Ahram Biosystems

What Ahram Biosystems does

Ahram Biosystems is a privately held molecular diagnostics instrumentation company founded in 2001, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with a US subsidiary in San Jose, California. The company designs and manufactures compact, battery-powered polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instruments sold under the "Palm PCR" brand — including the S1/S1e single-tube system, the multi-well G2-12, the X1 unit, and the RX1 centrifuge — targeted at point-of-care clinical diagnostics, veterinary testing, food-safety screening, and on-site research applications. Its core technology is a proprietary three-stage fixed-temperature heat block that drives convection-based thermal cycling, eliminating the moving parts and Peltier elements used in conventional benchtop thermocyclers and enabling a palm-size, field-deployable form factor that runs on battery power.

The company's revenue model combines upfront instrument sales with a recurring consumables stream, including proprietary PalmTaq reagents, sample tubes, and application-specific detection kits (notably an African Swine Fever POCT system launched in 2019 and a COVID-19 detection kit launched in March 2020 following Korean MFDS approval). Go-to-market is executed almost entirely through a distributor channel covering approximately 14 countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, supplemented by direct sales in Korea. The firm has also engaged in technology licensing and co-development partnerships, including a February 2020 collaboration with Dokgipo Pharmaceutical to integrate a COVID-19 diagnostic workflow.

Ahram has raised disclosed venture funding of approximately 40 billion KRW from SV Investment in 2015 and approximately 50 billion KRW (~$44 million USD) in a 2017 round from undisclosed investors; the company remains privately held with no public revenue disclosure. No recent (post-2020) fundraising rounds, headcount expansion, or material leadership changes are documented in the available record, and operational signals beyond 2020 are limited.

Name

Ahram Biosystems

Legal name

Ahram Biosystems, Inc.

Website

https://ahrambio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ahram Biosystems develops battery-powered, palm-size portable PCR instruments using proprietary convection PCR technology, serving point-of-care clinical diagnostics, veterinary testing, and research laboratories globally through a 14-country distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Molecular Diagnostics Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)

SIC

Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845)

akta.pro primary industry

Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays) (HLAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Molecular Diagnostics (PCR/qPCR, NGS-based assays) (HLAAALAA)

Keywords

• Portable PCR systems
• Molecular diagnostics instruments
• Battery-powered thermocyclers
• Point-of-care PCR
• PCR reagents

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Palm PCR Instrument Sales: Sale of Palm PCR portable PCR instruments including S1/S1e, X1, and G2-12 systems along with accessories such as wedge bases, AC/DC adapters, and batteries.
2. Consumables Sales: Sale of proprietary consumables including Palm PCR sample tubes (Type IA), centrifuge adapters, sample tube racks, and microfuge tube racks.
3. Reagent Sales: Sale of PalmTaq Express Master Mix and other PCR reagents optimized for the Palm PCR system, sold in kit formats (e.g., 20 μL x 100 reactions).
4. Licensing of Proprietary Technology: The company licenses its proprietary convection PCR technology and associated intellectual property including Palm PCR brand. Trademarks for Palm PCR, PalmTaq, and Ahram are registered in the United States and/or other countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ahram Biosystems designs, manufactures, and sells portable, battery-powered PCR (polymerase chain reaction) instruments and accessories under the Palm PCR™ brand for molecular diagnostics. The portfolio includes the Palm PCR S1/S1e, X1, and G2-12 systems, the Ahram RX1 portable centrifuge, proprietary Palm PCR consumables, and PalmTaq Express reagents, all built on proprietary convection PCR technology enabling ultra-fast, mobile DNA amplification at the point of care.

