What Flim Labs does

FLIM Labs S.r.l. is a privately held Italian deep-tech company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Rome that designs and manufactures FPGA-based hardware and software for fluorescence lifetime analysis. Its core technical platform is a portable, USB-powered Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) data acquisition card delivering 100ps single-shot precision and 48ps time bin resolution, complemented by picosecond-pulsed laser modules (405-850nm), thermoelectrically cooled single-photon SPAD detectors, CFD timing modules, and low-noise amplifiers. The product line spans entry-level bundles (FLIM Starter Kit, Quantum Photonics Bundle with TEDIEL) and upgrade kits validated against leading microscope platforms including Bruker ULTIMA, Abberior STEDYCON, Nikon A1, and Nikon AX, addressing FLIM-phasor analysis, FCS, and intensity tracing workflows.

The company operates a diversified, grant-funded go-to-market combining direct quote-based B2B and B2C sales through its website, event-driven demand generation at photonics trade fairs (SPIE Photonics West 2025), academic co-development collaborations (Scuola Normale Superiore FLASH project, University of La Sapienza microplastics work), and integration partnerships with major microscopy OEMs. Revenue streams consist of hardware device sales, software licenses (FLIM Studio, FLIM Imager, FCS, Spectroscopy, Intensity Tracing), upgrade kit attach revenue, and bespoke customization services. Primary customer segments are research institutions and universities, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies (especially for nanomedicine quality control), existing microscopy equipment users, and emerging environmental/agtech applications. FLIM Labs coordinates the LaserBlood EIC Pathfinder consortium (since January 2024) targeting early pancreatic cancer diagnostics, demonstrating the company's positioning at the intersection of academic research instruments and emerging clinical applications.

Name

Flim Labs

Legal name

FLIM LABS S.r.l.

Website

https://flimlabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FLIM Labs is a Rome-based Italian deep-tech company that builds portable FPGA-based hardware and software for fluorescence lifetime analysis, serving universities, pharma researchers, and microscopy users with TCSPC acquisition cards, lasers, SPAD detectors, and AI-assisted FLIM-phasor analysis software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Instrumentation

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mass Spectrometry & Spectroscopy Instruments (HLAGAIAB)

Keywords

• Fluorescence lifetime analysis
• Scientific instrumentation
• TCSPC devices
• FLIM imaging systems
• Photonics measurement

Headquarters

HQ city

Roma

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Device Sales: Sale of specialized fluorescence lifetime analysis hardware including FLIM Starter Kit, Quantum Photonics Bundle, FLIM Data Acquisition Cards, USB-powered laser modules, SPAD detectors, CFD modules, and LNA amplifiers. Products are sold as complete solutions or individual components for system integration.
2. Software Licenses: Software sales including FLIM STUDIO, FLIM Imager, Spectroscopy, FCS, and Intensity Tracing applications. Basic software license included with Data Acquisition Card, with optional packages for advanced features like GMM and social media sharing.
3. LSM FLIM Upgrades: Sale of FLIM upgrade kits and add-ons for existing laser scanning microscopy platforms from Bruker, Abberior, Nikon, Prospective Instruments, and others.
4. Customization and Bespoke Design Services: Bespoke design services leveraging FPGA-based and fully custom-developed products. Customers can request adjusted specifications for laser modules, acquisition cards, and other devices based on specific needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

FLIM Labs designs and manufactures portable, USB-powered hardware instruments (FPGA-based data acquisition cards, picosecond pulsed laser modules, single-photon SPAD detectors) and software for fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and time-resolved single point spectroscopy. The company sells complete kits (FLIM Starter Kit, Quantum Photonics Bundle), individual hardware components, FLIM upgrade kits for existing laser scanning microscopes, and a suite of analysis software (FLIM Studio, FLIM Imager, Spectroscopy, FCS, Intensity Tracing, FLIM-Phasor).

