Sani Membranes

What Sani Membranes does

Sani Membranes A/S is a Danish private company founded in 2014 by Henrik Hjelmsmark and headquartered in Farum, Denmark, with a workforce of 11–50 employees. The company designs and manufactures Vibro® Membrane Filtration (VMF) equipment, a dynamic micro- and ultrafiltration technology that uses controlled vibrations to generate localized turbulence at the membrane surface, reducing fouling independent of crossflow. The product portfolio is linearly scalable and spans Vibro-Lab benchtop systems (35 cm² to 3,500 cm² membrane area), industrial Vibro-I units (2.5 m² to 80 m² per standalone system), dedicated Vibro-Flow feed systems, and complementary Watson-Marlow peristaltic pumps. The platform is built on patented Hollow Plate and Free Flow Plate™ module designs and is supported by independent peer-reviewed validation from Penn State University.

The company primarily serves pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers — including producers of biologics, monoclonal antibodies, mRNA, and vaccines — addressing downstream processing pain points such as fouling, high energy consumption, shear damage to sensitive biomolecules, and limited single-pass concentration factors. Secondary verticals include food and beverage (brewing and dairy), algae and biomass processing, and academic research. The most prominent disclosed commercial reference is Novozymes (industrial enzyme filtration), alongside Penn State University as a technology validation partner. Products are designed for use in GMP-regulated manufacturing, with material compliance to USP Class VI, EU 1935/2004, EU 10/2011, and EU 2023/2006, and the company achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2025.

Revenue is generated through direct sales of VMF hardware (systems plus recurring filter cartridges ranging from 1 kDa UF to 1.2 µm MF), lab unit rentals that enable customer trials, and a recurring service concept that includes extended warranty, scheduled filter supply, and proactive maintenance. Distribution is direct-to-enterprise with technical sales consultation, supported by participation in global pharma and bioprocessing conferences and a global footprint claim including the US and Denmark. The company has raised 40 million DKK in a 2022 strategic investment from Martin Glensbjerg / HMG Technology ApS; in 2024 HMG Holding acquired majority ownership and appointed Kenneth Kaiser Paustian as CEO to lead the next phase of industrialization and commercial expansion.

Name

Sani Membranes

Legal name

Sani Membranes A/S

Website

https://sanimembranes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sani Membranes A/S designs and manufactures Vibro® Membrane Filtration (VMF) equipment — a vibration-based micro- and ultrafiltration technology serving pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and life-sciences customers, with a linearly scalable product line from 35 cm² benchtop units to 80 m² industrial systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Membrane Filtration Equipment

NAICS

Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914)

SIC

Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Membrane filtration systems
• Pharmaceutical bioprocessing equipment
• Vibration-based ultrafiltration
• Downstream processing technology
• Biotech filtration modules

Headquarters

HQ city

Farum

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Filtration Systems (VMF Equipment): Sale of Vibro-Lab and Vibro-I filtration systems ranging from benchtop lab units to industrial-scale production systems. Systems include drives, cartridges, and accessories.
2. Membrane/Filter Cartridges: Replacement membrane filter cartridges with configurable MWCO/pore sizes (1 kDa UF to 1.2 µm MF). Annual filter replacement recommended.
3. Lab Unit Rentals: Lab units available for rent to enable customers to trial the technology before purchase commitment.
4. Service Concept: Tailored service concept including extended warranty, scheduled filter supply, and proactive maintenance support to maximize uptime.
5. Feed Systems (Vibro-Flow): Sale of Vibro-Flow 5 and Vibro-Flow 20 feed systems as dedicated filtration feed solutions for different scale operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sani Membranes designs and manufactures Vibro® Membrane Filtration (VMF) systems—a dynamic, vibration-based micro- and ultrafiltration technology used in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The company sells a linearly scalable product portfolio ranging from benchtop lab units (Vibro-Lab series) to industrial-scale production systems (Vibro-I series) with membrane areas from 35 cm² to 80 m², along with dedicated feed systems (Vibro-Flow) and complementary peristaltic pumps.

