What Spirochrome does

Spirochrome is a privately held Swiss biotechnology company, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Stein Am Rhein, that develops and commercializes fluorescent probes for live-cell and super-resolution microscopy. The company's core technology rests on proprietary SPY™ and Silicon Rhodamine (SiR) fluorophore platforms, supplemented by exclusively licensed chemistries from academic groups at Peking University (PKmito™/PKmem™ with COT-based triplet quenching), EPFL (SPY620/MaP618), the University of Geneva (Flipper-TR®/Halo-Flipper membrane tension probes), and Heidelberg University (SpyRho 555). Its portfolio spans DNA, actin, microtubule, mitochondria, plasma membrane, peroxisome, Golgi, and centriole/cilia probes, plus HaloTag™ and SNAP-tag™ ligand substrates and expansion microscopy reagents, covering the full visible spectrum and compatible with widefield, confocal, STED, and SIM modalities.

The company sells its probes as one-time-purchase research reagent kits through a Switzerland-hosted e-commerce storefront (spirochrome.com) and through a distributor network that covers geographies where local partners exist, particularly for PKmito products. The primary customer segment is academic and research institute users in cell biology, neuroscience, and developmental biology, with a secondary segment of pharmaceutical and biotech companies using the probes for drug discovery and cellular assays. The value proposition centers on "add and image" simplicity — fluorogenic, cell-permeable probes that avoid genetic manipulation — together with low phototoxicity, photostability, and super-resolution compatibility.

Operationally, Spirochrome is a small, privately held entity with no disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, parent company, mergers or acquisitions, leadership changes, or headcount figures in the source data. Revenue, financials, and corporate ownership are not publicly disclosed. The company's strategic posture is defined by sustained R&D output, first-in-class product introductions (peroxisome, centriole/cilia, membrane tension probes), and academic-licensing-driven platform expansion rather than by capital-raise or M&A activity.

Name

Spirochrome

Legal name

Spirochrome

Website

https://spirochrome.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spirochrome is a Swiss biotech that develops and sells proprietary fluorogenic fluorescent probes (SPY™, SiR, BriDye™) for live-cell and super-resolution microscopy, primarily serving academic and pharmaceutical researchers via direct e-commerce and distributor channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fluorescent Probes & Cell Biology Reagents

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)

Keywords

• Fluorescent probes
• Live cell imaging
• Super-resolution microscopy
• Cell biology reagents
• Fluorogenic dyes

Headquarters

HQ city

Stein Am Rhein

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fluorescent Probe Sales: Direct sales of fluorescent probes and kits for live cell imaging, super-resolution microscopy, and cell biology research. Products are sold in kit format with lyophilized probes yielding specific numbers of staining experiments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Spirochrome develops, manufactures, and sells fluorogenic fluorescent probes for live-cell imaging and super-resolution microscopy. Built on its proprietary SPY™ and Silicon Rhodamine (SiR) fluorophore platforms, the products enable cell-permeable, photostable labeling of cellular structures (DNA, actin, microtubules, mitochondria, plasma membrane, peroxisomes, Golgi, centrioles/cilia) and HaloTag™/SNAP-tag™ fusion proteins without genetic manipulation. The company also commercializes the Flipper-TR® membrane tension reporter and bundled probe kits for researchers in cell biology, neuroscience, and drug discovery.

Product overview

Spirochrome is a Swiss biotech company specializing in fluorescent probes for live-cell microscopy imaging. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of fluorogenic probes covering the entire visible spectrum from green to far-red. The core product lines include: (1) SPY™ probes - revolutionary fluorogenic live cell probes for DNA, actin, and microtubules; (2) SiR and SiR700 probes - Silicon Rhodamine-based far-red probes; (3) Halotag™ ligands - ChloroAlkane substrates for protein labeling; (4) Specialized organelle probes including PKmito™ (mitochondria), PKmem™ (plasma membrane), Peroxi_SPY™ (peroxisomes), and SPY Golgi probes; (5) Membrane tension probes (Flipper-TR® and Halo-Flipper); (6) Novel probes like CenSpark650™ for centrioles/cilia and HAK-actin™ for expansion microscopy; and (7) Reagents and building blocks (SiR derivatives, SNAP-tag substrates). Products work with standard microscopy techniques (widefield, confocal) as well as super-resolution methods (STED, SIM). The company also offers bundled kits (Actin_TestKit, CA-TestKit) and dual-color imaging solutions combining SiR and SiR700 probes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPY™ probes: Revolutionary fluorogenic live cell fluorescent probes covering the whole visible spectrum, based on SPY dyes. These probes are live cell compatible, fluorogenic, photostable, and STED/SIM compatible.
• SiR probes
• FastAct™ probes
• Flipper-TR® probes
• PKmito™ probes
• PKmem™ probes
• Peroxi_SPY™ probes
• BD-CA Ligands
• CenSpark650™
• ExM probes
• Golgi probes
• ChloroAlkane Ligands

