IPRASENSE

What IPRASENSE does

IPRASENSE is a French life-sciences instrumentation company headquartered in Montpellier (Clapiers), founded in 2013, that develops and commercializes automated cell counters, cell viability analyzers, and live cell imaging systems based on patented lens-free holographic imaging technology. Its product portfolio is organized around two hardware lines — NORMA (XS, 4S, HT) for cell counting and viability, and CYTONOTE (1W, 6W, SCAN) for in-incubator live cell imaging — unified by the proprietary HORUS software platform, which reconstructs holographic images into quantitative cell metrics without labels, dilution, or focus adjustments. The NORMA 4S and HT models integrate directly with leading automated bioprocess platforms (Sartorius Ambr15, TECAN, Biomek), and the entire NORMA range carries 21 CFR Part 11 compliance and IQ/OQ documentation for regulated pharmaceutical use.

The company sells primarily through a global distributor network covering more than 20 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America, supplemented by direct sales for demos and enterprise accounts. Revenue is generated from one-time hardware sales, recurring consumables (single-use cell counting slides), and software updates bundled with instruments. Target customers include academic research laboratories, biopharmaceutical process development teams, and pharmaceutical quality-control departments; named users include CEA, Boehringer Ingelheim (vaccine QC, 100+ flasks monitored daily), and GSK (high-throughput process development with NORMA 4S on Ambr15). The company has received non-dilutive funding from BPIfrance under the Grand Défi Biomédicaments program and participates in the European iConsensus consortium, but it remains privately held at 1–10 employees without disclosed venture capital backing.

Name

IPRASENSE

Legal name

IPRASENSE

Website

https://iprasense.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IPRASENSE develops lens-free holographic cell counters (NORMA) and in-incubator live cell imagers (CYTONOTE), unified by HORUS software, for research labs, biopharmaceutical process developers, and pharmaceutical QC departments globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell Analysis Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Single-Cell & Spatial Omics Discovery Platforms (target ID/validation, functional profiling) (HLAAAIAF), Cell Therapy Quality, Analytics & Release Testing (potency, sterility, comparability) (HLAAABAK), AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE)

Keywords

• Automated cell counting
• Cell viability analysis
• Live cell imaging
• Label-free imaging
• Bioprocess monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Clapiers

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cell Analysis Instruments: Sale of hardware instruments including NORMA cell counters (XS, 4S, HT models) and CYTONOTE live cell imaging systems (1W, 6W, SCAN models) for cell culture monitoring in research and biopharmaceutical applications.
2. Software Licensing: HORUS software is included with instrument purchases and regularly updated by the development team. Optional analysis modules available for specific applications.
3. Consumables: Single-use cell counting slides and accessories for the NORMA and CYTONOTE product lines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IPRASENSE designs, manufactures, and sells label-free lens-free holographic imaging instruments for automated cell counting, cell viability analysis, and live cell time-lapse imaging inside incubators. Its two product lines — NORMA cell counters (XS, 4S, HT) and CYTONOTE live cell imaging systems (1W, 6W, SCAN) — are powered by the proprietary HORUS software platform and target mammalian cell culture research, biopharmaceutical process development, and quality control applications.

Product overview

IPRASENSE offers two integrated product lines for cell culture monitoring, both powered by the HORUS software platform. The NORMA product line (NORMA XS, NORMA 4S, NORMA HT) provides automated cell counting and viability analysis using label-free lens-free holographic imaging technology. The CYTONOTE product line (CYTONOTE 1W, CYTONOTE 6W, CYTONOTE SCAN) provides live cell time-lapse imaging systems designed to operate inside standard laboratory incubators. The HORUS software is the unified platform that processes data from all instruments, offering optional add-on modules for Scratch Assay, Cell Tracking, and Cell Tube Formation (Angiogenesis) analysis. Both product lines share IPRASENSE's core lens-free holographic imaging technology that eliminates the need for sample preparation (no dilution, no labels such as Trypan Blue) and requires no focus or brightness adjustments. The products are targeted at mammalian cell culture research, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical process development, and quality control applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NORMA: Product line for automated cell counters and cell viability analyzers (NORMA XS, NORMA 4S, NORMA HT). Label-free imaging technology for cell concentration and viability measurement.
• CYTONOTE
• HORUS

