-grade spectrometers for controlled lab settings. The instruments cover the full 350nm-2500nm spectral range and serve mining, research, and industrial customers globally through Malvern Panalytical's direct sales and online store channels.
Is ASD a public or private company?
ASD is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ASD founded?
ASD was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ASD based?
ASD is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does ASD make money?
One revenue line is on record: spectrometer and Spectroradiometer Sales.
Who are ASD's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spectral Evolution, Bruker, Evident (formerly Olympus Industrial Solutions) and Spectra Vista Corporation (SVC). Agilent Technologies is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are PerkinElmer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Renishaw, Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science and Shimadzu.
Does ASD have an API?
No public API is recorded for ASD.
What industry is ASD in?
ASD's product category is Scientific Spectroscopy Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAB, Mass Spectrometry & Spectroscopy Instruments, with a secondary code of HLAGADAK, Material Characterization & Spectroscopy (NMR/FTIR/MS). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.