Aequip

What Aequip does

AEQUIP S.r.l. is an Italian innovative SME and spin-off of the Politecnico di Torino, founded around 2017-2020 and headquartered in Turin. The company develops a cloud-based SaaS platform that applies AI and proprietary image processing algorithms to digital pathology, with the goal of supporting pathologists in the analysis of digitized histological slides. The platform is built around two core product modules: STAINS, which performs automatic stain normalization of H&E, IHC, and special stain (PAS, trichrome) whole-slide images to reduce color variability across laboratories and scanners, and ASSIST, which provides AI-based segmentation, classification, and quantification of tumor regions, nuclei, and biomarkers (Gleason patterns for prostate; ER, Ki67, PgR for breast). Underlying these modules is a proprietary methodology called M.D.I. (Mathematical-Driven Intelligence) that combines Deep Learning with mathematical/statistical parameters to improve robustness against input data quality variation. AEQUIP serves pathology departments and hospital anatomical pathology laboratories as its primary customer segment, with a secondary segment in academic and research institutions (for RUO-only applications such as PAS and trichrome). The product is designed to integrate with Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), Image Management Systems (IMS), PACS, and digital scanners, and access to product information is restricted to verified healthcare professionals in line with EU Regulation 2017/746 and Italian Legislative Decree 138/2022. STAINS is IVDR-certified as an in vitro diagnostic device, and ASSIST is currently undergoing IVDR certification.

Name

Aequip

Legal name

Aequip S.r.l.

Website

https://aequip.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AEQUIP S.r.l. is an Italian digital pathology spin-off of the Politecnico di Torino that sells a cloud-based AI SaaS platform — STAINS for stain normalization and ASSIST for AI-based cancer detection and quantification — to hospital pathology departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Pathology Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Anatomic Pathology LIS & Digital Pathology Workflow (HLACAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital & AI-Enabled Diagnostics (algorithmic interpretation, decision support tied to assays) (HLAAALAO), Medical Imaging AI (HDAAAEAH), SaMD – Imaging & Signal Analysis (AI/ML) (HLACANAG)

Keywords

• Digital pathology software
• AI medical imaging
• Histology slide analysis
• Cancer diagnostic AI
• IVD image analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Turin

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Licenses: AEQUIP's cloud-based SaaS platform offers clinical and research applications for image analysis supported by AI. The platform is designed to integrate with Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), Image Management Systems (IMS), and various scanner formats. Revenue is generated through software licensing to pathology departments and hospitals, with a focus on enterprise/field sales to healthcare institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AEQUIP develops and sells a cloud-based SaaS platform for digital pathology, delivering AI-powered analysis of digitized histological slides. Its two core commercial products are STAINS, an IVD-certified algorithm that normalizes color variability in stained slides, and ASSIST, an AI tool that segments, classifies, and quantifies tumors and biomarkers for prostate and breast cancer diagnosis. The platform is sold to pathology departments and hospital laboratories with seamless integration into LIS, IMS, PACS, and digital scanner systems.

Product overview

AEQUIP is an innovative SME and spin-off of Politecnico di Torino that develops a cloud-based SaaS platform for digital pathology. The suite comprises two core products: STAINS (stain normalization) and ASSIST (AI-based segmentation/classification/quantification), plus supporting projects like DPLabS and BIS. STAINS addresses slide quality issues by normalizing color variability, while ASSIST provides AI-driven analysis tools for prostate and breast cancer diagnosis. The platform integrates with LIS, IMS, PACS, and digital scanners to enable automated workflows in pathological anatomy labs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STAINS: STAIndardization & Normalization of histological Slides - An automatic algorithm that digitally recalibrates the color profile of poor-quality histological images to make them similar to optimal ones chosen by the pathologists, available for H&E, IHC stains, and special stains (PAS, trichrome) across various tissue types
• ASSIST

