What BIOGERM does

BIOGERM (Biogerm, S.A.) is a Portuguese laboratory services company founded in 1994 and headquartered in Maia, Porto. The company provides IPAC-accredited microbiological, chemical, and nutritional testing organized around three core segments — water (drinking, industrial, Legionella, wastewater, mineral and spring waters), food (safety, microbiology, allergens, additives, authenticity), and environment (indoor and occupational air quality). It also offers IPAC-accredited national sampling, Lab2Lab inter-laboratory subcontracting, and customized culture media production with over 300 references serving diagnostic and pharmaceutical laboratories, with additional scope in health and consumer products testing (medical devices, cosmetics, biocides, textiles, PPE).

The company's technical platform rests on IPAC Accreditation L0349 under NP EN ISO/IEC 17025 (held since 2005), ISO 9001 quality certification for culture media preparation (since 2002), and a network of three laboratories (Maia, Santo Tirso, Funchal) with delegated sampling support in Coimbra, Lisbon, and Albufeira. Proprietary strengths include thirty-plus years of domain expertise, 300+ culture media references, and an active R&D partnership (BioExtreme, 2025-2029) with the Porto Space Team at FEUP developing bacterial transport media for extreme environments. Operational scale signaled by the company includes 1,000+ active clients, 200,000+ samples processed annually, and 1M+ cumulative analyses, supported by a team of approximately 75 employees.

BIOGERM generates revenue primarily through fee-for-service laboratory testing on a quote-based, project-by-project basis, complemented by culture media product sales and Lab2Lab subcontracting. Its go-to-market is direct, sales-led enterprise field service with accredited sampling teams covering mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions. The customer base spans enterprise and mid-market clients across water utilities, food processors, healthcare facilities, hospitality operators, manufacturers, and retailers. In 2024, private equity firm Explorer Investments acquired a 60% stake and committed approximately EUR 4M to a new laboratory (target completion December 2026) intended to triple response capacity; in 2026 the company integrated Laborat\u00f3rio Equilibrium, extending capabilities into medical devices, technical textiles, and pharmaceutical products testing.

Name

BIOGERM

Legal name

Biogerm, S.A.

Website

https://biogerm.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BIOGERM is a Portuguese IPAC-accredited laboratory services company that performs microbiological, chemical, and nutritional testing across water, food, environment, and consumer product safety, serving 1,000+ enterprise and mid-market clients across Portugal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Analytical Laboratory Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Monitoring & Hygiene Verification (Swabs, ATP, Pathogen Monitoring) (AFALAAAE), Microbiological Water Testing (Coliform/E. coli, HPC, Legionella) (AFALAJAD), Environmental Monitoring & Cleanroom Testing (GMP) (HLAGADAL)

Keywords

• Analytical laboratory services
• Microbiological testing services
• Water quality analysis
• Food safety testing
• Culture media production

Headquarters

HQ city

Moreira

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Testing Services: Laboratory analysis services for water, food, environment, and health/consumer products including microbiological testing, chemical analysis, and nutritional testing. Services are provided on a project/quote basis with sampling services included nationally.
2. Culture Media Products: Production and sale of customized culture media with over 300 references including selective solid media, non-selective solid media, differentiated solid media, liquid enrichment media, confirmation media, and transport/conservation media for diagnostic applications.
3. Lab2Lab Services: Specialized sub-contracting services supporting other laboratories that do not perform certain tests internally, providing microbiological, chemical, and nutritional analyses in water, food, and environment sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BIOGERM provides accredited analytical laboratory testing services for water, food, environment, and health/consumer product matrices, including microbiological, chemical, and nutritional analyses. The company complements its testing services with IPAC-accredited national field sampling and the customized manufacturing of culture media (over 300 references) for diagnostic laboratories. Operations run from three accredited laboratories in Maia, Santo Tirso, and Funchal under NP EN ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.

