SDI
San Diego Instruments is a privately held manufacturer of behavioral neuroscience research instruments, including startle response, motor coordination, avoidance learning, activity monitoring, and analgesia systems. It sells globally through distribution partners and direct sales to academic, pharmaceutical, and biotech research laboratories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SDI does
San Diego Instruments, Inc. (SDI) is a privately held U.S. corporation founded in 1994 and headquartered in San Diego, California that designs, manufactures, and distributes behavioral neuroscience research instruments used by academic, pharmaceutical, and biotech laboratories worldwide. The company's flagship product, the SR-LAB, is described as the world's most widely used startle response system, employing accelerometer-based measurement, hermetically sealed motion sensors, and tubular enclosures to minimize animal stress. The portfolio spans motor coordination (ROTOR-ROD), avoidance learning (GEMINI), locomotor activity (Photobeam Activity System), fear conditioning (Freeze Monitor II), video tracking (ANY-Maze), analgesia testing (Hot Plate, Tail Flick, Paw Pressure, Plantar), and a suite of maze apparatus for spatial learning and anxiety studies, with complementary stimulation modules (AIRSTIM, Animal Stimulator, Programmable Rodent Shocker). Systems are designed for self-installation in under one hour, use USB connectivity, and support multiple paradigms without proprietary add-on kits.
SDI operates a one-time perpetual license sales model with quote-based pricing. It reaches global customers through a network of regional distribution partners in Europe, Korea, Brazil, India, Southeast Asia, China, Israel, Taiwan, Japan, and Turkey, supplemented by direct sales from San Diego for unrepresented geographies (including the United States). Marketing is conducted primarily through scientific content (blog, webinars with Inside Scientific, YouTube video content), downloadable product catalogs, and online quote-request forms. Customers are predominantly academic and research institutions conducting behavioral neuroscience, with secondary segments in pharmaceutical/biotech drug discovery and specialized neuroscience disease labs. SDI holds CE certification on the SR-LAB and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance on its PAS-Open Field system, which support sales to regulated European and GXP-aligned buyers.
SDI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SDI
- Legal name
- San Diego Instruments, Inc.
- Website
- https://sandiegoinstruments.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- San Diego Instruments is a privately held manufacturer of behavioral neuroscience research instruments, including startle response, motor coordination, avoidance learning, activity monitoring, and analgesia systems. It sells globally through distribution partners and direct sales to academic, pharmaceutical, and biotech research laboratories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SDI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Behavioral Neuroscience Research Instruments
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where SDI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices13 records
Markets served
SDI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Behavioral Neuroscience Research Instruments: Sale of research instruments and systems for behavioral neuroscience studies, including startle response systems, rotarod, avoidance systems, activity monitoring, and related accessories. Pricing is quote-based with direct sales and distribution partners globally.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Research instruments and systems |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
SDI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SDI designs, manufactures, and distributes behavioral neuroscience research instruments used in animal studies of startle reflex, learning and memory, motor coordination, locomotor activity, fear conditioning, anxiety, and pain. Its flagship SR-LAB is the world's most widely used startle response system, supplemented by the ROTOR-ROD motor coordination tester, GEMINI avoidance system, Photobeam Activity Systems, Freeze Monitor II fear conditioning, ANY-Maze video tracking, plus a broad line of mazes and analgesia apparatus. Products are sold as one-time purchases via quote-based direct sales and a global network of regional distributors.
Product overview
San Diego Instruments (SDI) is a behavioral neuroscience research instrument company serving the scientific community for over 30 years with design, manufacture and distribution of research equipment. The product portfolio centers on the flagship SR-LAB startle response system (the world's most widely used) supplemented by motor coordination (Rotor Rod), avoidance learning (Gemini), and locomotor activity systems (Photobeam Activity System). SDI offers complementary modules including the ANY-Maze video tracking software, AIRSTIM air puff stimulation, conditioning systems (Freeze Monitor II, Animal Stimulator), and analgesia testing equipment (Hot Plate, Tail Flick, Paw Pressure). The product line includes various maze apparatus (Barnes, Elevated Plus, T-Maze, Y-Maze, Radial Arm, ZERO), open field systems, tremor monitoring, and accessories. Systems are designed for self-installation, feature USB connectivity, and support multiple test paradigms without requiring additional software. SDI distributes globally through regional partners in Europe, Asia, and Americas, with direct sales from San Diego headquarters.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SR-LAB: The world's most widely used startle response system for measuring startle habituation, pre-pulse inhibition (PPI), and Fear Potentiated Startle (FPS).
- ROTOR-ROD
- GEMINI
- PAS (Photobeam Activity System)
- Freeze Monitor II
Products and services
- SR-LAB Startle Response System Accelerometer-based system for measuring startle habituation, pre-pulse inhibition (PPI), and Fear Potentiated Startle (FPS) in rodents. Configurable with up to 16 stations for high-throughput testing, CE certified.
- ROTOR-ROD Motor Coordination System Motor coordination testing system using fear of falling as motivation, with programmable acceleration, constant speed, and deceleration; 7 photobeams per lane prevent false falls; available for mice, rats, or combination.
- GEMINI Active and Passive Avoidance System Active and passive avoidance learning system for rats and mice with up to 8 independent USB-connected stations, scrambled shock to prevent animal pattern detection, and 16 photobeams per enclosure.
- Photobeam Activity System - Open Field (PAS-Open Field) 16x16 photobeam locomotor activity testing system with real-time beam break display, X/Y zone mapping, up to 32 stations, and Microsoft Access data storage; supports FDA CFR Part 11 compliance.
- Freeze Monitor II Fear Conditioning System Automated cued and contextual fear conditioning system with video-based freeze detection, 2–40 kHz puretone stimuli, and up to 4 independently controlled USB stations.
