What C. Gerhardt Analytical Systems does

C. Gerhardt Analytical Systems (legal entity: C. Gerhardt GmbH & Co. KG) is a privately held German manufacturer founded in 1846 and headquartered in Königswinter, Germany. The company develops and produces automated laboratory analytical systems for reference analytics, rapid analysis, and sample preparation, with a portfolio centered on classical chemical methods — Kjeldahl, Dumas, and Soxhlet — for nitrogen/protein determination, fiber extraction, fat analysis, steam distillation, and chemical digestion. Core products include the N-Realyzer (Dumas combustion), KJELDATHERM (block digestion, 20-80 samples/day), VAPODEST (steam distillation, up to 40 samples/day), FIBRETHERM (fiber extraction, up to 12 samples), SOXTHERM (solid-liquid extraction), and TURBOTHERM digestion units, supported by proprietary consumables such as FibreBag filter bags, KJELCATS catalyst tablets, and digestion tubes. Operations are certified to ISO 9001.

The company serves quality control and reference laboratories across food and feed analytics, agricultural analytics, beverage production, environmental testing, industrial manufacturing, and the emerging novel food (insect-based feed) segment. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales of instruments, recurring consumables revenue from proprietary accessories, and professional services including technical support, maintenance, user training, and application laboratory services. Go-to-market combines direct sales from German headquarters with 7 wholly-owned subsidiaries in France, the UK, China, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, and Indonesia, a Middle East regional office, and a network of over 100 authorized distributors covering more than 90% of world markets. The business has remained under family ownership across five generations, with Jan Macke and Tom Macke serving as co-representative managing directors, and has no disclosed external institutional investors.

Name

C. Gerhardt Analytical Systems

Legal name

C. Gerhardt GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://gerhardt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

C. Gerhardt Analytical Systems is a German family-owned manufacturer (founded 1846) that develops automated laboratory analytical systems for food, feed, agricultural, beverage, environmental, and industrial laboratories, selling Kjeldahl, Dumas, and Soxhlet-based instruments and consumables globally through subsidiaries and distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Analytical Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems (HLAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food, Feed & Nutraceutical Analytical Testing (HLAGADAN), Method Development & Validation (ICH/USP) (HLAGADAB), Matrix-Matched Standards & Spiking Materials (Food Contaminants/Residues) (AFALAKAI)

Keywords

• Analytical laboratory instruments
• Nitrogen protein analyzers
• Kjeldahl Dumas systems
• Fat extraction equipment
• Fiber determination systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Königswinter

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Analytical Instruments and Systems: Sale of automated analytical systems for reference analytics, rapid analysis, and sample preparation including N-Realyzer, KJELDATHERM, VAPODEST, FIBRETHERM, and SOXTHERM equipment. The acquisition of an analysis device marks the beginning of a long-term cooperation with comprehensive analytical and technical support.
2. Accessories and Consumables: Original consumables and accessories including FibreBags, glass spacers, digestion tubes, and chemicals required for analytical procedures.
3. Technical Service and Support: Comprehensive technical support, maintenance, repair services, and user training. Service offerings include installation, commissioning, user training, and customized maintenance plans adapted to individual laboratory requirements.
4. Application Laboratory Services: Application laboratory services with capability to address individual customer needs from any industry, combined with automated procedures for optimal solutions to analytical problems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

C. Gerhardt develops and produces automated analytical systems for reference analysis, rapid analysis, and sample preparation in laboratories. The product portfolio centers on classical chemical methods — Kjeldahl, Dumas, and Soxhlet — for nitrogen/protein, fat, fiber, and SO2 determination in food, animal feed, agricultural, beverage, environmental, and industrial samples. Systems are sold together with original consumables (FibreBags, KJELCATS catalyst tablets, digestion tubes, glass spacers) and supported by global technical service, user training, and application laboratory consulting.

Product overview

C. Gerhardt Analytical Systems develops and produces a comprehensive portfolio of automated analytical systems for reference analysis, rapid analysis, and sample preparation. The product ecosystem centers on Kjeldahl and Dumas methods for nitrogen/protein determination, fiber analysis (FIBRETHERM), fat extraction (SOXTHERM), steam distillation (VAPODEST), and chemical digestion (KJELDATHERM, TURBOTHERM). These systems work with dedicated consumables including FibreBag filter bags, KJELCATS catalysts, glass spacers, and digestion tubes. The company operates under ISO 9001 quality standards and serves food, feed, agricultural, beverage, environmental, and industrial laboratories with complete solutions from development through user training. Founded in 1846, the German manufacturer offers its products globally through affiliated companies and distribution partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FIBRETHERM: Automated fiber extraction system for up to 12 samples
• KJELDATHERM
• VAPODEST
• N-Realyzer
• SOXTHERM
• TURBOTHERM
• FibreBag
• KJELCATS

