What AutoMate Scientific does

AutoMate Scientific, Inc. is a privately held, Berkeley, California-based designer, manufacturer, and distributor of precision biomedical instruments serving neuroscience, biophysics, patch clamp electrophysiology, and pharmaceutical drug discovery research. The company's proprietary portfolio is anchored on perfusion systems — programmable valve controllers (ValveBank with 10ms accuracy and ValveLink8.2 with 1ms switching and ValveGuard bad-valve detection), EasyCode programming software, pressurized superfusion with sub-millisecond solution exchange, ThermoClamp temperature control with patented thermal runaway protection (US Patent 11,686,656), and a family of perfusion chambers, brain slice tissue chambers, and microscope stage accessories. In parallel, AutoMate Scientific operates as the US distribution channel for major electrophysiology brands including Sutter Instruments, Molecular Devices/Axon, Bioptechs, Digitimer, TMC, Nanion, Neobiosystems, MED64, Ionovation, Siskiyou Mechanicals, and PolyAn, offering researchers a single-vendor source for complete electrophysiology rigs.

The company's business model is a hybrid of direct hardware manufacturing and value-added distribution. Primary revenue is hardware sales of complete systems and individual components priced between $83 and $13,225, supplemented by perpetual-license software (EasyCode), custom quote-based configured rigs, and recurring accessory/consumable purchases. International pricing carries at least a 15% premium over US pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: direct e-commerce via autom8.com, toll-free phone sales, and recurring trade show presence at the Society for Neuroscience and Biophysical Society annual meetings, supported by a bibliography of peer-reviewed publications citing AutoMate products. Customers include academic researchers at institutions such as Stanford, UCSF, and UC Berkeley, pharmaceutical drug-screening groups, and government labs globally, with no disclosed enterprise contracts or revenue concentration.

Name

AutoMate Scientific

Legal name

AutoMate Scientific, Inc.

Website

https://autom8.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AutoMate Scientific designs, manufactures, and distributes precision perfusion, temperature control, and electrophysiology instruments for neuroscience and pharmaceutical research labs, and serves as the US distributor for major electrophysiology brands including Sutter, Molecular Devices, Bioptechs, Nanion, and MED64.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Product Sales: Direct sales of precision biomedical instruments including perfusion systems, valve controllers, temperature control equipment, amplifiers, manipulators, and accessories. Products sold as complete systems or individual components.
2. Software Licensing: EasyCode software sold as perpetual license for ValveBank programming (PC/Mac).
3. Custom System Configuration: Custom perfusion systems and electrophysiology rigs configured to customer specifications, with quote-based pricing.
4. Accessories and Consumables: Ongoing sales of replacement parts, tubing, syringes, manifolds, and other perfusion accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AutoMate Scientific designs, manufactures, and distributes precision biomedical instruments for electrophysiology, perfusion, temperature control, and imaging applications in neuroscience and pharmaceutical research. Core offerings include programmable valve controllers (ValveBank, ValveLink8.2), perfusion systems with various valve types, temperature control systems (ThermoClamp, BubbleStop), perfusion chambers, brain slice chambers and incubators, and automated patch clamping equipment. The company also distributes complementary electrophysiology products from partner manufacturers such as Sutter Instruments, Molecular Devices, Bioptechs, Digitimer, Nanion, and others.

