Zirbus technology

What Zirbus technology does

Zirbus technology GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of industrial sterilization and drying equipment, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Bad Grund in the Harz region. The company designs, develops, and produces autoclaves, steam sterilizers, and freeze-dryers (lyophilizers) entirely in-house, with a portfolio spanning table-top laboratory units (40–200 L), floor-standing and large production autoclaves (up to 18,000 L), high-pressure autoclaves (up to 20 bar / 250°C / 5,000 L), modular laboratory and pilot freeze dryers (VaCo series), large production freeze dryers (up to 60 m² shelf area, 1,200 kg ice capacity), food freeze dryers, and specialized archaeology/document-rescue freeze dryers, plus thermal plants (pure steam generators, vacuum dryers, centrifugal dryers, conditioning plants). Products are GMP-compliant per DIN 58950 and FDA 21 CFR Part 11, with full pharmaceutical qualification (DQ, IQ, OQ) documentation and a proprietary Sterilog batch-recording system; technical differentiators include a square-chamber design that yields higher loading capacity at smaller external dimensions, an integrated steam generator, a rapid water recooling system claimed to cut re-cooling time by over 80%, and a ring-cooling configuration claimed to save up to 80% of water consumption.

The company operates through three internal sub-brands: Steriline (autoclaves), DryTec (freeze dryers), and Servtec (service). Revenue is generated primarily through one-time capital-equipment sales of customized units, supplemented by an after-sales service, maintenance, spare-parts, and device-reshipment stream. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; all units are configured to customer requirements and sold via direct enterprise sales from Bad Grund, supported by a worldwide network of channel partners spanning more than 30 countries across Europe, Asia, North America, Oceania, and Africa. Customers are concentrated in pharmaceutical manufacturing, food production, research and academic institutions, and the medical sector, with a niche use case in archaeological preservation and document rescue. The company is family-owned, led by Managing Director Jochen Zirbus, with family members in sales leadership for the two main product divisions; no external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity are disclosed.

Name

Zirbus technology

Legal name

ZIRBUS technology GmbH

Website

https://zirbus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Zirbus technology GmbH is a German manufacturer (founded 1984, Bad Grund) of customized autoclaves, steam sterilizers, and freeze-drying/lyophilization systems for pharmaceutical, food, research, medical, and specialized industrial customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Sterilization and Lyophilization Equipment

NAICS

Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Process Skids & Modular Process Systems (Packaged Units) (IMAHAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC), Chemical Processing Equipment (Reactors, Mixers, Agitators) (IMAHAEAA), Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Industrial autoclaves
• Freeze drying systems
• Steam sterilizers
• Lyophilization equipment
• High pressure autoclaves

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Grund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Autoclave Equipment Sales: Sale of laboratory, industrial, and high-pressure autoclave systems. Products range from 40-litre tabletop units to 18,000-litre production autoclaves. Revenue is one-time per unit with potential aftermarket services.
2. Freeze Dryer / Lyophilizer Sales: Sale of laboratory, pilot, and production freeze drying systems. Includes food freeze dryers and specialized archaeology/document rescue units. One-time equipment revenue.
3. Thermal Plant Systems: Custom-manufactured thermal plant systems including pure steam generators, vacuum dryers, centrifugal dryers, and conditioning plants built to customer specifications.
4. After-sales Service and Maintenance: Comprehensive service department offering maintenance, repair, spare parts supply, and device reshipment services for installed equipment base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ZIRBUS technology GmbH designs, develops, and manufactures customized autoclaves, steam sterilizers, and freeze-drying (lyophilization) systems at its facility in Bad Grund, Germany. Its product range spans benchtop laboratory units from 40 liters up to industrial production systems of 18,000 liters, including high-pressure autoclaves, food freeze dryers, and specialized thermal plant equipment. All units are manually produced in-house and tailored to the specific requirements of pharmaceutical, food, research, and medical customers.