Products and services

• NORMA XS The NORMA XS is the simplest benchtop automatic cell counter and viability analyzer. Based on label-free lens-less holographic technology, it provides rapid and accurate cell concentration and viability measurements from approximately 3 µL of raw (undiluted, unlabeled) sample, with results in seconds. Designed for routine research laboratories and complies with 21 CFR Part 11 and GMP.
• NORMA 4S The NORMA 4S is a fully automated, high-throughput cell counter and viability analyzer designed for integration with parallel micro bioreactors. It features a refillable cartridge of 36 four-chamber slides (144 samples total) for unattended operation and is fully integrated with the Sartorius Ambr15 robotic micro bioreactor system. Complete measurement cycle takes approximately 1 minute.
• NORMA HT The NORMA HT is the high-throughput cell counter and viability analyzer designed for parallel monitoring of up to 24 cell cultures simultaneously. Based on label-free holographic technology, it delivers results in seconds per sample with no sample preparation, and integrates with TECAN and Biomek automated handling samplers. 21 CFR Part 11 compliant.
• CYTONOTE 1W The CYTONOTE 1W is a compact live cell imaging system designed to fit inside any standard incubator. It captures time-lapse and real-time holographic images of cells without labels, focus, or brightness settings. Up to 6 CYTONOTE 1W units can be connected simultaneously through the HORUS software.
• CYTONOTE 6W The CYTONOTE 6W is a live cell imaging system specifically designed for parallel monitoring of up to 6 cell cultures in 6-well plates inside an incubator. It uses patented lens-free holographic technology to capture and analyze thousands of cells without any focus or brightness adjustments.
• CYTONOTE SCAN The CYTONOTE SCAN is a live cell imaging system designed for parallel monitoring of multiwell plates (6, 12, 24, 96, and 384 well plates) and Petri dishes from inside an incubator. It captures the entire multiwell plate in a single wide-field image, with a default acquisition time of 20 minutes between measurements.
• HORUS Software HORUS is the unified software platform developed by IPRASENSE that powers all of the company's instruments. It receives and processes holographic image data from both NORMA and CYTONOTE product lines, providing cell counting, viability analysis, time-lapse imaging, and real-time monitoring through a graphical interface. Included with every product purchase and regularly updated.
• NORMA XS Cell Counting Slides Single-use cell counting slides for the NORMA XS, with a 30 µm chamber configuration measuring from 1.1×10^6 to 3.1×10^7 cells/ml. Each slide has 4 chambers.
• NORMA 4S Cell Counting Slides Single-use cell counting slides for the NORMA 4S, available in 20 µm and 100 µm chamber configurations. Each slide contains 4 chambers, and the refillable cartridge holds 36 slides for a total of 144 samples without user interaction.
• NORMA HT Cell Counting Slides Single-use cell counting slides for the NORMA HT instrument, available in 20 µm chamber configuration (2.1×10^6 to 5.1×10^7 cells/ml) and 100 µm chamber configuration (10^4 to 5.1×10^6 cells/ml), with 24 chambers per slide for high-throughput parallel sampling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced intra-operator variability from 30% to 3% using CYTONOTE for cell confluence measurement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• iConsensus Consortium (IMI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019IPRASENSE participates in the international iConsensus consortium supported by Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). The consortium includes 8 medium-sized enterprises, 4 academic institutes, and 7 EFPIA partners (Sanofi, Bayer, GSK, Pfizer, UCB, Rentschler, Synthon). Goal: achieve faster, safer, and more cost-effective process for development and manufacture of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and advanced therapies.
• Sartorius (Ambr15 Integration)coreTechnology or IntegrationNORMA 4S is fully integrated with Sartorius Ambr15 automated micro bioreactor. The robotic arm delivers samples directly to NORMA 4S for automatic measurement. Complete measurement cycle takes approximately 1 minute.
• TECANmajorTechnology or IntegrationNORMA HT has been successfully integrated with TECAN automatic handling sampler for automated cell counting workflows.
• BiomekmajorTechnology or IntegrationNORMA HT is integrated with Biomek automatic handling sampler for automated cell counting workflows.
• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with CEA on lens-free imaging technology. CEA researchers have published multiple papers using IPRASENSE technology and jointly discovered new biological rhythms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad markets the TC20 automated cell counter, a competing benchtop instrument for cell counting and viability in research labs. It's a broad incumbent with a large installed base in academic and biotech settings similar to IPRASENSE's research-lab segment.
• Molecular Devices (Danaher): Molecular Devices offers high-content imaging platforms (ImageXpress) used for live-cell imaging in research and screening — an adjacent broad incumbent whose customers overlap with IPRASENSE's drug discovery and academic research users.
• Sartorius: Sartorius is both a core integration partner (Ambr15 + NORMA 4S) and a broader bioprocess incumbent offering competing cell analysis and process monitoring solutions. Its installed base defines the upstream bioprocess workflow where IPRASENSE's instruments must plug in.
• Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (Danaher): Beckman Coulter's Vi-Cell is the legacy benchmark for automated cell viability analysis in biopharma QC and research. It is a broad incumbent serving the same cell counting/QC use cases as IPRASENSE, but as part of a much wider life sciences instrument portfolio.
• Tecan: Tecan is an integration partner (TECAN + NORMA HT) for automated sample handling, while also manufacturing its own cell imaging and detection instruments. It serves overlapping bioprocess and research-lab customers with adjacent instrumentation.

Direct peers

• ChemoMetec: ChemoMetec manufactures the NucleoCounter line of automated cell counters and viability analyzers used in bioprocess QC, cell therapy manufacturing and research — the closest direct functional competitor to IPRASENSE's NORMA line, with similar label-free, staining-free cell counting value propositions.
• Revvity (formerly Nexcelom): Revvity's Nexcelom Cellometer line competes with IPRASENSE on automated cell counting and viability, with particular strength in cell therapy manufacturing QC — the same high-value biopharma and cell therapy segment IPRASENSE targets.
• Logos Biosystems: Logos Biosystems produces the Luna-FL and Luna-II automated cell counters and is also active in fluorescence-based live-cell imaging — a close direct peer serving cell counting and live-cell analysis in research and bioprocess QC.

Emerging players

• Cytek Biosciences: Cytek specializes in spectral flow cytometry for high-content single-cell analysis used in immunology, cancer and cell therapy research — an adjacent single-cell analysis platform competing for the same research and biopharma lab budgets as IPRASENSE's imaging instruments.
• Countstar: Countstar produces compact automated cell counters and imaging-based cell analysis systems widely used in cell therapy and bioprocess QC, particularly in Asia. It is a direct functional competitor to the NORMA line with strong positioning in cell therapy manufacturing workflows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iprasense
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOQ_h7ir9-0suQycmnYMGJQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iprasense

Compliance3 records

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 IPRASENSE