Hirschmann

What Hirschmann does

Hirschmann Laborgeräte GmbH & Co. KG is a German specialty manufacturer of precision laboratory instruments founded in 1964 by Adolf-Martin Hirschmann and headquartered in Eberstadt, Germany under family ownership (currently led by Managing Director Kirsten Hirschmann). The company designs and manufactures volumetric measuring devices, liquid-handling instruments (opus® dispensers, ceramus® dosing systems, solarus® solar-powered digital burettes, pipetus® pipetting aids, akku-drive® motorized modules), peristaltic pumps (rotarus® standard/flow/volume/smart 30), precision capillaries (ringcaps®, minicaps®, reflotron®), microtiter plates (96/384/1536-well and aluminum variants), and laboratory glassware. Underlying technology centers on proprietary dosing mechanisms (ceramic-piston ceramus®, direct-displacement pipetting co-developed with Boehringer Mannheim GmbH in 1976), with 26 registered brand ranges and 23 patent families implemented in products; manufacturing is performed in-house in Eberstadt.

The business operates across three primary customer verticals — medical and clinical laboratories, research institutions, and industrial laboratories — served through a multi-channel model: a global registered dealer network in 100+ countries, a company-operated field sales service in Germany, a wholly-owned sales subsidiary for the USA and Canada (Louisville, KY, est. 2002), and direct e-commerce across four languages. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time unit sales of laboratory instruments, supplemented by recurring after-sales services including DAkkS-accredited calibration, manufacturer repair with original parts, and individual labelling/coding of volumetric glassware. Distribution economics feature a €250 minimum order value (with a €50 processing fee below that threshold) and standard 14-day payment terms. The company carries ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, EMAS III, and DAkkS accreditations, and operates with a workforce that is approximately 10% apprentices, reflecting sustained investment in specialized glassworking, dosing engineering, and precision capillary fabrication expertise.

Name

Hirschmann

Legal name

Hirschmann Laborgeräte GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://hirschmannlab.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hirschmann Laborgeräte is a German family-owned manufacturer of precision laboratory instruments — liquid handling devices, peristaltic pumps, volumetric measuring instruments, and precision capillaries — serving medical, research, and industrial laboratories across 100+ countries via dealers, e-commerce, and a US sales subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824)

akta.pro primary industry

Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH), Specialty & Metering Pumps (IMAHANAC)

Keywords

• Laboratory instruments manufacturing
• Liquid handling equipment
• Volumetric measurement devices
• Peristaltic pump systems
• Precision laboratory glassware

Headquarters

HQ city

Eberstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory instrument product sales: Hirschmann generates revenue primarily through the sale of laboratory instruments including liquid handling devices (dispensers, burettes, pipetting aids, microliter pipettes), peristaltic pumps, precision capillaries, volumetric measuring instruments, laboratory glass, and microtiter plates. Products are sold globally through a network of registered dealers in over 100 countries and directly via their e-commerce website.
2. After-sales services (calibration, repair, individual labelling): Revenue is also generated from calibration services, repair services, and individual labelling/customization of volumetric glassware. These services are offered as add-ons to product sales and represent ongoing revenue from the installed base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hirschmann Laborgeräte manufactures and sells precision laboratory instruments for liquid handling, volumetric measurement, peristaltic pumping, and precision capillary applications. The product portfolio includes branded families such as opus® dispensers, ceramus® dosing systems, solarus® solar-powered burettes, pipetus® pipetting aids, the rotarus® peristaltic pump series, ringcaps®/minicaps®/reflotron® precision capillaries, microtiter plates, and a range of laboratory glassware and volumetric measuring devices. The company complements its instrument sales with DAkkS-accredited calibration, manufacturer repair, custom individual glassware labelling, and application consultation services.