Product overview

AutoMate Scientific designs, manufactures, and supplies precision biomedical instruments for neuroscience, biophysics, patch clamping, and pharmaceutical research. The company offers an integrated portfolio of perfusion systems and electrophysiology equipment organized into several product lines: (1) Perfusion Systems - including ValveBank and ValveLink8.2 programmable valve controllers, EasyCode software, pinch/PTFE/Lee valves, pressurized superfusion, Perfusion Pencil manifolds, Oxygen8 bubbled systems, and SmartSquirt microperfusion; (2) Temperature Control - featuring ThermoClamp inline heaters with thermal runaway protection, BubbleStop syringe heaters, Bioptechs Delta T dish heaters, FCS2/FCS3 closed chambers, and Cool Solutions Peltier systems; (3) Perfusion Chambers - QuickStage stage adapters and chambers, StageHands magnetic tool holders, oocyte and Petri dish chambers; (4) Brain Slice Systems - tissue chambers (BSC/MSC series), Brain Slice Keeper incubators, and sub-millisecond piezo solution switchers; (5) Electrophysiology Equipment - MultiClamp/Axoclamp/Axopatch amplifiers from Molecular Devices, Digidata digitizers, pCLAMP software, dPatch/IPA amplifiers, Sutter and Siskiyou manipulators, micropipette pullers (P-2000, P-1000, P-97), filter wheels, and TMC air tables; (6) Automated Electrophysiology - MED64 multi-electrode arrays, Nanion Port-a-Patch planar clamp, Neobiosystems automated patch clamp, Ionovation, and BioPro Scientific systems; (7) Functionalized Bio-surfaces - PolyAn microarray slides, plates, coverslips, and microparticles; and (8) EcigAero aerosol exposure systems. Products are designed for integration with common data acquisition software (pCLAMP, SutterPatch, Patchmaster, AxoGraph, LabVIEW) and hardware (Digidata, National Instruments DAQ). The company operates as both a manufacturer of proprietary products and a distributor of partner brands including Molecular Devices, Sutter Instruments, Bioptechs, and Nanion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ValveBank Perfusion Controller Stand-alone programmable valve controller that stores user programs up to 99 hours with 10 millisecond switching accuracy, offering digital and manual control via keypad, LCD screen, or EasyCode software. Designed for researchers requiring automated solution switching without a dedicated computer.
• ValveLink8.2 Perfusion Controller Computer-controlled valve controller with 1 millisecond switching speed, USB networking for up to 64 channels, ValveGuard bad-valve detection technology, and integrated spill sensor protection. Designed for high-speed electrophysiology and low-noise applications.
• EasyCode Software Click-and-drag time bar programming software for ValveBank controllers, allowing pre-programming of valve sequences, unlimited program storage, and download to controller memory. Available as perpetual license for PC and Mac.
• Perfusion Systems Complete perfusion systems including controller, valves (Pinch, PTFE inert, or Lee), reservoirs, ringstand, tubing, and micro-manifolds for automated solution switching in electrophysiology experiments. Configured with 4, 8, or 16 channel options.
• Pressurized Superfusion System Pressure upgrade for perfusion systems providing faster switching, steady flow rates, microinjection capability, and pressure delivery through small pipettes, available in 4, 8, or 16 channel configurations.
• Perfusion Pencil Multi-barrel Manifold Multi-barrel manifold for focal drug application in single-cell or whole cell perfusion, enabling millisecond solution change with micro-liter dead volume without requiring piezo or stepper motors.
• Oxygen8 Bubbled Superfusion System Pressurized perfusion system with bubbled oxygenation capability for closed reservoirs that solves the engineering challenge of bubbling carbogen gas into closed pressurized reservoirs. Available in 4 or 8 channel configurations.
• SmartSquirt Micro-Perfusion System Pneumatic micro-perfusion system using air pressure to deliver precious solutions from small cryo tube reservoirs located near the preparation for fine microliter delivery.
• ThermoClamp Temperature Controller Inline heater combining rapid solution switching with accurate temperature control (ambient to 65°C) using fuzzy logic PID software, auto-tuning, and patented thermal runaway protection. Maintains temperature within 1°C or better (±0.1°C).
• BubbleStop Syringe Heater Integrated temperature sensor and feedback syringe heater that pre-warms solutions to off-gas bubbles before experiments, enabling bubble-free perfusion in both gravity and pressurized systems.
• QuickStage Perfusion Chambers Microscope stage adapters and heated perfusion chambers with magnetic tool platform, integrated spill channel, and compatibility with Nikon, Olympus, Zeiss, and Leica upright and inverted microscopes.
• StageHands Magnetic Tool Holders Magnetic base, arms, manifold, and tube holders for mounting equipment securely on microscope stages during electrophysiology and perfusion experiments, adjustable in all axes and extending over 4.5 inches.
• Brain Slice and Tissue Chambers Interface and submerged chambers (BSC and MSC series) for brain slice and tissue preparations with various channel configurations and microscope compatibility for both upright and inverted microscopes.
• Brain Slice Incubators (Brain Slice Keeper Series) Tissue incubators (Brain Slice Keeper BSK 1-12) for maintaining brain slices with options for single, low volume, quad, interface, heated, and high capacity configurations.
• EcigAero Aerosol Exposure System Aerosol exposure system for e-cigarette and aerosol research enabling controlled exposure delivery to specimens in research settings.
• Sub-Millisecond Piezo Solution Switcher High-speed piezo flexure nanopositioner solution switcher using Siskiyou MX1640 manipulator for sub-millisecond chemical environment changes to measure ion channel kinetics, controllable via LabVIEW interface.
• MED64 Multi-Electrode Array System Multi-electrode array (MEA) system for extracellular recordings from neurons and tissue cultures, distributed from MED64 Alpha, including configurations such as Alpha MED64, Quad II, Allegro, Plex, Presto, and Entry II, with amplifiers, probes, and accessories.
• Complete Electrophysiology Rig Customizable complete electrophysiology recording setups combining perfusion systems, amplifiers, manipulators, and accessories, with quote-based pricing for complete experimental rigs.
• Perfusion Valves (Pinch, PTFE Inert, Lee Mini) Three types of perfusion valves: Pinch Valves (10-20ms switching, no liquid-valve contact), PTFE Inert Valves (8-10ms switching, chemical-resistant), and Lee Mini Valves (1.5-4ms switching, minimal pressure pulse). Sold in 4, 8, and 16 channel configurations.
• Rodent Fixation Systems Fixation systems designed for rodent preparations in neuroscience research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Valve switching accuracy to 0.01 seconds with programs up to 99 hours long
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sutter InstrumentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes and sells Sutter Instruments products including manipulators (MP-285, MP-225A, MP-85, MPC-365, QUAD 4-axis), micropipette pullers (P-2000, P-1000, P-97, P-30), bevelers, microinjectors, optical instruments (Lambda filter wheels, SmartShutter, LS light source), and complete bundled electrophysiology systems.
• Molecular Devices/Axon InstrumentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes Molecular Devices/Axon Instruments products including MultiClamp 700B, Axoclamp 900A, Axopatch 200B amplifiers, Digidata 1550 digitizer, pCLAMP 11 software, headstages, and pipette holders.
• BioptechscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes Bioptechs temperature control products including Delta T Open Dish Heater, FCS3 Closed Chamber-Upright, FCS2 Closed Chamber-Inverted, CFCS2 Cooled Closed Chamber, objective heaters and cooling collars, and heated dishes.
• DigitimercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes Digitimer products including DS2A constant voltage stimulator, DS3 constant current stimulator, DS4 bi-phasic stimulus isolator, DG2A train/delay generator, NeuroLog modular system.
• TMC (Technical Manufacturing Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes TMC vibration isolation products including CleanBench air tables, CleanBench Aktiv, Faraday cages, and breadboards for vibration-free experimental setups.
• PolyAncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes PolyAn functionalized bio-surfaces including microarray functionalized plates, functionalized glass slides and coverslips, multi-well formats, polymer films, fluorescent calibration slides, microparticles (PMMA), and DNA combing products.
• NarishigeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes Narishige products including MF3 microforge and PC-100 vertical puller.
• NeoBiosystemscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes NeoBiosystems automated patch clamping products including ez-gSEAL 100B controller, ezPATCH 100A, PatchMAX 100A, ChannelMAX 100A Mini and Twin, patch clamping accessories, and complete TEVC packages.
• Nanion TechnologiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes Nanion planar patch clamping products including Port-a-Patch and Port-a-Patch Mini, as well as Vesicle Prep Pro bilayer apparatus.
• IonovationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes Ionovation products including Scout, Explorer, and PicoTweezers for electrophysiology applications.
• Siskiyou MechanicalscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes Siskiyou mechanical products including piezo switchers, electrode holders, opto positioners, motorized and manual micromanipulators (SD-160, SD-130, MX-110, SD-10), microscope platforms, towers, translators, tissue slicers, chambers, and chamber shuttles.
• BioPro ScientificminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes BioPro Scientific products including NeuLive, Elite, Cordia systems and electrodes.
• MED64 AlphacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutoMate Scientific distributes MED64 multi-electrode array products including Alpha MED64 systems (Basic, Quad II, Allegro, Plex 4/8, Presto, Entry II), amplifiers, probes, accessories, and MED64 Mobius software for MEA research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• HEKA Elektronik (Harvard Bioscience):