Products and services

• SPY™ Probes Fluorogenic live cell fluorescent probes for DNA/nucleus, actin, and microtubules, covering the visible spectrum from green to far-red; photostable and STED/SIM compatible for academic and pharma researchers.
• SiR Probes Silicon Rhodamine-based far-red fluorescent probes for live-cell imaging with cell permeability, fluorogenic character, and super-resolution compatibility; sold to researchers in cell biology and nanoscopy.
• SiR700 Probes Red-shifted analogues of SiR probes that, combined with standard SiR probes, enable dual-color live cell imaging on the same laser line; for researchers performing multi-color super-resolution microscopy.
• CenSpark650™ First cell-permeable small-molecule fluorescent probe for high-contrast visualization of centrioles, cilia, and flagella using a dual-ligand binding mechanism; for cell biology and structural biology researchers.
• FastAct™ Probes Live cell fluorescent actin probes labeling both dynamic and static filaments via simple add-and-image workflow; FastAct_X is the third-generation variant with an F-actin-neutral ligand. For researchers studying cytoskeletal dynamics.
• HAK-actin™ Actin visualization probe for expansion microscopy with post-expansion labeling capability, compatible with U-ExM, cryo-ExM, and iU-ExM protocols; for researchers performing expansion microscopy of the actin cytoskeleton.
• HaloTag™ Ligands (ChloroAlkane / BD-dyes) Fluorogenic, cell-permeable ChloroAlkane (CA) ligands including SPY-CA, SiR-CA, and BriDye-based BD566-CA/BD626-CA for rapid labeling of HaloTag™ fusion proteins across the visible spectrum; for researchers using HaloTag labeling in live or fixed cells.
• Flipper-TR®

Quantifiable outcome

• Simple "add and image" protocol - no transfection or genetic manipulation required
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zhixing Chen (Peking University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpirochrome licenses and commercializes PKmito™ and PKmem™ fluorescent dyes developed by Prof. Chen's laboratory at Peking University. These dyes feature COT (cyclooctatetraene) technology for minimal phototoxicity in live cell imaging.
• Kai Johnsson (EPFL/ Nature Chemistry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicenses SPY620/MaP618 fluorophore technology from Prof. Kai Johnsson's laboratory at EPFL, published in Nature Chemistry. SPY555-BG, SPY620-BG, and related products are based on this research.
• Stefan Matile (University of Geneva)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpirochrome commercializes Halo-Flipper membrane tension probe developed by Prof. Stefan Matile's group at the University of Geneva. The probe enables accurate measurement of membrane tension for mechanobiology research.
• Murat Sunbul (Heidelberg University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpirochrome commercializes SpyRho 555, a rhodamine-based RNA aptamer binding dye developed by Prof. Murat Sunbul's group at Heidelberg University for live cell RNA imaging.
• Promega CorporationminorOthersHalo-tag™ is a registered trademark of Promega Corporation. Spirochrome's CA-TestKit and other ChloroAlkane ligands are compatible with but not affiliated with Promega's HaloTag technology.
• New England BiolabsminorOthersSNAP-tag™ is a registered trademark of New England Biolabs. Spirochrome's SPY555-BG, SiR650-BG, and SPY620-BG products are compatible with but not affiliated with NEB's SNAP-tag technology.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Largest life-science tools supplier, owner of Invitrogen/Molecular Probes and Biotium. Massive catalog of fluorescent reagents including cell-permeable nuclear and cytoskeletal stains that overlap Spirochrome's portfolio.
• New England Biolabs: Major reagent and enzyme company that owns the SNAP-tag™ platform. Provides the underlying IP that Spirochrome's SNAP-tag substrates (BG-conjugates) are built on, and is a broad competitor in life-science reagents.
• Cytiva: Danaher-owned life-science supplier offering imaging reagents, DeltaVision microscopes, and cell-biology consumables. Overlaps with Spirochrome in fluorescence imaging workflows at biopharma and academic customers.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Diversified life-science and clinical diagnostics supplier with a broad portfolio of fluorescent reagents, antibodies, and imaging consumables. Competes broadly for the same microscopy and cell-biology reagent budgets.
• Promega Corporation: Large life-science tools company that owns the HaloTag™ platform and partners with HHMI Janelia on Janelia Fluor dyes. Both compete with and provide the underlying IP that Spirochrome's HaloTag ligands depend on.

Emerging players

• Abberior Instruments: Developer of STED and super-resolution microscopes, founded by Stefan Hell. Adjacent player that defines the STED-compatible probe market Spirochrome's SPY/SiR chemistry is designed for, and partners on probe–instrument workflows.
• Ibidi GmbH: German cell-biology consumables and microscopy supplier that owns the LifeAct™ actin-binding peptide trademark. Direct relevance to Spirochrome's FastAct™/HAK-actin™ franchises as competing live-cell actin-labeling approaches.

Direct peers

• Biotium: Specialty fluorescent reagent company (now part of Thermo Fisher) offering cell-permeable dyes, live-cell nuclear and cytoskeletal stains, and Mix-n-Stain antibody labeling. Direct overlap with Spirochrome's fluorogenic live-cell probe offerings.
• ATTO-Tec GmbH: German manufacturer of ATTO fluorescent dyes used in microscopy and single-molecule spectroscopy, including STED-compatible labels. Comparable dye chemistry focus and customer base (advanced microscopy labs).
• Lumiprobe: Specialty manufacturer of fluorescent dyes and labeling reagents for life-science research. Directly comparable product portfolio (NHS esters, maleimides, azides, click-chemistry dyes) overlapping Spirochrome's SiR/SPY fluorophore reagent business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spirochrome

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 Spirochrome