Sherwood Scientific

What Sherwood Scientific does

Sherwood Scientific Ltd. is a privately-held UK development and manufacturing company founded in 1989 in Cambridge, England, producing scientific instruments for elemental analysis, chloride determination, moisture analysis, and magnetic susceptibility measurement. The company's product portfolio centres on four core instrument categories: Flame Photometers (Models 410, 420, 425, 420Cs, 360) for the determination of Sodium, Potassium, Lithium, Calcium, Barium, and other alkali/alkaline-earth elements; Chloride Analysers (M926, M926S) using coulometric titration for salt/chloride measurement in food, clinical, and industrial samples; Programmable Colorimeters (Model 260/260UV, since discontinued in 2021-2022); and the Model 501 Fluid Bed Dryer for moisture content and sample preparation. Supporting accessories include the Model 865 Autosampler, Model 806 Continuous Flow Dilutor, air compressors, calibration concentrates, and BlueNotes/Active Salt software packages, including a 21 CFR Part 11 compliant variant for FDA-regulated environments. Heritage technology traces to Evans Electroselenium Ltd. (late 1930s), with the M410 Flame Photometer, M925 Chloride Analyser, and CHROMA Colorimeters acquired from Corning in 1997 and the original Fluid Bed Dryer, Magnetic Susceptibility Balance, and Microwelder acquired from Johnson Matthey in 1989 (Microwelder divested in 2016).

The company operates a pure channel-partner go-to-market model, selling exclusively through an extensive worldwide distributor network covering more than 30 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, with named partners including VWR International, Cole Parmer, Nelson Jameson, and DKSH. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time hardware sales augmented by recurring consumables (NIST-traceable calibration concentrates, internal reference solutions, replacement electrodes) and software licences. Sherwood Scientific is ISO 9001:2015 certified (Cert. No. FS 679316, granted 2018), employs 11-50 staff, is led by CEO Stanley Bogdanski, and is privately owned with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or public listing. The customer base spans food manufacture (primary), pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agriculture, beverages, cement, metallurgy, mining, oil, water treatment, and academic research laboratories worldwide.

Name

Sherwood Scientific

Legal name

Sherwood Scientific Ltd.

Website

https://sherwood-scientific.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sherwood Scientific Ltd. is a privately-held UK manufacturer founded in 1989 in Cambridge, producing analytical scientific instruments (flame photometers, chloride analysers, fluid bed dryers, magnetic susceptibility balances) sold through a global distributor network to food, pharmaceutical, chemical, water, and research laboratories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Analytical Laboratory Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems (HLAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mass Spectrometry & Spectroscopy Instruments (HLAGAIAB), Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL), Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Scientific instruments
• Flame photometry
• Chloride analysis
• Fluid bed drying
• Magnetic susceptibility

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scientific Instrument Sales: Sale of scientific instruments and apparatus including Flame Photometers, Chloride Analysers, Colorimeters, Fluid Bed Dryers, Magnetic Susceptibility Balances, Autosamplers and Dilutors. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales supplemented by consumables and accessories.
2. Consumables and Accessories: Ongoing sales of calibration concentrates, buffer solutions, replacement electrodes, filters, and other consumables for the instrument product line.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sherwood Scientific develops and manufactures laboratory analytical instruments including Flame Photometers, Chloride Analysers, Programmable Colorimeters, Fluid Bed Dryers, and Magnetic Susceptibility Balances. The instruments are used for elemental analysis (Sodium, Potassium, Lithium, Calcium, Barium), chloride/salt determination, moisture content analysis, and magnetic property measurement. Supporting products include autosamplers, dilutors, calibration standards, and software packages for data collection and regulatory compliance.