Products and services

• N-Realyzer Automated nitrogen/protein determination instrument using the Dumas combustion method, providing high-throughput protein analysis for food, feed, and agricultural laboratories.
• FIBRETHERM Automated fiber extraction unit processing up to 12 samples simultaneously for crude fiber, ADF/NDF, and chitin determination in feed and food samples.
• KJELDATHERM Block digestion unit for Kjeldahl nitrogen analysis with throughput of 20 to 80 samples per day, performing chemical digestion as preparation for protein determination.
• VAPODEST Steam distillation system with throughput of up to 40 samples per day for water steam distillation following Kjeldahl digestion, used in nitrogen/protein analysis workflows.
• SOXTHERM Soxhlet extraction unit for solid-liquid extraction, used for fat analysis and extraction of lipophilic substances, EOX, IPA, PCB, and other compounds in environmental and food laboratories.
• TURBOTHERM Thermal block digestion unit used for sample digestion in analytical procedures prior to distillation or further analysis.
• FibreBag Original filter bag consumable used in FIBRETHERM fiber extraction units, enabling automated fiber analysis procedures and replacing traditional glass filter technology.
• KJELCATS Catalyst tablets used in Kjeldahl digestion with a built-in color-change indicator (blue to brown) confirming NaOH excess.
• Glass Spacers Glass spacers used in sample preparation for chitin determination and fiber analysis procedures with FIBRETHERM systems.
• Digestion Glass Tubes Original glass digestion tubes used for sample digestion in KJELDATHERM and TURBOTHERM block digestion units.
• Technical Service and Support Comprehensive technical service including installation, commissioning, user training, repair, and customized maintenance plans for installed C. Gerhardt analytical systems.
• Application Laboratory Services Application laboratory consulting services that develop customized analytical procedures and methods to address individual customer needs from any industry, delivered from the Königswinter headquarters facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sample throughput of 20-80 samples per day with KJELDATHERM digestion system
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Research Institute of Feed Technology (IFF) BraunschweigcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of cost-efficient and practical analytical technique for chitin analysis in insect-based feeds and mixed feeds. The collaboration combined C. Gerhardt's analytical systems expertise (FIBRETHERM, KJELDATHERM, VAPODEST) with IFF's research capabilities to create a method based on classical chemical methods for raw fiber and nitrogen determination.
• Various Regional Distributors (Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, South/Central America)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal network of authorized distributors and representatives covering all major regions. Partners include companies such as AES Agri-Enviro Solutions (Southern Africa), LCGC BioAnalytic Solutions (India), Benelux Scientific (Belgium/Netherlands), and over 100 others worldwide.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• FOSS Analytical: FOSS is the dominant global supplier of analytical instruments for food and feed quality control (NIR, Kjeldahl-based, reference methods). Direct competitor in C. Gerhardt's core served market.
• BUCHI Labortechnik: BUCHI is a leading Swiss manufacturer of Kjeldahl digestion and distillation systems, Soxhlet extractors, and related consumables - directly overlapping C. Gerhardt's N-Realyzer, KJELDATHERM, VAPODEST, and SOXTHERM lines.
• VELP Scientifica: VELP produces Kjeldahl (DK/DKL), Dumas (EMA), Soxhlet (SER), and fiber extraction (FIWE) instruments used in food and environmental labs, making it a close direct peer for classical wet-chemistry analytical systems.
• ANKOM Technology: ANKOM specializes in automated fiber and crude-fat analysis (filter bag technology, Ankom200/Delta), directly comparable to C. Gerhardt's FIBRETHERM and FibreBag franchise.

Emerging players

• CEM Corporation: CEM provides microwave-accelerated digestion and rapid protein/fat analyzers that compete with C. Gerhardt's KJELDATHERM and SOXTHERM by compressing run times, addressing the same food/feed lab customers with a faster technology position.
• LECO Corporation: LECO's FP and Trumac nitrogen/protein analyzers (Dumas-based) compete with C. Gerhardt's N-Realyzer in the protein-content testing market for food, feed, and agricultural customers.

Broad incumbents

• Agilent Technologies: Agilent supplies broad analytical instrumentation (MP-AES, GC, LC, mass spec) to food/environmental/industrial labs, giving customers a broader-scope alternative to C. Gerhardt's classical wet-chemistry systems.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher offers elemental analyzers (Flash series), Dionex, and full lab-automation stacks serving the same regulated food, environmental, and industrial QC end markets as C. Gerhardt.
• PerkinElmer: PerkinElmer provides a wide portfolio of analytical instruments (atomic spectroscopy, chromatography, thermal analysis) used by C. Gerhardt's target customer base, serving as a broader incumbent alternative.
• Shimadzu Corporation: Shimadzu manufactures analytical and measuring instruments (TOC, spectrophotometry, chromatography, mass spec) for food, environmental, and industrial labs - overlapping with C. Gerhardt's regulated QC customer set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-gerhardt-gmbh-co-kg

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 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 C. Gerhardt Analytical Systems