Institut Génétique Nantes Atlantique

What Institut Génétique Nantes Atlantique does

Institut Génétique Nantes Atlantique (IGNA) is a French private forensic laboratory founded in 2003 by Professor Jean-Paul Moisan and headquartered in Saint-Herblain, near Nantes. Built on a 30+ year heritage of DNA identification work originating at CHU de Nantes in 1988, the laboratory operates as a multidisciplinary criminalistics platform offering genetic fingerprinting (nuclear, mitochondrial, and Y-chromosome DNA), papillary/fingerprint trace analysis, digital forensics (computers, phones, GPS, drones), bloodstain pattern morphoanalysis, metataxonomy (bacterial DNA sequencing for biological origin determination), DNA-based phenotyping and facial reconstruction, paternity and filiation testing, and integrated forensic synthesis supported by 3D crime scene modeling. Technical differentiators include being the first private French laboratory to combine coordinated fingerprint and DNA analysis (2006) and to offer bloodstain pattern analysis (2008), with a reference library of approximately 850 documented blood pattern photographs and proprietary use of high-throughput NGS sequencing for metataxonomy. Quality credentials include ISO 9001 certification (2008) and two Cofrac accreditations under NF EN ISO/IEC 17025 (genetic fingerprints n° 1-6004 from 2010; fingerprint traces n° 8-2555 from 2016), plus Ministry of Justice authorization under decree n° 97-109 for genetic identification.

IGNA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Groupe CARSO and generates revenue exclusively through professional forensic expertise services commissioned by French judicial authorities. The customer base is composed entirely of government and judicial entities, including the Police Nationale, Gendarmerie Nationale, civil and criminal courts, and the FNAEG national genetic fingerprint database; services are activated through formal court requisitions and cannot be self-procured by private actors. Pricing is bifurcated: civil jurisdiction missions follow flat-rate tariffs revised annually, while criminal jurisdiction missions require formal quotes (mandatory above €460 TTC per Article R107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure), with three priority levels (standard, urgent with 7-working-day guaranteed turnaround, and custom) and add-on fees for temperature-controlled and air transport. Operations run from a single consolidated Nantes site (since January 2020), supported by a 24/7 judicial duty line, dedicated commercial relationship managers organized by French geographic sector including overseas territories, and a partner medical-laboratory network that handles paternity sample collection nationwide. The team of 70+ experts is registered with the Cour d'Appel de Rennes, Cour de Cassation, and Cour Pénale Internationale, providing court-admissible testimony.

Name

Institut Génétique Nantes Atlantique

Legal name

Société IGNA

Website

https://igna.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IGNA is a French private forensic laboratory, wholly owned by Groupe CARSO, providing multidisciplinary criminalistics expertise (DNA, fingerprints, digital forensics, bloodstain analysis, phenotyping) exclusively to French judicial authorities, police, and gendarmerie through court requisitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forensic Laboratory Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Criminal Investigations & Forensics (Detectives, Crime Labs, CSI) (BPAIAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

eDiscovery, Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAKAHAD)

Keywords

• Forensic genetics services
• DNA fingerprint analysis
• Criminalistics laboratory
• Paternity testing services
• Digital forensics analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-herblain

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Judicial Expertise Services: IGNA generates revenue through forensic expertise services commissioned by judicial authorities (civil and criminal courts). Civil jurisdiction missions are billed at flat rates revised annually. Criminal jurisdiction missions require a mandatory quote for amounts exceeding €460 TTC. Services include genetic analysis, fingerprint analysis, digital forensics, bloodstain pattern analysis, and criminalistics synthesis. The company also charges annual fees for evidence storage at -20°C.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Institut Génétique Nantes Atlantique (IGNA) is a private French forensic laboratory that delivers multidisciplinary criminalistics expertise for judicial authorities. Its services include genetic fingerprinting (DNA profiling), fingerprint/papillary trace analysis, digital forensics (computers, phones, GPS), bloodstain pattern morphoanalysis, metataxonomy (bacterial DNA sequencing), DNA-based facial reconstruction (phenotyping), and paternity/filiation testing, supported by 3D crime scene modeling and integrated forensic synthesis.

