What CHROMagar does

CHROMagar is a privately held French biotechnology company, founded in 1993 by Dr. Alain Rambach — the inventor-microbiologist recognized as a pioneer of chromogenic culture media technology since 1979. The company develops, manufactures, and sells chromogenic culture media products that use proprietary color-based biochemistry to differentiate microbial species directly on a single culture plate, enabling presumptive identification of pathogens within 18–24 hours rather than the longer timelines of traditional culture methods. Its product portfolio spans four verticals — clinical microbiology (urinary tract pathogens, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Candida, carbapenem-resistant organisms), food industry pathogen testing, water testing (under the AquaCHROM sub-brand, including ISO 16649- and ISO 9308-1-aligned formats), and veterinary microbiology (mastitis, Mycoplasma, Pasteurella, Malassezia). Core SKUs include CHROMagar Orientation, mSuperCARBA, Candida Plus, B.cepacia, StrepA, Salmonella, Vibrio, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus, plus add-on supplements such as the White Opaque visualization supplement; products are CE-marked and qualified for in vitro diagnostic use.

The company operates as a Société anonyme simplifiée (SAS) registered in La Plaine Saint-Denis near Paris, France, with reported employee count of 1–10. CHROMagar does not sell directly to end users; instead, it relies exclusively on a global distribution network of over 250 authorized distributors that handle local sales, regulatory localization, and customer support across its four verticals. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed, and revenue is generated through one-time consumable purchases (ready-to-use plates and powder formats in various pack sizes) rather than subscription or licensing arrangements. The company is led by founder Dr. Alain Rambach, with Alberto Lerner serving as legal representative; no external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries are disclosed. Marketing and demand generation are conducted through a multilingual (French/English/Spanish) website, peer-reviewed scientific publications, email newsletters, and participation in scientific conferences, while top-of-funnel brand authority is reinforced by an extensive library of third-party performance validations (e.g., Salmonella 95% sensitivity / 88.9% specificity, Orientation 99.3% specificity for E. coli detection).

Name

CHROMagar

Legal name

CHROMagar

Website

https://chromagar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CHROMagar is a privately held French biotechnology company, founded in 1993, that manufactures chromogenic culture media products enabling rapid (18–24h) color-based microbial identification for clinical, food, water, and veterinary laboratories via a global distributor network of over 250 partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbiological Diagnostic Media

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbiological Reference Cultures, Strains & Controls (Food Micro) (AFALAKAF)

Keywords

• Chromogenic culture media
• Microbial diagnostic media
• Clinical microbiology products
• Water testing media
• Veterinary diagnostic media

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Culture Media Products: Sale of chromogenic culture media products for clinical, food industry, water testing, and veterinary applications. Products include ready-to-use plates and powder formats in various pack sizes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CHROMagar develops, manufactures, and distributes chromogenic culture media products used by laboratories for the detection, differentiation, and presumptive identification of microorganisms. Its portfolio spans four application areas: clinical microbiology (urinary tract pathogens, Salmonella, Candida, carbapenem-resistant bacteria), the food industry, water testing (E. coli and coliforms), and veterinary microbiology (mastitis, Mycoplasma, Pasteurella). Products are sold in ready-to-use plates and powder formats through a worldwide network of over 250 distributors.

Product overview

CHROMagar is a manufacturer of chromogenic culture media products, founded in 1993 by Dr. Alain Rambach, inventor and pioneer of chromogenic technology since 1979. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of culture media organized across four main application areas: Clinical Microbiology (including urinary tract pathogens, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Candida, and other clinically relevant organisms), Food Industry (pathogen detection in food products), Water Testing (AquaCHROM and ECC product lines for E. coli and coliform detection), and Veterinary Microbiology (mastitis pathogens, Mycoplasma, Pasteurella, and other animal health applications). The products utilize chromogenic technology that produces intense color differentiation of microorganisms, enabling faster (18-24h) and easier identification compared to traditional culture methods. The portfolio includes both standard plates and specialized formulations, with supplements like White Opaque for enhanced visualization. Products are CE marked and IVD certified for in vitro diagnostic use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AquaCHROM: Chromogenic medium for water testing applications, including AquaCHROM ECC for E. coli and coliform detection.
• CHROMagar Orientation
• CHROMagar mSuperCARBA
• CHROMagar Candida Plus
• CHROMagar B.cepacia
• CHROMagar StrepA
• CHROMagar Salmonella
• CHROMagar Staphylococcus
• CHROMagar Streptococcus
• CHROMagar Vibrio

