Neurophotometrics

What Neurophotometrics does

Neurophotometrics is a small San Diego-based company (1-10 employees) operating in the fiber photometry segment of neuroscience research instrumentation. Its core product is the NeuroPhotoMetrics FP3002 fiber photometry system, which records neural activity through fiber optic cannulae in freely moving animals, complemented by consumables including fiber optic cannulae and sleeves and patch cords for system connectivity. The brand is positioned as a sub-line within the broader MBF Bioscience portfolio, which distributes and supports NeuroPhotoMetrics products alongside light sheet microscopy, multi-photon imaging, neuron reconstruction, stereology, whole brain analysis, and biomedical education solutions.

Technically, the FP3002 platform leverages fiber optic coupling to implanted cannulae, enabling chronic monitoring of fluorescent neural activity indicators in awake, behaving rodents. The surrounding MBF Bioscience ecosystem includes proprietary technologies such as the SLICE light sheet microscope with hybrid solid-liquid (HySIL) optics, ScanImage multi-photon acquisition software, Neurolucida 360 neuron reconstruction tools, NeuroInfo atlas registration, and Stereo Investigator AI for automated stereology. These systems collectively address the full microscopy workflow from in vivo recording through volumetric imaging to quantitative histological analysis.

Commercially, the fiber photometry line is sold via direct enterprise sales, a worldwide dealer network, regional offices in Europe and Japan, and an online storefront, with custom quotation-based pricing and multi-year contracts typical for specialized scientific instrumentation. Customers include neuroscience and biomedical research institutions, government research entities such as NIH, and pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer and Biogen, alongside a broad academic base across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The business model combines one-time hardware sales with recurring consumables revenue, software licensing, custom development services, and training/support subscriptions.

Name

Neurophotometrics

Legal name

MBF Bioscience

Website

https://neurophotometrics.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Neurophotometrics is a San Diego-based fiber photometry systems provider offering the FP3002 neural recording platform and consumables. The NeuroPhotoMetrics brand operates as a sub-line within MBF Bioscience's broader microscopy portfolio, serving neuroscience researchers, academic institutions, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Neuroscience Research Instruments

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Surgical Visualization & OR Video Integration (4K/3D, Recording, Routing) (HLAHADAD), Fiber Optic Cabling (Singlemode/Multimode) (HDAFALAB)

Keywords

• Fiber photometry systems
• Neural activity recording
• In vivo fluorescence imaging
• Fiber optic cannulae accessories
• Neuroscience research instruments

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Microscopy Hardware Sales: Sale of specialized microscopy equipment including light sheet microscopes (SLICE, ClearScope), multi-photon systems, fiber photometry systems (NeuroPhotoMetrics FP3002), and associated components like fiber optic cannulae, patch cords, and accessories
2. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Software products including Neurolucida, Stereo Investigator, Biolucida, NeuroInfo, and specialized analysis tools. Likely perpetual license and/or subscription-based model
3. Custom Development Services: Custom software development and custom microscopy solutions services for specialized research needs
4. Support and Training: Training services, open office hours, and product support offerings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Neurophotometrics designs and sells fiber photometry hardware — primarily the FP3002 system — for recording neural activity in freely moving animals. The company also supplies the supporting fiber optic cannulae, sleeves, and patch cords needed to outfit such experiments. These products are targeted at neuroscience research laboratories conducting in-vivo optical neural recordings.

Product overview

MBF Bioscience offers a unified portfolio of microscopy, imaging, and analysis solutions. Under the Fiber Photometry category, they distribute NeuroPhotoMetrics products including the FP3002 fiber photometry system, along with Fiber Optic Cannulae and Sleeves, and Patch Cords. These products form the core of their fiber photometry solution suite, complementing their broader offerings in light sheet microscopy, neuron reconstruction, stereology, multi-photon imaging, and whole brain analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NeuroPhotoMetrics: Fiber photometry product line including FP3002 device, Fiber Optic Cannulae and Sleeves, and Patch Cords for neuroscience research applications.

Products and services

• NeuroPhotoMetrics FP3002 Fiber photometry system for recording neural activity in freely moving animals via fiber optic cannulae, targeted at neuroscience research laboratories.
• Fiber Optic Cannulae and Sleeves Fiber optic cannulae and sleeves used to interface fiber photometry systems with implanted optical fibers in research animals.
• Patch Cords Patch cords used to connect fiber optic cannulae to fiber photometry recording systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in 19,728 peer-reviewed scientific papers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Collaboration with Columbia University on SCOPE technology for scalable, high-resolution light-sheet microscopy. The SCOPE technology was published in Nature Biotechnology, with MBF Bioscience's SLICE platform supporting validation. This represents a significant academic-industry partnership advancing accessible 3D imaging capabilities.
• Nature BiotechnologyminorOthers · 1 June 2026Nature Biotechnology featured research on HySIL (hybrid solid-liquid optics) addressing longstanding challenges in volumetric imaging, highlighting MBF Bioscience's technology contribution to advancing imaging accessibility.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Broad incumbents

• Nikon Instruments: Incumbent in confocal, multi-photon, and whole slide imaging systems serving neuroscience and biomedical research, comparable to MBF's Microlucida, Vesalius, and multi-photon offerings.
• Leica Microsystems (Danaher): Major microscopy and histology instruments vendor offering light sheet, multi-photon, and stereology-adjacent solutions, competing with MBF's microscopy and analysis suites across neuroscience and biomedical research.
• Carl Zeiss Microscopy: Global incumbent in light sheet (Lightsheet 7), multi-photon (LSM 980 NLO), and confocal microscopy, with broad product portfolios serving neuroscience research — directly competes with MBF's SLICE and multi-photon platforms as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Evident (formerly Olympus Scientific Solutions): Microscopy instruments vendor offering confocal and slide scanning systems for neuroscience and biomedical research, competing with MBF's confocal/slide scanning line within a much wider scientific solutions portfolio.
• Bruker Nano Surfaces / Vutara: Provides super-resolution and multi-photon microscopy instruments (Vutara) used in neuroscience research, overlapping with MBF's high-resolution imaging solutions as part of a much broader scientific instruments portfolio.

Direct peers

• Prizmatix: Supplies fiber photometry light sources, LEDs, and optical components for neuroscience research, directly overlapping with the optical and illumination subsystems of the FP3002 fiber photometry platform.
• Tucker-Davis Technologies: A leading provider of neural recording and stimulation systems, including fiber photometry rigs (e.g., RZ10X), competing head-to-head with Neurophotometrics/MBF in academic neuroscience labs and serving overlapping behavioral neuroscience use cases.
• Femtonics: Provides multi-photon microscopy and 3D in vivo neural imaging systems for neuroscience labs, competing with MBF's ScanImage and multi-photon offerings in advanced brain imaging.
• Doric Lenses: Designs and manufactures fiber optics, cannulae, patch cords, and miniature fluorescence microscope components for fiber photometry and in vivo calcium imaging — directly comparable to the NeuroPhotoMetrics cannulae, sleeves, and patch cord accessories.
• Mightex Systems: Offers LED light sources, microscopy illumination, and optogenetics hardware used in fiber photometry and calcium imaging setups, overlapping with the optical hardware sold alongside NeuroPhotoMetrics systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/neuphotometrics
• Facebookfacebook.com/NeuPhotometrics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neurophotometrics

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 Neurophotometrics