Cerno Bioscience

What Cerno Bioscience does

Cerno Bioscience is a private, Las Vegas-based software company founded in 2003 that develops vendor-neutral mass spectrometry calibration and analysis software. The company's technology stack is built on patented mathematical algorithms — TrueCal line-shape calibration, CLIPS/sCLIPS isotope profile matching, AutoRI automatic retention index calibration, and Full Spectrum Deconvolution — which together deliver up to 100x improvements in mass accuracy and up to 99.9% spectral accuracy on conventional unit-resolution quadrupole instruments. Its three flagship products are MassWorks (core formula identification for LC-MS and GC-MS), GC/ID (automated GC/MS compound identification combining library search, retention index, and accurate mass), and SAMMI (large-molecule analysis for peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides). Cerno also distributes NIST and Wiley MS reference libraries, giving it access to over 1 million reference compounds.

The company serves four primary verticals: Life Sciences and Healthcare (drug discovery, metabolomics, proteomics, clinical), Academic and Government Research, Chemical and Material Science, and Environmental and Public Safety (forensics, food safety). Notable named users include Wyeth Research, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, NSF International, the US Government Environmental Lab, University of Vienna, and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (which credits MassWorks in 13+ peer-reviewed publications). Revenue is generated through perpetual software licenses, OEM bundles with Agilent (GC/MSD part G6851AA and LC/MSD part G6887AA) and Thermo Fisher (catalog part 1R76715-0031), distribution of NIST/Wiley libraries, and an academic subscription program (CAP). Distribution is handled via a global network of 13+ regional partners across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America, supported by a direct sales operation from Las Vegas and a product-led growth motion in which free data evaluations convert to purchase at a reported 90% rate. The company has operated continuously for over 20 years with 1–10 employees and no disclosed external funding.

Name

Cerno Bioscience

Legal name

Cerno Bioscience

Website

https://cernobioscience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cerno Bioscience develops vendor-neutral mass spectrometry calibration software — MassWorks, GC/ID, and SAMMI — using patented TrueCal, CLIPS, and sCLIPS algorithms to deliver high-resolution accuracy on standard quadrupole instruments for pharmaceutical, academic, environmental, and food safety laboratories worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mass Spectrometry Software

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAGAIAB

Mass Spectrometry & Spectroscopy Instruments

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Equipment, Instruments & Consumables

SECONDARYHLAGAIAL

Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Equipment, Instruments & Consumables

Keywords

• Mass spectrometry software
• Spectral calibration tools
• Formula identification software
• GC/MS compound identification
• Analytical instrumentation software

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Cerno generates revenue primarily through the sale of software licenses for its MassWorks, GC/ID, and SAMMI products. Software is sold as perpetual licenses and likely also through subscription/maintenance models with annual renewals for updates and support. Pricing is quote-based.
2. NIST and Wiley MS Library Distribution: Cerno is an official distributor of both NIST and Wiley mass spectrometry libraries. Revenue is generated from the sale and upgrade of these reference libraries, which are bundled or sold alongside Cerno's own software products.
3. Academic Program Licensing: Cerno's Academic Program (CAP) enables academic institutions to broadly deploy MassWorks in teaching and research labs. Special academic pricing is offered, including introductory promotions such as buying one license at full price and receiving additional licenses free within the same department.
4. Professional Services and Training: Cerno provides evaluation programs, training videos, tutorials, webinars, and technical support services that complement its software product revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cerno Bioscience develops and sells vendor-neutral, post-acquisition mass spectrometry calibration and analysis software, including the flagship MassWorks, GC/ID, and SAMMI product lines, built on its proprietary TrueCal calibration technology. The software delivers up to 100x improvement in mass accuracy and up to 99.9% spectral accuracy, enabling elemental formula identification on unit-resolution instruments without requiring high-resolution MS hardware. Cerno also distributes NIST and Wiley mass spectral reference libraries and offers the Cerno Academic Program for educational institutions.

Product overview

Cerno Bioscience offers a suite of accurate mass spectrometry software solutions centered around three flagship products: MassWorks (core formula identification software), GC/ID (automated GC/MS compound identification), and SAMMI (large molecule analysis). The products are built on proprietary calibration technologies including TrueCal, CLIPS, and sCLIPS, which provide up to 100X improvements in mass accuracy and 99.9% spectral accuracy. The MassWorks Rx configurable platform enables workflow automation using Python. The company also distributes NIST and Wiley MS libraries, and offers the Cerno Academic Program for educational institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MassWorks™: Award-winning mass spectrometry calibration and analysis software for high mass accuracy and spectral accuracy on unit and high resolution instruments.
• GC/ID™
• SAMMI™
• TrueCal™
• CLIPS™
• sCLIPS™
• TrueFit MX™
• AutoRI™
• Magic Highlighter™
• CAP (Cerno Academic Program)

