Prospective Instruments
Prospective Instruments is an Austrian startup (founded 2019) that designs and sells turnkey multimodal multiphoton microscopes (MPX/MPC), FSX-series femtosecond lasers, and the AI-powered Histoflow digital pathology platform, serving academic researchers, hospitals, and pharma/diagnostics customers via direct DACH sales and a global exclusive distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersDornbirn, Austria
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Prospective Instruments does
Prospective Instruments is an Austrian-headquartered technology company (Dornbirn; Swiss subsidiary in Regensdorf) that designs and manufactures multimodal multiphoton microscopes and ultrafast femtosecond lasers for biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. Founded in 2019, the company targets academic research institutions, hospitals with R&D focus, pharmaceutical/diagnostics firms, clinical CROs, and forensic R&D with a portfolio spanning the MPX Series (turnkey microscope with built-in laser), MPC Series (modular microscope for external laser integration and 3P imaging), and FSX-Series femtosecond lasers. The Histoflow platform extends the product surface into AI-powered digital pathology, producing virtual H&E stainings of unlabelled 2D and 3D tissue samples.
The underlying technology integrates a proprietary femtosecond laser engine, a compact scanhead on a 2m umbilical, multimodal imaging (widefield, two-photon, SHG, THG, brightfield), adaptive optics support via Phaseform's Delta7 module, and the ChromoGazer control software, with optional ScanImage/MATLAB for laser scanning. Systems are designed to ship pre-aligned and operate without water cooling or specialised power, lowering adoption friction relative to traditional multiphoton rigs that require expert alignment and infrastructure.
Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of microscope systems and lasers, distributed via direct sales in DACH and an exclusive network of regional distributors across North America, APAC, Israel, the Nordics, UK/Ireland, and Oceania. Supplementary streams include contract imaging services, software licenses (ChromoGazer, ScanImage Premium), and field-service/maintenance contracts with warranties extendable from 24 months to 5 years. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the customer mix is heavily skewed toward academic and research institutions (e.g., Hubrecht Institute, EMBL Heidelberg, LMU Munich, University of Zurich).
Prospective Instruments firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Prospective Instruments
- Legal name
- Prospective Instruments LK OG
- Website
- https://p-inst.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Prospective Instruments is an Austrian startup (founded 2019) that designs and sells turnkey multimodal multiphoton microscopes (MPX/MPC), FSX-series femtosecond lasers, and the AI-powered Histoflow digital pathology platform, serving academic researchers, hospitals, and pharma/diagnostics customers via direct DACH sales and a global exclusive distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Prospective Instruments industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Multiphoton Microscopy & Ultrafast Laser Instrumentation
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)
Keywords
Where Prospective Instruments is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dornbirn
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Prospective Instruments business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Multiphoton Microscope Sales (MPX/MPC Series): Sale of integrated multiphoton microscopy systems including MPX (built-in laser) and MPC (external laser integration) series. Systems sold as complete turnkey platforms with standard 24-month warranty extendable to 5 years.
- Femtosecond Laser Sales (FSX Series): Sale of FSX-series ultrafast lasers available in tunable and fixed wavelength configurations. Distributed through exclusive partnerships including RPMC Lasers for North America.
- Contract Imaging Service: Flexible imaging service where customers can visit facility for sample imaging alongside experts or send samples for full characterization.
- Software Licenses: MATLAB and ScanImage licenses included; ScanImage Premium available. Windows and antivirus with automatic updates.
- Service and Maintenance: All components can be serviced and replaced in the field including femtosecond laser. Remote support via TeamViewer for service and maintenance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | MPX Series - Built-in laser multiphoton microscope |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | MPC Series - External laser multiphoton microscope |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | FSX Series Femtosecond Lasers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Contract Imaging Service |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels14 records
Marketing channels7 records
Prospective Instruments product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Prospective Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells turnkey multimodal multiphoton microscopes (MPX and MPC series) and ultrafast femtosecond lasers (FSX series) for life science research, neuroscience, and clinical diagnostics. The company also offers the AI-powered Histoflow digital pathology platform for label-free virtual H&E staining and a contract imaging service where customers can either visit the Dornbirn facility or send samples for expert characterization.
Product overview
Prospective Instruments is a technology company specializing in multimodal multiphoton microscopes and ultrafast femtosecond lasers. The product portfolio centers on two multiphoton microscope series (MPX and MPC), the FSX-series femtosecond lasers, and the AI-powered Histoflow digital pathology platform. The MPX Series is a fully integrated turnkey multiphoton microscope with built-in laser, while the MPC Series is designed for integration with external/custom lasers and supports three-photon imaging. The FSX-series provides tunable or fixed-wavelength femtosecond lasers in a compact form factor. All microscopes use Prospective Instruments' proprietary ChromoGazer software for system control alongside third-party ScanImage software for laser scanning. The company also offers contract imaging services and has developed Histoflow, an AI-powered platform for virtual H&E staining in clinical diagnostics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MPX Series Multiphoton Microscope
- MPC Series Multiphoton Microscope
- FSX Series Femtosecond Lasers
- Histoflow Digital Pathology Platform
- Contract Imaging Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Imaging can begin within minutes without any setup or alignment required
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Prospective Instruments
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Prospective Instruments technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
Prospective Instruments partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hubrecht Institute (Hiiragi group)coreInterdisciplinary collaboration to develop novel intravital microscopy platform for studying mammalian embryo implantation. Prof. Takashi Hiiragi leads research on self-organisation in early mammalian embryos using genetics, microscopy, biophysics, engineering, and modelling. Collaboration combines expertise to build intravital microscope for observing embryo-uterus interactions.