Product overview

FLIM Labs offers a modular portfolio of hardware and software products for fluorescence lifetime analysis and imaging. The core hardware lineup includes the FLIM Data Acquisition Card (FPGA-based, 100ps precision), USB-powered laser modules (picosecond pulses, multiple wavelengths), single-photon SPAD detectors (blue-shifted and red-shifted variants), low-noise amplifiers, and constant fraction discriminator modules. These components can be purchased individually or bundled as the FLIM Starter Kit (complete spectroscopy solution) or Quantum Photonics Bundle (quantum applications with TEDIEL). Software offerings span Intensity Tracing, Spectroscopy, FCS, FLIM Imager, FLIM-Phasor Analysis (GSLab), and FLIM Studio (comprehensive acquisition/reconstruction with AI-driven GMM clustering). LSM FLIM Upgrades enable integration with major microscopy platforms including Bruker ULTIMA, Nikon A1/A1R, Nikon AX, Abberior STEDYCON, Prospective Instruments, and Open UC2. Custom setups include cuvette-based and educational configurations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FLIM Starter Kit Complete instrument solution for single-photon time-resolved fluorescence lifetime analysis and spectroscopy. Includes fiber-coupled picosecond-pulsed laser module, FLIM data acquisition card, single-photon SPAD detector, and FLIM Labs software. Minimum resolvable fluorescence lifetime of 50ps with FPGA-based TCSPC technology.
• Quantum Photonics Bundle Complete quantum photonics solution developed with TEDIEL. Includes FLIM Labs laser module and SPAD detector, TEDIEL TDC Felix time-to-digital converter (12ps r.m.s. precision, 36.6fs resolution), and TEDIEL software. Designed for quantum photonics applications requiring high-precision time tagging.
• FLIM Data Acquisition Card Portable, plug-and-play, FPGA-based data acquisition card for fluorescence lifetime imaging and spectroscopy. Features 100ps single-shot precision, 48ps time bin resolution, USB 3.0 interface, 11 SMA inputs plus 13 USB-C LVDS channels. Supports point scanner imaging with up to 640 Mcounts/s peak count rate per channel.
• Fiber-coupled Picosecond-pulsed Laser Module Desktop-size laser module with gain-switching technology producing pulses down to 50ps. Available in wavelengths: 405, 445, 488, 520, 532, 635, 850nm. Up to 150mW peak power with single-mode fiber coupling and digital knobs interface.
• USB-powered Laser Module USB Type-C powered picosecond-pulsed laser module with identical specifications to fiber-coupled version. Compact 135x110x50mm design with standalone operation capability. Digital knobs for mode, power, and frequency control without computer interface.
• Blue-Shifted Single-photon SPAD Detector USB-powered fiber-coupled SPAD detector with TE-cooled sensor. Spectral response 370-900nm with peak sensitivity at 450nm. <150ps timing jitter, 7cps dark count, 50um photosensitive area. Portable 344g design for time-resolved FLIM and spectroscopy.
• Red-Shifted Single-photon SPAD Detector USB Type-C powered SPAD detector with spectral response 400-1000nm optimized for red wavelengths. Peak sensitivity at 630nm with <150ps jitter and 20cps dark count. Throughput linearity up to 3 Mcounts/s.
• USB-Powered LNA (Low Noise Wideband Amplifier) Compact 60x42x14mm amplifier with 0-2 GHz bandwidth and 20dB non-inverting gain. USB-powered for signal amplification from PMTs and single-photon detectors with <15ps jitter and <500ps rise/fall time.
• USB-powered CFD (Constant Fraction Discriminator Module) Single-channel quad-output CFD module converting analog signals to digital. Provides 2x LVTTL and 2x LVDS outputs. Handles +/-100mV to 5Vpp signals with <15ps jitter and 5-250ns adjustable output pulse width. USB-powered for portable setups.
• LSM FLIM Upgrades FLIM upgrade kits for laser scanning microscopes enabling fluorescence lifetime imaging. Tested compatible with Bruker ULTIMA, Abberior STEDYCON, Nikon A1, Nikon AX, Prospective Instruments MPC, and Open UC2 platforms.
• FLIM Studio Software Comprehensive fluorescence lifetime imaging software for data acquisition, reconstruction, and analysis. Features Wizard and Advanced configuration modes, real-time FLIM phasor-plot analysis, AI-driven GMM clustering, and guided calibration process (Reference, Scouting, Data modes).
• FLIM Imager Software Advanced imaging software for real-time FLIM acquisition and reconstruction with customizable colormaps, contrast adjustments, and region-based analysis. Supports TCSPC and Phasor analysis modes with PLF and LF reconstruction modes.
• Spectroscopy Software Software for real-time photon intensity decay profile analysis with phasors and fitting analysis modes. Supports reader mode for processing external acquisition files with automatic firmware and sync frequency detection.
• FCS Software Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy software for calculating auto and cross-correlations between intensity vectors. Supports up to 64 correlation functions with multi-acquisition averaging for enhanced accuracy.
• Intensity Tracing Software Python-based software for real-time analysis of fluorescence intensity from single-photon counts over time. Supports up to 8 simultaneous acquisition channels with configurable time binning down to 1 microsecond.
• FLIM-Phasor Analysis (GSLab) Phasor-based fluorescence lifetime analysis software (GSLab platform) for graphical representation of lifetime distributions. Enables separation of different lifetime populations using mathematical phasor approach with model-free analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Detection limits as low as 0.01 mg/mL for polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability4 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Scuola Normale Superiore (NEST Laboratory, Pisa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLASH project collaboration - Fluorescence Lifetime Analysis for Healthcare Nanoformulations. Joint development effort to revolutionize screening methods in healthcare using FLIM technology.
• University of La SapienzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on portable FLA system specifically tailored for micro- and nano-plastics detection. Based on FLIM Starter Kit with 445nm pulsed laser excitation.
• TEDIELcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development of Quantum Photonics Bundle - a complete solution for quantum photonics applications incorporating TEDIEL's TDC Felix time-to-digital converter and software with FLIM Labs' laser module and SPAD detector.
• PhotonHub EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology accelerator program that supported testing and validation of FLIM Labs' fiber-coupled picosecond-pulsed laser modules, providing market access and technical support.
• LSM Microscope VendorscoreTechnology or IntegrationFLIM upgrade kits tested and validated for compatibility with Bruker ULTIMA, Abberior STEDYCON, Nikon A1, Nikon AX, Prospective Instruments Microscope, and Open UC2 platforms, enabling seamless integration of FLIM capabilities.
• LaserBlood Consortium PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-partner EIC Pathfinder consortium developing biophotonic nanoparticle-enabled laser blood test for early pancreatic cancer detection via liquid biopsy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PicoQuant: Berlin-based specialist manufacturer of TCSPC, FLIM, and time-resolved fluorescence instrumentation. Directly comparable as the incumbent leader in single-photon timing hardware that FLIM Labs' miniaturized, FPGA-based systems are designed to disrupt on cost and form factor.
• Becker & Hickl: German TCSPC and FLIM module specialist with the dominant installed base of SPC modules and detectors in the FLIM research community. Closely comparable in core product category (TCSPC data acquisition for fluorescence lifetime imaging), competing for the same end-user labs.
• ISS Inc. U.S. manufacturer of frequency-domain and time-domain fluorescence lifetime instrumentation, including FLIM and FCS systems. Comparable as a smaller, specialized fluorescence lifetime instrumentation vendor targeting academic and biomedical research customers.

