NIPOKA

Name

NIPOKA

Legal name

NIPOKA GmbH

Website

https://nipoka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Kidney biopsy diagnostic services

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Renal Diagnostics & Monitoring (eGFR/Creatinine POC, Urine Analyzers, BP/Fluid Status) (HLAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Podocyte morphology analysis
• Kidney biopsy diagnostics
• Super-resolution microscopy services
• Renal research tools
• Glomeruli image analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Greifswald

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PEMP Analysis Service: Laboratory service providing quantitative podocyte morphology analysis. Customers send kidney samples and receive analysis results including FSD/FSL measurements and representative high-resolution images. The company handles the entire chain from sample pickup to delivery of results.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NIPOKA GmbH provides PEMP (Podocyte Exact Morphology Measurement Procedure), a quantitative laboratory service for analyzing podocyte foot process morphology in kidney biopsies and tissue sections. Customers submit fixed kidney samples (PFA, formalin, paraffin blocks, or FFPE sections) and NIPOKA handles the full workflow including embedding, sectioning, multi-marker immunofluorescence staining, whole-slide imaging, AI-based glomeruli segmentation, 3D-Structured Illumination Microscopy acquisition, and automated morphometric analysis. The service delivers quantitative FSD (filtration slit density) and FSL (filtration slit length) readouts across approximately 20 glomeruli per sample, for use in kidney disease research and drug development.

Product overview

NIPOKA offers a single unified service product called PEMP (Podocyte Exact Morphology Measurement Procedure). PEMP is a research-use-only diagnostic service that combines sample preparation, 3D super-resolution microscopy, AI-powered image analysis, and quantitative readouts into an end-to-end workflow. Customers submit kidney tissue samples (fixed in PFA or formalin, paraffin blocks, or FFPE sections on slides), and NIPOKA handles all processing steps including immunofluorescence staining with up to 4 biomarkers, 3D-Structured Illumination Microscopy imaging, AI-based glomeruli segmentation, and automated morphometric analysis producing FSD (filtration slit density) and FSL (filtration slit length) measurements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PEMP: Podocyte Exact Morphology Measurement Procedure - a quantitative procedure measuring slit membrane density for determining exact foot process morphology in biopsies and kidney sections of mice and rats. Currently for research use only.

Products and services

• PEMP (Podocyte Exact Morphology Measurement Procedure) End-to-end quantitative service for measuring podocyte foot process morphology in kidney biopsies and tissue sections. Customers submit fixed kidney samples (PFA/formalin, paraffin blocks, or FFPE sections), and NIPOKA performs embedding, sectioning, multi-marker immunofluorescence staining with up to 4 biomarkers, whole-slide imaging, AI-based glomeruli segmentation, 3D-SIM super-resolution acquisition, and automated morphometric analysis. Delivers FSD (filtration slit density) and FSL (filtration slit length) readouts across ~20 glomeruli per sample. Supports mice, rats, pigs, NHP, humans, and organoids. For research use only; targets academic kidney researchers and pharmaceutical/biotech R&D.

Quantifiable outcome

• Analysis of 20 glomeruli per microscopic slide ensures comprehensive evaluation with statistical inference
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Charles River Laboratories: Major preclinical CRO with renal toxicology and pathology services for pharmaceutical R&D. Comparable as a buyer and adjacent provider of kidney-focused research services, though Charles River is a broad incumbent with a much larger service portfolio.
• LabCorp: Large clinical and research laboratory services company with histology, specialty testing, and central lab capabilities. Overlaps with NIPOKA in kidney-related diagnostic testing for pharma trials, but at enterprise scale across many therapeutic areas.
• ICON plc: Global CRO with central laboratory and specialty testing capabilities supporting clinical and preclinical research, including renal indications. Comparable in serving the same pharma R&D customers, but as a broad incumbent with deep operational and geographic reach.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global laboratory services group with extensive histology, immunohistochemistry, and pathology offerings, including renal analysis for pharma and academic clients. Overlaps with NIPOKA in lab service delivery, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Quest Diagnostics: Major clinical and anatomical pathology laboratory with growing specialty and pharma services arms. Comparable as a potential alternative or downstream partner for renal diagnostic workflows, though Quest's core is clinical rather than research-use super-resolution imaging.
• WuXi AppTec: Global CRO/CDMO providing preclinical and clinical laboratory services including histology and pathology for pharma. Comparable in serving pharma kidney research programs, but at a much larger scale and broader scope than NIPOKA.

Emerging players

• 10x Genomics: Spatial transcriptomics and single-cell biology platform used in kidney disease research and pharma R&D. Adjacent to NIPOKA in enabling quantitative tissue-level kidney research, but operates upstream in tools rather than as a renal pathology service.
• Akoya Biosciences: Spatial biology company offering multiplexed immunofluorescence and AI-driven tissue phenotyping platforms used in kidney and immunology research. Partially comparable to NIPOKA's AI-based, fluorescence-microscopy kidney tissue analysis, though Akoya focuses on multiplexed biomarkers rather than super-resolution podocyte morphometry.

Others

• Carl Zeiss Microscopy: Manufacturer of the 3D-Structured Illumination Microscopy (3D-SIM) instruments that underpin PEMP. Functionally related as the enabling technology provider; relevant peer for understanding NIPOKA's technology stack, supply chain, and potential platform risk.

Direct peers

• Arkana Laboratories: Specialty renal pathology laboratory providing kidney biopsy interpretation and ancillary testing for nephrologists and academic researchers. Closest comparable to NIPOKA's kidney biopsy analysis service in both customer base (nephrology research) and core activity (quantitative renal tissue analysis).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nipoka

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 NIPOKA