FM Approvals
FM Approvals provides third-party testing and certification services for property loss prevention products, serving manufacturers of fire protection, electrical equipment, and building materials across 16 global offices under 200+ examination standards.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1886
- HeadquartersChepachet, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FM Approvals does
FM Approvals is a private, third-party testing and certification organization that evaluates property loss prevention products and services for industrial and commercial use. Founded in 1886 as the Factory Mutual Laboratories by John R. Freeman, the company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Factory Mutual Insurance Company and traces its origins to the first permanent laboratories in the United States dedicated to testing fire-protection devices. Its core offering is the FM APPROVED certification mark, issued after a five-step testing process against 200+ internally developed examination standards. The company runs the FM Research Campus in West Glocester, Rhode Island, which houses fire, hazards, and hydraulics laboratories, and maintains a global footprint of 16 offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
The company's product portfolio centers on three digital platforms and a broad certification catalog. The Approval Guide is a real-time online database listing 130,000+ FM Approved products and services; RoofNav catalogs 1.1M FM Approved roofing assemblies with 92,000+ tested roofing products; and the AIM (Approvals Information Management) customer portal manages proposals, projects, and certification programs. Certification categories span fire protection equipment, electrical equipment, building materials, roofing, cleanroom materials, equipment for explosive atmospheres, flood mitigation, functional safety (SIL), combustion control, condition monitoring, and cybersecurity of connected equipment. The company also holds accreditations from over 30 international organizations including ATEX, IECEx, CPR, and Standards Council of Canada.
FM Approvals generates revenue primarily through quote-based professional services fees for certification testing, application processing, and ongoing surveillance audits, structured as multi-year contracts. A secondary revenue stream comes from licensing and royalties tied to additional international certifications that give manufacturers single-source access to global markets. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and B2B, targeting manufacturers of fire protection, electrical, and building material products; downstream customers include specifiers, contractors, insurance underwriters, and facility owners and operators (including data centers). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined by product complexity, testing requirements, and certification scope.
FM Approvals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FM Approvals
- Legal name
- FM Approvals LLC
- Website
- https://fmapprovals.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1886
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- FM Approvals provides third-party testing and certification services for property loss prevention products, serving manufacturers of fire protection, electrical equipment, and building materials across 16 global offices under 200+ examination standards.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FM Approvals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Third-Party Testing and Certification
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Inspection, Audit & Compliance Management (Regulator/Third-Party Oversight) (EUAKAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Testing, Commissioning & Electrical Safety (NFPA 70E/Arc Flash) (EDAOABAM)
Keywords
Where FM Approvals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chepachet
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices16 records
Markets served
FM Approvals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Certification Services: Third-party testing and certification services for manufacturers of fire protection equipment, electrical equipment, and building materials. Revenue is generated through certification application fees, testing fees, and ongoing surveillance audits of certified products. The company offers a five-step certification process leading to the FM APPROVED certification mark.
- Additional Certifications: Accredited testing and certification to additional international standards including ATEX, IECEX, CPR, and Standards Council of Canada, providing manufacturers with single source access to global markets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing determined by product type and testing complexity |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
FM Approvals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FM Approvals is an international third-party testing and certification organization that evaluates and certifies products used for property loss prevention. Operating since 1886 as a subsidiary of Factory Mutual Insurance Company, it subjects products to scientific-based testing against proprietary standards and grants the FM APPROVED certification mark to products that pass its multi-step examination process. Its services span fire protection equipment, electrical equipment, building materials, roofing systems, cleanroom materials, flood mitigation products, equipment for explosive atmospheres, functional safety, and other loss-prevention product categories.
Product overview
FM Approvals is a third-party testing and certification organization that provides international certification services for property loss prevention products and services. The company's core offerings center on the FM APPROVED certification mark, backed by scientific research and testing. The product portfolio includes three primary digital tools: the Approval Guide (a searchable online database of 130,000+ FM Approved products and services), RoofNav (access to 92,000+ FM Approved roofing assemblies and related products), and the Customer Portal/AIM (Approvals Information Management for managing proposals and projects). FM Approvals certifies products across numerous categories including fire protection equipment, electrical equipment, building materials, cleanroom materials, roofing systems, flood mitigation products, combustion control equipment, condition monitoring equipment, cybersecurity of connected equipment, and equipment for explosive atmospheres. The company is accredited and recognized by over 30 global organizations including ATEX, IECEx, CPR, and the Standards Council of Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- FM APPROVED Certification
- Fire Protection Equipment Certification
- Electrical Equipment Certification
- Building Materials Certification
- Roofing and Associated Equipment Certification
- Cleanroom Materials Certification
- Cybersecurity of Connected Equipment Certification
- Flood Mitigation Products Certification
- Equipment for Explosive Atmospheres Certification
- Functional Safety (SIL) Certification
- Combustion Control Equipment Certification
- Condition Monitoring Equipment Certification
- Approval Guide
- RoofNav
- Customer Portal (AIM)
Quantifiable outcome
- 130,000+ products certified and listed in real-time Approval Guide database
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use FM Approvals
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
FM Approvals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
FM Approvals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- 30+ International Accreditation BodiescoreFM Approvals holds accreditations from over 30 global organizations worldwide. These mutual recognition agreements enable FM Approved products to gain acceptance in international markets. Organizations include Standards Council of Canada and other national and international regulatory bodies.