Product overview

Sherwood Scientific is a UK-based development and manufacturing company producing scientific instruments primarily for analytical laboratory applications. The product portfolio centers on four core instrument categories: (1) Flame Photometers for elemental analysis (Models 410, 420, 425, 420Cs, 360) measuring Sodium, Potassium, Lithium, Calcium, and Barium; (2) Chloride Analysers (M926, M926S) using coulometric titration for salt/chloride determination in food, clinical, and industrial applications; (3) Programmable Colorimeters (Model 260, 260UV, discontinued) for absorbance and kinetic measurements; and (4) the Model 501 Fluid Bed Dryer for moisture analysis and sample preparation. Supporting accessories include autosamplers (Model 865), continuous flow dilutors (Model 806), air compressors (M851/M855), calibration concentrates, and software packages (BlueNotes 410/420, Regulated BlueNotes 420 for 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, Active Salt Software for food QA). The instruments are sold worldwide through an extensive distributor network and are used across diverse industries including food/beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, mining, water treatment, and academic research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model 410 Flame Photometer Single channel flame photometer for measurement of Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Lithium, Barium, Strontium, Rubidium and Caesium. Available in Classic, Industrial, and Scientific variants for industrial QA/QC, clinical and research applications.
• Model 420 Flame Photometer Dual channel flame photometer with internal Lithium reference for simultaneous measurement of Sodium and Potassium, featuring auto flame optimisation, on-board firmware, and improved sample throughput and precision for clinical and industrial laboratories.
• Model 425 Flame Photometer Dual channel flame photometer expanding on Model 420 capability with addition of Calcium detector and filter assembly, enabling simultaneous measurement of two of four elements (Na, K, Ca, Li) with improved Sodium interference reduction.
• Model 420Cs Flame Photometer Dual channel clinical flame photometer with Caesium reference channel option, providing precision (%CV) ≤0.5% and flexibility to use Caesium or Lithium as internal reference element for clinical diagnostics.
• Model 360 Flame Photometer Single channel five-element (Na, K, Li, Ca, Ba) analog flame photometer with ergonomic design, auto ignition, peak picker, and safety features, available for Propane/Butane or Natural Gas operation.
• M926 Chloride Analyser Coulometric titration instrument for determination of Chloride ions in mg/l (ppm), featuring factory calibration using NIST standard solutions, conductivity-based endpoint detection, and conversion to mg% Salt for food, clinical and industrial applications.
• M926S Chloride Analyser Coulometric titration instrument for chloride measurement in mmol/l with selectable sample volumes, widely used for chloride determination in sweat samples for cystic fibrosis diagnostics.
• Model 501 Fluid Bed Dryer Lab-scale bench top dryer with microprocessor control of airflow, inlet temperature and drying period, delivering up to 2.5m³/min air flow for rapid moisture removal from samples with up to 80% moisture content for R&D and quality control.
• Magnetic Susceptibility Balance Mk1 Instrument for detecting magnetic properties of liquids and solids based on design by Professor Evans of Imperial College London, manufactured exclusively by Sherwood Scientific for research laboratory and industrial quality control applications.
• Model 865 Autosampler 40-position autosampler with separate positions for Blank and Calibrant, designed for use with all Sherwood Flame Photometers (except Model 360), featuring post standard and post sample rinse options and improved robustness.
• Model 806 Continuous Flow Dilutor Dual rotor dilutor with positive pumping for reproducible 200:1 ratio dilution of clinical samples for Na and K analysis, or 50:1 for Lithium samples, compatible with all Sherwood Scientific Flame Photometers.

Quantifiable outcome

• M420Cs achieves precision (%CV) ≤ 0.5 for all Dual Channel models
• +3 more outcomes

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Analytical Instruments (Pvt) LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Sherwood Scientific products in Sri Lanka. Handles local sales, support, and distribution of Flame, Chloride, FBD, and MSB products.
• CQA - Comercial Quimica Americana LTDAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Flame and Chloride products in Brazil.
• Adrona SIAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for all Sherwood products in Latvia.
• Bio-Strategy PTY LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor in Australia for all products. Also distributor in New Zealand for Flame Photometers.
• Geneq InccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Chloride Analyser products in Canada.
• VWR InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor laboratory equipment distributor carrying Sherwood products in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and France.
• DKSH Technology Sdn BhdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Flame Photometers, Chloride Analysers, and Fluid Bed Dryers in Malaysia. Also handles Hong Kong and China markets.
• Cole Parmer Instrument CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Chloride Analyser products in USA.
• Nelson Jameson InccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Chloride Analyser products in USA (Poland region).
• ITS Science and Medical Pte LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor in Singapore for all products.
• Mason TechnologycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Flame, Chloride and MSB products in Ireland.
• Laboratoire HumeaucoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Flame, Chloride, Colorimeter products in France (excludes FBD).
• Kleinfeld Labortechnik GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Fluid Bed Dryer products in Germany.
• Instrument Solutions Benelux bvcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor in Belgium handling Flame Photometers. Also handles Netherlands market for non-Flame Photometer products.
• Medical Electronic Distributors (Pty) LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor in South Africa for Flame Photometers.
• IZASA SCIENTIFIC SLUcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor in Spain for all products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sherwood-scientific-limited

Compliance2 records

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 Sherwood Scientific