Product overview

Hirschmann Laborgeräte is a German laboratory equipment manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of precision instruments for liquid handling, volumetric measurement, and laboratory glassware. The product portfolio centers on branded product families: opus® dispensers, ceramus® dosing equipment with ceramic pistons, solarus® solar-powered burettes, and pipetus® pipetting aids for liquid handling; rotarus® peristaltic pumps (standard, flow, volume, smart 30 variants); precision capillaries including ringcaps®, minicaps®, and reflotron® lines; microtiter plates (96/384/1536-well formats plus aluminum variants); volumetric measuring devices in glass and plastic; and laboratory glassware such as beakers, flasks, and bottles. The company provides supporting services including DAkkS-accredited calibration, repair, custom individual labelling, and application consultation. Founded in 1964, the company operates from Eberstadt, Germany with distribution to over 100 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• opus: Dosing and titration device line
• ceramus
• solarus
• pipetus
• rotarus
• akku-drive
• ringcaps
• minicaps
• reflotron

Products and services

• opus® dispenser High-precision dispenser for liquid handling applications in laboratories, awarded multiple design awards including iF Design Award China (2008), iF Design Award, Red Dot Award, and Focus Open Silver (2009).
• ceramus® dosing line Dosing line with ceramic pistons and media recirculation for precise liquid dispensing in laboratory settings.
• solarus® solar-powered digital burette World's first solar-powered digital burette for laboratory titrations, awarded iF Design Award (2001), Red Dot Award (2001), Blue Angel environmental label (2003), Green Good Design Award (2011), and German Design Award 2016.
• pipetus® pipetting aid Pipetting aid for laboratory use, family received Red Dot Award (2005) for design excellence and was nominated for the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany (2006).

Quantifiable outcome

• Products present in over 100 countries worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany)minorOthers · 1 January 1981Hirschmann successfully completed an innovation project with the BMBF titled 'Manufacture of glass precision capillaries' in 1981. This government-supported project led to the establishment of a production line for single-use capillary pipettes.
• Boehringer Mannheim GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1976In 1976, Hirschmann entered into a cooperation with Boehringer Mannheim GmbH to develop a precise pipetting system based on the direct displacement principle. This collaboration contributed to Hirschmann's early expertise in precision liquid handling technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• INTEGRA Biosciences: Manufacturer of pipettes, electronic pipetting systems, peristaltic pumps, and lab automation tools, competing directly with Hirschmann's liquid-handling and peristaltic pump lines.
• Hamilton Company: Manufacturer of precision liquid-handling instruments, peristaltic pumps, and laboratory automation platforms, overlapping with Hirschmann's dosing, pipetting, and pump offerings.
• Brand GmbH + Co. KG: German family-owned maker of liquid-handling devices (dispensers, burettes, pipettes) and volumetric instruments — essentially a direct competitor with overlapping customer base and product categories.
• Gilson: US-headquartered manufacturer of pipettes, pipetting aids, and liquid-handling instruments serving research and clinical labs with overlapping product categories.
• Vitlab: German manufacturer of volumetric instruments, dispensers, pipettes, and laboratory plasticware — closely comparable mid-sized German Mittelstand competitor to Hirschmann.
• Eppendorf: German manufacturer of premium pipettes, dispensers, and liquid-handling instruments. Closely comparable to Hirschmann on core liquid-handling product lines and German precision-engineering positioning.

Emerging players

• Corning Life Sciences: Major manufacturer of microtiter plates, lab consumables, and cell-culture products — directly overlaps Hirschmann's 96/384/1536-well plate portfolio and is a meaningful competitor in that category.

Broad incumbents

• Sartorius AG: Large German lab and bioprocessing supplier with broader portfolio (balances, pipettes, bioprocess equipment). Comparable on laboratory instrumentation but at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Hirschmann.
• Mettler Toledo: Global lab-instrument leader in balances, pipettes, titrators, and analytical instruments — broad overlap with Hirschmann's dosing/titration/measurement categories but operating at much larger scale.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Largest global lab-instrument and consumables supplier, including microtiter plates, pipettes, and lab automation — competes with Hirschmann across multiple product categories at vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hirschmann