Broad incumbents

• Hamamatsu Photonics: Global photonics major supplying SPAD detectors, PMTs, and pulsed laser diodes that are core components of FLIM systems. Comparable both as a component supplier to FLIM Labs and as a potential end-to-end competitor offering broader fluorescence measurement instrumentation.
• Leica Microsystems: Major microscopy manufacturer (part of Danaher) offering STED, confocal, and widefield systems where FLIM is an add-on capability. Comparable as the broader incumbent whose installed base of microscopes is the upgrade market that FLIM Labs targets with its LSM FLIM upgrade kits.
• Bruker: Major analytical instruments and microscopy vendor whose ULTIMA two-photon LSM is explicitly compatible with FLIM Labs' upgrade kit. Comparable as a broad-incumbent microscopy player and as both a partner (for FLIM add-ons) and a potential competitor.
• Carl Zeiss Microscopy: Global microscopy and imaging systems major with confocal and super-resolution platforms. Comparable as a broad incumbent that dominates the core microscope installed base which FLIM Labs' upgrade kits target for retrofitting FLIM capability.
• Nikon: Major microscope manufacturer (Eclipse, A1, AX confocal platforms) whose systems are explicitly validated for FLIM Labs upgrade kits. Comparable as both an incumbent partner and a competitor across the broader microscopy and bioimaging market.

Emerging players

• Abberior: Super-resolution microscopy specialist (STEDYCON platform) validated for integration with FLIM Labs' data acquisition card and software. Comparable as a focused, higher-end emerging microscopy player whose users are a key FLIM upgrade customer segment.
• Prospective Instruments: Austrian microscopy specialist whose MPC microscope is one of FLIM Labs' validated FLIM upgrade integration partners. Comparable as a small, focused microscopy vendor with overlapping end customers in advanced fluorescence imaging.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FlimLabs
• GitHubgithub.com/flim-labs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flim-labs
• Instagraminstagram.com/flimlabs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Flim Labs