- EMBL Heidelberg (Prevedel group)coreInterdisciplinary collaboration for intravital multiphoton microscopy development. Dr. Robert Prevedel's group focuses on pushing frontiers of deep tissue microscopy in terms of imaging depths and resolution through advanced optical imaging techniques. Also developing Brillouin microscopy for non-contact mechanical property imaging.
- RPMC LaserscoreExclusive partnership for distribution of FSX-series femtosecond lasers in North America. Significantly expands ability to deliver turnkey, compact laser platforms to researchers and OEM integrators in biophotonics, material science, quantum optics, and advanced R&D markets. RPMC provides local product support, faster shipping times, and application expertise.
- Climate Neutrality Alliance 2025minorEnvironmental sustainability partnership. Company operations run 100% on renewable energies. Travel to clients and events CO2 compensated. Joined Climate Neutrality Alliance 2025 to achieve climate neutrality.
- myclimate.orgminorClimate action partner. CO2 compensation for travel to clients and events.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Prospective Instruments competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Thorlabs: Thorlabs is a broad incumbent photonics and optics supplier with multiphoton microscopy subsystems, OEM laser components, and adaptive-optics modules (including the Phaseform Delta7 used in Prospective Instruments' systems), making it a supplier-adjacent comparable.
- Evident (formerly Olympus Scientific Solutions): Evident (spun out of Olympus) provides the FV series multiphoton and confocal microscopes to academic and clinical research labs globally, competing for the same multiphoton-imaging budgets as Prospective Instruments.
- Leica Microsystems (Danaher): Leica offers STELLARIS and DIVE multiphoton microscopes serving the same biomedical research and clinical-research customer base, and competes at the high end of academic core facilities with full-service support that Prospective Instruments' small team cannot match.
- Carl Zeiss Microscopy: Zeiss provides the LSM series multiphoton and confocal microscope platforms sold to elite academic and clinical research institutions worldwide, with a global service footprint that dwarfs Prospective Instruments' direct sales coverage outside DACH.
- Nikon (Eclipse / AXR): Nikon's microscopy division supplies multiphoton and confocal systems into the same academic life-science and neuroscience buyer base, representing a deep-pocketed incumbent in the imaging-instrument category.
Direct peers
- M Squared: M Squared designs ultrafast femtosecond lasers and microscopy platforms, overlapping directly with Prospective Instruments' FSX-Series lasers and multiphoton microscopes in biophotonics and OEM integration use cases.
- Scientifica: Scientifica manufactures multiphoton and two-photon microscopy systems targeting neuroscience and life-science research, including turnkey rigs. Comparable to Prospective Instruments in customer base (academic neuroscience, developmental biology) and product category (multiphoton imaging).
- Intelligent Imaging Innovations (3i): 3i builds modular multiphoton and light-sheet microscopy systems and the SlideBook software stack, competing with Prospective Instruments in academic core facilities and sharing the modular-system value proposition of the MPC Series.
- Bruker (Luxendo): Bruker's Luxendo product line offers light-sheet and multiphoton microscopes for intravital and developmental-biology applications, the most direct product-category competitor to Prospective Instruments' MPX/MPC multiphoton platforms serving the same academic and core-facility buyers.
Emerging players
- JenLab: JenLab develops clinical and preclinical multiphoton tomographs for skin and tissue imaging, sharing Prospective Instruments' clinical-adjacent positioning around label-free, in-vivo tissue imaging and overlapping with the Histoflow pathology roadmap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Prospective Instruments social profiles
Digital presenceProspective Instruments financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Prospective Instruments leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Prospective Instruments funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Prospective Instruments M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Prospective Instruments
What does Prospective Instruments do?
Prospective Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells turnkey multimodal multiphoton microscopes (MPX and MPC series) and ultrafast femtosecond lasers (FSX series) for life science research, neuroscience, and clinical diagnostics. The company also offers the AI-powered Histoflow digital pathology platform for label-free virtual H&E staining and a contract imaging service where customers can either visit the Dornbirn facility or send samples for expert characterization.
Is Prospective Instruments a public or private company?
Prospective Instruments is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Prospective Instruments founded?
Prospective Instruments was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Prospective Instruments based?
Prospective Instruments is headquartered in Dornbirn, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does Prospective Instruments make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Multiphoton Microscope Sales (MPX/MPC Series) is the primary driver. The others are femtosecond Laser Sales (FSX Series), contract Imaging Service, software Licenses and service and Maintenance.
Who are Prospective Instruments's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Thorlabs, Evident (formerly Olympus Scientific Solutions), Leica Microsystems (Danaher), Carl Zeiss Microscopy and Nikon (Eclipse / AXR). Direct peers are M Squared, Scientifica, Intelligent Imaging Innovations (3i) and Bruker (Luxendo). JenLab is listed as an emerging player.
Does Prospective Instruments have an API?
No public API is recorded for Prospective Instruments.
What industry is Prospective Instruments in?
Prospective Instruments's product category is Multiphoton Microscopy & Ultrafast Laser Instrumentation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAE, Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments. Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.