Product overview

IGNA is a forensic laboratory offering a multidisciplinary range of criminalistic expertise services. The portfolio centers on genetic fingerprint analysis (establishing DNA profiles for judicial identification), fingerprint/papillary trace analysis, computer and phone forensics, blood pattern morphoanalysis, metataxonomy (bacterial DNA sequencing for biological origin determination), DNA-based facial reconstruction (portrait-robot), and paternity testing. These services are delivered through coordinated multidisciplinary approaches, combining genetic and papillary analysis, and are supported by specialized offerings including vehicle examination, 3D crime scene modeling, and comprehensive forensic synthesis. Services are available with three priority levels: standard, urgent, and custom, with emergency processing guaranteed in 7 working days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Empreintes génétiques (Genetic Fingerprints) Establishment of genetic profiles from evidence objects or biological samples within the judicial framework, including nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and Y chromosome marker analysis, used by judicial authorities for criminal identification.
• Traces papillaires (Fingerprint Analysis) Complete expertise combining fingerprint and papillary trace analysis with coordinated genetic analysis, including visualization and targeted sampling for DNA research.
• Informatique Téléphonie GPS (Computer, Phone & GPS Forensics) Analysis and synthesis of digital data from all types of computer and electronic media, including data extraction, recovery of deleted data, and GPS trajectory reconstruction for judicial investigations.
• Morphoanalyse des traces de sang (Blood Pattern Analysis) Determination of the most probable scenario of bloody events through observation and analysis of blood trace characteristics, used for judicial investigations.
• Métataxonomie (Metataxonomy) Analysis of biological origin of samples through bacterial DNA sequencing using high-throughput sequencing (NGS), identifying human cells and specific bacteria from various environments.
• Portrait robot (DNA-Based Facial Reconstruction) Analysis of phenotypic characteristics of unidentified persons using SNP analysis to determine eye color, hair color, skin color, and ancestral origins.
• Test de paternité / Filiation (Paternity & Family Relationship Testing) Genetic analysis determining biological relationships between parents and children using polymorphic DNA markers (minimum 24 loci plus X/Y chromosome markers), conducted via court-ordered procedures.
• Modélisation 3D (3D Crime Scene Modeling) Virtual crime scene preservation and reconstruction using 3D Vista software, AutopanoGiga, and Ricoh Theta panoramic camera, integrating genetic fingerprints, papillary prints, and blood pattern analysis.
• Synthèse criminalistique (Forensic Synthesis) Multidisciplinary forensic synthesis integrating multiple scientific disciplines including genetic fingerprints, papillary prints, blood pattern analysis, and partner services for comprehensive case evaluation.
• Rapprochement FNAEG (FNAEG Matching) DNA profile matching and comparison against the National Automated Genetic Fingerprint File (FNAEG) for criminal identification purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Results guaranteed in 7 working days for urgent priority cases
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Groupe CARSOcoreOthers · 1 January 2003IGNA is a subsidiary of Groupe CARSO, a healthcare and laboratory services group. The parent company handles data protection responsibilities (DPO at [email protected]) and provides corporate infrastructure. IGNA appears under the CARSO group umbrella with shared data management and privacy policies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Global testing, inspection and certification conglomerate with a forensic services arm. Much broader portfolio than IGNA, but overlaps in laboratory-based analytical testing for regulated clients and operates at a far larger scale across multiple geographies.
• Charles River Laboratories: Major contract research and life-sciences laboratory services provider, including genomics and specialty testing for regulated clients. Comparable to IGNA on the lab-services business model and biotech-adjacent analytical capabilities, though focused on pharma/biotech rather than forensic end markets.
• Intertek: Global quality-assurance and testing company operating accredited laboratories across consumer products, life sciences and industrial sectors. Broad incumbent with overlapping laboratory-services and accreditation-driven business model, though without IGNA's forensic specialization.
• Labcorp (Laboratory Corporation of America): Large US-based clinical and specialty laboratory operator with forensic DNA capabilities acquired through Cellmark. Massive scale incumbent with overlapping DNA testing, paternity and clinical-analytical services; comparable in business model and regulatory-accreditation framework though far broader in scope.
• Bureau Veritas: Major global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) group with laboratory testing capabilities across multiple sectors. Not a forensic specialist, but its broad laboratory-services footprint makes it a reference incumbent for testing-services business models comparable to IGNA's.

Direct peers

• Eurofins Forensic Services: Eurofins operates one of the largest private forensic DNA testing networks in Europe, with multiple accredited labs serving law enforcement and judicial clients across France, Germany, the UK and beyond. Direct overlap with IGNA in DNA profiling, paternity, and court-admissible forensic testing under ISO 17025 accreditations.
• NMS Labs: US-based private forensic reference laboratory offering a broad forensic testing menu including DNA, toxicology, and digital evidence for law enforcement, medical examiners and attorneys. Comparable in its court-expert positioning and multidisciplinary forensic scope to IGNA.
• DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC): US private DNA testing laboratory specializing in paternity, relationship, and forensic DNA testing with AABB accreditation. Comparable to IGNA's civil paternity/filiation testing line and to its forensic DNA operations through a network of partner sample-collection sites.
• Cellmark Forensic Services (LGC Group): UK-originated forensic DNA testing specialist now part of LGC Group, serving police forces and courts in the UK and internationally. Direct comparable on DNA profiling, paternity testing, and ISO 17025-accredited forensic genetic analysis workflows.

Emerging players

• AlphaBiolabs: UK-based DNA, drug and alcohol testing laboratory offering paternity testing, forensic DNA, and legal-sample collection services. Niche specialist with overlapping service categories to IGNA's civil paternity and forensic lines, but with a UK geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/igna-nantes

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Institut Génétique Nantes Atlantique