Products and services

• AEQUIP Platform Cloud-based SaaS platform offering clinical and research applications for digital pathology image analysis, powered by AI. It provides flexible integration with LIS, IMS, PACS, and various digital scanner formats to enable automated workflows and case prioritization, designed for pathology departments and hospital laboratories.
• STAINS Automatic stain normalization algorithm that digitally recalibrates the color profile of poor-quality histological images to match optimal staining chosen by the pathologist, reducing variability introduced during staining and scanning. Classified as IVD for H&E (prostate, lung, liver, breast, colon, stomach, uterus) and IHC markers (Ki67, PGR, HER2, ER for breast); RUO for PAS and trichrome staining.
• ASSIST AI-based product providing automated segmentation, classification, and quantification tools for pathologists analyzing digitized slides. Includes ASSIST Prostate (H&E prostate tissue, classifying tumoral areas into Gleason patterns 3, 4, 5, and extracting Gleason Score, Grade Group, and Linear Tumoral Percentage) and ASSIST Breast (IHC breast tissue with ER, Ki67, PgR markers, classifying nuclei as positive/negative and weak/moderate/strong-positive). Undergoing IVDR certification.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Engineering GroupcoreTechnology or Integration · 17 March 2025AEQUIP and Engineering Group entered into a strategic collaboration to innovate diagnostic processes. The partnership aims to achieve significant improvements in traceability and automation, supporting experts in formulating increasingly precise diagnoses for patient clinical profiles. Engineering Group is an established technology and consulting firm providing enterprise integration solutions.
• Tecnologie AvanzatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025AEQUIP collaborates with Tecnologie Avanzate as part of the BIS – Breast Integrated Solution project. Tecnologie Avanzate provides technology solutions for the integrated breast cancer diagnosis platform, combining radiology, nuclear medicine, and anatomical pathology data.
• AethiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025Aethia collaborates with AEQUIP on both the BIS (Breast Integrated Solution) project and the DPLabS (Digital Pathology Laboratory System) project under the NODES program. Aethia contributes expertise in medical technology and diagnostic solutions.
• IBSBC-CNR (Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Bioscienza 'Silvio Cavalcanti' – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025IBSBC-CNR is a research institute within the Italian National Research Council participating in the BIS project alongside AEQUIP, Tecnologie Avanzate, and Aethia. Contributes scientific research expertise to the breast cancer diagnosis platform.
• NODES – Nord Ovest Digitale E SostenibileminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2024NODES is a digital and sustainable innovation ecosystem for Northwest Italy. AEQUIP's DPLabS project, submitted in collaboration with Aethia, won the call issued by Spoke 5 of NODES, which focuses on digital innovation in healthcare.
• G-Factor / Fondazione GolinelliminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2022G-Factor is the accelerator of Fondazione Golinelli. AEQUIP was selected for the I-Tech Innovation Program, which supports innovative startups in the health and life sciences sectors.
• Politecnico di Torino (Polytechnic University of Turin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 December 2017AEQUIP is a spin-off of Politecnico di Torino. The university has supported AEQUIP through multiple Proof of Concept grants: the original AEQUIP project (2017), STAINS project (2020), and ASSIST project (2021, jointly funded by MISE and Politecnico). Filippo Molinari is a Full Professor at the university and serves as AEQUIP's scientific reference.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ibex Medical Analytics: Israel-based AI pathology company developing clinical-grade algorithms for cancer detection and grading across multiple tissue types. Directly comparable to Aequip's ASSIST product in clinical AI workflow for pathology departments.
• Paige.AI: US-based digital pathology AI company with FDA-cleared prostate and breast cancer detection products. Competes in the same clinical AI pathology segment as Aequip's ASSIST Prostate and ASSIST Breast products.
• Owkin: France/UK-based AI biotech applying machine learning to pathology images for diagnostic and drug development use cases. Comparable as a European AI pathology company with both clinical and research applications.
• Proscia: US-based digital pathology platform company providing enterprise AI-enabled workflow software for pathology laboratories. Comparable as a pathology workflow platform that integrates AI for diagnostic support.
• Aignostics: Berlin-based spin-off from Charité/Bayer focusing on AI-powered computational pathology for diagnostic and pharmaceutical research applications. Comparable as a European pathology AI spin-off targeting both clinical and research workflows.
• PathAI: US-based AI pathology company offering diagnostic and drug discovery solutions, with algorithms for tumor detection, grading, and biomarker quantification. Closely comparable to Aequip's AI-based diagnostic and quantification tools.
• Indica Labs: US-based digital pathology image analysis software company with a broad range of AI-powered quantification and classification tools used in research and clinical pathology. Comparable as an AI image analysis vendor for pathology workflows.
• Visiopharm: Denmark-based company providing image analysis software for digital pathology, including AI-powered tissue classification and quantification. Comparable as a European pathology image analysis platform with deep-learning and phenotyping capabilities.

Emerging players

• Aiosyn: Netherlands-based AI pathology company developing deep learning algorithms for kidney and cancer pathology. Comparable as a European emerging AI pathology player with similar tissue-specific focus and CE-IVD ambitions.

Broad incumbents

• 3DHISTECH: Hungary-based established digital pathology company offering whole-slide scanners, image management systems, and AI-based analysis tools. Comparable as a European full-stack digital pathology vendor combining hardware, software, and AI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aequip-s-r-l

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Aequip