Product overview

Sani Membranes offers the Vibro® Membrane Filtration (VMF) technology platform—a linearly scalable system from 35 cm² to 80 m² membrane area. The portfolio consists of three product lines: the Vibro-Lab series (Vibro-Lab35P, Vibro-Lab280, Vibro-Lab3500) for benchtop process development and screening; the industrial-scale Vibro-I series (2.5 m², 5 m², 10 m², 20 m², 40 m², 80 m²) for pilot and full-scale manufacturing; and the Vibro-Flow series (Vibro-Flow 5, Vibro-Flow 20) as dedicated feed systems. Watson-Marlow peristaltic pumps (120U/DV, 323U/D, 520UN/R2) complement the lab and industrial units. All products share the core vibration-based anti-fouling technology that enables uniform TMP, gentle processing, and up to 95% energy reduction compared to conventional TFF.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vibro-Lab35P Benchtop ultra- and microfiltration system enabling rapid screening and feasibility studies with continuous membrane filtration starting from 20 mL feed volume; uses compressed air for vibration. Available for rent.
• Vibro-Lab280 Benchtop process development system bridging early trials and advanced studies, with 1 or 2 cartridges and 280 cm² membrane area, supporting working volumes from 100 mL to 4000 mL.
• Vibro-Lab3500 Advanced process development system with 3500 cm² membrane area, ideal for scale-up with seamless transition from laboratory to industrial production, supporting 2 L to 100 L feed volumes. Available for rent.
• Vibro-I 2.5 m² Industrial ultra- and microfiltration system engineered for seamless scale-up across pilot and production operations, with modular design supporting membrane areas from 2.5 m².
• Vibro-I 5 m² Industrial-scale filtration unit with 5 m² membrane area, part of the scalable Vibro-I platform for pilot and production operations.
• Vibro-I 10 m² Industrial-scale filtration unit with 10 m² membrane area and <70 dB noise level, designed for robust production operations.
• Vibro-I 20 m² Large-scale industrial filtration unit with 20 m² membrane area, engineered for small-scale manufacturing and process development.
• Vibro-I 40 m² High-capacity industrial filtration system using 4×10 m² cartridges with total 40 m² membrane area for large-scale production.
• Vibro-I 80 m² Maximum-capacity industrial filtration system using 4×20 m² cartridges with total 80 m² membrane area, designed for full-scale production with 3140 W power consumption.
• Vibro-Flow 5 Compact stainless-steel feed system engineered for use with 2.5/5 m² Vibro-I cartridges, providing three operation modes (automatic with/without permeate control, manual) for process development and small-scale manufacturing.
• Vibro-Flow 20 Compact stainless-steel feed system for use with 10/20 m² Vibro-I cartridges, equipped with positive displacement feed and permeate pumps, pressure/flow/temperature monitoring, built-in safety interlocks, and USB data logging.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 20x concentration factor in single pass for proteins and mAbs
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Watson-MarlowcoreTechnology or IntegrationWatson-Marlow provides peristaltic pumping solutions for Sani Membranes' lab and pilot scale applications. The partnership delivers reliable, low-shear pumping technology compatible with VMF systems. Products include 120U/DV, 323U/D, and 520UN/R2 cased pumps for different scale operations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Cytiva (formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences): Cytiva (now encompassing Pall) is the leading bioprocessing filtration supplier offering TFF cassettes, hollow fiber, and single-pass TFF systems targeting the same pharma/biotech customers as Sani Membranes. Both compete on membrane area, scalability, and pharma validation—Cytiva is the dominant incumbent Sani Membranes must displace.
• Repligen Corporation: Repligen specializes in bioprocessing filtration and chromatography, including KrosFlo TFF systems, TangenX flat-sheet cassettes, and Spectrum hollow fiber modules. A direct comparable in TFF/UF/MF membrane filtration for biopharma, with a strong consumables and systems portfolio targeting similar mAb and protein processing applications.
• TangenX (Repligen subsidiary): TangenX manufactures flat-sheet TFF cassettes and ProStream and NovaLine membrane products for tangential flow filtration in bioprocessing. Directly comparable to Sani Membranes' Free Flow Plate modules in offering replaceable membrane filtration consumables for pharma protein and biologic processing.
• Pall Corporation (now part of Cytiva/Danaher): Pall Corporation is a leading supplier of TFF cassettes, hollow fiber filters, and integrated filtration systems for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Directly comparable to Sani Membranes in offering membrane-based UF/MF for protein and mAb processing, with Cadence single-pass TFF systems representing the closest existing technology overlap to VMF.

Broad incumbents

• Eppendorf AG: Eppendorf offers bioprocess systems including filtration equipment, bioreactors, and cell handling for pharma and biotech manufacturers. Comparable as a broad incumbent in bioprocess equipment serving overlapping pharma customers, though Eppendorf's filtration offering is a smaller share of its portfolio than Sani Membranes' focus.
• Sartorius AG: Sartorius is a global bioprocessing equipment giant offering tangential flow filtration systems, single-use bioreactors, and integrated process platforms for biologics manufacturers. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving pharma customers with overlapping downstream processing equipment, though Sartorius operates across a much wider product portfolio than Sani Membranes.
• 3M (Separation and Purification Sciences, now Solventum): 3M's Separation and Purification Sciences division (now Solventum) supplies membrane filtration products for bioprocessing, industrial fluids, and food/beverage applications. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping membrane-based filtration technology serving similar end markets in biopharma and industrial separations.
• Merck MilliporeSigma: Merck's MilliporeSigma bioprocessing division offers Pellicon and Prostak TFF systems, plus a broad portfolio of filtration consumables and single-use solutions for pharma manufacturing. Comparable as a large incumbent in membrane-based downstream processing with deep pharma customer relationships and full validation documentation.
• Asahi Kasei (Planova / Microza): Asahi Kasei is a major manufacturer of hollow fiber and planar membrane filtration products for biopharmaceutical processing, with Planova virus removal filters and Microza UF/MF membranes. Comparable as a broad incumbent in membrane filtration serving pharma/biotech with overlapping downstream processing applications.

Emerging players

• Levitronix GmbH: Levitronix develops magnetically levitated, vibration-free pump and mixing systems for ultra-pure and single-use bioprocessing applications. Comparable as an emerging player leveraging non-mechanical (vibration/magnetic) technology to address the same shear-sensitive, low-contamination bioprocessing use cases that motivate VMF design philosophy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat8 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedIndk.linkedin.com/company/sani-membranes

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

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 Sani Membranes