LUM

What LUM does

LUM GmbH is a Berlin-based, family-owned manufacturer of analytical instruments founded in 1994 that specializes in direct and accelerated physical characterization of particles, dispersions, emulsions, and coatings. The company's portfolio comprises eight branded product families — LUMiSizer®, LUMiFuge®, LUMiReader® PSA, LUMiReader® X-Ray, LUMiSpoc®, LUMiFrac®, LUMiFlector® (at-line and in-line), plus SEPView® software — built on four proprietary technology platforms: STEP-Technology® for space- and time-resolved extinction profiling, CAT-Technology for centrifugal adhesion testing, SPLS-Technology® for single-particle optical counting, and MRS-Technology® for multi-reflectance spectroscopy. These instruments are used for particle size distribution, separation stability, accelerated shelf-life testing, single-particle counting, quantitative adhesion strength, and at-line/in-line product parameter monitoring across industries including industrial coatings and chemicals, batteries and energy storage, cosmetics, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, oil and gas, nanomaterials, and ceramics.

LUM makes money primarily through the sale of high-value capital instruments to industrial and academic customers, complemented by recurring LUM Analytics laboratory services, equipment rentals, and paid training/consulting engagements. The company operates a sales-led, consultative go-to-market: customers can submit samples for pre-sales feasibility testing in LUM's own laboratories, rent instruments before committing to purchase, and access seminars and webinars (LUM Live) for application development. Distribution is global, combining direct sales from Berlin headquarters with owned subsidiaries in Asia and America and an international distributor network; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Commercially, LUM is differentiated less by scale than by depth: its instruments are referenced in international standards from ASTM, DIN EN, ISO, JIS, and GB, and SEPView® is 21 CFR Part 11 compliant for regulated pharmaceutical use. The company is led by founder and Managing Director Prof. Dr. Dr. Dietmar Lerche and CEO Susanne Lerche-Merchant, with active scientific positioning through peer-reviewed publications (including a 2025 Wiley top-viewed battery/fuel cell paper) and sponsorship of major conferences such as WCPT 10 in Osaka in 2026.

Name

LUM

Legal name

LUM GmbH

Website

https://lum-gmbh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LUM GmbH, founded 1994 in Berlin, manufactures analytical centrifuges and particle characterization instruments (LUMiSizer, LUMiFuge, LUMiReader, LUMiSpoc, LUMiFrac, LUMiFlector) used by industrial and research customers for dispersion, stability, and adhesion testing across coatings, batteries, pharma, food, and chemicals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Analytical Laboratory Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Analytical Development & QC Testing (Release/Stability/Potency) (HLAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Release Testing & Batch Certification (QC) (HLAGADAC)

Keywords

• Analytical centrifuges
• Particle characterization instruments
• Dispersion stability analysis
• Adhesion strength testing
• Separation velocity measurement

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Analytical Instruments Sales: Sale of analytical centrifuges and particle characterization instruments including LUMiSizer, LUMiFuge, LUMiReader, LUMiSpoc, LUMiFrac, and LUMiFlector product lines. Instruments are sold directly to industrial customers and research institutions for particle analysis, stability testing, and material characterization applications.
2. Analytical Services: LUM Analytics provides laboratory analysis services including sample testing, predictive shelf-life stability analysis, particle size distribution measurements, product parameter monitoring, and coating adhesion strength testing. Creates customized analytical reports for customers.
3. Equipment Rental: Rental service allowing customers to test LUM instruments before purchase or to address temporary capacity constraints. Provides opportunity for time-limited measurement tasks.
4. Training and Consulting: Product and Know-how training seminars, workshops, and consulting services. Includes in-house training at customer locations. Provides consultation on device handling, measurement interpretation, SOP optimization, formulation optimization, and experimental design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LUM GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells analytical instruments for particle characterization, dispersion and emulsion stability testing, and adhesive/coating bond strength measurement, including the LUMiSizer and LUMiFuge analytical centrifuges, LUMiReader (PSA and X-Ray) particle analyzers, LUMiSpoc single particle counter, LUMiFrac centrifugal adhesion tester, and LUMiFlector at-line/in-line product parameter analyzers, all controlled by SEPView software. Customers can also purchase laboratory analytical services, instrument rentals, and product/know-how training seminars.