Product overview

Zirbus technology GmbH is a German manufacturer specializing in industrial sterilization and drying equipment. The product portfolio consists of three main product lines: (1) Autoclaves and sterilizers including table top models (LabStar 40-200), vertical autoclaves (LVSA series), floor-standing autoclaves (HST series with square or round chambers), large production autoclaves (6H/8H/10H series up to 3,087 L), and high-pressure autoclaves (HDA series up to 5,000 L and 250°C); (2) Freeze Dryers/Lyophilizers including the VaCo laboratory series, pilot plants, production facilities, food freeze dryers (Sublimator EKS-R), and archaeology/file rescue systems; and (3) Thermal Plants including pure steam generators, vacuum dryers, and centrifugal dryers. All products are manufactured in Germany (Bad Grund) since 1984, with a focus on customized solutions for pharmaceutical, food, research, and industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Steriline: Autoclaves division - responsible for autoclave products and sales
• Drytec
• Servtec

Products and services

• Table Top Autoclaves (LabStar series) Benchtop and laboratory autoclaves with chamber volumes from 40 to 200 liters, available in round and square chamber designs (LabStar 40, 70, 100, 150, 200). Targeted at laboratories and research facilities requiring compact steam sterilization.
• Vertical Autoclaves (LVSA series) Vertical standing autoclaves with chamber volumes of 80-150 liters, featuring low loading height and easy operation. Models include LVSA 40/60, LVSA 40/75, LVSA 50/60, and LVSA 50/70. For laboratory and small-scale pharmaceutical applications.
• Floor Standing Autoclaves (HST series - Square Chamber) Floor-standing autoclaves with vertical door and square chamber, ranging from 150 to 1,200 liters chamber volume. Pneumatically operated vertical door with single-door or pass-through configurations. GMP/FDA compliant for pharmaceutical production.
• Standalone Autoclaves - Round Chamber (LabStar series) Cost-effective round-chamber floor-standing autoclaves for laboratory and pharmaceutical applications, with models ranging from 330 to 825 liters chamber volume.
• Large Autoclaves for Production (6H, 8H, 10H series) High-capacity production autoclaves with chamber volumes from 640 to 3,087 liters, including 6H series (640-1,234 L), 8H series (1,080-2,463 L), and 10H series (1,580-3,087 L). Custom dimensions available up to 10 m³. Designed for industrial-scale sterilization in pharmaceutical and food production.
• High Pressure Autoclaves (HDA series) High-pressure autoclaves for research, testing, and production with operating pressures up to 20 bar and temperatures up to 250°C. Available in horizontal or vertical versions with chamber dimensions from Ø300-1,400mm and volumes from 60 to 5,000 liters. Certified to 2014/68/EU and AD2000 standards.
• Wash Water Sterilizer Autoclave system for sterilizing wash water, part of the production autoclave lineup, for industrial and pharmaceutical water treatment applications.
• Laboratory Freeze Dryer (VaCo series) Entry-level laboratory freeze dryers and lyophilizers with modular design, optional -50°C or -80°C condensers, and ice capacities of 2-15 kg/24h. Models include VaCo 2, VaCo 5, and VaCo 10 for research and development laboratories.
• Pilot Freeze Dryers Pilot plants for research and development as well as small-scale production. Ice capacity of 5 to 40 kg with footprint up to 2.7 m². Equipped with vacuum valve and separating valve between drying chamber and condenser. Targeted at pharmaceutical pilot projects and process development.
• Production Freeze Dryers Large-scale freeze drying systems for the pharmaceutical industry, life sciences, and biotechnology. Total shelf area of 3-60 m² with ice condenser capacity of 50-1,200 kg. Custom-designed to customer specifications for industrial-scale lyophilization.
• Food Freeze Dryer (Sublimator EKS-R) Freeze dryers designed for drying bulk food products using radiation heating technology. Ice capacity up to 1,200 kg with footprint up to 90 m². Models range from 10 to 1,000 EKS-R with surface areas from 1.4 to 44 m². For food preservation and bulk drying applications.
• Archaeology and File Rescue Freeze Dryers Special freeze dryers for file rescue and drying of archaeological finds, including water-damaged books/folders and PEG-preserved wooden finds such as ship parts, dugouts, and boat finds. Feature dual ice condensers for continuous operation up to 12 months. Chamber dimensions up to 2 m nominal diameter and 10 m length.
• Thermal Plants Special thermal plants including Pure Steam Generators, High Pressure Autoclaves, Centrifugal dryers, Vacuum dryers, and Conditioning plants. Manufactured according to customer specifications for industrial and pharmaceutical process applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Re-cooling time reduced by over 80% compared to self-cooling for liquid sterilization via rapid water recooling system with internal heat exchanger
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australia (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in Australia. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support for autoclaves and freeze dryers.
• Austria (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in Austria. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support for autoclaves and freeze dryers.
• Belgium (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in Belgium. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• France (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in France. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• India (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in India. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• Italy (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in Italy. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• Netherlands (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in the Netherlands. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• Poland (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in Poland. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• South Korea (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in South Korea. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• Spain (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in Spain. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• Switzerland (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in Switzerland. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• USA (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in the USA. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• Great Britain (International Business Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales and service partner representing Zirbus technology products in Great Britain. Part of the worldwide business partner network providing local sales and customer service support.
• Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Vietnam (International Business Partners)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional international sales and service partners providing local support across Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Countries include Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Full list of 30+ countries on the business partner page.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Steris: US-based global leader in sterilization, lab, and infection-prevention products including industrial autoclaves and sterilization consumables. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping pharma/lab sterilization equipment and a global direct service footprint.
• IMA Group: Italian global leader in processing and packaging machinery for pharmaceuticals, including sterilization and lyophilization equipment for sterile manufacturing. Comparable as a broad pharma-processing incumbent with overlapping lyophilization offerings.
• Getinge: Swedish global medical-technology group with a substantial infection control / sterilization portfolio including industrial autoclaves for pharma and life sciences. Comparable as a much larger incumbent offering broader integrated solutions plus global service.
• GEA Group: German global supplier of process technology for food, pharma, and dairy, including spray drying, freeze drying, and thermal processing systems. Comparable as a broad process-equipment incumbent serving the same pharma and food end-markets as Zirbus.