- Conditioned Place Preference System 4x16 photobeam array for x,y positioning, recording entries, time in chamber, ambulation, and fine movements; supports 2- or 3-compartment configurations and up to 16 stations per computer.
- ANY-Maze Video Tracking System Video-based automated tracking compatible with water maze, Barnes maze, elevated plus maze, T-maze, Y-maze, radial arm maze, open field, place preference, home cage, and forced swim test; Adaptive Tracking Technology requires no special setup.
Quantifiable outcome
- Self-installable in under one hour with no programming required
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SDI
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SDI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
SDI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Bilaney Consultants (Germany)coreEurope distribution partner for SDI products covering Germany and broader Europe region
- Bilaney Consultants Ltd (UK and Ireland)coreUK and Ireland distribution partner for SDI behavioral neuroscience research instruments
- Lifetech Inc. (Korea)coreKorea distribution partner handling SDI product sales in South Korea
- Scitech Korea, Inc.coreAdditional Korea distribution partner covering South Korean market
- Interprise BrasilcoreBrazil distribution partner for SDI products covering Latin America market
- AHUJATECH (India)coreIndia distribution partner for SDI behavioral neuroscience instruments
- Prime Bioscience Pte Ltd (Singapore)coreSoutheast Asia distribution partner covering Singapore and regional markets
- Bioprobes Ltd. (Hong Kong)coreChina/Hong Kong distribution partner for SDI products
- Bioprobes (GZ) Ltd. (Guangzhou)coreGuangzhou, China distribution partner for SDI instruments
- Probecare Scientific, Inc (Wuhan)coreWuhan, China distribution partner covering central China region
- NBT NewBiotechnology Ltd. (Israel)coreIsrael distribution partner for SDI behavioral neuroscience products
- KYS Technology (Taiwan)coreTaiwan distribution partner for SDI instruments
- Muromachi Kikai Co.Ltd. (Japan)coreJapan distribution partner for SDI products
- Neuroscience, Inc (Japan)coreAdditional Japan distribution partner covering Tokyo region
- Commat Ltd. (Turkey)coreTurkey distribution partner for SDI instruments
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
SDI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TSE Systems: German manufacturer of behavioral phenotyping systems including fear conditioning, startle/PPI, and operant platforms. Comparable to SDI as a competing European-headquartered specialty vendor in the same product categories and customer base.
- Ugo Basile: Italian manufacturer of behavioral and pain research instruments (rotarod, hot plate, von Frey, fear conditioning). Highly comparable because both are privately held specialty manufacturers selling into academic and pharma preclinical labs with overlapping product lines.
- Noldus Information Technology: Dutch developer of behavioral research software and hardware (EthoVision XT, CatWalk) used in animal neuroscience and phenotyping labs. Directly comparable to SDI because both sell integrated hardware + software systems for startle, maze, and locomotor studies to academic and pharma research customers globally.
- Med Associates: Vermont-based manufacturer of behavioral and neuroscience research equipment including operant chambers, startle, and self-administration systems. Comparable to SDI because both serve the same academic and addiction/pharma research customers with complementary (and in some cases overlapping) hardware.
- ANY-Maze (Stoelting): Widely used video tracking software for behavioral testing (mazes, open field, fear conditioning) — already distributed by SDI as a third-party add-on. Relevant peer because it is also a key enabling technology in the same workflows, and a potential vertical integration target.
- Coulbourn Instruments: US designer and manufacturer of behavioral research systems (operant chambers, fear conditioning, activity monitors). Closely comparable niche competitor in the academic behavioral neuroscience equipment market.
- Stoelting Co. US-based manufacturer of behavioral research instruments including rotarod, fear conditioning, and startle systems. Directly competes with SDI in the North American academic market across many of the same test categories.
- Kinder Scientific: Manufacturer of motor activity and startle response monitoring systems for rodent research. Direct competitor to SDI's SR-LAB and PAS product lines, serving the same academic and pharma preclinical customer base.
Emerging players
- Maze Engineers: Smaller specialty vendor focused on behavioral apparatus (mazes, open field, fear conditioning) for academic labs. Comparable to SDI in product category but with a narrower, more app/software-flavored go-to-market and lower global distribution scale.
Broad incumbents
- Harvard Apparatus: Broad life science research equipment brand (now part of the larger Harvard Bioscience portfolio) selling surgical, physiological, and behavioral instruments. Comparable to SDI as a broader incumbent offering overlapping product categories but with a much wider portfolio and institutional scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SDI social profiles
Digital presenceSDI compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
SDI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SDI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SDI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SDI 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 SDI
What does SDI do?
SDI designs, manufactures, and distributes behavioral neuroscience research instruments used in animal studies of startle reflex, learning and memory, motor coordination, locomotor activity, fear conditioning, anxiety, and pain. Its flagship SR-LAB is the world's most widely used startle response system, supplemented by the ROTOR-ROD motor coordination tester, GEMINI avoidance system, Photobeam Activity Systems, Freeze Monitor II fear conditioning, ANY-Maze video tracking, plus a broad line of mazes and analgesia apparatus. Products are sold as one-time purchases via quote-based direct sales and a global network of regional distributors.
Is SDI a public or private company?
SDI is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SDI founded?
SDI was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SDI based?
SDI is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does SDI make money?
One revenue line is on record: behavioral Neuroscience Research Instruments.
Who are SDI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TSE Systems, Ugo Basile, Noldus Information Technology, Med Associates, ANY-Maze (Stoelting), Coulbourn Instruments, Stoelting Co. and Kinder Scientific. Maze Engineers is listed as an emerging player. Harvard Apparatus is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SDI have an API?
No public API is recorded for SDI.
What industry is SDI in?
SDI's product category is Behavioral Neuroscience Research Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAC, General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.