Product overview

LUM GmbH offers a portfolio of analytical instruments for particle characterization, dispersion stability testing, and material testing. The core instruments include the LUMiSizer® and LUMiFuge® analytical centrifuges for separation stability analysis, the LUMiReader® PSA and LUMiReader® X-Ray for particle size distribution measurements, the LUMiSpoc® for single particle optical counting, the LUMiFrac® for adhesion testing, and the LUMiFlector® (At-line and In-line versions) for inline product parameter control. These instruments are powered by proprietary technologies: STEP-Technology® (Space- and Time-resolved Extinction Profiles) for optical analysis, CAT-Technology for centrifugal adhesion testing, SPLS-Technology® for single particle light-scattering, and MRS-Technology® for multi reflectance spectroscopy. All instruments are controlled via SEPView® software, which provides instrument control, data management, and analysis capabilities with 21 CFR Part 11 compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LUMiSizer Analytical centrifuge using STEP-Technology for particle size distribution, separation stability analysis, and accelerated stability testing of dispersions, emulsions, and suspensions; for industrial and research customers.
• LUMiFuge Analytical centrifuge for rapid particle and dispersion characterization including sedimentation velocity and stability analysis, for industrial and research customers.
• LUMiReader PSA Optical analytical instrument using photosedimentation techniques for particle size analysis and stability characterization, for industrial and research customers.
• LUMiReader X-Ray X-ray based analytical instrument for particle characterization in concentrated and opaque samples including battery pastes, for industrial and research customers.
• LUMiSpoc Single particle optical counter using SPLS-Technology for nano- and micro-scale particle counting and sizing, for industrial and research customers.
• LUMiFrac Centrifugal adhesion tester using CAT-Technology for measuring adhesive, bonding, and composite strength of coatings and substrates without sample clamping; for industrial and research customers.
• LUMiFlector At-line-Version At-line product parameter analyzer using MRS-Technology for rapid measurement of fat, protein, and dry matter (e.g., in dairy products); for industrial process laboratories.
• LUMiFlector In-line-Version In-line product parameter and process control instrument using MRS-Technology for real-time monitoring of product properties during production; for industrial process operations.
• Analyser Rentals Rental service allowing customers to test LUM instruments before purchase or to address temporary measurement capacity constraints; for industrial and research customers.
• Analytical and Contract Measurement Services Laboratory analytical services (LUM Analytics) including sample testing, predictive shelf-life stability analysis, particle size distribution measurements, product parameter monitoring, coating adhesion strength testing, and customized analytical reports; for industrial and research customers.
• Trainings and Consulting Product and know-how training seminars, workshops, and consulting services including in-house training at customer locations, with consultation on device handling, measurement interpretation, SOP optimization, formulation optimization, and experimental design; for industrial and research customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Time savings of up to 80% achieved in battery electrode adhesion testing without clamping and with up to 8 samples in parallel
• +3 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• ALL-INKL.COM - Neue Medien MünnichminorOthersWeb hosting service provider for LUM's websites. Data centers located exclusively in Germany. All-Inkl stores websites on their servers and processes data in accordance with GDPR requirements under a data processing agreement.
• Standardization OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUM actively participates in international standardization organizations including ASTM International, DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), JIS (Japan Industrial Standards), and GB (China National Standards). Company contributes to developing and maintaining standards for particle characterization and dispersion analysis methods.
• Academic and Research InstitutionsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUM collaborates with academic institutions for research and development. The company sponsors scientific sessions at conferences like WCPT 10 and contributes to peer-reviewed publications in particle characterization and analytical centrifugation.
• Industry Associations and Technology Promotion InitiativesmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUM acts as scientific partner, sponsor, and contributor in various international standardization organizations and technology promotion initiatives related to particle characterization and analytical methods.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shimadzu Scientific Instruments: Broad analytical instrument major with particle/sedimentation and spectroscopy offerings (e.g., SALD series). Competes with LUM for industrial and pharmaceutical dispersion characterization budgets.
• Malvern Panalytical: Dominant incumbent in particle sizing and dispersion characterization (Mastersizer, Zetasizer). Comparable as it serves overlapping pharma, coatings, and battery customers with complementary, broader-scope particle characterization platforms.

Direct peers

• TSI Incorporated: Manufacturer of particle counters (e.g., Optical Particle Sizer, Aerodynamic Particle Sizer) overlapping directly with LUM's LUMiSpoc single-particle counting and SPLS-Technology positioning.
• HORIBA Scientific: Offers particle characterization (Partica, SZ-100) and spectroscopy instruments used in dispersion analysis, pharma, and battery materials. Closely comparable to LUM's analytical instrument portfolio across multiple use cases.
• Brookhaven Instruments: Provides particle sizing and zeta-potential instruments (e.g., NanoBrook series) used in dispersion and nanoparticle analysis. Overlaps with LUM's SPLS and particle characterization use cases.
• Anton Paar: Manufactures the Litesizer and other particle characterization and rheology instruments. Directly competes with LUM in dispersion stability and particle sizing for pharma, food, and industrial customers.
• Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Long-standing leader in analytical ultracentrifugation and particle characterization (Optima series, ProteomeLab). Directly comparable because they offer centrifugal instrumentation for sedimentation/particle analysis overlapping with LUMi's core centrifugal product family.
• Microtrac MRB: Specialist in laser diffraction and dynamic image analysis for particle characterization (S3500, Sync). Direct competitor to LUMiReader PSA across coatings, ceramics, and battery powder applications.

Emerging players

• Wyatt Technology: Specialist in light-scattering based characterization (MALS/DLS) for proteins, nanoparticles, and polymers. Adjacent competitor for nanoparticle and macromolecular customers in pharma and advanced materials.

Regional players

• Litesense (Bionova Analytical): Regional particle characterization instrument provider focused on India and adjacent markets with comparable sizing/stability offerings. Less of a direct head-to-head but operates in adjacent regions and use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfa16PEob93aCGWa7YXRIHQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lum-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 LUM