What Summit Research does

Summit Research is a privately held, U.S.-based designer, manufacturer, and direct-to-customer retailer of botanical distillation and extraction laboratory equipment, headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. Its product portfolio centers on short path distillation (SPD) systems sold as turnkey packages from 2L to 50L capacity (priced from approximately $8,989 to $27,399), supported by glassware, chromatography columns, cold traps, rotary evaporation packages, vacuum pumps and gauges, filtration media and chemicals, heating mantles, chillers and freezers, compressors, and a specialty water-remediation chemical (Summit Lake Bactorzyme). Core proprietary technology includes the patented Genesis Magnetic Heating Mantle, the Hochstrom and PIG filtration lines, and the company's stated use of Ultra Short Path Distillation (USPD) techniques, all built on a foundation of 68 issued patents with additional filings pending.

The company holds both U/L and ISO certifications for its equipment, a credential it positions as a differentiator versus most competitors, and manufactures products in the United States. Its go-to-market is a hybrid of direct e-commerce (summit-research.tech) with publicly disclosed pricing and phone-based consultative sales (831-226-2948), supplemented by free short-path-distillation technical consulting, educational content on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, and an email newsletter. The primary customer base is licensed U.S. cannabis and hemp extraction laboratories, with named enterprise accounts including Cresco, Green Thumb Industries (GTI), NUG, Chong's Choice, Moxie, Sisu Extracts, Venice Cookie Co, Consolidated Oil, and Summit Boys; a secondary segment consists of research and academic laboratories requiring certified precision equipment.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from hardware sales of equipment and consumables, with pricing ranging from approximately $5 for small plastic accessories to $27,400 for a 50L SPD package, most complete kits falling in the $8,000-$22,000 range. The company distributes equipment from third-party OEMs (Polyscience, Edwards Vacuum, Agilent, Atlas Copco, Leybold, Kaeser, Binder, Lanxess) alongside its own branded lines to deliver full-stack distillation solutions, and relies on sub-brands (Genesis, Hochstrom, PIG, Summit Lake Bactorzyme) to differentiate product tiers. The company was founded around 2013 (with public materials also referencing nearly a decade of SPD consulting, suggesting a 2015-2017 operating start), employs 251-500 people, and remains privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or executive team beyond founder Elliot Kermerman.

Name

Summit Research

Legal name

Summit Research

Website

https://summit-research.tech

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Summit Research is a U.S.-based manufacturer and direct-to-customer retailer of certified short path distillation, extraction, and laboratory equipment, primarily serving licensed U.S. cannabis and hemp extraction laboratories alongside academic and research facilities with patented, U/L- and ISO-certified hardware and consumables.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Distillation Equipment

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH), Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Short path distillation equipment
• Botanical extraction equipment
• Laboratory glassware supplies
• Vacuum distillation systems
• Cannabis extraction equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Scotts Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Equipment Sales: Sale of short path distillation kits, glassware, vacuum equipment, and laboratory consumables. Products range from small accessories ($5-$500) to complete distillation packages ($8,000-$27,000).
2. Laboratory Consumables: Sale of filtration media, chemicals, glassware accessories, and replacement parts for distillation and extraction equipment.
3. Free Technical Consulting: While the company provides free short path distillation consulting and procedures, this supports hardware sales by helping customers properly set up and use equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Summit Research designs, manufactures, and sells short path distillation packages, laboratory glassware, heating mantles, vacuum systems, chromatography columns, filtration media, and related laboratory equipment used by cannabis and hemp extraction laboratories. The company also distributes complementary equipment from partners such as Polyscience, Edwards, Agilent, Atlas Copco, Leybold, Kaeser, Binder, and Lanxess, and provides free technical consulting on short path distillation techniques to support equipment sales.

Product overview

Summit Research is a U.S.-based manufacturer and supplier of botanical distillation and extraction laboratory equipment operating on a 'Only the Best' philosophy. Their product portfolio centers around short path distillation systems (SPD-2 through SPD-8 packages ranging 2L-50L), with complementary equipment including Genesis Magnetic Heating Mantles (patented technology), chromatography columns, evaporation packages (rotovaps and falling film), extraction equipment, and comprehensive glassware lines. The company provides turnkey distillation packages with all necessary components, supported by filtration media consumables (Super CRC Si, PIG papers, Hochstrom papers) and temperature control equipment (chillers, freezers, vacuum ovens). Summit Research holds 68 issued patents and maintains U/L and ISO certifications, differentiating through proprietary technology and free consulting services for short path distillation techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Genesis: Genesis Magnetic Heating Mantle - top of the line laboratory heating mantle representing patented technology and excellence in design and engineering.
• Hochstrom
• PIG
• Summit Lake Bactorzyme