Product overview

BIOGERM is a Portuguese laboratory services company offering a comprehensive portfolio of analytical testing services organized around three core segments: Water (covering human consumption, swimming pools, Legionella, mineral/spring waters, wastewater, and natural waters), Food (including safety, microbiology, allergens, additives, and authenticity), and Environment (indoor and occupational air quality). Complementary services include IPAC-accredited sampling with national coverage, Lab2Lab inter-laboratory support, and customized culture media production with over 300 references. The company also provides specialized health and consumer product testing covering medical devices, cosmetics, biocides, textiles, and PPE. Recent expansion through acquisition of Laboratório Equilibrium (2026) extends capabilities into Medical Devices, Technical Textiles, and Pharmaceutical Products testing. The portfolio operates through three laboratory locations in Maia, Santo Tirso, and Funchal, supported by a team of approximately 75 employees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Analysis Services (Águas) Complete analytical control of all types of water — drinkability, industrial use, and environmental compliance — covering human consumption water, swimming pools, Legionella monitoring, mineral/spring waters, wastewater, and natural fresh waters for water utilities, municipalities, treatment operators, and laboratories.
• Food Analysis Services (Alimentos) Rigorous food safety and quality analysis from raw material to final product, including food safety testing, microbiological analysis, allergen and nutritional labeling verification, additives analysis, and authenticity testing — for food manufacturers, processors, bottling companies, and bakeries.
• Environment Services (Ambiente) Environmental monitoring and control solutions including indoor air quality assessment and occupational air measurement, supporting industrial facilities, service buildings, and municipalities in meeting environmental compliance and sustainability requirements.
• Health and Consumer Products Testing Safety, quality, and regulatory compliance testing for cosmetics, hygiene products, textiles, medical devices, and personal protective equipment — covering Medical Devices, Cosmetics and Personal Care, Biocides and Disinfectants, Textiles and Clothing, PPE, and Materials/Plastics testing for manufacturers across those sectors.
• Sampling Services (Amostragem) IPAC-accredited sample collection service with national coverage — a specialized technical team collects and transports water, food, and environmental samples throughout mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions for accredited analysis.
• Lab2Lab Subcontracting Services Subcontracted analytical services for other laboratories that do not perform certain tests internally — providing microbiological, chemical, and nutritional analyses in water, food, and environment sectors with rigor, speed, and confidentiality.
• Culture Media Products (Meios de Cultura) Customized culture media preparation — selective solid media, non-selective solid media, differential solid media, liquid enrichment media, confirmation media, and transport/conservation media — with over 300 references available for all diagnostic areas, produced under SGS ISO 9001 quality management.
• Dental Clinics Microbiological Safety Plan Comprehensive microbiological safety testing package for dental clinics — Legionella monitoring, dental unit water quality control, surface microbiological monitoring, and indoor air quality assessment — for clinics needing a complete compliance framework.
• Hemodialysis Water Testing Laboratory tests evaluating water quality used in hemodialysis processes under extremely demanding quality standards — protecting patient safety in dialysis units and clinical settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ active clients served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Laboratório EquilibriumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Acquisition and integration of Laboratório Equilibrium (founded 1994) into Biogerm in 2026. Equilibrium is known for high technical rigor, service quality, and customer proximity in Medical Devices, Technical Textiles, and Pharmaceutical Products testing. Integration enhances technical capabilities, service portfolio, and geographic coverage.
• Porto Space Team (FEUP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025R&D partnership on BioExtreme project (2025-2029) to develop and validate bacterial transport and culture media resistant to extreme conditions (radiation, vacuum, thermal variations) for space and Earth applications. Project scheduled for completion March 2029.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TÜV SÜD: International testing and certification group with food, environmental, and medical-device testing capabilities that overlap BIOGERM's regulatory testing mandate, particularly via the recently expanded Equilibrium vertical.
• Intertek Group: Total quality assurance provider with food, environmental, and consumer-product testing alongside a broader inspection and certification portfolio; competes on regulated testing mandates.
• SGS SA: Global testing, inspection, and certification giant providing food, water, environmental, and consumer-product testing across a far broader portfolio; a key incumbent competitor for any enterprise testing RFP in Portugal.
• Bureau Veritas: International TIC provider covering food, commodity, environmental, and consumer-product testing within a much wider compliance and certification portfolio; competes with BIOGERM for regulated testing work.

Emerging players

• Hardy Diagnostics: U.S.-based manufacturer of culture media and microbiology consumables supplying clinical and industrial labs; a smaller-scale, niche specialty player comparable to BIOGERM's culture media product line.

Direct peers

• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is the world's largest food, environmental, and clinical testing network with global laboratories serving the same enterprise and regulatory customers as BIOGERM — water, food, cosmetics, and environmental compliance testing across many jurisdictions.
• ALS Limited: Global laboratory services firm with a strong water, environmental, food, and life-sciences testing franchise; a direct comparable to BIOGERM's water-and-environment core, although at significantly larger scale.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Subsidiary of Institut Mérieux focused specifically on food safety, water, and environmental testing services; directly comparable to BIOGERM's microbiology-heavy, regulatory-driven testing portfolio across food and water compliance.

Others

• bioMérieux: Global in-vitro microbiology and diagnostics company supplying culture media, identification systems, and lab instruments; an adjacent/ecosystem player whose media products overlap with BIOGERM's specialty consumables catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biogerm-sa/jobs

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 BIOGERM