Emerging players

• BINDER GmbH: German manufacturer of environmental simulation chambers, incubators, and drying ovens for laboratory and industrial use. Comparable as a German specialty lab-equipment peer with adjacent thermal-processing expertise relevant to autoclave and freeze-dryer buyers.

Direct peers

• Telstar (Azbil Group): Spanish-headquartered (now part of Azbil) supplier of freeze dryers, autoclaves, and integrated pharma processing equipment. Directly comparable in lyophilization and sterilization for pharmaceutical production with global service.
• Labconco: US-based laboratory equipment manufacturer with a strong portfolio of laboratory freeze dryers (FreeZone) and related lab instruments. Comparable as a peer in laboratory-scale lyophilization for research and life sciences customers.
• BMT USA: US manufacturer of steam sterilizers / autoclaves for laboratory, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. Comparable as a direct autoclave peer serving the same end-markets with custom-engineered sterilizers.
• SP Scientific (ATS Corporation): US/UK-based manufacturer of laboratory and production freeze dryers, lyophilizers, and thermal processing equipment under brands like VirTis, Hull, and FTS. Direct competitor in laboratory and pilot-scale lyophilization.
• Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen: German manufacturer of laboratory, pilot, and production freeze dryers / lyophilizers based in Osterode. Directly comparable as a specialist lyophilization OEM serving pharma, research, and food customers with benchtop-to-production systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ZirbusDe
• Facebookfacebook.com/zirbus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zirbus-technology-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Zirbus technology