- Global Inter-Laboratory Testing PartnerscoreFM Approvals holds mutual testing agreements with laboratories around the world, enabling consistent testing standards and global acceptance of certification results across different geographic regions.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
FM Approvals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SGS: SGS is the world's largest TIC company, offering testing, inspection, and certification across a much broader portfolio than FM Approvals including industrial, consumer goods, agricultural, and environmental testing. It overlaps with FM Approvals in fire protection and electrical equipment certification but is a much more diversified incumbent.
- Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global TIC leader providing testing, inspection, and certification services across marine, offshore, industrial, building, and infrastructure. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with FM Approvals in building materials, fire protection, and industrial equipment certification as part of a much wider service portfolio.
Direct peers
- Intertek: Intertek is a major global TIC company providing testing, inspection, and certification across electrical, building, fire protection, and industrial products. It directly competes with FM Approvals in manufacturer certification and offers the ETL mark as a parallel certification alternative to FM APPROVED and UL Listed.
- DNV: DNV is a global TIC company with strong presence in industrial, maritime, and energy certification. It directly competes with FM Approvals in industrial equipment and fire protection certification, particularly for oil and gas, power, and process industry manufacturers seeking third-party approval.
- CSA Group: CSA Group is a major North American TIC organization offering testing and certification for electrical, plumbing, gas, and building products. It is a direct peer in fire protection and electrical equipment certification and is explicitly named in FM Approvals' accreditations (Standards Council of Canada) as a partner/competitor in the North American market.
- TÜV Rheinland: TÜV Rheinland is a global TIC services company offering testing and certification for fire protection, electrical equipment, building materials, and industrial products. It directly competes with FM Approvals in international certification programs (ATEX, IECEx) and offers comparable accreditation footprint for manufacturers seeking global market access.
- UL Solutions: UL Solutions is the closest direct peer to FM Approvals, providing third-party safety testing and certification (UL Listed mark) for fire protection, electrical, and building products. It competes head-to-head with FM Approvals in manufacturer certification and is recognized alongside the FM APPROVED mark as one of the two dominant North American safety certification brands.
- TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD is one of the world's leading TIC providers, with services spanning fire protection, electrical safety, building products, and functional safety. It competes with FM Approvals for manufacturer certification work and shares the same international accreditation footprint for ATEX, IECEx, and similar regulatory regimes.
- DEKRA: DEKRA is a leading global TIC organization specializing in testing and certification for automotive, industrial, and consumer products. It directly competes with FM Approvals in electrical safety and explosion-proof (ATEX/IECEx) equipment certification, particularly serving European manufacturers.
Emerging players
- LPCB (BRE Group): LPCB is the certification arm of BRE Group, specializing in fire and security product certification. It is a direct competitor in fire protection certification, particularly in the UK and Europe, and offers an alternative certification mark to FM APPROVED for loss-prevention products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FM Approvals social profiles
Digital presenceFM Approvals compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
FM Approvals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FM Approvals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
FM Approvals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FM Approvals 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 FM Approvals
What does FM Approvals do?
FM Approvals is an international third-party testing and certification organization that evaluates and certifies products used for property loss prevention. Operating since 1886 as a subsidiary of Factory Mutual Insurance Company, it subjects products to scientific-based testing against proprietary standards and grants the FM APPROVED certification mark to products that pass its multi-step examination process. Its services span fire protection equipment, electrical equipment, building materials, roofing systems, cleanroom materials, flood mitigation products, equipment for explosive atmospheres, functional safety, and other loss-prevention product categories.
Is FM Approvals a public or private company?
FM Approvals is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was FM Approvals founded?
FM Approvals was founded in 1886. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is FM Approvals based?
FM Approvals is headquartered in Chepachet, United States, in the North America region.
How does FM Approvals make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Certification Services are the primary driver. The others are additional Certifications.
Who are FM Approvals's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SGS and Bureau Veritas. Direct peers are Intertek, DNV, CSA Group, TÜV Rheinland, UL Solutions, TÜV SÜD and DEKRA. LPCB (BRE Group) is listed as an emerging player.
Does FM Approvals have an API?
No public API is recorded for FM Approvals.
What industry is FM Approvals in?
FM Approvals's product category is Third-Party Testing and Certification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAKAEAD, Inspection, Audit & Compliance Management (Regulator/Third-Party Oversight), with a secondary code of EDAOABAM, Testing, Commissioning & Electrical Safety (NFPA 70E/Arc Flash). Its NAICS code is 541380 and its SIC code is 8734.