Products and services

• MassWorks Post-acquisition mass spectrometry software that provides up to 100x improvement in mass accuracy and 99.9% spectral accuracy, enabling elemental formula identification on both unit- and high-resolution mass spectrometers for pharmaceutical, academic, environmental, and chemical industry labs.
• GC/ID Fully automated, vendor-agnostic GC/MS compound identification software that combines TrueCal calibration, full spectrum deconvolution, NIST/Wiley library search, automated retention index matching, and accurate mass formula ID for unknown compound identification.
• SAMMI Spectrally Accurate Modeling of Multiply Charged Ions software for analysis of large molecules including peptides, oligonucleotides, and proteins, providing sequence and formula confirmation with modification support on quadrupole MS systems with no size limitations.
• MassWorks Rx Configurable Python-based software platform that transparently reads native data file formats from all major mass spectrometry instrument vendors, enabling workflow automation and integration of Cerno's TrueCal calibration technology into existing laboratory environments.
• NIST MS Libraries Official distribution of NIST mass spectral reference libraries (NIST23) including 394,054 EI compounds, 51,501 Tandem MS entries, and retention index data, bundled with NIST search software for use with GC/ID and other MS platforms.
• Wiley MS Libraries Official distribution of Wiley Registry of Mass Spectral Data (12th Edition) with over 770,000 unique compounds and 973,000 structures, plus specialty libraries for designer drugs, pesticides, flavors and fragrances, and lipids.
• Cerno Academic Program (CAP) Academic licensing program enabling eligible universities and research institutions to deploy MassWorks across faculty, departmental core facilities, and students for teaching and research with special introductory pricing including free additional departmental licenses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 100x improvement in mass accuracy on unit-resolution quadrupole instruments (from 0.x Da to 0.00x Da)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 March 2020Cerno Bioscience is an official distributor of NIST MS libraries including NIST23 (394,054 EI compounds, 51,501 Tandem MS entries). Cerno bundles NIST library search software and provides libraries in both NIST and Agilent PBM format. Cerno's GC/ID software is optimized for NIST library integration.
• WileycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 March 2020Cerno is an official distributor of the Wiley Registry of Mass Spectral Data (12th edition, over 770,000 unique compounds, 973,000 structures). Also distributes Wiley specialty libraries including Designer Drugs, Pesticides, Flavors and Fragrances, Lipids, and more. GC/ID supports Wiley library integration.
• Agilent TechnologiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCerno and Agilent co-market MassWorks for GC/MSD (Agilent part number G6851AA) and LC/MSD (part number G6887AA). Agilent bundles and resells Cerno software alongside its mass spectrometry instruments. The partnership was formalized in November 2009 for GC/MSD and June 2017 for LC/MSD, leveraging Agilent's large global install base and sales organization.
• Thermo Fisher ScientificcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMassWorks is available through the Thermo Fisher catalog (Part Number 1R76715-0031) for users of Thermo Fisher MS instruments running XCalibur or Chromeleon CDS data systems. Provides Thermo customers direct access to Cerno calibration technology.
• Silantes GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on metabolomics research using 15N-labeled mouse specimens, combining Silantes isotope-labeled reagents with Cerno's mass spectral accuracy technology. Presented as a joint poster at ASMS 2026.
• Princeton University (Rabinowitz Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration on parallel metabolome-wide quantification research using mass spectral accuracy with 15N-labeled specimens. Joint poster presentation at ASMS 2026.
• University of West FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership through Cerno's Academic Program (CAP). Dr. Karen W. Barnes used MassWorks in instrumental analysis lectures and research, presenting findings at conferences with Cerno collaboration support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• JEOL: JEOL manufactures high-resolution mass spectrometers including AccuTOF and JMS-series instruments supported by MassWorks. Comparable as an incumbent instrument vendor whose native msFineAnalysis software addresses similar high-resolution accurate-mass workflows in academic and industrial labs.
• Waters Corporation: Waters is a leading LC/MS and MS instrument vendor whose MassLynx software is widely used in pharmaceutical and academic labs. Comparable to Cerno as a broader analytical instrument incumbent whose native data systems compete with MassWorks in Cerno's core customer base.
• Agilent Technologies: Agilent is the world's largest GC/MS and LC/MS instrument vendor and the OEM channel partner that bundles MassWorks as Agilent part numbers G6851AA and G6887AA. Highly comparable as both a partner and a competitive threat: Agilent's native MassHunter software competes with Cerno's value proposition on the same installed base.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher is the largest mass spectrometry instrument vendor globally and lists MassWorks in its catalog as Part Number 1R7671-0031 for XCalibur and Chromeleon users. Directly comparable as a partner-cum-competitor whose native instrument software could substitute for Cerno's calibration capabilities.
• Bruker Corporation: Bruker manufactures high-resolution mass spectrometers including FT-ICR and timsTOF systems and sells the DataAnalysis and Compass software suites. Comparable to Cerno as an incumbent whose native software stack addresses the same high-resolution MS workflows that sCLIPS targets.
• Shimadzu: Shimadzu is a major mass spectrometry instrument vendor whose LabSolutions software supports GC/MS and LC/MS workflows. Cerno added support for Shimadzu instruments in MassWorks in 2010, making Shimadzu both a partner (for cross-platform interoperability) and a competing incumbent software provider.

Direct peers

• ACD/Labs: ACD/Labs (Advanced Chemistry Development) sells analytical and chromatographic data software for small-molecule characterization, including NMR, LC/MS, and GC/MS interpretation tools. Directly comparable to Cerno because both target pharma and chemistry labs needing vendor-neutral identification and structural elucidation beyond what instrument-native software provides.
• Mestrelab Research: Mestrelab develops Mnova and other chemistry software for NMR, LC/MS, and analytical data interpretation used across pharma, academic, and chemistry labs. Comparable to Cerno as a vendor-agnostic analytical chemistry software specialist serving similar customer profiles with subscription-style scientific software.

Emerging players

• Molecular Discovery: Molecular Discovery builds specialized mass spectrometry and metabolomics software tools such as MassHunter plug-ins and MS-FINDER for unknown compound identification. Closely comparable to GC/ID's compound-ID focus and competes in the same academic and pharma metabolomics workflows that Cerno's tools address.
• OpenChrom: OpenChrom is an open-source chromatography and mass spectrometry data analysis platform used in academic and industrial labs. Comparable to GC/ID as a vendor-agnostic GC/MS analysis tool; represents a potential free substitute for cost-sensitive academic and emerging-market Cerno customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CernoBioscience
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cernobioscience4911
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cerno-bioscience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Cerno Bioscience