COPLEY Scientific AG

What COPLEY Scientific AG does

Copley Scientific AG (legally Copley Scientific Limited) is a privately held specialist manufacturer of pharmaceutical and inhaler testing equipment, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with a sales office in Nanjing, China. The company designs and produces precision instruments for testing orally inhaled and nasal drug products (OINDPs), including cascade impactors (Next Generation Impactor systems), delivered dose uniformity (DDU) sampling apparatus, breathing simulators (BRS series), flow controllers (BAC 100i, TPK 100i), vacuum pumps, environmental chambers, and ancillary apparatus, all engineered to comply with Ph. Eur. and USP pharmacopoeial requirements. Its product portfolio also spans broader pharmaceutical QC equipment (dissolution testers, disintegration testers, tablet hardness and friability testers, powder testing workstations, semisolids and suppository testers) and a detergent testing line (Tergotometer), plus the Inhalytix®+ APSD data analysis software and the Inhaler Testing Academy® training program. A co-developed product, the Kiel Nasal Inlet (KNI), was commercialized with Kiel University.

The company generates revenue through sales of testing hardware, one-time software licenses (Inhalytix®+), professional services (training via Inhaler Testing Academy®, on-site servicing, technical support), and consumables/accessories. Its go-to-market is sales-led enterprise distribution: direct field sales from the UK headquarters and the China office for large pharmaceutical customers, augmented by a global network of authorized distributors and resellers, with marketing driven by technical content, webinars, industry events (notably Respiratory Drug Delivery conferences), and training programs. Quality is anchored by ISO 9001 certification with UKAS accreditation, and the company is recognized as an Investors in People Gold employer. Customer segments are primarily pharmaceutical manufacturers of MDIs, DPIs, nebulisers, soft mist inhalers, and nasal products, with secondary exposure to generic drug developers requiring bioequivalence studies and R&D/QC laboratories requiring validated test methods and training.

In 2026, the company launched the Copley Inhaled Dissolution Apparatus™ (IDA), the Inhalytix®+ software platform, and the SRS 100i automated sample recovery system, and marked its 80th anniversary. Ownership remains private with no disclosed external investors, no parent company, and no public revenue or funding disclosures.

Name

COPLEY Scientific AG

Legal name

Copley Scientific Limited

Website

https://copleyscientific.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Copley Scientific AG is a UK-based, privately held manufacturer of pharmaceutical testing equipment specializing in orally inhaled and nasal drug products, serving inhaler manufacturers, generic drug developers, and R&D/QC laboratories globally through direct sales, distributors, and training services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Testing Equipment

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Analytical Development & QC Testing (Release/Stability/Potency) (HLAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Release Testing & Batch Certification (QC) (HLAGADAC), Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) & Respiratory Diagnostics (HLAKANAC)

Keywords

• Inhaler testing equipment
• Pharmaceutical testing instruments
• Cascade impactor manufacturing
• Dissolution testing systems
• Nasal drug testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Therwil

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Testing Equipment Sales: Sale of specialized pharmaceutical testing equipment including cascade impactors, delivered dose uniformity apparatus, vacuum pumps, breathing simulators, flow controllers, and ancillary testing accessories. Equipment ranges from entry-level to automated systems.
2. Software Licenses: Inhalytix®+ software for APSD data analysis, providing centralized method setup, equipment integration, and results management for OINDP testing workflows.
3. Training Services: Inhaler Testing Academy® and custom training courses covering testing fundamentals, method development, workflow efficiency, and best practices for all experience levels.
4. Servicing and Support: Comprehensive in-house and on-site product servicing options, technical support, and application assistance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Copley Scientific AG manufactures and sells specialized pharmaceutical testing equipment focused on orally inhaled and nasal drug products (OINDPs), including cascade impactors, delivered dose uniformity apparatus, breathing simulators, flow controllers, vacuum pumps, environmental chambers, dissolution/disintegration/hardness testers, friability and density testers, semisolids and suppository testing systems, and proprietary Inhalytix®+ APSD data analysis software. The company also operates the Inhaler Testing Academy® training program and provides product servicing, application support, and technical consultation to pharmaceutical manufacturers, R&D laboratories, and QC facilities globally.