Product overview

Ahram Biosystems offers the Palm PCR™ family of portable, battery-powered PCR systems designed for molecular diagnostics. The portfolio centers on three core instrument platforms: the Palm PCR™ S1/S1e (high-throughput real-time PCR with 24 wells), Palm PCR™ X1 (mobile qPCR with 12 wells), and Palm PCR™ G2-12 (handheld portable PCR with 12 wells). Supporting these instruments are the Ahram™ RX1 battery-powered centrifuge, Palm PCR™ consumables (sample tubes, adapters, racks), and PalmTaq™ Express reagent kits. All products leverage proprietary convection PCR technology enabling ultra-fast amplification without conventional thermal ramping, delivering results in 9-20 minutes per run. The systems are designed for point-of-care use in both clinical and field settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Palm PCR: Ultra-fast mobile PCR system brand featuring battery-powered, palm-size portable thermocyclers
• PalmTaq
• Ahram RX1

Products and services

• Palm PCR™ S1/S1e System Ultra-fast mobile real-time PCR system for clinical and field diagnostics. Delivers multiplex real-time PCR results in under 12 minutes with up to 6 real-time channels (5 for S1, 3 for S1e), 20 seconds per cycle, single copy sensitivity, and 4+ hours battery operation. Throughput of over 400 tests/8-hours.
• Palm PCR™ X1 System Ultra-fast mobile qPCR system with 3 real-time channels for X1 trio and 5 for X1 pro. PCR speed as fast as 10 min/30-cycles with sensitivity down to single copy. Throughput of over 200 tests/8-hours. Size 24.5 cm x 16.8 cm x 7.8 cm, weight 1.6 kg (1.95 kg with battery). Communications via USB, CAN, RS485 and Bluetooth. Portability of 4+ hours continuous PCR per single battery charge.
• Palm PCR™ G2-12 System Hand-held portable PCR system with multi-step isothermal functions for reverse transcription, nucleic acid preparation, and cell lysis. Battery-powered for 4+ hours of operation. Ultra-fast amplification as fast as 9 min/30-cycles with single copy sensitivity. 12 wells, 25 μL sample volume, weighing 220 g (350 g with battery).
• Ahram™ RX1 Centrifuge Battery-powered compact portable centrifuge for mobile molecular diagnostics applications. Angle rotor loading up to 12 x 1.5 mL tubes, maximum speed of 8,500 rpm (4,680 rcf). 2 hours of continuous operation per charge. Size 17.0 cm x 17.0 cm x 11.6 cm, weight 1.3 kg. Power consumption 10 W at maximum rpm.
• Palm PCR™ Consumables Proprietary disposable sample tubes (Type IA), centrifuge adapters, tube racks in multiple colors, and Li+ polymer battery (Model LP-1920A) designed specifically for Palm PCR systems.
• PalmTaq™ Express Master Mix Hot-start qPCR master mix (5X) optimized for Palm PCR systems. Part No: RK3010, 20 μL x 100 reactions. Includes MgCl2 solution and nuclease-free water. Ultra-fast PCR reagent designed for the Palm PCR platform.
• Palm PCR™ COVID-19 Fast POCT System Ultra-fast nucleic acid extraction kit for COVID-19 diagnosis, achieving results in under 20 minutes. System for rapid point-of-care testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• ASF Fast POCT System (African Swine Fever) Point-of-care testing system for rapid on-site African Swine Fever (ASF) gene detection in livestock. Enables fast animal disease surveillance in field conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• DNA amplification within 30 minutes for up to 1 kbp amplicon; 400 bp amplicons in as little as 18 minutes; extreme sensitivity down to below 10 copies
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dokgipo Pharmaceutical (독립바이오제약)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2020Ahram Biosystems signed an MOU with Dokgipo Pharmaceutical for the production and sales of a COVID-19 diagnostic system. Dokgipo Pharmaceutical was a strategic partner for manufacturing and commercializing the Palm PCR-based Corona Virus Detection Kit capable of diagnosing COVID-19 within 21 minutes. This partnership was formed in February 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCd9rf_F77gedjPMNURTYqzA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ahrambio

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 Ahram Biosystems