Direct peers

• Bioptechs: Bioptechs manufactures live-cell microscopy chambers, ITO heating systems, and FCS closed perfusion chambers that overlap with AutoMate's temperature control and QuickStage product lines. They are also a distribution partner, creating a hybrid competitor/distributor relationship.
• Warner Instruments (Harvard Apparatus): Warner Instruments is a pioneering manufacturer of perfusion chambers, valve controllers, and platform components for electrophysiology research, now part of Harvard Apparatus. It competes directly with AutoMate's perfusion chambers and VC3/ValveBank-style valve systems.
• Sutter Instrument: Sutter manufactures micropipette pullers, manipulators, and optical instruments that overlap with AutoMate's electromechanical portfolio. The companies also have a distribution partnership, making them both collaborator and competitor in select categories such as micromanipulators and lambda optical instruments.
• Digitimer: Digitimer designs and manufactures stimulus isolators, constant voltage/current stimulators, and noise eliminators for electrophysiology that overlap with AutoMate's distributed catalog. Like Sutter and Bioptechs, Digitimer is also a distribution partner while competing in adjacent categories.
• ALA Scientific Instruments: ALA Scientific designs and manufactures perfusion systems, pinch valves, and electrophysiology accessories that directly compete with AutoMate's core product lines. Both companies serve neuroscience and biophysics researchers with similar solution-switching and chamber products at comparable price points.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/autom8.Sci
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/automate-scientific

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 AutoMate Scientific