Products and services

• Short Path Distillation Packages Complete short path distillation kit packages ranging from 2L to 50L capacity, including distillation heads, boiling flasks, receiving flasks, and all necessary components for turnkey distillation operations. Pricing ranges from $8,989 for 2L packages to $27,399 for the 50L package. Targeted at licensed cannabis/hemp extraction laboratories and research facilities needing scalable distillation solutions.
• Genesis Magnetic Heating Mantle Patented magnetic heating mantle featuring proprietary technology delivering superior operational capacity, lifespan, and safety standards. Configurable options start from $4,879. Designed for laboratory distillation and extraction operations requiring high-performance heating.
• Evaporation Packages Rotary evaporation systems including 20L and 50L rotovap packages, falling film evaporators, and MAX Rotovap equipment for solvent evaporation and concentration in botanical extraction laboratories.
• Chromatography Equipment Chromatography columns and filtration columns in various sizes (3x24 to 6x48) for separation and purification of botanical extracts and other compounds in laboratory settings.
• Cold Traps Laboratory cold trap systems for vapor condensation and collection in vacuum distillation processes, including CT-1, CT-2, CT-3 models and USPD variants. Pricing ranges from $169 to $2,799.
• Vacuum Equipment Vacuum pumps, gauges, and controllers including distributed Edwards, Agilent, and Leybold models plus in-house SVG/SVC branded equipment, for laboratory vacuum applications.
• Heating Mantles Laboratory heating mantles including the Genesis Magnetic Heating Mantle and Techno Heat Mantle series in various capacities (2L-50L) for heating round-bottom flasks during distillation and extraction.
• Extraction Equipment Extraction systems including closed loop extraction systems, CenturionPro series trimmers, BHO meters, and the Resinator XL for botanical extraction operations.
• Temperature Control Equipment Chillers, freezers, and ovens including Polyscience chillers (0.75HP-10HP), Binder ultra-low temperature freezers, and vacuum ovens for laboratory temperature control.
• Compressors Industrial air compressors including Atlas Copco GX4-GX7 series and Kaeser Aircenter systems (5HP-10HP) for laboratory and extraction facility compressed air needs.
• Laboratory Glassware Comprehensive glassware catalog including boiling flasks (2L-50L, priced $68-$3,199), distribution adapters, receiving flasks, head keys, and specialized terpene glass for distillation and extraction setups.
• Filtration Media and Chemicals Filtration materials including Super CRC Si (newly launched November 2024 for faster CRC results), PIG papers, Hochstrom papers, activated alumina, carbon media, silica, and specialty chemicals such as Lanxess Oxone and Summit Lake Bactorzyme.
• Lab Accessories and Adapters Laboratory accessories including KF, GL, and thermometer adapters (priced $13.99-$369.99), clamps, stands, plastics, and specialized items such as Keck clips and stir bars.
• Summit Lake Bactorzyme 95% concentrated bacteria and enzyme formulation for pond and lake remediation, treating algae, murkiness, and water biology issues; priced at $1,449.

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Across International: Direct competitor offering short path distillation kits, rotary evaporators, and vacuum ovens targeting cannabis and botanical extraction labs. Operates in the same product category, customer segment, and price tiers as Summit Research.
• Pope Scientific: Manufacturer of wiped-film and short path distillation systems for botanical, pharmaceutical, and cannabis extraction. Competes with Summit in the mid-to-large capacity distillation package segment.
• BVV (Best Value Vacs): Cannabis-focused extraction equipment supplier offering closed-loop extractors, vacuum ovens, and short path distillation kits. Direct competitor in the cannabis extraction lab segment.
• CenturionPro: Manufacturer of harvesting and trimming equipment serving cannabis operators. Carried by Summit as a product line (CenturionPro trimmers), and competes in adjacent extraction workflow equipment.
• Polyscience: Manufacturer of chillers and heating/cooling circulators distributed by Summit (0.75HP–10HP capacity). Comparable in temperature-control equipment serving lab and industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Buchi Labortechnik: Established Swiss manufacturer of laboratory rotary evaporators, chromatography, and extraction equipment. Competes with Summit in evaporation packages and broader lab workflows across pharma and research.
• Heidolph Instruments: German lab equipment manufacturer of rotary evaporators, magnetic stirrers, and overhead stirrers. Overlaps with Summit's heating mantle and evaporation product categories across academic and industrial customers.
• Edwards Vacuum: Global vacuum pump manufacturer whose E2M-series pumps are distributed through Summit. Comparable in vacuum equipment for laboratory and industrial extraction applications.
• Agilent Technologies: Major analytical instrument and vacuum equipment manufacturer. Agilent scroll pumps (IDP-3 through IDP-15) are distributed by Summit; broader Agilent vacuum and analytical lines compete in overlapping workflows.
• VWR / Avantor: Global laboratory supplies distributor offering glassware, filtration media, and consumables across research and cannabis-adjacent customers. Competes with Summit's consumables business via catalog scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdPdqK4VrwLwOaRDPSxCp-g/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/SummitResearchTech
• Instagraminstagram.com/summit.research.tech
• Xx.com/summitspd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Summit Research