Product overview

Copley Scientific is a specialized manufacturer of pharmaceutical and inhaler testing equipment organized into three core product lines: Inhaler Testing, Pharmaceutical Testing, and Detergent Testing. The inhaler testing portfolio centers on Delivered Dose Uniformity (DDU) and Aerodynamic Particle Size Distribution (APSD) testing equipment for orally inhaled and nasal drug products (OINDPs), supporting MDIs, DPIs, nebulisers, soft mist inhalers, and nasal products. Pharmaceutical testing includes dissolution testers (DISi Series), disintegration testers (DTGi), hardness testers (TBF 100i, TH3), friability testers (FRVi, Friabimat), tapped density testers (JVi Series), powder testing workstations (PTW, PTA 100i), semisolids testers (HDT 1000), and suppository testers (SDT 1000, VTT). The company also offers comprehensive ancillary products including breathing simulators (BRS series), flow controllers (BAC 100i, TPK 100i), vacuum pumps (LCP7, HCP7, SCP7), environmental chambers (EnviroMate™), NGI Cooler™, workstations (ITW), and data analysis software (Inhalytix®+). Services include training through the Inhaler Testing Academy®.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Inhaler Testing Academy: Training academy providing courses on inhaler testing techniques and best practices
• Inhalytix
• DISi Series
• DTGi Series
• TBF 100i
• FRVi Series
• JVi Series
• Tergotometer

Products and services

• Delivered Dose Uniformity (DDU) Testing Equipment DDU sampling apparatus designed to accurately assess the total amount of emitted drug from inhaler devices, including metered-dose inhalers (MDIs), dry powder inhalers (DPIs), nebulisers, soft mist inhalers (SMIs), and nasal products, used by pharmaceutical manufacturers for batch release and regulatory compliance.
• Aerodynamic Particle Size Distribution (APSD) Testing Equipment Precision-engineered cascade impactors (including the Next Generation Impactor) that measure particle size distribution of inhaled drug products, providing critical information about lung deposition for pharmaceutical R&D and QC laboratories.
• DISi Series Dissolution Testers Reliable and cost-efficient dissolution tester systems designed with high standards of solid dosage testing performance for pharmaceutical quality control laboratories.
• DTGi Series Disintegration Testers Tablet disintegration testing equipment for pharmaceutical quality control laboratories measuring disintegration time of solid dosage forms.
• TBF 100i Tablet Hardness Tester Precision instrument for measuring tablet breaking force and hardness in pharmaceutical quality control and formulation development.
• FRVi Series Friability Testers Tablet friability testing equipment for uncoated tablets, ensuring product quality and durability assessment in pharmaceutical QC environments.
• JVi Series Tapped Density Testers Powder testing equipment for measuring tapped density of pharmaceutical powders in formulation and QC workflows.
• HDT 1000 Vertical Diffusion Cell System Semisolids testing equipment for topical pharmaceutical product testing using vertical diffusion cell methodology for creams, ointments, and gels.
• SDT 1000 Suppository Disintegration Tester Specialized equipment for suppository disintegration testing per pharmacopoeial standards in pharmaceutical QC laboratories.
• TRG 800i Tergotometer Detergent testing equipment for evaluating cleaning product performance through standardized wash testing protocols.
• BRS 100i/200i/300i Breathing Simulators Breathing simulators (BRS 100i, BRS 200i, BRS 300i) for generating neonatal, infant, child, and adult breathing patterns required for dose uniformity testing of nebulisers.
• BAC 100i Breath Actuation Controller Electronically-operated, timer-controlled two-way solenoid valve flow controller for DDU and APSD testing of metered-dose inhalers, featuring automatic calculation of test duration.
• Flow Rate Sensor FRS Flow rate sensor ensuring consistent and accurate inlet flow rate measurement for DDU testing and APSD measurement with bi-directional air flow capability.
• LCP7 / HCP7 / SCP7 Vacuum Pumps Range of vacuum pumps (LCP7 low capacity, HCP7 high capacity, SCP7 super capacity) designed for optimal operation across flow rates required for MDI, nebuliser, ADI, and nasal product inhaler testing.
• EnviroMate™ Benchtop Environmental Chamber Cost-effective benchtop environmental chamber for controlling temperature and humidity during DDU and APSD testing, with built-in anti-static system for consistent environmental conditions.
• NGI Cooler™ Temperature-controlled cooling system designed to maintain the Next Generation Impactor (NGI) at 5°C to prevent droplet size change due to evaporation during nebuliser and ADI testing.
• Vertus® III Automated Shake/Fire Systems Automated shake, fire, and shot waste range system for precise, controlled, and reproducible metered-dose inhaler (MDI) testing with complete control over shaking speed, angle, duration, firing force, and timing.
• Inhalytix®+ APSD Data Analysis Software Proprietary software that efficiently converts raw aerodynamic particle size distribution data into performance-defining metrics for all orally inhaled and nasal drug products, centralizing method setup, equipment integration, and results management.
• Kiel Nasal Inlet (KNI) Robust nasal dosing collection apparatus co-developed with Kiel University for reliable DDU and APSD testing of nasal drug products, enabling vertical and near-vertical actuation with complete dose capture.
• Patient Exhalation Simulator (PES) Device for assessing the impact of patient exhalation into dry powder inhaler (DPI) mouthpieces on critical quality attributes, enabling device design optimization for misuse scenarios.
• Fast Screening Andersen (FSA) Abbreviated Impactor Measurement (AIM) version of the standard Andersen Cascade Impactor (ACI) for streamlined quality control and product development applications in generic and branded inhalation drug testing.
• Sample Recovery System SRS 100i Automated drug recovery solution for inhaler testing that improves efficiency and robustness in delivered dose uniformity (DDU) testing workflows.
• Copley Inhaled Dissolution Apparatus™ IDA Specialized dissolution apparatus for inhaled dissolution testing of orally inhaled and nasal drug products (OINDPs), supporting emerging regulatory expectations for inhaled dissolution characterization.
• Inhaler Testing Academy® Training Courses Professional training courses covering inhaled product testing fundamentals, method development, workflow efficiency, and best practices, delivered by knowledgeable instructors for all experience levels to support pharmaceutical R&D and QC personnel.
• Product Servicing and Technical Support Comprehensive in-house and on-site product servicing, technical support, and application assistance for installed Copley Scientific testing equipment, supporting pharmaceutical laboratory uptime and compliance.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kiel UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped and commercialized the Kiel Nasal Inlet (KNI) in partnership with the Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics at Kiel University. The KNI is a precision-engineered dose collection apparatus for nasal drug product testing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher offers an extensive portfolio of laboratory analytical instruments, chromatography, and pharma testing services, representing a much larger incumbent with overlapping pharma QC capabilities.
• PerkinElmer: PerkinElmer is a broad-line analytical sciences and life sciences instrument provider whose pharmaceutical and laboratory testing portfolios overlap with portions of Copley's QC testing equipment.
• Agilent Technologies: Agilent is a broad-line analytical instrument and life sciences company whose chromatography, mass spectrometry, and laboratory instrument portfolio overlaps with portions of Copley's pharmaceutical QC and analytical testing equipment.
• Waters Corporation: Waters manufactures analytical instruments (chromatography, mass spectrometry) used in pharmaceutical development and QC, representing a broader incumbent with overlapping laboratory analytical testing capabilities.