Products and services

• CHROMagar™ Orientation Non-selective chromogenic culture medium for qualitative direct detection, differentiation and presumptive identification of uropathogens to aid in the diagnosis of urinary tract infections; also usable with veterinary samples.
• CHROMagar™ mSuperCARBA™ Chromogenic culture medium for the detection and differentiation of carbapenem-resistant bacteria.
• CHROMagar™ Candida Plus Chromogenic medium for detection and differentiation of Candida species.
• CHROMagar™ B.cepacia Chromogenic medium for detection of Burkholderia cepacia complex.
• CHROMagar™ StrepA Chromogenic medium for detection of Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Strep).
• CHROMagar™ Salmonella Selective chromogenic culture medium for qualitative direct detection, differentiation, and presumptive identification of Salmonella species including S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi.
• CHROMagar™ Staphylococcus Chromogenic medium for isolation and direct differentiation of Staphylococcus species, including S. aureus.
• CHROMagar™ Streptococcus Chromogenic medium for isolation and differentiation of Streptococcus spp., particularly useful in mastitis diagnosis.
• CHROMagar™ Vibrio Chromogenic medium for isolation and detection of V. cholerae, V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. alginolyticus from water and food samples.
• CHROMagar™ TBX Chromogenic medium for the detection and enumeration of β-glucuronidase positive E. coli according to ISO 16649.
• AquaCHROM™ ECC Chromogenic medium for presence/absence detection of E. coli and coliforms in 100 mL water samples.
• CHROMagar™ CCA Chromogenic medium for detection and enumeration of E. coli and coliform bacteria in water according to ISO 9308-1 norm.
• CHROMagar™ ECC Chromogenic medium for simultaneous detection and enumeration of E. coli and other coliforms.
• CHROMagar™ Liquid ECC Liquid chromogenic medium for simultaneous detection and enumeration of E. coli and other coliforms.
• CHROMagar™ E.coli Chromogenic medium for detection and enumeration of E. coli in water and food samples.
• CHROMagar™ Pseudomonas Chromogenic medium for isolation and detection of Pseudomonas species in water analysis.
• CHROMagar™ C.perfringens Chromogenic medium for detection and enumeration of Clostridium perfringens in water analysis.
• CHROMagar™ Mastitis Chromogenic medium for isolation and differentiation of the main pathogens involved in mastitis infections in dairy cattle.
• CHROMagar™ Mycoplasma Chromogenic medium for detection of Mycoplasma bovis in veterinary samples.
• CHROMagar™ Pasteurella Chromogenic medium for detection of Pasteurellaceae in veterinary samples.
• CHROMagar™ Malassezia Chromogenic medium for detection of Malassezia spp. in veterinary samples.
• CHROMagar™ White Opaque Supplement Supplement to be added to CHROMagar media in order to obtain an opaque background for enhanced colony visualization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Results in 18-24 hours vs. longer traditional methods
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Global Distributor NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCHROMagar operates with a network of over 250 authorized distributors worldwide. These distributors handle local sales, distribution, and customer support for chromogenic culture media products across clinical, food industry, water testing, and veterinary microbiology sectors.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• bioMérieux: Global leader in in vitro diagnostics and microbiology with a comprehensive chromogenic media portfolio (chromID series) and integrated identification platforms. Directly comparable as a microbiology media manufacturer serving clinical, food, and industrial markets, but operates at vastly larger scale with automation and instruments alongside consumables.
• BD (Becton Dickinson): Major medical technology company with extensive microbiology offerings including BBL chromogenic media products and BD MAX automated molecular systems. Competes with CHROMagar in clinical microbiology culture media but bundles media with broader diagnostic instrumentation and lab automation solutions.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life sciences leader offering microbiology culture media products (through Oxoid and Remel brands) used in clinical and food safety testing. Competes with CHROMagar across the full microbiology workflow including media, instruments, and reagents.
• bio-Rad Laboratories: Life science and clinical diagnostics company with microbiology product lines (including chromogenic media offerings) and quality control systems for food and clinical labs. Overlaps with CHROMagar in chromogenic media and lab QC reagents across food safety and clinical diagnostics.
• Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma): Life science division offering microbiology culture media products (GranuCult, ready-to-use plates) for clinical, food, and water testing applications. Competes with CHROMagar in chromogenic and traditional culture media across industrial and clinical microbiology segments.

Direct peers

• Hardy Diagnostics: Independent US-based manufacturer of microbiology culture media and diagnostic test kits, with a focused product range comparable to CHROMagar's specialization. Serves clinical laboratories, food safety, and industrial microbiology customers through direct and distributor channels.
• Liofilchem: Italian manufacturer of microbiology products including chromogenic culture media and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Direct comparable to CHROMagar as a mid-sized independent European microbiology media specialist with comparable product breadth and target customer segments.
• Condalab: Spanish-based independent manufacturer of microbiology culture media, dehydrated media, and ready-to-use plates for clinical and industrial applications. Closely comparable to CHROMagar in scale, business model, and product focus, particularly in the food and water testing verticals.
• HiMedia Laboratories: Indian manufacturer of microbiology culture media, chromogenic media, and molecular biology reagents with global distribution. Comparable to CHROMagar in offering chromogenic media across clinical, food, and water testing, often as a price-competitive alternative.

Emerging players

• Neogen Corporation: US-based food safety and animal safety diagnostics company offering pathogen detection products including chromogenic media and molecular assays. Comparable to CHROMagar in the food industry vertical with overlapping product applications for Salmonella and other pathogen detection.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CHROMagar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 CHROMagar