Direct peers

• Distek, Inc. Distek specializes in pharmaceutical dissolution and in vitro release testing instruments, directly competing with Copley's DISi series dissolution testers for generic and branded pharma QC customers.
• ERWEKA GmbH: ERWEKA produces tablet hardness testers, disintegration testers, and friability testers, directly competing with Copley's TBF 100i, TH3, DTGi, and FRVi product lines in pharmaceutical QC laboratories.
• Pharmatron (Sotax subsidiary): Pharmatron, part of the Sotax group, produces tablet hardness and disintegration testing instruments, directly competing with Copley's tablet testing products in pharmaceutical QC.
• MSP Corporation: MSP Corporation (now part of TSI) manufactures cascade impactors and related inhaler testing equipment, directly competing with Copley's NGI and APSD product line for OINDP QC customers in pharma.
• Sotax Group: Sotax manufactures pharmaceutical testing equipment including dissolution testers and tablet testing instruments, overlapping with Copley's DISi series and broader pharmaceutical testing portfolio for the same pharma QC customer base.

Regional players

• Electrolab India: Electrolab manufactures pharmaceutical testing equipment including dissolution and disintegration testers, serving the Indian and South Asian pharmaceutical QC market with overlapping offerings to Copley's pharmaceutical testing line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CopleySci

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 COPLEY Scientific AG